Fuel crisis support for truck operators – NatRoad resources
For truck operators, right now it’s more important than ever that operators are doing everything you can to support your cash flow and proactively manage your business.
NatRoad has opened member resources to every operator.
We’ve called urgent and immediate response from Government to support trucking operators to manage their cash flow in the face of skyrocketing fuel costs, and high demand impacting fuel availability in some areas. You can read more about what NatRoad is calling for on this page.
To view a summary of results from our recent fuel crisis survey of Australian operators – please download our 2026 Fuel Crisis factsheet here.
NatRoad advice and resources for trucking operators
It’s important to make sure you’re doing everything you can to support your cash flow and proactively manage your business at this time. Understanding how fuel prices affect your overall operating costs, and how much of this can be charged to your clients is critical.
We encourage all operators to protect your business by using the information on the page and taking the following steps:
Find our more and access the Economic Resilience Program
Please note: NatRoad is aware that some lenders have paused applications for the time being. However, we understand these lenders may begin to take new applications again shortly. Please continue to speak with your bank and the eligible lenders should you be seeking a loan, and NatRoad will continue to provide further information when it becomes available.
The Economic Resilience Program opened on Monday, 20 April 2026. The program offers zero-interest loans to Australian manufacturing and logistics businesses impacted by fuel price disruption and supply chain volatility. Freight is explicitly named as an eligible sector.
Loans can be used to cover increased business costs caused by rising fuel prices, providing working capital relief for operators under financial pressure. The Government is clear, these are loans – not grants, and they can’t be used to refinance existing loans or finance building works.
How to access it
There are two pathways:
- Through your bank: loans of up to $5 million, for businesses with annual turnover under $100 million. Applications are open for six months through participating banks.
- Direct to the NRFC: for businesses with turnover over $100 million or seeking loans above $5 million.
Considerations
- Businesses can sign up to a business banking relationship with a participating lender if their existing lender does not participate in the program. Please note: approaching the bank you have an existing relationship with in the first instance is likely to be faster and more straight forward than setting up a new relationship and applying for the loan with a new bank.
- Signing up as a new customer means your business can be considered eligible (provided your business meets other criteria such as being a logistics or manufacturing business in an approved ANZSIC code and provided you can demonstrate it is materially impacted).
- Being eligible does not guarantee a business will be successful in applying for a loan. Each participating bank will undertake a loan assessment to determine if they believe the business is able to repay the loan.
For more resources and information, visit the dedicated page on the National Reconstruction Fund website.
Understand the recent government announcement on fuel excise and Road User Charges (RUCs)
From Wednesday 1 April, the RUC for heavy vehicles will reduce to zero based on the following:
- Fuel excise on all fuels will be cut by 32.0 cpl (which you will receive at the bowser). This includes the lowering of state GST included in the excise reduction.*
- Receiving 20.6cpl back in your GST when you claim Fuel Tax Credits (FTCs)
- RUC still effectively reduced to zero.**
* National Cabinet agreed to reduce state GST component via fuel excise reducing proposed excise from 26.3cl to 20.6cl
** The current Road User Charge changes apply only to the Commonwealth fuel‑based charge and do not affect state‑based road charges collected through vehicle registration.
Side‑by‑side impact (per litre, over the 3 months from 1 April 2026)
Measure | Where benefit appears | Approx benefit |
Halve fuel excise | At the bowser | ~26.3¢/L |
Further reduction of GST via fuel excise | At the bowser | 5.7¢/L |
Both combined | Bowser + FTC | ~32¢/L + 20.6 ¢/L |
To ensure you gain the maximum benefit, we have two simple actions to take:
- Lodge your BAS monthly.
- Always claim your FTCs.
Talk to your lender about financial hardship assistance
Don’t wait until you’re in trouble or have missed a payment. Talk to your bank or non-bank lender about utilising their hardship policy as soon as possible. The earlier you reach out to your bank, the better – more options will be available to help you create some breathing space and get on top of cashflow.
Depending on the circumstances, banks are able to offer businesses a range of practical support options including:
- Waiving fees and charges.
- Consolidating debt to help make repayments more manageable.
- Offering additional temporary finance to help cover short-term cash flow shortages, such as overdraft
- facilities.
- Reducing repayments by restructuring a loan.
- Deferring principal loan repayments.
Calculate your fuel levy
Many operators are undercharging without realising it. Use the NatRoad Fuel Levy Calculator to check you are charging correctly.
There are many ways to calculate your fuel levy. Our new online fuel levy calculator has been developed to support small trucking operators who may not have contracts in place.
