QTA boss Mahon joins state committee as ATA calls on capacity increase
Queensland’s legislation to override council curfews and allow 24/7 supplies delivery has been met with applause – and calls for further measures to increase industry’s capacity to fulfil the freight task during emergencies.
The Queensland Trucking Association (QTA) lauds the state’s “agile response” to the hurdles hampering deliveries of supplies of supermarkets.
The association notes its CEO, Gary Mahon, now sits on the new Essential Goods Supply Committee, announced alongside the legislation, which liaises with industry proponents on how best to mobilise supply chains during emergencies.
Read the full Queensland curfew law announcement, here
“Supermarket shelves to be re-stocked 24/7 [after] short term exemption of delivery curfews to be introduced by Qld Government
“A very important legislation to keep our communities supplied.
“QTA CEO will lead representation for the road freight industry on the Essential Goods Supply Committee announced by Cameron Dick MP.”
The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) says its members cite local government curfews are the single greatest impediment to restocking Australia’s supermarkets
“The trucking industry delivers 76 per cent of Australia’s non-bulk freight. Everything on the supermarket shelves is delivered by a truck driver,” ATA CEO Ben Maguire says.
“These longer hours will enable the trucking industry to deliver more loads to our supermarkets.
“We can’t do it within the existing delivery hours, because supermarkets can only take one or two trucks at a time and have limited space to store deliveries.
“Every state should take up the Queensland model – and do it fast.”
Maguire now urges governments to put in place other measures to improve the industry’s capacity to deliver freight to supermarkets, including:
- temporary access for grocery delivery trucks to T2/bus lanes
- altering parking restrictions so trucks waiting to unload can do so safely and legally
- changing regulatory requirements to allow trucks to be loaded to their maximum capacity, 34 pallets, rather than 32 or 33 pallets to meet mass restrictions
- expediting road access permits to support the use of high productivity freight vehicles that can carry more freight in a single trip.
ATA notes it joined representatives of Road Freight NSW and the Commonwealth Treasury to discuss such regulatory problems and the need for more help for trucking businesses.