TruckSafe has refreshed its accreditation standards to continue to provide best practice to its members, and is working to team up with TRANZnet to provide more member support.
“We have seen huge changes in the trucking industry and improvements to our safety record over the years, and it is important for us and our members to continue to keep up with these changes,” said Justin Fleming, General Manager of TruckSafe.
Mr Fleming spoke about the TruckSafe accreditation program highlighting the new TruckSafe modules at the TRANZnet Conference at The Transport Industries Skills Centre (TISC) in Canberra recently.
“It is essential for TruckSafe to keep up with industry changes and our new standards will continue to ensure that TruckSafe accredited operators are some of the safest trucking operators in Australia,” said Mr Fleming.
“TruckSafe and TRANZnet are looking to develop our alliance for our members to have the added value of additional support such as safety training and assessment as well as consultancy services”, said Mr Fleming.
Bernie O’Hara, Board Member of TRANZnet is enthusiastic about the TruckSafe accreditation initiative and has been working closely with Mr Fleming on these recent developments.
Mr O’Hara says “at TRANZnet we are the peak body representing trainers, assessors, and consultants who provide services to the transport, logistics and distribution industry. By teaming up with TruckSafe and understanding its new standards, we can help TruckSafe members continue to be compliant, with an array of industry experts which we can provide.”
These new standards define a new level of best practice for the trucking industry, and have been updated to account for changes in the regulatory and policy landscape. They reflect the changing regulatory environment, new challenges facing the industry, and improvements in technology leading to new industry best practice techniques.
TruckSafe will now be based on five mandatory modules, rather than four, and all five must be met in order to gain TruckSafe Accreditation.
The new updated standards are:
1. Management - This module aims to ensure a trucking operator has a documented business system covering each of the standards.
2. Maintenance - This module aims to ensure vehicles and trailers are kept in a safe and roadworthy condition.
3. Training - A key change to this existing standard is the introduction of a practical driving assessment as part of a driver’s induction. This assessment can be performed by an experienced driver, company manager or external trainer.
4. On-road compliance - This new module aims to ensure trucking operators meet their obligations with regards to mass, dimension and load restraint, speed management, driving hours and fatigue.
5. Fitness for duty and driver health - This standard aims to ensure drivers are fit and healthy and Workplace Health and Safety requirements are met. It covers fitness for duty, driver health screening (including medicals), the role of the medical practitioner, and rehabilitation.
TruckSafe also has a voluntary module for the livestock industry, TruckCare.
Auditing in line with these new standards will commence from 1 January 2017 so it is essential for operators to start looking at the standards and implement them.
“It is all about our members, and with the new TruckSafe standards, the foundation to best practice for our members is stronger than ever.”
Click to read the new TruckSafe Standards and Accreditation Guide.
About TruckSafe
TruckSafe is a wholly owned subsidiary company for the Australian Trucking Association. It is a business and risk management system that is aimed at improving the safety and professionalism of trucking operators nationwide. The first operator accredited with TruckSafe was on 17 April 1996. TruckSafe turned 20 in April 2016.