Coronavirus and changes to the freight industry

HinoMost of the talk about the Coronavirus has been about the impacts on personal travel.  But what about freight? Measures to help protect truckies and their industry are now being considered.

Whether you get your food or other needs from a shop or get it home delivered, you are relying on the freight industry.  Measures are now being considered as to how to protect this industry, especially the drivers, from the Coronavirus epidemic.

In the UK they have suspended all drivers tests for three months to avoid personal interaction.

The Australian trucking association wants an increase in the asset write-off, a 12 month guarantee for equipment loan repayments and setting the road user charge to zero.

Removing tolls on the soon to be opened new motorway in Sydney is also being requested.

There is also a push to allow trucks to deliver to loading bays throughout the night.

Motoring Minutes are heard around Australia every day on over 50 radio channels through the Torque Radio networkMotoring Minutes have an average daily audience of over 150,000 listeners. Motoring Minutes are also broadcast as part of Overdrive Radio Program, which is broadcast through the Community Radio Network across Australia and has a weekly audience of over 430,000. 

About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto