In an Australian first, heavy vehicle drivers will have access to the Truckie First Aid eLearning program, proudly announced by NatRoad and St John Ambulance Australia.
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Truckies across the country will have access to the program as part of a $4.4 million investment from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and their Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI) supported by the Australian Government.
Over 1,500 drivers have completed the course so far, with the additional funding meaning the free training is now available in Punjabi and Mandarin, the two most common languages spoken in the industry after English. Further languages will be released before the end of the year.
CEO of NatRoad Warren Clark says the importance of the program to truck drivers across Australia could not be understated.
“I’m pleased to announce the launch of this life-saving program in a range of different languages, to make it even easier for those with English as a second language to participate,” he says.
“By upskilling truckies across the country, we are making sure drivers are more prepared than ever before to save lives on and off the road.”
“For many of us, saving a life could be the most important thing we’ll ever do. So, if the situation arises, we want drivers to be prepared.”
Key statistics:
- 2023, 30.7% of Australia’s population was born overseas, with the largest populations coming from England, India, China and New Zealand. (ABS)
- During the 12 months ending February 2025, there were 1,292 road deaths in Australia, marking a 1.6% increase compared to the same period the previous year. (National Road Safety Data Hub)
- 67.3% of truck drivers will be first responders to a traffic accident at some time in their career. (NT Road Transport Association Truck Drivers – First Responders, Final Report, 21 July 2021, L. Bilato)
- 59% of deaths from injuries would have been prevented if adequate First Aid had been provided before emergency services arrived (St John Ambulance)
- Road accidents sent 39,505 people to hospital in 2021, with the estimated economic impact of crashes reaching $30+ billion per annum.(National Road Safety Data Hub
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