Michael Badcock, whose truck left the road and hit a tree near Tarcutta on January 29, would have turned 50 and celebrated his 25^th wedding anniversary this year.

A third generation Cootamundra man, he is survived by his wife Ann, sons Reece, 20, and Jake, 17, and his parents.

Ann and Michael were childhood sweethearts who met at a friend's place in 1994, when she was still in school.

"He was the sensible one out of us. The thinker. I'm a little bit impulsive. He used to think things through. The level headed one for sure," Ann said.

They were married in 1996 and built a life together in their hometown with their young family.

"The other day we were talking to our son and we said, 'Have you got a girlfriend?' And he said 'No, I've just got friends that are girls and you can't date your friends that are girls'," Ann said.

"And Michael said, 'Yes, you can'. He said, 'You find your best friend and then you marry them'."

Ann said her husband was an amazing father and a selfless man who always put his family first.

"Everything he did was for us. He worked really hard to provide us with the life that we had," she said.

Michael was a skilled mechanic who worked for Sutherlands Transport, a local company, and eventually made the switch to driving their trucks.

Director Tony Sutherland said Michael would be forever remembered as a great friend and employee.

"He was a professional, hardworking and dedicated operator who will be sadly missed by all at Sutherlands Transport and the wider transport community," he said.

Michael's longtime colleague Jeff Carr said he was devastated by the death of a "great bloke" who was a friend to many.

"He was just a legend of a bloke. Nothing ever seemed to be a problem for him," Jeff said.

"This would have been a shock to everyone. It just tore the guts clean out of me."

Jeff has fond memories of taking his young daughter to meet Michael and his sons, when they were only four or five-years-old, to wash their trucks together on Sundays.

Ann said Reece and Jake will remember their father for his honesty, integrity and willingness to work hard.

"He was loving, caring and kind. Anybody who knew him knew what an amazing person he was. He was an incredible friend, trustworthy and loyal," she said.

"I'll remember him for everything. The life we had. Just everything."