Plenty of change was seen in Queensland in 2024, with a new state government seeing new announcements that directly impacted the state’s trucking industry. The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) was central to these amendments as they came, with CEO Gary Mahon saying the first changes for the industry came prior when the federal government released their budget.
“The highlight of the year was when the federal and state governments initiated support for the Inland Freight Route project in the federal budget,” Mahon told ABC.
“With lots of funding provided and the timeline brought forward, work is now literally underway with bridges being repaired, widened and strengthened.”
This firm commitment to Queensland’s road infrastructure was a major boost for the QTA, with Mahon now confident the route can soon become a critical heavy duty route from the north to the south of the state. For larger multi combinations that want to head in those directions, the Inland Freight Route can relieve pressure from the Bruce Highway and provide a more efficient route that is also more reliable and connected.
“The weather resilience of the road is one of a raft of benefits that have been well overdue for the project,” Mahon says.
Following this budget announcement, Mahon looks at the Closing Loopholes legislation unveiled by the federal government as a positive step forward for the industry in 2024. Described as “a long time in the making”, Mahon says the law will give industry the chance to produce fair legislative arrangements and requirements for drivers in the future to better balance the sector.
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“It gives people the chance to have their voices heard so that appropriate standards can be put in place,” he says.
“There may be a bit to go with it, but to have the legislation in place is a significant milestone for the industry.”
Despite these positives, Mahon knows there are still plenty of challenges for the industry to face in 2025 and beyond. One of the largest is curbing the skilled worker shortage in the sector. Mahon is looking towards opening employment channels to get more workers into the industry.
“I want to see training and funding support provided for the apprenticeship model,” he says.
“It would be great for channels to be opened for international migration to get more people into the industry. A number of changes need to be made to ensure the road freight industry is taken into account.
“Road freight hasn’t gotten its opportunity yet, so now is the time to get on the front row of opportunity for international migration.”
With Queensland’s heavy vehicle apprenticeship scheme taking large strides in 2024, Mahon now wants to see funding increase for heavy vehicle drivers to give them the same level of support as other apprenticeships, such as electricians, mechanics or plumbers. Currently sitting on level two of support, employers and employees have to carry the cost of an apprenticeship. If Mahon gets his wish, employers will be treated better if they decide to bring on apprentices.
With the release of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Productivity Plan in December, Mahon wants the conversation in the industry to also focus squarely on productivity.
“Productivity in this country has been allowed to lag – in healthy years productivity growth was at two per cent in the road freight industry, now it averages 0.5 per cent,” he says.
“It’s been hovering at this state since 2007. We need a more progressive outlook to change the composition of fleets along with other Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) changes that can give us the productivity boost that we saw back in the ‘90s when it was celebrated across the industry.
“We also need to get the HVNL review back on track – if it was a commercial matter, we’d cut our losses and start again.”
Mahon will start a defining year for the industry by focusing on the HVNL review. He doesn’t expect any changes to come through for at least another decade, justifying his call to re-start the process and streamline it to better suit the industry’s needs.
“We need to divide the review into four categories with small expert groups who focus on these areas and provide a measurable difference,” he says.
“This can be done within two years and it wouldn’t put us that far behind where we are now, but at least we could look forward to something meaningful in productivity.”
Following this, Mahon and the QTA will continue echoing their support for the apprenticeship model in the heavy vehicle industry. With truck driving now joining the ranks of a range of occupations receiving apprenticeship funding in Queensland, Mahon wants the industry to provide more than just a licence as a lucrative bonus for people wanting to join the road freight sector.
“There are so many characteristics required to be a professional driver these years, from meeting chain of responsibility and fatigue laws to understanding the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics and loading, so there should be more reward provided for these skills,” he says.
“If we can get a proper apprenticeship training program going nation-wide, we may see a productivity lift and more people being attracted to join the industry.
“There’s evidence suggesting that an industry that brings enormous gains to safety and productivity regulation benefits from more people choosing to enter the transport industry as a career.”
With Closing Loophole legislation in place, Mahon finishes his 2025 preview with a look at the Fair Work process. He wants the industry to move on these benefits from 2024 to ensure it quickly becomes a better place to attract and retain more skilled workers in the near future.
“I would love to see the HVNL reform review re-jigged to provide meaningful proposals that capitalise on the momentum we’ve got currently,” he says.
“If we can get these consultations underway and in place, the industry will be better for it.”
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