The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) is calling on Australian heavy vehicle operators to participate in an international research project about global driver shortages.
The idea is for Australian perspectives to be heard and understood in the research.
“The International Road Transport Union (IRU) is undertaking its annual snapshot of the world’s driver shortages and, thanks to the partnership with NatRoad, we are able to include Australia’s views for the first time,” NatRoad CEO Warren Clark says.
“As the sole Australian member representing road freight in the IRU, which is the United Nations-affiliated body representing road transport, NatRoad is driving local participation, helping to ensure we have the latest data on Australia’s experiences.
“The shortage of drivers is one of the most pressing issues facing our industry today and it’s important to know where Australia stands in comparison with other countries.
“We need localised data to be able to advocate for change with our own governments, through a clear understanding of how the shortages are impacting our industry and our operators.”
Participation is open to everyone across the industry. It takes less than 10 minutes and can accessed here before it closes on May 31.
Clark says NatRoad will share the findings with industry after July and use them to have evidence-based conversations with regulators and governments.
“Among some of the issues we are keen to explore are improved driver training pathways and broader support for making road transport more attractive for new drivers and for people transitioning from other industries,” Clark says.
Last year’s report found that truck driver shortages have increased globally, with more than three million unfilled truck driver jobs, or seven per cent of total positions, in 36 countries studied.