In the Truck Industry Council (TIC) Prime Mover columns this year I have commented on the steps necessary for the road freight transport sector to achieve the zero emission targets set by Government by the critical dates of 2030 and 2050.
Throughout this year decarbonising road transport has increasingly been the subject of discussion between Federal and State Governments and the Truck Industry Council.
TIC members are best placed to be able to provide the technical insight necessary and working with their customers help Governments achieve their carbon emission targets in what is recognised as a hard to abate sector.
The key message that TIC has been advocating to Government is that while ambition is apt when tackling the challenges of climate change, policy discussion and determination must reflect reality that is, policy needs to reflect what is technically possible.
TIC has promoted the position that, as it stands today, there is no single technology capable of achieving carbon neutrality across the heavy vehicle road freight sector; technology agnosticism being the order of the day, attempting to pick and back the winning technology is a brave undertaking.
All truck OEMs are working on technologies to solve the challenge.
Various technologies will need to be considered depending on the task at hand for the truck and a realistic transition plan and timeline for the road freight sector put in place that aligns with Government, industry and public expectations.
It is with this positioning in mind that TIC has taken another step forward and commenced working with the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) on a national tripartite coordinating body for Australia’s evolution to a zero emission future.
The first roundtable meeting being held in June. The objective is to work with the Federal Government to develop Australia’s zero emission vehicle industry manufacturing capability taking the necessary action to upskill existing workers and plan, create and deliver the new jobs of the future.
In 2023, Australia has a strong heavy vehicle manufacturing presence and has so for the last 50 years with Volvo Group Australia and PACCAR; makers of Volvo, Mack, and Kenworth, DAF trucks respectively, gearing up for the manufacture of future truck technologies.
More recently, since 2017 SEA Electric has commenced manufacturing electric trucks in Australia. Some 6,000 heavy vehicle trucks were built in Australia last year.
That was almost 50 per cent of all new heavy truck sales. The most important feature of these trucks is that they are customised to suit the operator’s specific needs and Australia’s unique conditions: heat; dust, weights, and long distances. Many TIC members also provide local customisation to their imported products.
Customised truck builds will have increased importance for many earlier adopters in the low and zero emission freight sector, with trucks designed and built to perform specific tasks.
This manufacturing presence and customisation capability is complemented by secondary manufacturers who are a vital component of the truck market in Australia with 95 per cent of heavy vehicles sold in Australia requiring secondary manufacturer before being able to be registered and put into service on our roads.
At the conclusion of this roundtable discussion, industry and the AMWU agreed on the recommendation that Government should establish a net zero transition roadmap for the heavy vehicle industry.
This transition plan would review regulation and standards to deliver a harmonised approach between the Federal and State Governments; identify the different levers available to Government to support decarbonisation and the objective of net zero emissions; support the growth of local primary and secondary manufacturing opportunities including enhancing existing as well as creating new jobs; and promote a fleet modernisation strategy for the heavy vehicle sector.
The latter action of modernising the very old, by world standards, Australian truck fleet in particular, is welcome news to the Truck Industry Council given its sustained advocacy on this issue over time, across various elected administrations and noting the significant safety, environmental and productivity benefits accrued to operators and the Australian public from such a move.
All of these actions being a strong starting point in an approach reminiscent of past tripartite agreements where the stakeholders involved chose to work together to achieve a national goal.
Tony McMullan CEO,
Truck Industry Council