The Australian Trucking Association has welcomed the appointment of past ATA Chair David Simon to the expert panel supporting the Australian Government’s National Freight and Supply Chain Inquiry. 

The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, made the announcement yesterday in a speech on transforming Australia’s freight and rail network. 

ATA Chair Geoff Crouch said the appointment showed the Australian Government recognised the importance of trucking operators to moving the national freight task. 

“Trucking operators are critical to the national supply chain, and increasing the productivity of trucking makes the supply chain more competitive, reducing costs for consumers, industry and exporters,” Mr Crouch said. 

“The ATA and its member associations are working on the issues and proposals that need to be made to the inquiry to boost productivity and safety for our industry. 

“Next week, the Western Australian Road Transport Association is co-hosting the WA Freight and Logistics Summit, which will directly contribute to setting priorities for the future of freight and the supply chain.” 

Tickets are still available to attend the summit, which will be on Thursday 25 May at the CCI Function Centre in Perth. 

“Delegates to the ATA’s own event, Trucking Australia 2017, to be held in Darwin from 21 to 23 June, will also get to provide direct input into the trucking industry’s priorities for the inquiry,” Mr Crouch said. 

Trucking Australia 2017 includes a key session on Preparing for the Future.   

David Simon is the Executive Chairman of Simon National Carriers, and was the Chair of the ATA from 2010 to 2014. He also served as a member of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator project implementation board and the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment reform board. 

Simon National Carriers is a leading provider of transport and third party warehousing and distribution throughout Australia. The company is a member of TruckSafe, the industry’s premier safety accreditation scheme.