True commenced at Ross Transport, the company her grandfather and grandmother founded, performing data entry tasks while studying full time at university, and moved on to learning other functions including payroll, compliance, accounts, and even truck washing and greasing trucks in the workshop.
True graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, majoring in human resources and minoring in business law.
“Originally my plans were for a corporate job and travelling the world, but I liked what I was doing here, and one thing led to another, and I’m still here,” True says.
True and her husband Jason welcomed twins four years ago and that hasn’t held her back from tackling her current role of Business Manager overseeing the entire operation, working closely with the company’s transport managers in various areas including HR, payroll, compliance, permits, and customer relations.
True has her own fleet of five trucks operating under her own company operation alongside the 70 Ross Transport trucks.
The Ross Transport operation has grown to have a diverse business portfolio including interstate tautliners and flat tops carrying general freight often involving large amounts of steel, and a growing fleet of tippers and even some live bottom floor combinations specialising in asphalt.
“We believe it’s important to have a mix of work. Demand for tippers can be seasonal and weather dependent,” True says.
“We find it better to still have a local fleet, a flat top fleet, a tautliner fleet, and a tipper fleet and have drivers interchangeable so when things get quiet in one division they can move into another. That way they’re still working and we’re still working.”
Despite the current diversity of the Ross fleet, the company keeps away from specialised freight such as OSOM, Dangerous Goods, and refrigerated transport.
“We can’t maintain a diversified fleet and have the skills in those other much specialised areas as well,” she says.
“For the work we do with our tippers the truck and dog combo works perfectly for us because we can send them anywhere and anything goes in them such as glass, bulk commodities, shredded scrap metal, or road base. We’ll go anywhere, be it local, intrastate or interstate. The payload tonnage is fantastic but it’s no good if you can’t get the permits for it with some of these a double road train combinations which is why we prefer the truck and dog combo.”
In September this year Ross Transport will be celebrating 50 years in business, which is quite a milestone in the volatile road transport industry.
“My Nan (Frances Ross) still comes in so we’re three generations in the business. Four generations if you count my four-year old twins Charlie and Chris, but they’re not officially in the business yet!”
True acknowledges the family transport dynasty could have been interrupted early.
“Dad never put any expectation on me to be in the business and I’ll do the same with the twins,” she says.
“If they end up here that’s their choice. Dad always said to me don’t do anything you don’t want to do. He actually discouraged me working here when I first started because the joys of owning or running a business are good but it can also be very stressful. I love my life and I wouldn’t change it for the world but it is stressful at times managing a family business.”
She adds, “I enjoy talking to people and I think I would have done HR somewhere in the corporate world, maybe internationally?”
Wherever possible Ross Transport makes it purchases locally and is an integral part of its local community. True’s father Alan Ross got the company involved with the now famous i98fm Illawarra Convoy which supports families within the Illawarra.
We have donated over $1 million over the last 20 years with the support of our sponsors and employees.
“It was Dad who came up with the idea that everyone who pledges donates, even if they don’t win lead truck, not like in an auction. We sponsor other events as well but we’re mostly involved with the Illawarra Convoy and have been for 20 years.”
True remains closely involved with Transport Women Australia Limited (TWAL) and was on the Board for a number of years.
“It’s important to recognise that we are in a predominately male industry but there are other minority groups, not just women, including other cultures and the younger generation that it’s important to tap into. I was only 23 when I joined the Board, and it was a good mentoring place for me and I picked up different things I can apply back into our own business,” she says.
“It was good for me to learn from people, especially women, who had been in the industry for years and I can apply that to what I do now. We started hiring not just women, but younger people who had just got their HC licences or had their HR licence and were ready to upgrade to HC. A lot of people would not give them a go but we were happy to train them and we’re still doing that.”
Ross Transport isn’t immune from the challenges facing most operators in the industry and True saw it was important to build relationships with her staff.
“We’ve got an ageing workforce and a lot of our employees are older. It didn’t take long for me to earn their respect but it was something I had to do because a younger female directing older men is not always a great combo. We need the young ones to learn from them otherwise the next lot of drivers or staff are potentially useless.”
True continues to attend multiple networking events and conferences to both support the industry and learn aspects which she can apply back to the family business.
The road transport industry is constantly evolving and it will be key people like True Ross-Sawrey who will continue to drive it forward for the next few decades.
“Although technically I’m still quite young, nobody looks at my age or the fact that I’m female. I don’t have any issues any more. You come across arrogant people but chances are they’d be arrogant with a man as well,” she says.
“I try to present myself professionally, dress appropriately, and speak appropriately when I’m networking or at a work function. I think that does help gain respect. You shouldn’t have to dress a certain way, but at the end of the day it does matter, especially when you’re young and female like I was, and it was important for me to gain the respect of many people.”
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