A female truck driver has laid bare the true extent of the nation’s current fuel crisis. Heather Jones has been in the transport industry for 35 years, but said never before has the situation been so ‘dire’.
Australian trucking companies, like her own, are facing uncertainty as soaring fuel prices continue to strangle transport businesses, but the Pilbara-based truckie, known for her pink truck, said all Aussies will eventually suffer.
“I think the economy is going to pay the price for the next three to six months, and that’s across the board on everything,” she told Yahoo News Australia.
“There’s a very large transport operator that’s got a 70 per cent fuel levy on all of their freight now. So that’s 70 per cent on top of your freight costs. Obviously, that will flow down to the general public”.
In recent weeks, sky-high petrol prices have threatened multiple sectors. Alongside transportation services, it’s feared the cost of food and other services, like travel, will increase too.
Many transport companies are desperate to offset the cost of diesel, which has reached well over $3 a litre in recent weeks.
Heather, a veteran truckie and founder of Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group, has taken extra measures to ensure “the wheels keep on moving,” insisting that Australia depends on trucking companies like her own.
In just one month, from the start of March, Heather went from paying $2,500 for a full tank to $5,500. Diesel reached as high $3.28 in parts of WA, she said.
On Wednesday, there was some relief when the federal government introduced cuts in the fuel excise which amount to 32c per litre for petrol and diesel.
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A receipt sent to Heather showing a full tank of diesel costing almost $5000. Source: Supplied/ Pilbara heavy Haulage Girls Group
But transport companies like Pilbara Heavy Haulage Girls Group are struggling.
“The situation is quite dire,” Heather said. “My fuel in 30 days has gone up 81 per cent, and so has everybody else’s in the trucking industry.
“It’s seriously affecting our business”.
Heather says they have to be really conscious of how they drive in order to be more fuel-efficient. Aussies have also been advised to work from home to save fuel.
Fuel limits have also been set in many areas in response to shortages. For truckies that’s $1000.
“I do think it’s necessary at the moment. It gives everyone a fairer share of the fuel,” Heather said.
There’s also been a “huge increase” in fuel being stolen from our truck drivers’ fuel tanks,” she admitted.
“We have to make sure fuel caps are locked so that people don’t have the opportunity to come and steal your fuel at night. It’s a big thing at the moment. It’s a really, really low act.”
Heather (centre) is worried about her business which her two daughters (pictured) also work for. Source: Supplied/ Pilbara heavy Haulage Girls Group
Plea to Aussie drivers
Heather has pleaded with Aussie drivers to be patient on our roads as truckies “do our best” to keep things moving as normal.
“If they’re going a bit slower [on the road], don’t give them a hard time. We’re trying to save fuel so we can deliver your goods and services,” Heather said.
Long hours alone in the cab, combined with rising costs and uncertainty, have taken a serious toll on truckies’ mental health, research from Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds shows.
“You just don’t know what they’re going through because it is a crisis for all truck drivers at the moment,” she said.
“Australia really doesn’t realise that without farmers and trucks, you actually don’t have any food,” she continued.
“We do everything. If you don’t have trucks, then you have absolutely nothing”
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