The road transport industry has long been the engine room of Australia’s economy — delivering goods, connecting communities, and keeping our nation moving.
Yet for too long, the people who power this essential industry – our truck drivers, couriers, and gig workers – have operated under immense pressure, often without the protections they deserve.
That’s why the Closing the Loopholes legislation marks a historic turning point.
With the introduction of automatic rights under the Digital Labour Platform Deactivation Code and the Road Transport Industry Termination Code, we are finally seeing long-overdue reforms that will make our industry safer, fairer, and more sustainable.
These reforms are not just policy wins. They are life-changing protections for the people who keep our supply chains running.
Until now, gig workers could be deactivated from digital platforms – effectively losing their livelihoods – without explanation, recourse, or human contact.
Similarly, owner-drivers and small operators faced the constant threat of contract termination, often without warning or a fair process.
These practices created a culture of fear and risk-taking, where workers felt compelled to meet unrealistic deadlines or accept unsafe conditions just to stay afloat. The new laws change that.
Gig workers now have the right to speak to a real person about their deactivation and appeal decisions. Already, dozens have been reinstated through union support.
For truck drivers and operators, the right to a fair process before termination and the possibility of reinstatement or compensation provides a vital safety net.
These rights are more than procedural — they are a recognition of the dignity and professionalism of transport workers.
They reduce the pressure to take dangerous risks and restore a sense of fairness to the workplace. As National Secretary of the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO), I was proud to join other representative groups that played a pivotal role in securing this legislation.
It was a privilege to be in Canberra with them recently for the full enactment of the Closing the Loopholes bill — an occasion that completed years of advocacy, consultation, and unity across the transport sector.
What makes these reforms even more remarkable is how they came to be.
This was not a top-down imposition. It was the result of unprecedented unity across the transport sector. Workers, employers, associations, and industry leaders came together to demand change.
We participated in Senate inquiries, roundtables, and nationwide convoys. We spoke with one voice: the system was broken, and it needed fixing.
Now, that same unity is being applied to implement the reforms. The Fair Work Commission is working with sub-committees of workers, employers, and academics to set minimum standards.
The Road Transport Expert Panel is guiding the process. And further applications are already in development to address issues in rideshare and beyond.
These reforms are not the end of the road — they are the beginning of a new era. In 2025 alone, over 100 people have died in truck-related crashes.
Thirty-four of them were truck drivers. Since 2017, 23 gig workers have lost their lives. These are not just statistics — they are reminders of the human cost of inaction.
These give us the tools to change this. By setting enforceable standards in areas like payment terms and parcel delivery, we can lift the floor for everyone. We can ensure that no worker is forced to choose between safety and survival.
The Closing the Loopholes legislation is a world-first system; flexible enough to address today’s challenges and future-proofed for tomorrow’s, including automation and AI.
But its success depends on continued collaboration and vigilance.
I am proud of what the Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation and our industry has achieved and committed to ensuring these rights are upheld, expanded, and embedded in the culture of our industry.
Peter Anderson
CEO, VTA
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