The Australian Government’s economic response to the coronavirus epidemic must include measures to support truck owner-drivers.

There are 28,900 owner-drivers in Australia, who make up 54 per cent of the trucking industry. Owner drivers are not eligible for assistance under the Boosting Cashflow for Employers measure, which the Government announced on Thursday 12 March 2020. Owner-drivers are not employees, so have no access to paid sick leave.

The ATA made the recommendation in its submission to the Government on additional economic measures that would respond to the epidemic. The submission also recommends:

• an increase in the instant asset write-off threshold to $450,000 for Australian-made equipment, and the extension of the delivery timeframe to 31 December 2020
• a 12 month guarantee for small/medium business equipment loan repayments
• setting the road user charge on fuel to zero for the June quarter 2020, and deferring the 1 July 2020 increase in the road user and registration charges for a year
• a consistent national approach to payroll tax exemptions.