Australia, Frank Black, Opinion, Transport Industry News

Plenty on the horizon for the industry in 2025

With 2024 being a milestone year in terms of transport reform, Frank Black says the industry can expect more movement for drivers in 2025
Safety

Well 2024 really flew by and what a year it was. Given all the developments that have occurred in the lead up to this year I think we should be really looking forward to 2025. After years of campaigning for transport reform, we finally had the Closing the Loopholes legislation pass both houses of Parliament in February and, in August, come into effect. Meanwhile, progress continues to be made with more rest areas for truck operators, addressing the critical issue of driver fatigue in a tangible and workable way.

For many years, the industry has been crying out for transport reform to take the pressure off truck operators, including owner drivers, both long and short haul, and make the job safer, fairer and more sustainable. In this column, I’ve constantly discussed the pressures that drivers face from the top of the supply chain cutting into our funds, forcing us to stay on the road for longer stretches with less breaks and resulting in some people going as far as to invest less in truck maintenance, and ultimately, safety.

Thankfully, with the passing of the Closing the Loopholes legislation, truck operators now have a road transport division within the Fair Work Commission that effectively exists to make the industry better for us. Ideally, what it will do is set standards to make the industry safer. The Transport Workers’ Union has already made applications to the Fair Work Commission through the process set out via the Closing the Loopholes legislation.

One of these applications is to ensure truck operators are paid within a maximum of 30 days of finishing a job. Cashflow can be so critical to truck operators, even more so nowadays with the cost-of-living crisis and inflation pushing everything up, that the regular payments we count on to keep ourselves afloat are now more important than ever. The power of this legislation to really protect our financial security by ensuring we get paid on time cannot be underestimated.

MORE OWNERDRIVER TRENDING STORIES:

One of the most important parts of the Closing the Loopholes legislation is the reliance on actual trucking experts in informing the decision-making process. The Road Transport Advisory Group in the Fair Work Commission will provide advice on the nuts and bolts of any potential legislative changes affecting the industry to come through the Fair Work Commission process. Given their expertise, the relevant experience of the members will be a vital component of this. As the year progresses, I think we’ll see how this plays through, but I have every confidence that things are changing for the better in terms of the power dynamic between truck operators and the big retailers at the top. Ultimately, any decisions which make the industry fairer and safer don’t only benefit us, but other road users as well.

Remember, all of these processes are in play to help keep drivers, owner drivers and the general community that share the roads with us safe while we go about our duties in keeping Australia moving. It’s not just about politicians and the Fair Work Commission – ultimately it’s about the safety and fair treatment of truck operators and other transport workers. Further, it’s important to remember that, as processes develop, we need to keep abreast of these issues, understand how they will affect us and speak up if we have any concerns, queries or questions. At the end of the day, the legislation exists to keep us safe and we should be keeping an active eye on the processes that will be reshaping our industry.

Speaking of safety, we know that one of the biggest dangers in truck safety, specifically truck-related crashes, is driver fatigue. Having adequate opportunities to rest is such an important part of ensuring truck drivers remain refreshed, alert and ultimately safe on the roads. I’ve previously spoken about the Heavy Vehicle Rest Area Initiative Steering Committee, of which I’m a part, and our role in identifying the best spots for new or upgrading rest areas. Over the last 12 months, we’ve been identifying and recommending more and more potential sites. While I’ve written about the need for rest areas in the past, we are hoping to see a lot more progress in this area this year,
in particular with the development
of areas that have been given the green light, scheduled to start later this year. When drivers are finally able to make use of new rest areas, I think it will be a boon not just for us in the industry, but also the other people we share the road with who will be ultimately safer.

With the benefits of the Closing the Loopholes legislation in making the industry fair, safer and more sustainable for truck operators and other transport workers, and more rest areas getting the green light and finally developed, I think we should have a lot to look forward to in 2025.

Subscribe to the weekly Owner//Driver newsletter here.

Previous ArticleNext Article
  1. Australian Truck Radio Listen Live
Send this to a friend