On The Road Aussie Trucking Podcast

287. In The Weeds with Mike and Trev. we take a hard look at driver licensing reform and offer some solutions to the challenge!

286. What happened at Mittagong. Mike talks with Stuart Devine from RRE

285. In The Weeds Wednesday. Listen in as Trev and I fix the road transport industry in Australia. The big boys go broke, we discuss why that is. How can there be an oversupply of trucks and there's still all this crying about a driver shortage? We have look at that pearl. We discover what the operations manage who lost a truck at Mittagong has to say and the drivers son as well. you will not believe what happened!!! Super bright LED headlights and the safety issue from those plus some other bits and pieces.

284. Australian Trucking News and Opinion with Mike Williams and Guests

283. In The Weeds with Mike Williams and Trev Warner. As threatened we rip a few scabs of and say the quiet part out loud. Is it any wonder we didn't get a Christmas card!

282. Australian Trucking News and Opinion with Mike Williams and Guests. We're back for 2026 with more truth and more facts. We've go heaps to talk about.

281. Australian Trucking News and Opinion With Mike Williams and Trev Warner

280. In The Weeds with Mike. This week its a pure opinion bit. My guest didn't work out for the week so I've elected to give you basically one big Something To Talk About and you can argue amongst yourselves! I have a bit from Colin Dyne in WA and another bit from the old interstater. Both were on Facebook and both make solid points in my opinion. Take care out there and I'll catch you later.

279. Australian Trucking News and Opinion with Mike Williams and Guests. No fancy editing this week. I'm on the road and so I don't have all my recording and editing e=gear with me. This is as raw as it gets! Trev and I kick round a few trucking subjects and please support the Lets Get Rural Christmas raffle. https://www.raffletix.com.au/letsgetural-xmas25

278. In The Weeds with Mike and Trev. General Industry View on the Heavy Vehicle (Mass, Dimension and Loading) National Amendment Regulation 2025The 2025 amendments to the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL), including the specific updates to mass, dimension, and loading rules under the accompanying regulations, have elicited a cautiously positive but predominantly disappointed response from the Australian trucking and road freight industry. Stakeholders, including major bodies like the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) and the National Road Transport Association (NatRoad), view the package as a modest step forward in simplifying compliance and enhancing safety, but criticize it for falling short of the "first principles" reform promised after the six-year review process that began in 2018. The changes—such as slight increases to general mass limits, easier Higher Mass Limits (HML) declarations, and more flexible loading via Safety Management Systems (SMS)—are seen as productivity boosters, yet the overall package is lambasted for lacking ambition, particularly on access reforms and fatigue management flexibility. Key Issues the Industry Has with the 2025 HVNL Amendments(Mass, Dimension & Loading + broader package)# Issue What the industry says 1 Lack of ambition / watered-down reform After 7 years of review, the final package is seen as “incremental tinkering” rather than the promised “first-principles rewrite”. Many big ideas from 2018–2024 consultations were dropped or heavily diluted. 2 Productivity gains are too small Minor mass/dimension increases are welcomed but described as “barely noticeable”. No meaningful lift in general-access limits or widespread Higher Productivity Vehicle rollout. 3 Access reform largely abandoned The original goal of eliminating 90 % of permits by 2028 is gone. Operators still face slow, inconsistent permit processes across councils and states. 4 Fatigue management flexibility removed Plans to reduce the number of work/rest options and give more genuine flexibility were scrapped late in the process, leaving the old rigid hours largely intact. 5 Accreditation & SMS changes risk more red tape The new “alternative compliance” and mandatory SMS requirements are complex and costly for small operators; many fear it will add paperwork rather than reduce it. 6 Regulations still not finalised The primary law has passed, but the detailed mass, dimension, loading and fatigue regulations are still being drafted. Industry is nervous about last-minute surprises and insufficient consultation time (some want minimum 42 days). 7 Implementation timeline too tight Mid-2026 start with staged rollout leaves only ~6–12 months for fleets to retrain drivers, update systems, and renegotiate contracts. 8 No clear accountability or KPIs No legislated forward work program or measurable targets (e.g., permit reduction, safety outcomes), so industry doubts further improvements will actually happen.