Kelvin’s trucking career began at the age of 17, in 1968, behind the wheel of his father's 1951 Bedford tipper, carting grain from local farms to district silos during harvest.
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From those humble beginnings, Kel built what would become one of the Riverina's most respected transport businesses.
It would later earn him accolades on a national and local scale, including the Shell Rimula Wall of Fame in 2015, his selection as a Kenworth Legend in 2019 and as a 2026 inductee of the Deniliquin & District transport Industry Wall of Fame.
Alongside George Fenton and Fred Driscoll in 1984, Kel launched interstate freight operations to Melbourne, laying the foundations for Baxter Transport.
What started with a handful of trucks has grown into a major transport and farming enterprise, with up to 55 trucks operating across Australia and a workforce of about 80 employees.
For more than five decades, Kel has been a passionate advocate for the road transport industry. He has served on numerous industry bodies, including the Australian Road Train Association, the National Association of Transport Operators Road Board, and the Road Train and High Productivity Freight Vehicle Committee.
He played a leading role in securing road train access to rice receival sites and was instrumental in the introduction of B-Triples and AB-Triples across regional NSW, helping drive productivity and safety improvements throughout the freight sector.
A former chairman and life member of the Australian Trucking Association's Industry Technical Council, Kel has earned a reputation as a tireless campaigner for the transport industry and regional Australia.
Kel and Marilyn Baxter packed and ready for this year's Crawlin the Hume event.
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