Australian Trucking Association CEO Mathew Munro told a road transport industry roundtable at Parliament House the existing multicombination (MC) truck driver licence class should be split into two, with the breakpoint at 37 metres.
The roundtable discussion has been convened by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Western Australia Senator Glenn Sterle.
Munro briefed the roundtable on the ATA’s recent plan for driver licensing and training which was developed at the 2024 Workforce and Driver Summit, and placed extra emphasis on the splitting of the MC licence class.
“One of our most important proposals is to split the MC licence class in two,” Munro said.
“The new MC2 class we are proposing would require additional training, assessment and experience to reflect the skill required to drive large combinations.
“We are proposing the MC class be split at 37 metres of combination length.
“This would mean that A-doubles, B-doubles and B-triples would be in the MC1 licence class. Longer combinations would require the MC2 licence.”
Munro added the proposed change would leave existing pool of MC drivers largely unaffected.
“Existing MC licence holders with more than six months of experience would be automatically designated as MC2 under our plan.”
In addition to the splitting of the MC licence, Munro and the ATA are calling for a competency-based ‘passport’ system to ensure the various skills of drivers can be easily tracked and assessed.
“A licence is the minimum legal requirement for driving a truck, but it does not deliver the level of skill working drivers need,” Munro says.
“The passport should be based on nationally recognised units of competency, so it would be available from multiple providers and to ensure RPL would be readily available for experienced drivers.
“The passport units should consist of defensive driving, work health and safety, chain of responsibility, fatigue management and record keeping, load restraint, and basic awareness of truck mass issues.”
In addition to the implementation of the driver passport, Munro has also called for a revamp of existing training methods and accreditations.
“Many driver training RTOs (registered training organisations) do a great job. Others train to a price or a time,” he said.
“Driver training RTOs should be assessed by experienced auditors who understand driver training and competencies.”
Other speakers at the roundtable included Victorian Transport Association CEO Peter Anderson, TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine, Queensland Trucking Association Member Service Manager Lisa Fraser, NatRoad CEO Warren Clark, Western Roads Federation CEO Cam Dumesny and Tasmania Transport Association Executive Director Michelle Harwood.
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