Owner Driver – August 2019

ownerdriver.com.au AUGUST 2019 85

we launched the Vision Zero program. Back then we had a
lost time injury frequency rate of 38. Today the rate is 1.5.”
Still, it can be better, particularly in Asia. “Fatalities don’t
occur as frequently as they did 20 years ago in Australia,
but they still happen at a far too frequent rate for me in
Asia,” he frowns. “Those things really hit to the heart of the
organisation because no one should be getting killed in the
workplace in this modern age. It’s crazy!”
So on the question of who actually drives Linfox’s
initiatives, customers or the company, a defiant Peter
Fox declares, “It is not the customers. We drive it as an
organisation because it just makes good sense.”

Pushing Ahead
Nor, he insists, does the company wait for politics to
determine the introduction of new initiatives or new
technology. “We are a leader. We do not sit around waiting
for the Federal Government to hand down a regulatory
framework.”
Gathering thoughts for a few moments, it’s a blunt Peter
Fox who states, “We are such a laggard in the regulatory
environment in this country,” citing as prime examples
the ongoing use of logbooks and the failure to implement
electronic work diaries, specifically through the use of
digital tachographs.
“Logbooks are horse and cart technology, an indictment
on the industry, the government and how we operate in this
part of the world as a developed country.
“Europe for nearly 20 years has had a digital tachograph
(yet) we bring trucks out here and the digital tachograph
system is disconnected. It’s appalling.
“I’ve been on three occasions to see Federal ministers
and Dad’s been a big advocate of the digital tachograph
and electronic work diary for 15 years but they’re just not
interested. It falls on deaf ears, but we won’t be giving up.
“If the Europeans can do it across countries, why can’t
we with just 26 million people and the number of fleets
we run? Why can’t we get harmonisation across the
States and adherence to a digital tachograph that has

anelectronicworkdiary?

“We are absolute Neanderthals in this country in regards

to our regulatory framework.”

The frustration is obvious but again, “We are an

organisation that leads and we are not sitting around

waiting for the Federal Government to hand down a

regulatory framework that makes sense for this country.

“We have already introduced 800 telematics devices that we

“We are absolute Neanderthals

in this country in regards to our

regulatory framework.”

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