Fuel prices forcing truck industry to the wall

Truck drivers across the country will next week park their rigs and stop work to protest against rising fuel costs and declining pay rates. Organisers aim to shut the industry down for a fortnight, with drivers complaining they've had to bear the brunt of a rise of 50 cents a litre in the price of diesel in less than a year. They say while the big players can pass on that added cost, smaller owner-operators are paying thousands extra on their fuel bill every month. The Transport Workers Union (TWU) says the soaring costs and a desperation to meet repayments on trucks are forcing truckies to work harder, longer, and faster, putting them and the wider public at risk. The union's Tony Sheldon says the TWU is now threatening to escalate the protest into a full-scale blockade. "It's breaking point. Drivers are literally being... [read full story]