Industry Issues

There are Always More Road Blocks

For the trucking industry there are always more road blocks appearing to stymie the ongoing drive for improved productivity and safety. Every time we think we are making some real progress another problem pops up and appears almost insuperable. No wonder many in the trucking industry are constantly feeling under pressure and frustrated. The latest example which I have come across is the use of PBS vehicles to haul timber in the bottom right hand corner of South Australia. Just as we thought we were getting to the point where access issues were being addressed, more issues are created to hold back development.
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Report into the Access Management Failure

Report into the Access Management Failure

A report into the access management failure as part of the launch of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, which happened in early 2014, has been published. The Queensland Auditor-General has published a report on ‘Heavy Vehicle Road Access Reforms’ in has investigated how the NHVR has looked into the causes of the access management system failure, as well as how well it is coping now in taking over the access management responsibilities.
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Trucking Health Check

A trucking health check is going to be taking place in the months of August and September on the roads of Australia. The National Roadworthiness Baseline Survey will see teams, trained by the National
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Ravaglioli Commercial Vehicle Wireless Mobile Column Lifts

Increased Visibility for Trucks

A meeting in Canberra has seen increased visibility for trucks on the agenda. Experts in the field came together to discuss a range of technical areas for review with a focus on improving safety through
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Keep Truck Tolls Low

The CEO of the Victorian Transport Association has asked the Victoria Government to keep truck tolls low on the proposed access roads to Melbourne Port. Peter Anderson encouraged Transurban and government to apply a reasonable fairness test in relation to tolls and heavy vehicles on the proposed Western Distributor and road access to the Port of Melbourne.
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Playing Politics with Safety

Are we playing politics with safety and really taking the whole issue of safety in the trucking industry seriously enough? This is an important question for everyone involved in road transport, not just for those out there spruiking their own agendas.
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Dropping Trailers in Wagga

A news story this week about trucking operators dropping trailers in Wagga is one which could be repeated all over the country. The drastic lack of decent and safe facilities where trailers can be left during changeovers is a national problem, illustrated here in a major transport hub. The story in Wagga’s Daily Advertiser this week tells of local demands in the city for a specialist truck parking bay after locals raised serious safety concerns. According to the story there are no truck parking bays in the city, now trailers are being left in various areas, many in unsuitable locations.
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Improving Permit Turn Around Times

State road managers improving permit turn around times has been welcomed by the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator. The latest results show the state authorities have been able to significantly improve the turn around time for heavy vehicle class 1, 2 and 3 permit applications. “Data released by the NHVR showed 226 class 2 permits beyond the 28 days in March, but a targeted effort by state road managers has reduced this number to just 50 in the most recent quarter,” said Sal Petroccitto, NHVR CEO. “VicRoads in particular needs to be congratulated for reducing the number of outstanding permits from 93 in the January-to-March quarter, down to 6 in the April-to-June period.
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