Glenn 'Yogi' Kendall carts heavy farm machinery across the Wheatbelt and Great Southern.(Supplied: Glenn Kendall)
Truck drivers are seeking greener pastures in the regions as demand for their work lifts wages and offers opportunities to relocate.
Southern Haulage managing director Chris Pavlovich said the transport industry wasexperiencing a perfect storm of crises: fuel prices spiking, year-long backlogs for new trucksand tight staffing.
Nonetheless, his business in Mount Barker — on Western Australia's south coast — has had less difficulty finding truck drivers in 2022 than expected.
We've seen a lot of people move into the lower Great Southern looking for that sea change, moving out of that mining environment, he said.
Now they can get similar remuneration and be home every night, we're actually seeing a swing back into the regions.
Mr Pavlovich said higher wages and an improved work-life balance have helped bring more drivers to the Great Southern region.
We've had our fair share of people come down for lifestyle reasons, he said.
The sooner we can train them up to drive trucks, the better we'll be.
Grain harvest trumps mining jobs
A year ago, the mining industry was booming and farming regions struggled to offer consistent work and competitive wages for truck drivers.
But this summer, WA grain farmers harvested 23.1 million tonnes of produce, 50 per cent more than the 10-year average and 30 per cent more than the previous record crop.
Katanning-based truck driver Glenn Kendall said there wasenough grain to cart until harvest time next year.
Therefore there area lot of jobs being filled by truck drivers coming back down south, he said.
After two years spent navigating the travel restrictions in WA as well asinterstate, Mr Kendall said he found it appealing to spend more time in his own region.
You probably won't get locked down in a mine site or in the Perth or Peel region if it comes to it, he said.
It is what it is. I don't want to get my family locked down.
Truckies face overwork, stagnant wages
The shortage of truck drivers remainsa national problem and it is a vicious cycle — as more people leave the industry, pressure rises on those who remain.
Truck drivers have been the heroes of the past two years, Transport Workers Union assistant national secretary Nick McIntosh said.
But these crises have exacerbated the problems [of overwork]:First COVID, now floods.
You've got to be a lot more independent and self-sufficient at the moment, Mr Kendall says.(Great Southern Hearts Drive For Life)
Incredibly long workdays were commonplace in the transport industry.
I work six days a week, 12 hours a day, Mr Kendall said.
I don't know how much more we can be pushed.
Mr McIntosh said relatively few drivers in Australia had been able to leverage the shortage for better conditions.
If drivers are able to hold down a job and pay the bills in a region that's fantastic, he said.
The problem is that those opportunities are few and far between.
Balance motivates regional truckies
You have to ask, why is it that there are shortage of truck drivers? It has to do with the industry not being attractive, Mr McIntosh said.
In an environment of low employment there are a lot more attractive options for people than having to drive more than 60 hours a week and be away from your family for long periods of time.
Truck driver Matthew Dee moved to Mount Barker last year and said he worked more hours than when he worked from Perth.
However, he preferred having a regular schedule that allowed him to stay close to family.
Yes, you're doing more hours but it's long haul so it's less stress, less rat race. The wage balances out, he said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-11/wa-truck-drivers-seek-sea-change-amid-transport-supply-crisis/100899644
