Noel Lane
Noel Lane has lost count of the kilometres he’s travelled sitting behind the wheel of a truck. Born in February 1969, he grew up in Killarney, a small town in South-West Victoria nestled along the Princes Highway, a road he knows like the back of his hand.
Today, Noel still calls Killarney home, living with his wife Alison on the same property where his family once grew potatoes, carrots, and onions, and milked cows. The youngest son of eight children, Noel found his footing early in the family’s agricultural and transport business. He began his career behind the wheel of his father’s truck and eventually bought it from him, carting spuds around the local region.
In 1992, Noel established Lane Transport, initially hauling potatoes for his father and other growers in Killarney and around Ballarat. When the Victorian season ended, Noel headed north to Hillston, New South Wales, another potato-growing hub, where he continued his work. This time he was transporting large volumes in bulk and big bags to major cities like Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney.
A major turning point came in 1994, when Noel secured a contract with packaging giant Visy to transport reels of paper products across Australia. Since then, Lane Transport has expanded its clientele to include companies like Orora, with trucks now hauling everything from glass wine bottles, picked up from Orora's Gawler plant in South Australia and delivered to wineries across Victoria and as far as the Hunter Valley, to machinery, timber, wool, beer, and even aeroplanes.
“Anything on a pallet, we can carry,” says Noel. “Well, actually, we’ll carry anything. You name it, we’re here to move it.”
He’s come a long way from tarping loads by hand. It’s a lost art but one Noel is proud to say he can do well.
While Lane Transport mainly services the east coast of Australia, the fleet will go wherever the job requires. From humble beginnings with one truck and one driver, the business now operates over 35 B-double trucks and employs nearly 50 people. The company has grown from a one-acre plot to a 15-acre headquarters in Killarney.
For 25 years, Noel did the regular Adelaide-to-Melbourne run, and although he's now more often found managing operations, he still gets behind the wheel when needed. Management has become one of his greatest strengths, leading by example and never asking his staff to do more than he would himself.
Noel has witnessed vast changes in the transport industry, especially in fatigue management and trip planning to ensure driver well-being and safety. “It’s heartbreaking when you hear horror stories on the news,” he says. “But those are a small percentage. There’s a huge amount of work that drivers and companies put in to do the right thing.”
Beyond trucking, Noel is a pillar of his community. He sponsors the local football, cricket, and bowls clubs as well as the Sprintcar and Go Kart racing. He also supports events like the Koroit Irish Festival and Port Fairy Folk Festival. His generosity is renowned.
Through all the miles travelled and challenges faced, the most valuable part of Noel’s journey has been the lifelong friendships he’s made along the way.
