ATA outlines 2021 roadmap

The Australian Trucking Association has announced it will focus its efforts on a new strategic plan, strengthening industry safety and enhancing productivity.

At the ATA's recent annual general meeting, ATA Chair David Smith outlined the peak body's intentions for 2021.

"In developing a new strategic plan, we will seek to clarify the role of the ATA, avoid duplicating the work of our member associations, and increase our focus on strategic projects," he said.

"We will continue to provide input into the Heavy Vehicle National Law review and maintain our efforts on road pricing, while connecting and engaging industry through our future-focused events and initiatives like SafeT360, which will make its way around the country to teach road users how to share the road safely with trucks.

"In July we will deliver our 2021 Technology and Maintenance Conference in an interactive online format before bringing industry together to discuss the issues that matter most, at Trucking Australia in September.

"We will also deliver the career-defining Daimler Future Leaders' Forum, now in its fourth year, and the ground-breaking Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Program."

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Mr Smith also took the opportunity to reflect on the ATA's work over the last year.

"While industry faced an unprecedented time with tragic bushfires across the country and a global pandemic, the ATA continued to advocate for industry," he said.

"We have worked harder than ever to make sure our industry received the support it needed to keep Australia moving. This included making sure that trucking and heavy vehicle manufacturing was recognised as essential, rest facilities were kept open, and that border controls were nationally consistent.

"Together with our members and other associations, we secured critical economic recovery measures and achieved key reforms to improve fuel security.

"We implemented a new business and marketing plan for our TruckSafe accreditation program, pivoted our SafeT360 exhibition to a social media campaign that reached more than two million Australians and successfully delivered Trucking Australia 2020 and the 2020 Technology and Maintenance Conference as online events."

The AGM also saw the re-election of David Simon, Andy Divall, Simon Skazlic and Julie Russell to the ATA board, while Andrew Garrety was re-elected as the ATA's Treasurer/Secretary.