NatRoad says a recent container stevedore report doesn’t represent the pain being felt in the road transport sector
The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) says it is disappointed by a report that finds the profits of Australia’s container stevedores have increased by 14 percent since the start of the pandemic.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Container Stevedoring Monitoring Report 2021-22 reveals that the industry operating profit margin of Australia’s five stevedores was 24 per cent in 2021-22, up from 10 per cent in 2019-20.
The ACCC says stevedore profits are at their highest in a decade, which is in sharp contrast to the road transport sector where NatRoad members are struggling on an average profit margin of just 2.5 per cent per year.
“NatRoad has long advocated for boosting efficiency and road access at our ports,” says NatRoad CEO Warren Clark.
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“Long waiting times at port facilities to load and unload containers and cargo are placing massive strain on heavy vehicle operators – particularly owner-operators.
“These are eroding safety, contributing to driver shortages and compounding the negative impacts of the pandemic.
“Fees that punish truck drivers for events like delayed or absent pickups are grossly unfair and should be abolished.
“NatRoad also wants a cap applied to the steep rises in landside port charges that its members have experienced over the past five years.”