TRANSCRIPT: AUSTRALIAN TRUCK RADIO WITH SIMON SMITH, 28 APRIL 2024

Subjects: ANZAC Day, Trucking Industry, Driver Shortages, Driverless Vehicles

E&OE 

STARTS: 10.00am

SIMON SMITH

Across Australia, you’re listening to Australian Truck Radio. Simon Smith is my name. On a beautiful Autumn morning here in the Hunter Valley. Good chance to catchup with a great mate of ours here at Australian Truck Radio.  I’ve got the hard-working Federal Member for the Riverina on the line. I’ve got Michael McCormack. G’day mate. How are you, Michael?

 MICHAEL McCORMACK

G'day Simon, really well and of course we've got ANZAC Day coming up; and when those people are gathering at dawn and at other services throughout the day, they should stop and reflect because every time they eat, three times a day, they should thank a farmer. If they're eating it off a table, they should thank a truckie because it's been delivered to them. And of course, if they're eating it in peace they should thank a Veteran and if they want that peace to continue they should thank somebody in uniform because they're the people who keep this nation going. They're the people we should very much pause and reflect and say “thank you” over and over again.

 SIMON SMITH

That’s beautifully said. That’s certainly a lovely thought. But you’re exactly right about that. And it’s quite interesting, isn’t it; that at the end of the day, when you talk about the ANZAC tradition and what people obviously had to do as a nation, when you talk about things like the Australian trucking industry and particularly, again, the history of that, but just so many people out there doing it day in, day out, it’s just so imperative to the future of the country that you have a strong transport network and that’s what it’s all about.

 MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, indeed, right. You know when we talk about that; Ron Finemore, prominent transport operator/owner, just said, just the other day, that other fleet owners need to step up to help address the serious truck driver shortage in Australia. He talked about this issue getting worse. The quality of the drivers getting worse — his words, not mine. Finemore said that he employs 355 drivers from the Indian subcontinent, that's how many Ron's got driving for him and they've helped the driver shortage problem but, as he said, we need a short-term, medium-term and long-term solution or else we're going to be in real trouble and the safety issues are just going to get worse and they were his words. There was a really good Australian Trucking Association conference in Canberra just the other day and there were a number of issues that came up that your listeners would be really, really interested in. I was fascinated to see that Paul Davies, who's the general manager of programs within Austroads, said, during this conference in Canberra, that holding a licesnse for a certain length of time isn't an indicator that you are a more competent driver. And Austroads is, of course, pushing for change to the current licensing system, which can often lead truck drivers sitting on the couch for a year while waiting to upgrade their truck license and you know this simply isn't good enough Simon — and you’d know that and your listeners would know that. And this is what Paul Davies said, so we're proposing to retain that 12-month rule but in addition to that, to bring in experience-based pathways that recognize that time behind the wheel matters. So, if you spend time driving in a particular class of heavy vehicle, so you don't need to wait 12 months before you go ahead to the next class of heavy vehicle and these sorts of things. And what Ron is doing with getting drivers in from overseas and they're all pertinent points within trucking and as you know, as you always say, Simon, trucking keeps this nation moving.

 SIMON SMITH

Exactly and that's the difference, that’s what it's all about. When you talk about the ATA conference, which was held last week, a huge event for the trucking industry, but Michael it's just so interesting, the stuff the guys talk about, it’s so real, it’s so practical, but at the end of the day, and we've spoken about this before, the industry is really confronting at the moment some really huge issues and obviously so many of those issues are on the table at the conference.

 MICHAEL McCORMACK

Oh, look, indeed. And, you know, no doubt when they were around the coffee urn or, dare I say, having something a little stronger later on in the afternoon, the driverless truck issue came up. I note that a six-month trial of driverless trucks on public Victorian roads has been put on hold, just hours before it was meant to begin after the Transport Union labelled it shambolic and sneaky. And, yeah, when the Transport Union is saying that in a state which is under Labor rule, you know, you start to think, well, yeah, there must be something crook in Tallarook. Toll road operator Transurban had planned to deploy two driverless trucks on Melbourne freeways, but this is not going to happen now. I mean, there hasn't been enough consultation. How often do we hear that? Necessary stakeholders not being informed of what's going on. And, you know, of course, could have led to, as the TWU said, major delays to the critical distribution of freight. So, I don't always espouse the views of trade unions, but on this occasion, I don't necessarily disagree.

 SIMON SMITH

The other lovely thing and again something to be really proud of, from the point of view of the trucking industry when you talk about the ATA conference, particularly so many awards. Isn't it lovely to see so much skill and talent in the industry being recognised? And right across Australia and whether or not it be livestock or general freight or fuel or whatever, so many talented…

 MICHAEL McCORMACK

Just the way they can back a truck into a space where, you know, you can hardly toss a 20 cent piece. I mean, I'm still amazed at how some of those truckies and I know I know they've got plenty of technology, but some of them just use their mirrors. They're just amazing. And, you know, it's a real skill and people don't acknowledge that. And, you know, with ANZAC Day and, of course, there's a few other weekends coming up where there's going to be a lot, a lot of trucks. A lot, a lot of traffic on the road. You know, I always say, just give those trucks a bit more room than you otherwise would, because, you know, so often, people just overtake a truck and they cut in and don't give the truck driver room. And it's so important. Our road toll is up and it's unfortunate and it's never, hardly, the truck driver's fault in late 80 percent, early 90 percent of accidents, crashes, involving trucks. It's not the truck drivers, the heavy vehicle operator’s fault. And I know there's been a bit of criticism, too, about the cutback in infrastructure, in road infrastructure. And, these all make it difficult for our truckies to do their job, to do what we ask them to do, to put food on our table each and every day of the week.

 SIMON SMITH

Exactly right. You get it, always lovely to catch up with you, a couple of busy weeks on the way, always something to do, but again, thanks for your time today and we'll look forward to catching up with you down the road, Michael.

 MICHAEL McCORMACK

Chat soon, Simon, and keep trucking. Well done.

ENDS: 10.07am