The message for an industry like the trucking industry, which is regarded as a problem rather than a positive for the country by many politicians, should be to realise the only way to get the kind of government and legislation the industry needs is to follow the mantra, engage, engage, engage.

Warren Clark from NatRoad has come out with this message following his decision to become part of the discussions around the development of whatever it is the Albanese government will come up with to take the place of the ill fated RSRT from a few years ago.

The point is well made that the chances of there being no changes to the legislation around the trucking industry and the way those involved in the trucking industry get paid for the various freight tasks, which they handle is zero.

It’s an inevitability therefore, and if it’s an inevitability, then the only chance the trucking industry has of getting a sensible regime to improve conditions for those working in the trucking industry, while at the same time ensuring the continuance of many of the trucking businesses which exist today is to engage.

The only chance we have is to be at the table, to be part of the discussions and submissions. To get our point across and to limit the number of regulations which may be changed in a way that is detrimental to small businesses running trucking operations.

It can’t be that hard to sit in a large room with all of the relevant parties and have a civilised conversation. There is no room in the modern trucking world for taking a hard line and refusing to speak to anybody.

This industry is going through some form of boom, it needs people, it needs operators, it needs equipment. A period like this requires a lot of investment. The best environment in which to make big investment decisions is one of stability, where we know what the rules are, and how the rules are going to develop.

In that kind of secure situations, we can work out where the investment needs to be made in the trucking industry, make it and profit from the boom in the need for the whole industry to move freight.