The foundations of Sam Sali’s passion for transport were probably laid down in his teen years when he followed his interests by completing a motor mechanic’s apprenticeship.
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But how he came to be in Australia at all, was due to his father.
Sam Selami Sali was born on January 15, 1937 in the small village of Voskop, in Albania.
Sam’s father, Sabri, could not see a future in Albania and decided to return to Australia with the family, where he had already lived and worked for seven years, sending money home from the small earnings he made.
Sam was about three months old when the family, including brother Alan, settled in the Grahamvale area.
The number of boys in the family increased to six with the arrival of Bill, Avni, Haset and Hismet, who all attended Grahamvale Primary School.
Sam gained his junior technical certificate at high school, which enabled him to complete a motor mechanic apprenticeship starting in 1953 with Favaloro Motors.
During his apprenticeship, Sam and Alan bought their first truck in 1956 to carry fruit to the Melbourne market and this is when ‘S.Sali & Sons’ was born.
At the completion of his apprenticeship in 1958, they took delivery of their Diamond T semi-trailer to further increase their carrying capacity to Melbourne.
The year was a significant milestone for the family, when they changed direction of growing tomatoes on the family farm to planting fruit trees — which is still operated by Sam’s brother Bill and his sons to this day.
By 1961 the transport business had grown to three trucks, however the big highlight of the year was Sam getting engaged and later marrying Nina Birang.
It was a match that lasted their lifetimes and Sam often introduced Nina as “my best mate”.
They went on to have four children — Vivien in 1964, Noreen in 1968, Adem in 1971 and Linda in 1979. Sam had five grandchildren in Sabri, Sarah, Ella, Alan and Sam.
Sam spent many years driving trucks as well as performing all the servicing and maintenance.
In the late 1970s Sam began working it the management side of the business with brother Alan.
His involvement in the industry began ramping up over this time.
Sam was a foundation member of several leading road transport organisations.
In 1986, along with his brother Haset, he was the foundation member and director of the National Transport Federation and a founding director with the Goulburn Valley Road Transport group representing local and long distance operators
In those days, the smaller regional freight operators were being pushed around by the big companies and Sam led the fight for better representation and fair treatment.
Sam gathered around the Shepparton operators including Cos Roccisano, Fred Borg and Doug Trease, and collected the legal smarts of brother Haset Sali, to establish the NTF.
In 1994, he was also involved in the amalgamation of the NTF with the Long Distance Road Transport Association to form Natroad, where he served as a director until 2001.
Sam worked with these organisations to restructure the long distance drivers award and introduce enterprise bargaining to the industry, along with being committed to improving the image and furthering the professionalism of the road transport industry.
His service to Natroad was recognised in 2001 with an award in appreciation for service and commitment.
In 2003, Sam was given one of the trucking industry’s major accolades — the National Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Transport Industry.
However, one of the biggest acknowledgements Sam received was in 2010 when he, his late brother Alan and brother Haset were inducted into the Australian Transport Hall of Fame in Alice Springs for their contribution to the transport industry.
Sam’s restored Diamond T was on show in Alice Springs for the presentation.
Like his trucks, Sam was in for the long haul with the organisations he was involved in.
In 1972 Sam joined the Rotary Club of Shepparton where he served for 51 years.
One of his proudest moments was to receive a Paul Harris Fellow award, Rotary’s highest accolade.
Sam had also served on the Bourchier St Primary School council for 12 years and the school’s multi-purpose hall bears his name.
He had also invested in property developments in the city including a Kialla lifestyle village and the building of the Tirana Motel.
Sam was not big on computers and once threatened to toss a unit out of the office window, so it is an irony that this doyen of transport has an entry in the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
In a funeral service tribute, nephew Shane Sali noted he was a man of morals and ethics.
“Uncle Sam was a man of faith; he respected the faith and the gods of others,” said Shane, who is also the City of Greater Shepparton Mayor.
“He listened, he sought understanding of the thinking of others, however he was a man who sought what was best for ‘humanity’ ... Uncle Sam loved people and wanted the best for all people.”
And as Sam Sali’s life was filled with meaning so too, was the January 12 service celebrated in tribute at the Shepparton MOVE auto museum, where Sam is recognised as a transport legend.
He was mourned by his family, his Imam recalled his devotion to God, Rotarians formed a guard of honour for the passage of his casket, a lone piper played Amazing Grace and the cortege was led by a Kenworth prime mover.
Shepparton News assistant editor and Country News journalist