Transport Industry Under Attack: Truckies - If We Don't Fight We Lose!

We publish comments here from a truck owner/driver in the Riverina

The Australian transport industry in crisis with major companies the only ones being long-term sustainable. The owner driver and small family companies, could be wiped out due to the costs of fuel, maintenance, insurance,RTA and EPA compliance for the carting of livestock, hazardous goods etc. That's before the owner driver has even paid wages to drivers.

The major companies get huge concessions regarding these costs due to the sheer volume of business they do. Most major companies have their own mechanics at their own depots, their own discounted fuel also at their own depots and so on. Office staff handle the thousand and one paperwork issues and so on.

The RTA has over regulated the industry making it additionally difficult for the owner driver. With the introduction of new log books and a host of other new laws; the owner driver has had to-by law- pay for fatigue management courses and so on. Astronomical fines by the RTA for sometimes accidental minor infringements etc, punishes good people. The only option for some owner drivers seems to be sub contracting for these major companies - yet he still has to absorb his own higher fuel, maintenance costs etc.

It is hard for many not to consider selling his vehicle and driving for the major companies. The rate of pay at best for a semi driver is around 20 to 25 dollars an hour or around 300 dollars per trip from Wagga to Sydney and back. It's miserable and with all the headaches of being in business, it's easier to consider just being on wages. Some truckies say they'd prefer to be refugees and get more from the welfare system.

We are currently in a situation where the average age of truck drivers is between 55 to 60 years of age. Many experienced drivers are due to retire over the next 10 years, leaving us with mainly younger less experienced drivers or overseas imports to fill the gap, further jeopardising road safety and lives.

To add insult to injury, the recent spate of accidents on our roads will not be resolved by blaming the trucking industry. It is not the truck driver's fault the state of our Nation's roads is one of disrepair. Where does all that fuel tax money go?

Interestingly the New South Wales government is in favour of putting more b-doubles on the road to move more freight with less trucks, but now due to the recent spate of shocking tragedies on our roads, it wants trucks off the roads and freight onto rail. How ironic-as our rail infrastructure is as delapidated as our road system. Trains can't pull up at every point of delivery required. I've never seen a train pull into my local service station to unload, nor a train pull into the local supermarket to unload!

Australian truck drivers are unrecognised Australian heroes for the work they do and the crap they have to put up with and it's high time the government made the transport industry a priority. We would demand:

1. An end to all toll roads.

2. An end to the fines regime that serves the big companies and destroys small business.

3. Heavy Vehicle operators should become recognised as the professional tradespeople they are and as a regulated and licensed trade be paid accordingly to maintain the professional standard of the industry.

4. End the world-parity-pricing for fuel.

5. Develop an Australian fuel industry.

6. An end to over regulation.

To get these things we should support activist owner-driver groups like the Australian Long Distance Owners And Drivers Association and a party like Australia First.