The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) finishes 2024 as the largest road transport association in Australia, with its national membership base growing to more than 2,300 trucking businesses.
When reflecting on the year that was, NatRoad had several wins, starting with its participation in the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Global Driver Shortage Survey for the first time.
“Participation helped back up our warning to policy makers – truck driver shortage is a growing economic crisis,” a NatRoad spokesperson told OwnerDriver.
“We’ve used the data from the survey to call for urgent action, and a national approach to combat this very real threat to the nation’s supply chain and economic stability.”
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Following this, NatRoad also launched several key initiatives, including its Get Fleet Fit project to improve fuel efficiency and productivity, as well as its Truckie First Aid online training that saw more than 1,000 truck drivers receive crucial skills from St John Ambulance.
NatRoad’s commitment to providing a voice for members and ensuring the industry’s viability has never been stronger as it moves into 2025 with a hefty list of priorities.
“The outlook for the local trucking industry is stark. So many trucking businesses are operating on wafer-thin margins,” the spokesperson says.
“There’s rising costs, escalating interest rates, chronic staff shortages and increasing wages. There’s also been no productivity gain in the past few years.
“Much more must be done to ensure the long-term viability of trucking businesses and the sustainability of the road transport industry.”
When it comes to change in 2025, NatRoad is calling for a nationally consistent and practical training program for drivers that includes changes to licensing. This main priority follows NatRoad’s criticism of South Australia’s heavy vehicle licensing changes in late 2024, with NatRoad instead wanting to use a competency based program to ensure inexperienced drivers feel safe to operate in Australia.
NatRoad’s proposed system would mean all drivers working in Australia have to be properly assessed and trained to have an Australian heavy vehicle licence.
While licensing and training is a primary focus, NatRoad’s other priorities include productivity, business costs and toll network issues.
“Helping trucking operators become more viable and profitable is simple – we need enforceable contract conditions, including 30-day payment terms,” the spokesperson says.
“The cost of doing business is also a serious factor preventing trucking businesses from thriving. Oppressive tolls and access permits costs need to be reduced and then capped at reasonable levels. In 2024 we called for the elimination of 90 per cent of heavy vehicle access permits by 2028.
“We were pleased to see the NSW government start to take steps to reform the toll network, in line with what we have been calling for, for more than six years now.”
A key pillar of NatRoad and the wider industry’s focus is safety, with the road toll growing in Australia throughout 2024. NatRoad says the most significant change it can push for to improve safety is to ensure there is a recognised and practical training system that is nationally consistent.
“Licensing in all jurisdictions should require training that focuses on skills and practical outcomes as opposed to tenure,” the spokesperson says.
“This should also apply to overseas drivers, who need to undertake Australian training to ensure they understand our vehicles, road network, and related rules. Training is essential for a safer and efficient industry.”
When it comes to its continual work with government, NatRoad has a simple message for politicians in 2025 – listen and engage with the industry.
From there, NatRoad also wants governments to follow through with meaningful change that reflects the feedback they get from the industry.
“It’s quite simple – we would like to see governments make changes to improve safety and efficiency, committing to results rather than business as usual,” the spokesperson says.
“Importantly, we need a nationally recognised training program as well as lower fines, fewer permits and efficiency incentives, and the cutting of red tape to allow operators to get the job done.
“At the end of the day, truck drivers just want to drive and then get home safely.”
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