Transport is an ‘industry in crisis’

Over 70 transport industry representatives agree the transport industry is facing an “existential crisis”.

Western Australia senator Glenn Sterle says there are challenges and a “squeeze from the top of the supply chain” which are being felt by truck drivers and operators.

The Labor shadow assistant road safety minister has met in Canberra with heavyweights of the transport industry to discuss significant changes that would be set in motion should the Liberal Nationals Party fail to win the May federal election.

Sterle says remunerations rates will be changed in a post-election Labor government.

“Our operators are facing an existential crisis and it’s now at a point where we cannot go on any further, there has to be change,” he says.

“Should Bill Shorten form the next government after the election, we will implement legislative rates that address the squeeze from the top of the supply chain, which will address the remuneration for truck drivers, for transport companies and for owner-drivers,” Sterle states.

“We want the industry to be safe, for all road users,” he says.

Sterle says today’s meeting involved transport operators, big and small businesses, national and state organisations representative of the transport industry and the workers’ union, accounting for over 2000 years of collective experience.

“We cannot continue down this path where our drivers and companies stretched to the limit, where it is not only fatigue, but shortcuts forced upon them in service and maintenance, and remuneration to the point of getting by on the smell of an oily rag,” Sterle adds.

Transport Workers’ Union chief executive Michael Kaine says the Turnbull government’s abolition of the road safety watchdog has been costly.

“That watchdog was just about to put in place orders across five sectors of the transport industry that would’ve made a significant difference in terms of safety and viability,” he says.

“Since then, April 2016, 519 Australians have lost their lives in truck crashes on Australian roads – in the last week every single day an Australian has been lost on our roads, seven in seven days, five of them truck drivers,” Kaine says.

Kaine says the 70 members of the transport community agree that action needs to be taken.

“Representatives across key sectors agree to a common theme, that this is an industry in crisis, under pressure, and every day companies are going under and every day people are dying on our roads,” he puts frankly.”

“We’re hopeful this constructive discussion will continue after the election, and we can put standards in place that ensure Australians return home safely every night,” Kaine adds.

The Australian Trucking Association, represented by chief executive Ben Maguire and chairman Geoff Crouch, has praised the senator’s calling together of stakeholders for raising the safety standards.

“It was very encouraging to see everybody proactively contributing to one central goal: to improve safety outcomes,” Crouch says in a statement.

“The ATA was delighted to join senator Sterle’s forum and have the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation,” he adds.