Peak transport operators organisation, the ATA has revealed that a roundtable of multicultural drivers has told it r that all truck drivers in Australia must meet the same licensing standards, .
ATA CEO Mathew Munro released the report from the roundtable this week as part of its ongoing industry and government discussion about truck licensing and international drivers.
Munro said the ATA had convened the roundtable to hear directly from multicultural drivers about their lived experience with the driver training and licensing system, as well as their day to day experiences on the road.
“The drivers at the roundtable had a combined total of 64 years of driving experience on Australian roads and the delegates confirmed that multicultural drivers face wellbeing and safety issues including vile abuse on UHF radio and social media harassment,” Munro said.
The attendees told the ATA that all drivers should be required to meet the same licensing standards, and said that overseas driving credentials higher than a car licence should not be recognised.
The attendees welcomed the concept of moving to an hours-based system for progressing from a heavy combination to a multi-combination licence., although at present, drivers just need to hold an heavy rigid or heavy combination licence for a year to be eligible to be assessed for an multi-combination or semi/road train licence.
“As a result of the feedback we received from the roundtable, the ATA is urging every state to adopt South Australia’s multi combination licence program,” Munro said.
“Drivers undertaking the program need to complete 50 or 60 logged hours of supervised driving with learning components, followed by a practical driving assessment in an MC vehicle,” he explained
“Additionally, South Australia no longer recognises overseas truck driving experience toward obtaining an MC licence, except for drivers from New Zealand,” he said.
Munro said the ATA’s other initiatives from the roundtable would include creating resources to help drivers understand sham contracting arrangements and report them and to develop an industry-wide charter to help employers and the industry as a whole stand up to racist abuse.
“While the focus of the roundtable was multicultural drivers, their insights into driver licensing and training are vital for the safety of all,” he said.
“By strengthening training and licensing pathways, we can help address the current driver shortage while also creating a fairer, more accessible industry – one where all drivers have the opportunity to enter, succeed and build long-term careers.”
The roundtable was sponsored by ATA foundation sponsors Volvo Trucks, BP, and NTI, as well as its diversity and Inclusion supporter, Teletrac Navman and the NHVR.
The ATAA explained that the roundtable was facilitated by its Diversity Reference Group ambassador, trucking operator and 2023 Australian of the Year – Local Hero Amar Singh, along with ATA chief of staff Bill McKinley and its marketing and corporate partnerships director, Bianca D’Rosario.
The ATA says the report is part of the its InRoads Workforce program, which it claims offers career resources to help students, career changers, high school counsellors and parents explore the great jobs on offer in the industry.
The ATA claims its members have distributed almost 3,000 career factsheets this year.
It said that more than 1,850 people in the trucking industry have now registered for training under the ATA’s diversity and inclusion program, offered in partnership with the SBS Inclusion program.
It added that the program supports employers in attracting, supporting, and retaining talent by deepening their understanding of emerging, yet under-represented, workforce segments.
