THE man who turned the Lockyer Valley's Nolan's Transport into an Australian transport giant has died.

Nolan's Transport has confirmed that owner Terry Nolan passed away in the early hours of this morning, aged 69. He had been ill in hospital for a few days.

Terry had over 30 years experience in road transport, warehousing and distribution and his valuable knowledge and management style helped the company grow to be a national operation.

Terry was inducted into the "Road Transport Hall Of Fame" in 2003 along with his wife Daphne, who survives him.

Lockyer Valley Mayor Steve Jones was a close friend of Terry and Daphne.

"My wife and I went on a fortnight driving holiday with Terry and Daphne and it was one of the best holidays I had," he said.

Cr Jones said Mr Nolan had been ill for a few years.

"He had been recovering from chemo recently but was taken ill on the fishing trip to the Gulf last week."

He remembered Terry Nolan as a "very special bloke".

"He was a real leader in the transport industry," he said.

"The Prime Minister drove one of Terry's trucks from Brisbane to Sydney in the election campaign."

Cr Jones said Nolan's Transport would miss his leadership but would survive the transition.

"Terry was always very much prepared in his business dealings," he said.

"He was never on the front page but did the hard yards behind the scenes."

No details on the funeral arrangements are yet available.