Friday Facts: Nov 20, 2020

News

20 Nov

Written By The ATA

ATA SLAMS $3.6 BILLION TAX ON FREIGHT AND JOBS

The Australian Trucking Association has slammed the Australian Logistics Council’s proposed operator licensing system, which would be a $3.6 billion tax on freight and jobs.

In its response to the review of the Heavy Vehicle National Law, the ALC proposed a National Operator Standard, which would impose massive costs on trucking operators.

“Under the ALC proposal, operators would be subject to mandatory electronic recording of driving hours and the location of every heavy vehicle. Every heavy vehicle operator would need to have a safety management system,” ATA Acting CEO Bill McKinley said. “The proposed standard would also tell businesses how to structure their finances by requiring them to hold a certain – but completely undefined – level of capital. The National Operator Standard is just operator licensing under a new name.”

Mr McKinley said the ALC had failed to provide any numbers on the benefits and costs of its plan.

“In contrast, we have put in the time and money to cost operator licensing. In conjunction with NatRoad, we commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to assess the costs of implementing an operator licensing system.

“In their independent report, Deloitte Access Economics found that a national operator licensing system would cost $3.6 billion over ten years if it was rolled out nationally – which is what the ALC is proposing – or $3.2 billion over ten years if it was applied to the existing HVNL states.

“A national version of the system would need to cover some 146,900 businesses, comprising about 56,000 hire and reward operators and 90,900 businesses that operate trucks to support their own operations.

“I want to thank NatRoad for their commitment to getting hard numbers on the cost of operator licensing. In the ATA’s view, operator licensing would be nothing more than an anti-competitive tax on hardworking small and family businesses.”

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Truck tech professionals honoured

**Jason Button, Phil Cook, Dennis Roohan**

Three exceptional workshop professionals have been named finalists for the Australian Trucking Association’s 2020 Craig Roseneder Award, recognising their technical and maintenance excellence in the trucking industry’s workshops.

Jason Button (CHS Broadbent, Wendouree VIC), Phil Cook (Whiteline Transport, Greenfields SA), and Dennis Roohan (AJM Transport, Beresfield NSW) have been selected as finalists for their dedication to industry improvement and technical skills.

The winner of the 2020 Craig Roseneder Award will be announced on Tuesday 24 November on the Castrol Vecton Awards live broadcast, part of the TMC Online conference.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast online for free, with all industry members encouraged to join and celebrate industry excellence.

READ MORE & MEET THE FINALISTS

ATA members keeping industry informed

ATA members are working effectively to ensure industry is kept up to date with the latest information regarding truck driver COVID testing when moving across borders.

The South Australian Road Transport Association and Victorian Transport Association have each been working with their respective governments and officials to clarify the requirements for truck drivers and industry staff.

"SARTA has pressed SAPOL, SA Health and the Government hard to resolve the SA COVID Testing dilemma after the testing stations at the border were withdrawn on Tuesday and Wednesday but the Cross Border Travel Direction still required testing every 7 days. We were told it would be fixed and late last night it was," a SARTA Facebook post stated this morning.

Meanwhile, VTA CEO Peter Anderson said they'll be keeping members posted on any changes ahead of the permitting system taking effect from midnight this Saturday.

“In our consultations with the government on these announcements, we have sought to ensure any new border crossing requirements are clear, balanced and equitable, and that transport operators are afforded enough time to ensure they can comply with any new conditions," he said.

From yesterday, interstate truck drivers travelling through Victoria from South Australia are offered extra COVID-19 testing at a site at Nhill on the Western Highway, with other testing sites being activated at other major freight routes.

Latest information about cross-border travel can be found at the SAPOL or Vic Gov websites.

In other news

· The ATA's SafeT360 road safety exhibition this week celebrated its first birthday. Since its launch in November 2019, SafeT360 has reached more than 2 million people and engaged nearly 200,000 through its in-person and online activities.

· ATA member Road Freight NSW has called on the NSW Government to consider allocating part of the proceeds from the sale of its stake in WestConnex for incentives aimed at assisting trucking operators who are struggling to pay increasing tolls and administration costs. Watch the story

. It's National Road Safety Week, an annual initiative to highlight the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. All road users from truck drivers to pedestrians are encouraged to take the pledge to 'Drive so Others Survive'.

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