The Owner Drivers Act should be making it better

There has been a lot written lately

about the need for a Federal Code of Conduct for truck drivers with the emphasis on 30 day payment times.

A lot of truck drivers seem not to be aware that Western Australia has had its own Owner Driver Act which has been in place for over ten years now.

In general terms, this Act is a relatively effective and low cost mechanism to help establish fair and equitable payment rates for Owner Drivers and can assist in the resolution of disputes that arise between Owner Drivers and hirers.

A time limit on payment is also included in this Act which establishes that Owner Drivers must be paid in fourteen days or in some circumstances within thirty days.

This Act came into effect on the 1st of August 2008. It was developed in response to a number of concerns expressed by Western Australian Owner Drivers. These concerns were mainly aimed at Owner Drivers who had limited ability to effectively negotiate with principal contractors - often resulting in payment rates that were insufficient to maintain a viable business, and conditions of payments that saw some Owner Drivers having to wait several months before receiving payment.