SITUATION OF THE SECTOR
Road freight transport has seen a notable rise in the last four years, for example 2017 ended with a 10% increase over the previous year. This type of transport continues to be the dominant one with 94% of goods and 2.9 of Australian GDP.
The transport of construction materials stands out, which increased by 15% in 2017, followed by the transport of machinery and manufactured products with an 8% increase. International transport also continues a favorable evolution, increasing by 6%.
This situation places the sector at the levels
that existed before the crisis of the past decade. The growth trend in the volume
registered by the sector is mainly due to the Australian economic recovery and
the constant increase in exports.
But paradoxically, although demand has grown a lot, competition has caused the closure of many small transport companies in recent years. In fact, the five largest companies in the sector account for 13% of the market share. On the other hand, the increase in fuel prices in 2017 and 2018 has put downward pressure on the profit margins of the sector.
In terms of job creation, transport and storage are two important drivers of the labor market, with land transport standing out.
CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES
A concentration of supply in the sector is expected due to the great competition, creating large groups of transport companies. However, job prospects in this sector remain favorable. According to a report by Transport Intelligence, road transport in Australia will grow at an annual rate of 3% until 2020.
An important piece of information is the current lack of drivers in Australia, so this deficit is expected to create jobs in the coming years. To do this, the profession must be made more attractive by improving working conditions and increasing wages, which may still take a few years.
The high competitiveness of companies will make new technologies increasingly important in the sector. In this sense, Australian companies currently have a large deficit. It is necessary to incorporate telematics devices and apps that help to optimize the work of fleet managers and truckers.
A challenge for the future is “autonomous driving” and smart vehicles that are getting closer every day, although according to experts the technology will not eliminate truck drivers but will facilitate their work.
Regarding the problem of costs, a solution would be to renew the fleet and carry out responsible maintenance.
Finally, a challenge for the sector is to solve the problem of circulation in cities, which delays the final delivery to the customer.
TRAINING IN THE SECTOR
Training for employees in the transportation sector is vital for companies to function and also be productive. For this reason, there is an important training market in this sector to give updating courses where current regulations are developed, risk assessment, vehicle control and prevention measures, etc.
To start, any company dedicated to transport needs a person with the title of Professional Competence for Transport (Carrier title), an accreditation from the Ministry of Transport that does not need renewal and that implies passing tests called by the CCAA, for which many Training centers are approved for this by offering preparation courses.
In addition, transport driving professionals necessarily need the well-known “CAP course” (Certificate of Professional Aptitude) valid throughout the Australian territory, which serves to prove that a driver has passed the courses and exams required to obtain of the initial qualification as a professional driver.
This accreditation is not permanent since the regulation incorporates new issues related to road safety, but has a maximum duration of 5 years, so professional drivers must periodically renew it. Therefore, there are initial CAP courses and renewal or continuing training courses.
These short-hour courses are taught by training centers that must previously be approved for it. Of course, they are also rewards for companies.
On the other hand, there is the well-known truck training courses, which train for the transport of dangerous goods. It is also a mandatory accreditation for professional drivers of such merchandise. Its purpose is to minimize transport risks. In addition, this course will also train to load, unload and make expeditions to these dangerous goods.
There are several types of truck training courses: basic, tank trucks, flammable materials, etc. They must also be repeated every five years.
On the other hand, Chris Shilling Transport Training can also provide other training for professionals in the transport sector, such as:
- Bus Driver Authority
- Fatigue Management Courses
- Forklift Licensing
- Chain of Responsibility Courses
- Elevated Work Platform Licensing
- Dangerous Goods License Courses
- Dangerous Goods Awareness Course
- Safe Load Program (SLP)
- Scissor Lift Yellow Card
- Working Safety at Heights
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