16/09/2026
🚛 WE CAN’T STAY QUIET ANYMORE.
We need to talk about this fuel crisis AGAIN.
When we speak publicly about industry issues, we aren’t just speaking for ourselves or our situation, we are speaking for our industry and other companies situation that may not have the platform that we do to voice concerns.
We have been very fortunate that the majority of our customers have introduced a fuel levy or increased an existing fuel levy. For that, we are genuinely grateful. We have some incredibly loyal, fair and supportive customers. 🩷
But this is not the reality for everyone or for all our jobs.
And the fuel crisis is putting enormous pressure on everyone throughout the supply chain. Whether you are paying a fuel levy, paying higher fuel prices, or trying to absorb those increases yourself.
Six weeks into the most recent fuel price hike, and fuel and diesel prices are just continuing to climb. And barely anybody is talking about it, these prices cannot be the new ‘normal’.
The Federal Government introduced temporary fuel excise relief which came late and is now no longer in place.
The Government described removing the reliefs as this as a “graduated return to normal settings.”
But how are we supposed to return to “normal settings” when current fuel and diesel prices are anything but normal?
The relief ended 6 weeks ago and fuel prices have rapidly continued to rise.
The trucking industry is left carrying the cost.
At the same time, the Fair Work Commission’s Road Transport Contractual Chain Order Fuel Cost Recovery is currently not in place, with the matter not scheduled for review until October.
That creates a very real problem.
There is no mechanism ensuring every increase in fuel costs is automatically passed through the supply chain.
So there are operators out there doing freight today at rates that were negotiated when diesel was around $1.60–$1.80 a litre … or even less.
That simply does not work in the real world.
Every truck moving freight is part of the cost of getting goods to Australians.
If transport operators cannot sustainably recover their costs, eventually the entire supply chain feels the impact.
We don’t want a handout.
We don’t want special treatment.
We want a sustainable industry.
We want transparent and enforceable fuel cost recovery throughout the supply chain.
We have invested our lives into these businesses.
We employ Australians.
We pay taxes.
We maintain our trucks.
We comply with the rules.
We invest in our equipment and our people.
We keep supermarket shelves stocked, construction sites moving and Australian industry operating.
We keep Australia moving. 🇦🇺
So we need to ask:
WHEN IS OUR GOVERNMENT GOING TO PROPERLY LOOK AFTER THE FAMILY-OWNED AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES THAT KEEP THIS COUNTRY MOVING?
Anthony Albanese Jim Chalmers MP Senator Bridget McKenzie
