Since the September edition of OwnerDriver hit the printers and graced the numerous truck stops around Australia, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive plenty of feedback on what the nation’s transport industry can do to reverse the current issues.
“Why are governments doing nothing?”
“There’s no adequate level of driver training.”
“Undercutting of rates means we will never be able to compete.”
“It’s a race to the bottom.”
The list goes on, but the message is coming through loud and clear – more must be done immediately to protect the hard-working owner drivers around the country who are doing their all to run timely, profitable and, most importantly, safe services.
Another interesting response I received came from someone who has been an owner driver for
35 years, and in total a driver for 56 years in Australia. Throughout his career, including 3.8 million kilometres, more than two million of which were in smaller vehicles, he hasn’t once lost a demerit point nor received a traffic fine. His immediate point is that he feels there is no avenue for the industry, including drivers like himself, to be heard by decision makers.
“I am perplexed by the non-action of the bureaucrats, sitting behind desks, making stupid decision affecting truckers and road users,” he told me.
“The lack of knowledge of trucking manouevres and operation is paramount to driving on the roads with blind morons. I’ve mentioned many safety aspects to state members over the years, to no avail.”
What’s most alarming, and important, about this message is that it comes from a driver who has been retired from full-time driving for seven years. While still driving three to four days a week on smaller jobs, his love for the road is so strong that he had to say something in a time of industry need.
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I’d like to thank you all for these messages, and reiterate that OwnerDriver will continue to represent you and cover the biggest issues for the sector in such a critical period of time. This edition, with our usual array of columnists, touches on these very challenges in a variety of ways, while our features provide a change of pace to the lighter and more satisfying parts of our great industry.
Warren Aitken’s superb Truck of the Month takes him to a unique 40-year anniversary for Gavin Turner at Boulder Wall Construction. Gifted by his sons at the Mack home base in Queensland, it made for a fitting prize for decades of hard work and passion. Check out the beautiful Bulldog on display on page 30.
It was a pleasure to be invited along to the 50th anniversary celebrations of trailer builder Gorski Engineering, where more than 600 people crammed into Melbourne’s Crown Palladium for a night of laughs, great stories and plenty of reflection. The recap of the emotion-filled celebrations can be seen from page 24.
While out on my adventures, I was fortunate to walk through the doors of the Victorian International Container Terminal (VICT) at the Port of Melbourne, where new-age technology on both the seaside (with its automated cranes that loom like skyscrapers) and its truck parking and processing areas is allowing trucks to get in and out within 40 minutes. This technology is remarkable, and has to be marvelled at from page 21.
On top of this, it was terrific to chat to the maiden winner of IVECO’s Master Technician of the Year in Justin Abood on page 44, while the growing success of Australian business Visy Logistics can be seen with its fleet renewal program on page 47 that involves stacks of Mercedes-Benz truck models.
All of this and more is packed into another busy edition of OwnerDriver. We hope you enjoy the read, and stay safe!
Click here to check out the October edition of OwnerDriver.
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