The Truck Industry Council (TIC), whose members are truck manufacturers, truck importers, diesel engine companies and major component suppliers, is committed to building the world’s safest trucks making road travel safer for all road users...
Advances in truck technologies means reduced emissions making the transportation of our everyday goods and services greener and less polluting to the environment in which we all live. The enhanced productivity of today's trucks result in less carbon dioxide being produced per tonne-kilometre of freight carried...
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Today’s trucks play an increasingly essential role in the transportation of the everyday goods and services that we all need in our lives. Trucks distribute nearly all of our urban freight and even when other modes of transport are used trucks provide the connection at one or both ends...
The Truck Industry Council (TIC), whose members are truck manufacturers, truck importers, diesel engine companies and major component suppliers, is committed to building the world’s safest trucks making road travel safer for all road users.
Truck engineers have developed innovative solutions to achieve remarkable advances in truck safety.
These advances include:
Today’s trucks are being built with these safety advances as standard equipment making trucks easier to drive and safer on the road for all road users
Truck Industry Council members recognise that they have a significant role to play in contributing to a progressive reduction in GHG emissions generated by the national truck fleet. Truck Manufacturers are providing operators with the latest technologically advanced low and zero emission truck models. As of early 2025, 10 brands offer battery electric trucks with another brand offering diesel/hybrid electric trucks. Hydrogen trucks will soon be released. TIC members will continue to roll out more, new low and zero truck models this year and beyond. The key message is that the transition to a low carbon road freight future in Australia has well and truly begun.
CLEANER TRUCKS
Thirty years ago, the world truck and diesel engine manufacturers embarked on a program of reducing the noxious emission levels of trucks. The key emissions that are focused on are Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), the primary contributor to "acid rain" in urban areas, and Particulate Matter (PM), a known carcinogen in sufficiently high concentrations.
The Europeans began regulating heavy vehicle emissions with "Euro I"in the early 1990s. This has progressed to the current "Euro VI" mandated in Australia for all models sold from November 2025. Australia has harmonised its heavy vehicle exhaust emissions standards with the EURO standard.
However, as Australia imports trucks and diesel engines from North America, Japan, South Korea, China and potentially other markets, we have also adopted the North American EPA standards, and Japan standards as alternatives. In the past 20 years more than 90% of the noxious emissions from diesel exhausts have been removed, whilst engine power and economy have improved significantly.
Today’s trucks play an increasingly essential role in the transportation of the everyday goods and services that we all need in our lives. Excluding bulk commodities (e.g. minerals, resources), road transport constitutes 80% of Australian freight. Trucks distribute nearly all of our urban freight and even when other modes of transport are used trucks provide the connection at one or both ends. Australia relies on trucks more so than most other countries because of our geography and population growth, density and spread. Trucks are indeed an essential link between all major sectors of the economy and this role will continue into the future.
This will not change to any significant level, because underpinning road freight’s importance is the Australian consumer who when given the opportunity to choose delivery mode clicks the option that ensures the fastest delivery of their goods; this means a truck.
The Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Economics (BITRE)*, forecasts Australia's total domestic freight task is projected to grow by approximately 26% between 2020 and 2050, increasing from around 756 billion tonne kilometres in 2020 to about 964 billion tonne kilometres by 2050. Road freight is expected to grow by approximately 77% between 2020 and 2050, reaching around 394 billion tonne kilometres by 2050. Urban freight movements are projected to increase significantly over the coming years. The National Urban Freight Planning Principles indicate that urban freight volumes are expected to increase by 60% by 2040. This growth in the road freight task is the result of population growth, continued strong national economic growth, the rise of e-commerce, the trend towards increased door to door movements, the shift to just in-time delivery as a replacement for point of sale inventory and the increased differentiation of consumer taste making retailing more transport intensive; all leading to heightened demand for goods delivery particularly within urban areas.
The Truck Industry Council has been a long time supporter of Performance Based Standard (PBS) vehicles that will see more freight carried on fewer trucks and is committed to providing a productive and efficient transport fleet that fully supports the Australian economy.
*Source: BITRE (2022): Australian aggregate freight forecasts – 2022 update, Canberra
