Archive, Industry News

ATA chair Crouch takes aim at customer audits

Accreditation and productivity also in firing line at Supply Chain Safety Summit

 

Reduced audits and independent accreditation are critical to improving trucking safety and productivity, a major industry conference hears.

In his opening address today at the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and Australian Logistics Council (ALC) Supply Chain Safety Summit in Sydney, ATA chair Geoff Crouch emphasises the need for law reform to address duplication and unnecessary complication surrounding compliance audits. 

“The Australian trucking industry has come a long way since the Heavy Vehicle National Law [HVNL] was introduced, but we cannot rest on our laurels,” Crouch says. 

“There are still problems within the law, which is why we called for a review. 

“It has failed to increase our industry’s productivity and failed to address the growing number of customer audits that trucking businesses are required to undertake.” 


The NHVR has made pointed comments on customer audits and COR, here


Crouch describes the audits as costly, time-consuming, generally covering the same ground and of little legal value. 

ATA’s view is that the new heavy vehicle law should include a separate, voluntary, safety-based system for operators that need even more flexibility. 

“We want to see the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator [NHVR] regulate accreditation scheme providers, not run one,” Crouch says.

“This would improve productivity and provide greater benefit to operators by reducing the need for multiple scheme and customer audits. Most importantly, it would be a big step improving safety outcomes.”

He looks forward to discussion during the Summit about the other barriers to streamlining compliance audits.

“This is about ensuring a safer industry, reducing audits, stronger regulation and competitive neutrality – there has never been a better time for transformational change in how we improve safety,” Crouch says.

 

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