Truck Week The trucking industry in Australia is getting ready for TruckWeek, the national event to celebrate the work of truckies around the country.  This year’s event will be held on the week between 19-25 August 2012 and will celebrate members of the trucking industry. The aim of the event is to promote safety on our roads and in particular demonstrate how the trucking industry can contribute to road safety. According to The Australian Trucking Association this is an opportunity for trucking industry insiders to showcase their contributions to road safety. The trucking industry can be attributed with delivering almost 3 quarters of Australia’s freight transportation. It is time to celebrate the achievements and strides made by the trucking fraternity in promoting road safety. The Truckweek website suggests such events as an awards evening, hosting a politician, talking to your local media, holding a barbecue, hosting a service club or visiting a local school to gain exposure and celebrate truckies. According to the Truckweek website this is what Truckweek is all about:

TruckWeek 2012 will bring the trucking industry together to show Australia how we deliver. We carry three-quarters of Australia’s freight and every item on the shelves of every supermarket. We do it safely, every day and every night. TruckWeek is a time to celebrate what we do. It’s a time to honour our dedicated staff, and tell the community how professional we are. Everyone in the trucking industry can be part of TruckWeek by holding or attending an event. We have some great event ideas for you to consider and all the resources you’ll need. Once you’ve decided, register your event online. We’ll send you official logos for your emails and promote your event through the TruckWeek website, the media and our twitter feed. Together, we can show Australia how trucking delivers, and celebrate our industry and the people involved.

With all the negative attention that truckies attract ordinarily it’s good to see a positive event to support and celebrate their achievements.  The Truckweek website provides a valuable resource to truckies. The Truckweek website goes on to provide practical advice to truckies:

Trucks are the red blood cells of our nation. On every Australian road, in every city and town and in the outback, trucks deliver the staples of life. Australia’s 524,000 trucks travel 15.9 billion kilometres per year, and deliver three-quarters of Australia’s domestic freight. Safety is a crucial issue for the Australian trucking industry and its professional drivers, who share their workplace with thousands of motorists every day. The fatal crash rate for articulated trucks has improved by more than 60 per cent since 1982, but there is still more to be done. The ATA runs the trucking industry’s leading safety accreditation program, TruckSafe. Operators seeking TruckSafe accreditation must meet high safety and management standards, which considerably exceed the ones required by law. The operators are audited regularly by independent auditors selected by TruckSafe. TruckSafe operators are twice as safe as non-accredited operators. Their trucks have markedly fewer defects than non-accredited trucks or trucks in the government compliance scheme, NHVAS. Insurance industry statistics show that 56 per cent of the accidents between trucks and cars are caused by car drivers. To help educate car drivers about how to share the road safely with trucks, the ATA operates a travelling safety and industry exhibition, the Road Ahead. More than 66,000 people have visited the Road Ahead since 2008. Today, road transport employs 220,000 people. There’s no place for cowboys in the industry anymore. Instead, young people who join the industry as drivers or store persons can complete nationally recognised qualifications as a great start to their careers. Road freight rates have not increased in real (i.e. inflation adjusted) terms since the 1980s. Trucking operators are facing steady increases in the effective fuel tax they pay and registration charges. For example, from 1 July 2012 their effective fuel tax will rise by 10.4 per cent. The fuel tax paid by car drivers has not increased since 2001. Trucking businesses will not pay carbon tax on the fuel they use until 2014, but many will face higher costs from 1 July 2012 anyway, as their suppliers will raise their prices in response to the tax. The carbon tax will particularly affect businesses that use large amounts of electricity, such as firms with cold stores. The ATA has urged trucking businesses to review their costs and raise their charges accordingly.