Slim Dusty's songwriter and a truck driver win fir...

A north-west Queensland country music legend and a truck driver found themselves with their first Golden Guitar award for their part in a song dedicated to Australia's live export industry.

Key points: Country music legend Kelly Dixon and truck driver Ryan Garland both won their first Golden Guitar awards on the weekend94-year-old Mr Dixon is best known for writing the Slim Dusty classic Leave Him in the LongyardSix Decks to Darwin is a tribute to Australia's live export industry

Six Decks to Darwin was written and sung by artist Dean Perrett with the help of Boulia transporter Ryan Garland and 94-year-old Kelly Dixon — best known for writing the Slim Dusty classic Leave Him in the Longyard.

The trio won Ballad of the Year at the Tamworth Country Music Festival last weekend.

Mr Perrett, who has now won five Golden Guitar awards, said the main satisfaction was seeing the other two feature at the awards.

"It was so great to see Kelly Dixon at 94 years of age receiving his first Golden Guitar," Mr Perrett said.

"He's someone that had been around the country music industry for a long time, but this was his first Golden Guitar acknowledgement."

Country music artist Dean Perrett won his fourth Golden Guitar award on the weekend with his song Six Decks to Darwin.(ABC Rural: Kim Honan) A tribute to the live export industry

Mr Perrett set out to write a song showcasing the unique lifestyle of truck drivers who deliver cattle to Australia's live export facilities.

"It's such an interesting lifestyle that the country music listener, unless they work in that industry, really wouldn't know much about," he said.

Mr Perrett contacted the other pair to make the song factual and authentic using their knowledge of the industry.

He said Mr Dixon came up with the title.

"I said 'well, that's a perfect title to use' and with that title in mind I actually set about writing the song," he said.

"To get right down to the nitty-gritty over it I got in touch with a young bloke that's a cattle transport operator out there at Boulia."

A win for the cattle industry

Mr Garland said pictures he posted on Facebook were the catalyst for Mr Perrett involving him in the song.

"He liked a fair few of my pictures and he knew that I was in western Queensland," Mr Garland said.

"He just approached me in messages and wanted to know if I could chat with him about writing a song."

Ryan Garland attracted interest from country music artist Dean Perrett with picture of his truck driving adventures on Facebook.(Supplied: Ryan Garland)

Mr Garland said he hoped having an award-winning song in Australia about live export will help public perception.

"We're always the ones that get the bad publicity with the live export," he said.

"It's good to actually get a song out there that might actually educate the public about the good sides of the industry."