Since the time Scott Harvey first got behind the wheel of a milk tanker the industry he inhabits has undergone tremendous changes.
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Some changes were inevitable as urban areas pushed into once prime dairying country others came from government, international trade forces and of course the seasons.
But unlike the dairying industry, which has taken a real battering especially in the last 12 months, with falling farmgate returns, Scott has gone from strength to strength in last 28 years.
From that start as a driver he and his wife Regina and daughter Blair now run Australia’s biggest milk only cartage business.
Their company SRH Milk Haulage carries 1.5 million litres/day, runs 51 trucks, 80 tankers and employs 130 staff.
Not a bad achievement for someone who bought his first truck 22 years ago.
Scott started driving for Alistair McDonald having tried his hand at various trades.
His daughter Blair said he developed a passion for driving and the milk business in particular.
In those early days he was contracted to Dairyfarmers carting milk from the Hunter Valley farms to their factory at Hexham.
Today based at Maitland the company operates in NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.
They cart milk for all the major milk players and even some smaller cheese producers.
So many of the milk factories up and down the coast are gone including Dungog, Gloucester, Taree, Comboyne along with Singleton and Muswellbrook.
Many farmers have also left the industry at the same time others have expanded.
Scott has been picking up milk from an number of farms since he started in the industry including; Redgroves and Ernst (Singleton), Maslen (Gloucester), Johnstons (Taree), Hurrells (Comboyne) and Billings( Dorrigo).
As Blair says their business success relies on the suppliers and her family has always tried to support and assist them.
As the next generation of the family involved in milk haulage she hopes to grow the business – perhaps gaining a foothold in the Victoria.