Staying connected

Today’s member bulletin is less about you as an HVIA member and more about your customers.   

The reason for this is simple.  Over the past week, we set ourselves the goal of calling every HVIA member to check in – it is quite a task but it has been very valuable and rewarding for us to hear from you directly.  

Overwhelmingly this has been appreciated and we’ve been able to direct you to information you have sought, but we found many of you were seeking answers to questions that your customers were asking you.    

So today, we wanted to provide you with some current information that might help you when you are having these conversations with your customers.   

We know that across our diverse members this pandemic has had a myriad of ramifications – some of you have never been busier, whilst others, can’t undertake the necessary travel to work and some of you are scaling back as operators are either too busy or watching their cashflow or you’re concerned about overseas supply chains.   

If for some reason, you didn’t get a call but would like one or if you have a specific question please contact us on (07) 3376 6266 or email hvia@hvia.asn.au and we will get back to you within 24 hours. 

We’re here to help in any way we can right now.    Todd    

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Exemption for heavy vehicle drivers to safely manage fatigue 

The Australian Government have issued an exemption to businesses operating a truck driver lounge, truck driver room or similar facility at a roadside service centre or service stations:

• These facilities will be authorised to continue providing services to heavy vehicle drivers in need of food, showers, restrooms and a place to break from driving to manage their fatigue under the Heavy Vehicle National Law.
• This exemption is subject to the service station, service centre, road house or similar facility implementing the protocol below to provide appropriate social distancing and hygiene arrangements for these facilities.

Requirements for Exemption: 

• specific for heavy vehicle drivers
• specific for truck driver lounge business operators

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Supply chain must respect truckies

The Australian Trucking Association (ATA) has called for all customer sites and distribution centres in the transport supply chain to ensure their facilities are safe and accessible to truck drivers during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Over the past weeks, trucking businesses, the ATA and our member associations have highlighted the congestion, poor fatigue management, inadequate supplies of protective equipment and locked off amenities at some distribution centres and customer sites,” ATA Chair Geoff Crouch said today.

“Labor Senator Glenn Sterle has also raised these issues this week; the ATA welcomes his passionate advocacy on these practical, on the ground concerns,” he said.

Mr Crouch said that most distribution centres and customer sites were doing the right thing, but the others needed to get with Team Australia immediately.

“Transport workers don’t have the option to work from home, so it’s vital we ensure their workplaces meet health and safety requirements,” he said.

Mr Crouch said that as freight transport was essential, distribution centres and customer sites must have the proper practices in place to support this.

“All the food in our shops, medicine in our pharmacies and fuel in our petrol stations is delivered by trucks. 

It is an industry the keeps Australia moving,” Mr Crouch said.

“There are numerous and disturbing reports of businesses where our truck drivers are delivering to, denying access to bathroom facilities. 

Some customers’ receiving points have even distributed notifications saying that toilets are not available for non-staff. “We are all in this together. There is no excuse to deny truck drivers access to facilities or keep them waiting for hours,” he said.

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New Government “Jobs Hub” initiative  

The Australian Government is seeking to support businesses and those Australians looking for work through a new Jobs Hub.  

They recognise that while many businesses have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and are reducing their workforces, there are some areas of the economy which have an increased demand for workers.  

This includes jobs in health and care sectors, transport and logistics, some areas of retail, mining and mining services, manufacturing, agriculture and government sectors, among others.

The Jobs Hub helps you advertise vacancies with connections to:

• Employers with multiple job opportunities 
• Search jobs by location 
• Australian Government jobs 

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