Former truckie-turned Senator, Glenn Sterle, has mixed feelings about the introduction of the EWD alternative for truckies from December 1.
On one hand he said the move will help stamp out heavy-handed penalties, citing the example of a truckie being fined $687 recently for abbreviating the spelling of Coffs Harbour in his manual work diary.
“Personally, I am very happy to hear that under the new EWD system, drivers will no longer be fined ridiculous amounts of money for simple mistakes like incorrectly spelling the name of the town that they stopped at to take their legislated fatigue break,” said Sterle.
“Drivers now, can rest easy knowing that that isn’t going to happen anymore.”
But Sterle said he still had some concerns about how EWDs are going to accommodate issues that drivers encounter that are not of their own making.
“Such as if they run into an issue at a rest area and that cuts into their break time or similar examples, and how that impacts on their overall fatigue management, said Senator Sterle.
“I look forward to continuing my discussions with the NHVR on this announcement and will watch the roll out with interest.”
The Australian Logistics Council applauded Step Global and Teletrac Navman for achieving the high standards required to get the NHVR tick of approval.
“The ALC has been the principal long-term advocate for promoting this type of technology,” said Kirk Coningham, CEO at the ALC.
“The safety benefits that the industry will now reap as a result of this announcement are cause for celebration.
“Heavy vehicle drivers will now be able to focus on their primary role – driving. Minimising the time and energy spent recording driving hours on paper and reducing the stress of worrying about making a mistake will provide clarity and improve safety.”
The Australian Trucking Association said the rollout of approved Electronic Work Diaries will reduce red tape and improve safety for transport operators.
“It’s a big step forward for our industry,” said ATA chair David Smith.
“It will reduce paperwork for our drivers and the unbelievable amount of record keeping that companies need to do to stay compliant.
“Reducing the paperwork burden will save drivers time, allow them to achieve compliance and manage their work and rest hours.”