NTI to improve road safety for dairy industry

Transport and logistics specialist insurer National Transport Insurance (NTI) will develop and deliver road safety programs to improve road safety for the dairy industry over the next two years.

The insurer will use federal government funding through the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s (NHVR) Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative to develop and deliver Spilt Milk, a national crash reduction program for the dairy industry. It will work with experts and others involved in transport for the dairy industry to develop and test training programs, resources, and workshops.

“The goal is to reduce dairy tanker rollovers and improve road safety by working with drivers, fleet managers, and maintenance consignors,” said Staci Clark, head of customer and industry strategy at NTI.

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According to NTI, the Australian dairy industry produces $4.4 billion of milk annually. However, on average, dairy tankers are 2.4 times more likely to be involved in a major crash than other freight transport, equivalent to one in 17 dairy tankers compared to one in 41 other heavy vehicles.

Clark revealed that a similar education program in Victoria’s forestry industry resulted in a 65% reduction in rollovers from 29 in a year to the 2020 financial year (FY20) being rollover fee.

“For the dairy industry, it is about improving road safety and protecting the environment because dairy tanker crashes not only put drivers and road users at risk, but can cause milk and diesel spills,” she said. “Keeping Australian industry moving toward a safer and more sustainable future is our priority, and this program is another example of NTI working with industry to achieve that.”

The announcement follows NTI’s partnership with Truckrite, an Australian-owned and operated company servicing all makes and models of heavy vehicles.