Owner//Driver

Starting a new job can be a whirlwind. Plenty of new faces and names to remember, onboarding and a wealth of information to grapple with. It was in March 2019 that Paul Salvati lived this experience when he joined the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) as its new chief operations officer. A couple of conversations in these opening months with heavy vehicle operators across the country stuck with him and inspired the regulator’s ongoing push to introduce improved compliance technology.

Members of the transport industry will today apply to make supermarkets and retail giants accountable for workers engaged on illegal sham contracts within their supply chains. The Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) and Australian Road Transport Industrial Organisation (ARTIO) will for the first time call for transport clients to be held accountable for workers in their supply chains engaging in the illegal practice.

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) has called for strengthened freight productivity and improved road safety as part of its 2026 state election policy priorities. The association’s submission highlights the critical role freight and logistics plays in supporting Victorian communities, businesses and supply chains, while calling for targeted investment and policy reform to meet the demands of a growing population and freight task.

Supply chain event MegaTrans has announced the ANZ Clean Freight Council as an Association Partner, strengthening the event’s focus on the practical challenges facing Australia’s freight and logistics sector as the industry works towards a lower-emissions future.

A major trailer exchange on Victoria’s Western Highway has been upgraded, offering better facilities for truck drivers travelling towards Adelaide. The Nhill Trailer Exchange, which accommodates more than 1,500 trucks a day on the Western Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide, has been upgraded with two new accessible female toilets in addition to existing male and unisex accessible facilities.

Major transport operator Lindsay Australia has unveiled its financial results for the past year, exceeding $1 billion in revenue for the first time in its history. As its national network expands, the operator has grown its earnings while its underlying Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) also rose 37.7 per cent.

National carrier Australia Post and StarTrack are recruiting more than 3,500 seasonal team members across both metro and regional Australia, with truck drivers topping their wish list. As preparations increase for the busy holiday and online shopping period, truck drivers and forklift operators are among the most in-demand roles for both carriers.

The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) has opened nominations for its 2026 industry awards, calling on the sector to recognise its leading drivers, operating professionals and industry leaders. Sponsored by NTI, the NatRoad Awards for 2026 will celebrate the people who consistently go above and beyond to support Australia’s road transport industry.

A local provider of courier and freight delivery services has acquired a Queensland transport operator. Direct Couriers has acquired Phoenix Transport to expand its national delivery network. The acquisition, effective from August 21, strengthens Direct Couriers’ operational capacity and extends its service footprint by bringing an experienced team and established customer base into the fold.

It was in the mid-1990s that Tony McCabe made the bold and brave decision befitting of a man in his 20s. Having fostered a passion for trucking in his youth, Tony launched his own venture, starting McCabe Transport in 1996. Operating in New South Wales’ Wollongong and Illawarra regions, he had only one truck carting for members of the scrap metal industry. Now at the round age of 60 and at the head of a growing transport outfit, Tony says he wouldn’t have it any other way.