Looking at the Draft Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan released recently by the National Heavy Vehicle regulator, there are a few things which should help those involved in the road transport industry to put things into perspective.
many people in the trucking industry have a chip on their shoulder/inferiority complex, because our industry is one of those which is constantly being a complained about, put down or ignored. All three of which can be very frustrating for those involved in the industry and who are committed to its progress and improvement.
There are a few things within this productivity plan which are all about how the regulator will take things forward and improve the current situation. However, it was the page which just looked at the industry in terms of numbers, which made me think about other priorities.
This page outlines the number of vehicles and people involved in the six states and territories where the Heavy Vehicle National Law applies, but does not include the two outliers, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
This part of the trucking industry in Australia is very large, with 273,000 registered operators and 1,050,000 trucks. This highlights the industry’s importance to the national economy. However, the trucking industry has failed to effectively communicate this importance to policymakers and the wider public. The industry needs to be more forceful in emphasising its vital role.
The industry is fragmented, with diverse groups representing different priorities. This has hindered the industry’s ability to drive policy changes that would improve outcomes for road transport workers.
Proper legislation and a supportive policy environment are crucial for the trucking industry to navigate challenges like the transition to zero-carbon technologies while supporting economic growth through efficient freight distribution.
As an industry, we don’t quite understand just how important we actually are, and need to emphasise this fact and get this fact over to the rest of society. Then perhaps there would be a little more emphasis on improving outcomes for those involved in shifting most of the freight which is moved in this country.
There are over a quarter of a million registered operators, and they are operating well over a milion trucks. This is not an insubstantial number. In comparison, there are only 536 road managers handling 877,000km of road who are, looking from a road transport operators perspective, creating many of the frustrations which dog our industry,
Diving deeper into the numbers, there are 119,000 prime movers pulling 179,000 trailers. Altogether, there are another 177,000 freight carrying rigid trucks. Simply reading these numbers should make those involved in the industry and those advocating for the industry understand that we need to constantly emphasise how important the trucking industry is to the national economy.
There is a need to push that argument to the point where those making the big decisions, both in Canberra and in state capitals, will take into account the importance of the road freight industry to the society as a whole and to the economy as a whole, which is something which is never emphasised and often completely ignored in the wider population.
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