Almost five years ago, the call to change the licensing process for heavy vehicle driving was heard and ultimately, declined. Now, as heavy vehicle driver shortages come to a head around the country, a national proposal for a heavy vehicle driver apprenticeship is up and running once again. 

Consultation has come to a close just this week on a proposal for a national Heavy Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship, sparked by the Transport and Logistics Industry Reference Committee (IRC).

The proposal suggests a reworking of TAFE’s existing Cert III in Driving Operations to include supervised on-the-job experience.

Brewarrina truck driver and owner Chris Redmond says that locally, the driver shortage has become a significant issue in meeting the demand of jobs. 

With harvest well on its way across the Western Plains, demand is only set to increase in the coming months.

According to Mr Redmond, the current complicated license process is a deterrent for aspiring truck drivers. 

“It takes too long to get their license. It’s a whole rigmarole with years before they can even drive. The cost is too high to make the wait worth it for most people,” Mr Redmond said. 

One of the industry bodies supporting the change is the National Road and Transport Association (NatRoad), who believe the apprentice system will partially relieve the chronic shortage of drivers nationwide. 

According to NatRoad CEO Warren Clark, the program has potential to change the industry, saying it could boost the status of trucking as a career while improving the quality of drivers. 

“NatRoad’s 2020 annual survey of its own members found that 45 per cent of respondents were experiencing a driver shortage,” Mr Clark said.

Mr Clark says that as it stands, young people who were once eager to enter the industry were instead attracted to jobs with “faster job progression and earlier access”.

Currently in NSW, there is a one year driving period on a Medium Rigid or Heavy Vehicle license before a Heavy Combination license can be obtained. Following that, a Multi Combination license can be obtained in another year’s time. 

The years are accompanied by hefty training and licensing charges that put the career even further out of reach. 

Mr Redmond says that if heavy vehicle licenses were more accessible, they could tackle two local issues at once.

“It’s pretty hard out west, there’s a lot of unemployed people out here that could learn to drive a truck but it’s way out of their reach and they couldn’t afford to do it,” Mr Redmond said. 

“If we could train up some people in the local Aboriginal community, there’s plenty of people who would like to fill these jobs,” he said.

Without doubt, the transport industry is integral throughout Australia, allowing the agricultural industry to enjoy its recent boom. 

In 2020, the Transport and Logistics sector in Australia saw an estimated annual revenue of $102.87 billion.

Inundated by demands fuelled by travel restrictions this year, public response to freight delays are evidence of an industry that is crying out for skilled workers. 

The Industry Consultation Paper developed by the IRC outlined a case for a Heavy Vehicle Driver Apprenticeship, assessing the current national training standards and industry challenges that stand in the way.