Jenny Fellows on Helping Young People Share the Road
When Jenny Fellows talks about road safety, she speaks from lived experience – as a parent, a regional business owner, and someone who has spent decades alongside the transport industry.
Jenny and her husband Paul run Fellows Bulk Transport in Deniliquin, but her contribution reaches well beyond their own operation. Over time, she has helped develop a driver education and “sharing the road” program for local high school students that has since gained national recognition.
Jenny recently shared her story with Shane Jacobson on How Ya Travellin’, produced by proud Truck Week partners Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds. Her story is a reminder that meaningful community engagement often starts with one person deciding to do something practical.
Starting with a simple question
The program began with a simple concern. Jenny was teaching her own children to drive and questioning whether young people were really being prepared for the realities of the road – especially when sharing it with heavy vehicles.
“There are more cars on the road than planes in the sky,” she told Shane Jacobson, reflecting on how little structured driver education exists for learner drivers compared to aviation.
Rather than waiting for a solution, Jenny took the idea to her local high school. When nothing immediately materialised, she helped organise something herself, bringing together the school, emergency services, police and health professionals.
Getting students into a truck
One of the most powerful elements of the program is also the simplest.
“We get them in a truck,” Jenny said. From the cab, students can see blind spots, understand braking distances, and appreciate the size and weight of heavy vehicles in a way no classroom explanation can fully replicate.
The message is practical and memorable. As Jenny puts it, “If you can’t see my mirrors, I can’t see you.”
Even if only one student leaves with a better understanding of how to position themselves safely around trucks, she believes the effort is worthwhile.
Truck Week’s new school event kit is designed to support exactly this kind of practical engagement, giving businesses and industry participants resources they can use to create safe, useful and well-considered activities with local schools during Truck Week.
Making consequences real
The broader driver education day goes further, walking students through realistic crash scenarios involving emergency services, hospital pathways and police procedures. The aim is not shock for its own sake, but helping young people understand how distraction, inexperience and poor decisions can change lives in an instant.
Respect for professional drivers
A consistent theme in Jenny’s work is respect for professional drivers and the skill they bring to the road. “They’re not just truck drivers – they’re professional drivers,” she said. “The skill that it requires to drive these vehicles is incredible.”
Helping young people understand that professionalism, she believes, is part of improving road safety and behaviour.
An approach others can adapt
Importantly, Jenny is clear that this kind of engagement does not need to be perfect or highly resourced. It can grow from local relationships, practical ideas and people willing to contribute.
“I’d be more than happy to help anybody shortcut the first few years that we took,” she said.
That spirit sits comfortably at the heart of Truck Week. Jenny’s story shows how school engagement can build understanding, improve safety awareness and give young people a more informed view of the industry.
For those inspired to do something similar, the Truck Week 2026 school event kit is now available to help turn that intent into action.