Fair Go for Owner Drivers

from WA TRANSPORT MAGAZINE - AUGUST 2022 EDITION (WESTERN AUSTRALIA)

WA Transport History

Over to you A FAIR GO FOR OWNER DRIVERS by Ray Pratt

A DANGEROUS COCKTAIL OF TRUCK DRIVERS

Ihave always said that truck driving is a very demanding and dangerous occupation.

However, the image of truck drivers does not seem good in the eyes of the general public - mainly due to a very ‘one sided’ reporting by the media who are trying to sensationalise the negative side of the industry.

Contrary to what the public think, truck driving is an extremely skilled job with most drivers having a good work ethic. They just get on with the job.

We take for granted the value of our hard working truck drivers. Everything we use in our daily lives has probably been delivered by a truck driver.

Hardly ever do we complain as we go about our work. I’ve been banging on for years now writing about how truck drivers get a rough deal with poor work conditions, poor pay and having to work a huge amount of hours every week just to try and keep their finances in the black and food on the table.

The industry is trying hard to recruit more drivers into truck seats but nobody is willing to look at the issues that created the driver shortage in the first place.

Driving schools are working overtime issuing driver’s licenses at an alarming rate but every day the cry goes out for more drivers. Is there a plan to help truck drivers? There never is. We are always on our own as we battle with poor work conditions, long working hours and poor rates of pay.

In my mind, the transport industry has never been in such a desperate position as it is in now. The Governments answer to the driver shortage is to recruit more drivers and many drivers are coming from overseas. As good as this sounds the industry is being forced to accept drivers who have very little knowledge, training and ability to operate trucks in Australia.

It has created a dangerous cocktail of truck drivers that are being let loose on our roads which has seen a huge lowering of the standards across the industry.

We have seen our industry trying to improve safety much the same as the mining industry has but there is nothing safe with the new generation of truck drivers that are filling the seats of vacant trucks as companies try to keep the wheels turning.

The older experienced drivers are leaving the industry in droves as they are unwilling to share the road with these new breed of drivers. These older drivers are tired of working long hours with demanding work schedules and are just burnt out.

Never before in the history of transport have I seen the industry in such a mess. It is demoralising to watch the transport industry spiral downward as conditions deteriorate. There are a huge amount of challenges to fix the problems within our industry. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and expect everything to get better.

We need to improve the working conditions for our current experienced drivers and retain them in the industry and by doing this we will solve the driver shortage. We need them to mentor and train the next generation of drivers. Just getting a truck license does not make you a truck driver. Truck driving is a skilled job that requires special training and should be treated as such. If the industry can lift its image it will encourage the right person to make a career out of transport.

It is a great industry to be in. I look back on my time in the transport industry with many fond memories. Let’s have a go at fixing the industry and making it great again. Keep it safe, Ray Pratt

It has created a dangerous cocktail of truck drivers that are being let loose on our roads which has seen a huge lowering of the standards across the industry