The National Road Transport Association (NatRoad) is pressing the Federal Government to urgently implement the $1 billion Economic Resilience Program it announced on 2 April, warning that nearly three-quarters of operators say they will not survive beyond six months if current conditions persist, and that small operators with fewer than 10 trucks face the most immediate risk of closure.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said a new survey of trucking businesses across Australia has revealed the fuel crisis is not a future risk; it is happening now, and the consequences of further delay will be severe.
“The Government made a promise to operators on 2 April. More than ten days later, all we have is a holding website asking people to register for updates. That is not good enough,” Mr Clark said. “Operators are running out of time. Without access to cash now, we are going to see trucks parked up and supply chains disrupted within weeks.”
NatRoad’s Fuel Crisis Survey, which has so far received responses from businesses ranging from owner-operators to large fleets, has laid bare the scale of the crisis. Business confidence has collapsed dramatically, with a 91% decline in positive outlook among trucking operators compared to pre-March 2026. Over 70% predict they will not be able to sustain operations beyond six months if current conditions persist, a figure that climbs to 78.1% among owner-operators running just one or two trucks. Small operators with fewer than 10 trucks face the most immediate risk of closure, with those running fewer than 20 trucks already reporting a loss of between 10 and 50 per cent of their work. Almost one in four surveyed (25.6%) have already been forced to stand down staff.
“These are not projections. This is what is happening on the ground right now,” Mr Clark said. “Small operators and owner-operators are the backbone of Australia’s freight task. If they cannot afford to put fuel in their trucks next month, the consequences will be felt right across the supply chain.”
NatRoad says the Government must immediately release the program guidelines, open applications without further delay, and ensure the scheme is simple and fast to access for the small operators who need it most.
“We welcomed this announcement when it was made, and we want it to succeed,” Mr Clark said.
“But a program that exists only on paper does nothing for an operator who cannot pay their bills this week. Implementation of this program needs to happen within days, not weeks or months.”
“When businesses can’t extend credit, and are waiting 45-90 days for invoices to be paid, and their fuel bills are due on the 21st April, they are under immense pressure. We are at crunch time, right now.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Information and registration for the Economic Resilience Program are available at the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation website.
NatRoad’s Fuel Crisis Survey remains open at natroad.com.au/2026-fuel-crisis-support.
As of 13 April 2026, NatRoad has received responses from 182 operators nationally: of the respondents, 46.5% are owner-operators with 1-2 trucks, 44% small operators between 3–19 trucks, and 9.4% large operators 20 trucks or over.
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