NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said Australia needed to treat the driver shortage as a national supply chain priority. Image: blueringmedia/stock.adobe.com
The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) is calling fora coordinated national response to fill truck driving positionsandbetter support fornational truck driver training,warningworkforce shortages across the nationareaccelerating.
The call comesjust days afterindustry leaders gatheredatNatRoadConnect26on the Gold Coast to discuss the growingtruckdriver shortage and the action needed to secure Australia’s futureroadfreight workforce.
NatRoadCEO Warren Clark said Australia needed to treat
NatRoadCEO Warren Clark said Australia needed to treat the driver shortage as a national supply chain priority, rather than anissue isolated to the trucking industry.
“Every Australian relies on truck drivers, whether they realise it or not.They’rethe people making sure there’s food in our supermarkets, medicine in our pharmacies and fuel at our service stations,” Clark said.
“Almost a quarter of our drivers are approaching retirement.We’vegottens ofthousandsof truck drivers set to retire by 2030,while risingoperating costsand compliance burdensare making it even harder forroadtransportoperators to stay inbusiness, let aloneto train andretainthe next generation.
We need aserious plan tobuild up the workforcewithconsistentlytrained
“We need aserious plan tobuild up the workforcewithconsistentlytrained and accredited drivers, before the pressure on our freight network becomes even greater.”
Research from the International Road Transport Union (IRU) released in July found almost one in four(24per cent)Australian truck drivers is expected to retire withinthe nextfive years– equivalent to almost 43,000 jobs.
Clark said better coordination betweenstategovernments, training providers and industry was essential to creating clear career pathways and ensuringnew driverswere properly prepared for the demands of the job.
Truck driving is a skilled profession, and getting
“Truck driving is a skilled profession, and getting a licence should be the beginning of someone’s professional development, not the end of it,” he said.
“We need consistent, high-quality practical training across Australia, with clear pathways for younger people, womenand those looking to change careers.Truck driving is a greatjob,and we want to get more people into it.
“There is anenormous amount of knowledge sitting with experienced drivers.We need to create opportunities to pass on those skills, or we willrisk losingtheexpertisethat has taken decades to build.
There’s no single solution, but there needs
“There’s no single solution, but there needs to be a coordinated national effort. The cost of getting this wrong will ultimately be felt by Australian businesses and households.”
Clark asked Australian road transport operators toparticipatein the 2026 IRU Driver Shortage Survey, which is being promoted nationally for the third year.
He said the survey was the best possible chance for local operators to have their say and support the industry.
We can keep talking about the driver shortage,
“We can keep talking about the driver shortage, but we also need the evidence to fix it,” Clark said.
“We’re asking operators of every size to take 10 minutes to complete this survey and help build a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground.”
The2026 IRU Driver Shortage Survey closes onDecember 11. Click here to have your say.
NatRoad’s call for a coordinated national response to the shortage comes just weeks after Industry Skills Australia (ISA) released its National Heavy Vehicle Driver Action Plan to help tackle the truck driver shortage.
