VTA

Award Winners, Freight Routes, FIRS and Primary Producers

This week’s headlines from Diesel News include Award Winners, Freight Routes, FIRS and Primary Producers. This video is of Les Bruzsa’s acceptance speech after receiving the Australian Trucking Association Industry Achievement Award for leading continuous improvement in heavy vehicle regulation and standards. Also presented at the dinner as part of the 2017 Australian Trucking Association (ATA)/Australian Road Transport Suppliers’ Association (ARTSA) Technical and Maintenance Conference (TMC), Mark Collins from Frasers Livestock Transport received the 2017 Craig Roseneder Award, which recognises technical and maintenance excellence and celebrates the professionalism of men and women who work behind the scenes in the trucking industry’s workshops.
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Accreditation Review, EWDs, OBM and Wage Levels

In Diesel News this week, read about the NHVR Accreditation Review, EWDs, OBM and Wage Levels. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has commissioned an independent review into heavy-vehicle accreditation schemes to support improved road safety. “Heavy-vehicle accreditation schemes have proven benefits for road safety across a number of heavy-vehicle sectors, including trucks, cranes and buses,” said Sal Petroccitto, NHVR CEO. “The national roadworthiness survey released earlier this year showed major non-conformities for vehicles in accreditation schemes dropped from 13 per cent to nine per cent.
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Grain Scheme, Master Code and Autonomous Rules

There have been announcements about a Grain Scheme, Master Code and Autonomous Rules this week, read about them on Diesel News. The Victorian Transport Association has welcomed the establishment of the state’s first Grain Harvest Management Scheme, which will provide a productivity and safety boon for farmers and grain transport workers. The scheme will allow heavy vehicles to increase their load by five per cent during the grain harvest season from October 1 to April 30 2018, when delivering grain to receivers who are also participating in the scheme.
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Epic Fail by the ATO, ACCC Involved in Road Tolls and National Harmonisation

This week has seen an Epic Fail by the ATO, ACCC Involved in Road Tolls and National Harmonisation coming onto the agenda in a real way. According to the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), the epic size of the tax office’s failure to consult about its decision to slash employee truck driver travel expenses has got industry associations up in arms. During the 2017–18 income year, the tax office will allow employee truck drivers to claim just $55.30 per day in travel expenses (excluding accommodation) without detailed receipts. In 2016–17, the amount allowed was $97.40. In the same determination, the tax office increased the reasonable food and drink allowance for comparable employees in other industries from $106.90 per day to $109.35 per day.
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Brett Wright Retires, Victoria Extends Length Allowance, TruckSafe on Infrastructure Projects and Road Building in the Territory

This week in Diesel News, it’s all happening. Brett Wright Retires, Victoria Extends Length Allowance, TruckSafe on Infrastructure Projects and Road Building in the Territory. Heavy Vehicle Industry Association (HVIA) CEO, Brett Wright, has announced his impending retirement from his current role. “It is with many great memories, fondness and pride that I announce my leaving HVIA,” said Wright. “I have been privileged, firstly to have been given the opportunity to work for the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) all those years ago and then to continue to lead it over the last twenty years culminating in its transformation into a truly national industry body, HVIA, in 2015.”
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Brake Testing, B-Triples, Fatigue, Bridges and the Return of the Self-Clearing Defect

The last week in trucking has seen Brake Testing, B-Triples, Fatigue, Bridges and the Return of the Self Clearing Defect make an appearance. The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has reintroduced the self-clearing defect notice for heavy-vehicle defects that do not pose a safety risk. “This category will allow minor non-safety-related defects to be rectified by the operator, including where a vehicle’s number plate is obscured or illegible,” said Sal Petroccitto, NHVR CEO. “A self-clearing defect notice means the operator does not have to present the vehicle to an approved person to clear the notice.
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General Public Issues with Trucking

The general public issues with trucking are driving new restrictions, people are looking at the trucking industry and not liking what they see. Peter Anderson, Victorian Transport Association CEO, sees this as an issue caused by a lack of understanding of the industry, its make up and its value to the community. “The industry isn’t just about fleet owners and large truck owners,” says Anderson. “70 per cent of the trucks on the roads in Victoria are rigids. 95 per cent are owned by one person, he’s the cabinet maker or whatever. There’s a lot of businesses which are one truck operations servicing a variety of customers.
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