The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has congratulated on the newly re-elected federal government and called on them to address the growing driver shortage.
“The re-elected Labor government now has a clear majority and is in a good position to show strong leadership to build a road freight industry that is safer, more productive and sustainable,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says.
Clark acknowledged the progress made over the past few years but warned the federal government that it will need to take the opportunity to build on this progress or else reckon with the consequences of a crippled trucking industry by 2028.
“The government made clear progress over the last three years, including reforms to industrial relations and critical investments into rest areas and safer roads,” he says.
“We need to build on this progress and address the key challenges facing the sector.
“The driver shortage crisis won’t go away. The recent 2024 Global Truck Driver Shortage Report by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) has projected Australia will have a huge driver shortage problem – 78,000 unfilled positions – by 2029.
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“In 2025, trucking operators are already dealing with close to 28,000 unfilled driving positions in Australia.
“The ageing workforce is at the heart of the issue. There are simply not enough young people entering the truck driving profession to replace those leaving at the end of their careers.”
He says developing a skilled workforce is one priority area that NatRoad wants to see acted on in its agenda ‘Road to 2028’.
“More needs to be done to get young people interested in the trucking industry and to provide a safe and professional career path. Nationally consistent training pathways and heavy vehicle licencing reform will be essential,” he says.
“We need action on the national truck laws and fixing road access, with the ambition of eliminating 90 per cent of access permits by the time of the next election in 2028. This will depend on national leadership in co-ordination with the states and territories.
“There is a pressing reform case for building better roads and addressing the broken road user charging system.
“We are running out of time to adjust course and avoid failing to meet Australia’s 2030 road safety targets. The government should move quickly to implement no-fault independent safety investigations of road crashes.
Clark says the pathway to lower emissions transport must also be addressed, with a $3.5 billion Clean Transport Fund and legislating a Low Carbon Fuel Standard to enable a cost-effective transition.
“We will need a mix of solutions, including improved efficiency, electrification, renewable diesel and hydrogen where the technology case stacks up,” he says.