By TIM DAWSON
Photos: TWU WA/Supplied
Following the recent tragic truck crashes on the East–West Highway, Coolgardie–Esperance Highway, and the near daily accidents of trucks, I believe it is time for a complete overhaul of truck driver licensing systems.
It is time for governments to look at how licenses are handed out and an apprenticeship system in the transport industry, improved training for truck drivers upon entry into the transport industry and when they navigate through the license classifications.
It’s time Governments standardised training for truck drivers across Australia. The current system lacks consistency and fails to adequately prepare drivers to be job ready or for the challenges they may encounter on the road.
Governments must prioritise the implementation of apprenticeships and improve training programs to ensure that drivers receive the necessary skills and expertise to operate vehicles safely from the moment they get behind the wheel.
In addition to standardised training, there is a pressing need for proper assessment of all foreign drivers entering the Australian transport industry. Without rigorous evaluation and certification processes, there is a risk of inexperienced and unqualified drivers getting put behind the wheel of a truck who pose a danger to themselves and others on the road. This must be enforced by law; another reason is to prevent any incentive for companies to take short cuts in training or use exploited labour.
It is time for Governments to recognise the transport industry as a profession not just an industry that delivers the clothes on your back or the food on your table and everything you see or use.
Truck driving is the most dangerous occupation in Australia yet there is no standard training or requirements for the training to deliver safe job ready drivers behind the wheel of trucks.
There is no requirement for load restraint or how to secure a load, no training around how to manage fatigue or training to understand the dangers of not resting. Drivers aren’t given training in what happens when they drive while tied, nor Chain of Responsibility compliance and awareness of the drivers’ rights and minor vehicle maintenance training. None of these are required before you sit for a licence. Until they are mandatory, prior to drivers sitting for a licence, all the words from Governments about road safety are just hollow rhetoric.
It is reprehensible that politicians, government departments, senior public servants, and regulators know what the issues are and do nothing! Do nothing to stop the deaths of truck drivers and the public on the roads of Australia. The whole system needs to change, and the Transport Workers Union has been calling for improved training and apprenticeship schemes for several years. There needs to be standardised driver training across the country these people have the power to make a difference it’s time they made training drivers job ready and safer.
Another reason we are in this crisis in transport, lies a dangerous dynamic perpetuated by wealthy clients at the top of transport supply chains, including retailers such as Aldi and Amazon, who often squeeze transport contracts, leaving operators with little choice but to cut corners on safety and training.
The financial strain imposed by these contracts can lead to skipped or delayed maintenance and repairs, rushing to meet unrealistic deadlines, and staying on the road for extended periods, all of which increase the risk of accidents. Is it little wonder there is no resources for adequate training? Another reason Governments need to make training mandatory.
In response to mounting pressure from within the industry, Federal Parliament recently passed lifesaving transport reform aimed at establishing enforceable standards within transport supply chains. This legislative milestone reflects a united call for urgent change, but the work is far from over. Now, the industry must remain united to ensure these standards are swiftly implemented to prevent further loss of life.
The industry is as united for the implementation of an apprenticeship system and national standards for the training of drivers and transport workers as it was for Transport Reform. It is time Governments listened to the transport industry regarding a safer training system with a national standard. A safe transport industry is safer for everyone.
Tim Dawson is the Transport Workers’ Union state secretary for WA.
