The opening day of the Victorian Transport Association’s (VTA) annual state conference has seen the VTA urge for a more inclusive approach to freight movement for the truck sector.
In his opening remarks at the conference, CEO Peter Anderson said there’s a need for intermodal connectivity and stronger logistics policies.
“As much as we will focus on road freight and the road transport industry, we must not forget that our future includes a greater inclusion of other modes in moving the volumes of freight that will be available to meet our customers’ demands,” he said.
“Intermodal connectivity between road and rail, road and air, and road and sea will be vital to improve from where we are today to ensure that the standard of living does not diminish for all Australians.”
Presenting to more than 200 delegates from the Victorian and national freight and logistics industries at San Remo’s Silverwater Resort, the conference’s theme is ‘Safety First: Empowering People, Boosting Productivity, Shaping Transport’s Future’.
The VTA CEO levelled criticism at numerous government agencies, saying they lack support for the truck industry. He singled out Austroads and the National Transport Commission as agencies needing improvement.
“Austroads needs to lift its game. The amalgam of state road agencies needs to understand what intermodal connectivity is about and it needs to engage with the industry, with operators, with associations, in such a way as to deliver policy and regulation that improves the working environment for the industry,” he says.
“Concentrating on the rules around autonomous vehicles or thinking that one mode will steal freight volumes off the other seems to be regressive and does not encourage the creation of policies that support intermodal harmonisation. The absence of clear and logical thinking in forming government policy around the transport and logistics industry is sadly lacking in this country.”
He also mentioned his dismay at the slow progress of the Heavy Vehicle National Law review, as well as the national heavy vehicle driver licensing framework.
“We want heavy vehicle drivers that are well trained and competent from day one of their working career within our industry and we want them to be trained at 18 years of age,” he says.
“The National Transport Commission, empowered to do the five-year review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, started their review in 2017. The first review is still going, has very little change, and has no clear pathway for improvement.”
Anderson says trucks have a unique role to play in the delivery process that mustn’t be forgotten.
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“We must come to terms with the fact that ships, trains, and planes carry freight but only trucks deliver. And deliver they must. Volumes are not going to decrease, and you cannot deliver freight from a computer at home or by AI,” he says.
“We must touch and feel the goods we handle and be able to move them in the most productive, efficient, and safe manner possible.”
The VTA CEO also pointed out the challenges in building enough roads to meet future logistics obligations, suggesting that more freight will need to travel on other modes.
“How we do this, how much we will need to spend, and who will make the necessary decisions are questions that need to be addressed now,” he says.
“When advocating for our industry, the VTA is not afraid to call out those that are holding our industry back. But we need their support, we need them to understand how our industry works and what needs to be done to improve the working environment, so we become more productive, efficient, and safer on our roads.”
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