Truckies’ biggest issues in 2024

We know it’s hard yakka out there behind the wheel today.

Your running costs are through the roof, there’s not enough decent places to rest and eat the right food, and there’s always someone willing to do the job cheaper.

Then there’s the issue of safety to contend with, be it due to the woeful state of our roads, or the inexperience of the driver coming the other way.

Every day we’re hearing more and more stories of older blokes hanging up the keys early because they just don’t feel safe out there anymore.

Something has to change, that’s for sure. But who is really listening to the driver today?

That’s why we’re kicking off a new series of Have your Say pages from this issue to play our part in bringing some much-needed pressure to bear in the right places.

To start the ball rolling, here are the first six drivers from around Australia we asked: What is your number one issue and how should we go about fixing it?

Andrew James
Benalla, Victoria
Owner, Jamesy’s Transport

“These new age drivers are causing trouble. There’s just not enough experience out there anymore.

It’s not like it used to be. There needs to be regulation, and we need better training.

The government has got to come up with some kind of decent training scheme. I don’t think drivers should come over here on an overseas licence and go straight onto our roads. We need a bit of common sense!

Another thing I’ve noticed is, even with car drivers – everyone’s in a rush. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s impatient, and that’s when they start doing stupid sh*t.

Thankfully we don’t have to deal with the new age drivers much, because we are mostly in rural areas and they are on main roads. That’s why I like my job!

My advice to any drivers coming into the industry would be to start out as a yard monkey and work your way up. If you’ve got another job, go in and work on a Saturday. That’s how we all did it, and it’s the best way to learn.”

Keven Mitchell
Bathurst, NSW
Driver, PHE

“One of the biggest issues right now is not having a safe place to stop.  Some of the parking bays I now have to pull up in in NSW are absolutely disgusting, atrocious.

When you get into SA and even up the Stuart Highway there’s a lot more opportunity for the parking bays.

They actually provide decent-sized parking bays to park singles, doubles, triples, caravans, motorhomes. There is ample land.

The problem you have in NSW is [the lack of] land. The further you go west, the better it is.

The further east you travel, that’s where we struggle. Bathurst has hardly any parking areas for trucks; there’s two spots on the east side and there’s one bay on the west and that’s it.

I understand the politics of keeping money right now. We’re not doing so great as a nation so let’s tighten the purse strings a little bit.

But the problem is they’re tightening the purse strings on the pulse that runs the nation.

It’s unsafe to park in some of the NSW towns that we pass through. These things that we’re asking for, like keeping roadhouses open, better parking bays, are going to keep our drivers safer, and our safety is priority.

We deserve a little bit of safety in the workplace.”

Peppi Inverno
Dalmore, Victoria
Owner, G&D Inverno Transport

‘The main issue I’m concerned about at the moment is facilities on the road.

There just aren’t enough facilities for truck drivers, and a lot of roadhouses close at 9pm. There isn’t a lot of choice in terms of places where you can stop, and because of that you end up paying too much and the cost of living on the road is very high.

There also aren’t enough healthy options – we shouldn’t have to eat fast food all the time.
Sometimes I bring food on the road, but you’re limited in terms of what you can carry. And when you’re on the go, you’re on the go.

You don’t have the time to stop and prepare a meal. In the olden days, you pop in at a roadhouse, you buy a meal and have a shower, and you’re in and out within 45 minutes to an hour. It’s hard to find a decent cooked meal now.

There aren’t enough parking bays either. We predominantly run Melbourne to Adelaide, and once you leave Melbourne, you get to the end of the divided road and there’s nowhere to stop.

If you’re in the transport industry, you need a lot of patience. We’re driving on public roads and the traffic is increasing, and the road network is not keeping up with the traffic.”

James McBride
Bunyip, Victoria
Driver, Elite Cranes & Transport

“I think the hardest thing for young drivers getting into the transport industry is finding the right person to give you a go.

My old man drives so I’ve been around trucks my whole life, and I’ve always been interested in becoming a truck driver.
But a lot of operators won’t take on young people for insurance reasons.

Thankfully my bosses at Elite Transport, Mitch and Jeff Blencowe, are awesome. I’ve been with them for six months and I love it.”

Dan Russo
Bayswater, Victoria
Owner, Dan’s Trucking

“I think the biggest issue in the trucking industry is people’s egos.

Me saying that might stir people up, but that’s my opinion. Truckies don’t seem to remember where they came from.
If they see someone broken down, they tend to ignore them rather than asking if they can help.

Other drivers complain about legislation and governing bodies, and they do make the job hard, I’m not arguing with that. But I believe the NHVR are trying to work with us.

Then there are other issues like balancing the job with having a family, which is very hard, especially when you’re driving interstate. There’s a driver shortage, and a lot of older drivers are retiring. But my biggest thing is egos.

It grinds my gears, because I started in a simple Hino concrete truck and I’ve never turned down my nose at anyone.”

Alysha Douma
Ipswich, Queensland
Driver, Eurotrans

“There aren’t enough young people coming into the industry. I’ve definitely noticed it’s an older age demographic.

I even talked to a guy the other day who was being pulled out of retirement because the company he worked for was desperate for drivers.

I think credit needs to be given where credit is due. With these Euro autos, anyone can drive them, but you still need to be able to do it well.

Truck driving is a skill and it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. We definitely need to see more in the way of training. One of the reasons it’s so dangerous out there is because there are people who have no idea of what they’re doing, what weight they are driving with or how to tie down loads.

There is so much that is passed on from the older guys.

I think the best way to learn is to be buddied up with an older experienced driver. They just have so much experience to pass on.

Before, people knew they had to climb the ladder. You started with the sh*t truck and earned your way up to the big truck.

Now you see people being put straight into the bigger trucks, but they haven’t earned it, so they take it as a right rather than a privilege.”

• What’s your biggest issue as a driver in 2024? Send us your answers, and some solutions, to editor@bigrigs.com.au.