‘We’re f...ked’: Truckies say Federal Government relief too little, too late to save WA small businesses

A WA trucking firm owner says she’s “angry” and “fed up” after spending half a million dollars on fuel contracts which haven’t been fulfilled — grinding her 57-truck business in the Goldfields to a halt. TLL Haulage managing director Tracy Lewis has already stood more than 50 of her contractors down after she couldn’t get enough fuel. It has left essential work such as carting water to mine sites unfinished — leaving key resources projects in doubt across the State. While she welcomed targeted relief from the government on Monday, which included a cut to the excise and reducing the heavy vehicle user charge, Ms Lewis said it doesn’t address the immediate issue of empty fuel tanks sidelining her trucks. “We’re f...ked. I’m done. It doesn’t matter if we still don’t have enough fuel to put in our trucks,” she said. “It’s all well and good but it still doesn’t help if we don’t have supply. If there’s so much fuel, where is it? What would help is supply. “Get us the supply, so we aren’t restricted. We can’t supply any trucks for my current or upcoming contracts. “I had a delivery confirmed for one tanker which was supposed to arrive today, but it didn’t. “It’s pretty dire. This will already lead to the destruction of some of my contractors. “I’m sick of the government saying they’re putting big supplies ‘on notice’ — line them up, say ‘you need to give 10 or 15 per cent of your allocation to independents’. “We need the government to grow some balls and allow a percentage to go to the independents.” Ms Lewis said the fuel cost for one of her contacts had doubled to $2400 last week as diesel prices soared. Already, some of her contractors are selling up trailers, equipment and other assets to pay the mounting bills. She said there needed to be priority fuel allocations to the farming, mining and transport sector. If Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and energy minister Chris Bowen would have an audience with her, Ms Lewis said she would be on the next flight to Canberra.