Members with more complex needs can use our more detailed fuel levy calculator by visiting the NatRoad member portal.
Lodge BAS monthly
If you’re lodging your BAS quarterly, switching to monthly gets tax credits back into your pocket faster and makes each payment smaller and easier to manage.
Claim your Fuel Tax Credits (FTCs)
FTCs allow you to claim back fuel tax used for business activities, including operating heavy vehicles and equipment. Claiming FTCs can significantly reduce fuel costs and improve cash flow. To claim, your business must be registered for GST and fuel tax credits, keep records of fuel use, and include the claim when lodging your Business Activity Statement (BAS).
Watch this NatRoad webinar as Michael Hughes, Risk and Strategy Director for the Australian Taxation Office in the Small Business Excise Experience branch, discusses what fuel tax credits are, who can claim them and how to get your claim right.
Review your contracts
Check your contracts, what you can pass on, and understand how you can charge to account for additional fuel costs. If possible, adjust your fuel levies weekly or seek rate reviews.
Read our article about how you may be able to seek compensation for the rising cost of fuel, even if there is no formal contract.
Access temporary tax relief for small businesses from the ATO
Small businesses affected by fuel supply issues can access temporary tax relief from the ATO.
Measures may include more flexible payment plans, reduced interest and penalties and changes to PAYG instalments if income has dropped. Some compliance and debt collection actions may also be paused.
Small businesses will also continue to have access to easier and faster credit by extending the Small Business Responsible Lending Obligation exemption for a further 10 years. Banks, lenders and insurers are also putting more resources in place to support small businesses, farmers and communities struggling with cost pressures.
Operate as fuel efficiently as possible
Refer to our NatRoad Get Fleet Fit resources to find more ways to improve your fuel efficiency.
Use fuel price comparison tools
Use your state’s fuel price check tool to make informed decisions about where and when to refuel. For example: if you are in Victoria, use ‘Servo Saver’ – the official fuel price comparison tool in the Services Victoria app.
Daily price caps have now been introduced in the state of Victoria as part of the Fair Fuel Plan. From 10 March 2026, fuel retailers must set maximum fuel price for the following day, update prices within 30 minutes of a change and report when a fuel type becomes unavailable. Read more on the Consumer Affairs Victoria website.
Understand the contractual chain order issued by Fair Work Commission (FWC) effective from Tuesday 21 April
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has made a Road Transport Contractual Chain Order (the Order) commencing today, 21 April 2026.
This Order relates to the fuel supply chain disruption resulting from the significant reduction of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and broader conflict in the Middle East.
Who is impacted?
The Order covers the entire road transport industry, including: ‘primary parties’ and ‘secondary parties’ in a Road Transport Contractual Chain. However, it does not cover the cash-in-transit industry.
We encourage operators to understand the order and start preparing for cost recovery on jobs from 21 April 2026 by:
- Calculating the increase in your fuel costs since 6 March 2026 (the baseline date for calculating the “increased cost of fuel”).
- Considering how you will engage with clients to ensure the increased cost of fuel is recovered (i.e. through rates or other agreed cost-recovery mechanisms).
A simple factsheet to understand the order.
The video below from the Fair Work Commission explains more about how contractual chain orders work.
What NatRoad is doing to support the industry
NatRoad will continue to support trucking operators directly through this crisis, while calling for an urgent and immediate response from Government.
We are making sure the voice of the operator is being heard by attending meetings with ministers’ offices, writing directly to Federal, State, and Territory Ministers and appearing regularly in the media – including live radio interviews around the country. We’ve made it clear, trucks and trucking businesses are essential to keep Australia moving, and the impact felt first by operators will ultimately hurt everyone in the community.
After extensive advocacy from NatRoad calling for the removal of the Road User Charge (RUC) to provide immediate relief for industry, we have welcomed the announcement the RUC effectively dropped to zero for three months from 1 April 2026.
In addition, the expected increase to the RUC of 6% has been put on hold until 1 January 2027.
This is a step in the right direction but more needs to be done.
NatRoad is continuing to keep operators at the forefront of the fuel crisis response, recommending multiple actions the Government should take to allow operators to stay on the road. We have been clear – trucking businesses need real relief and not more regulation.
Recent media releases
Find out more about what NatRoad is pushing for in our media releases below:
You can read more about NatRoad member and Townsville owner-operator, Jason Tuttle, here.
Members who would like to share their experiences can contact the NatRoad membership team on 1800 272 144 or email [email protected].
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