I reckon there should be no strike and the truck drivers should just accept the fuel prices.

the average local truck driver is losing an extra 200 dollars a week and rising due to the increased fuel prices. this is a loss of income that should be subsidised or absorbed by consumers!!!

hey 'matt' unless you're a truck driver don't speak, that money isn't coming out of your pocket.

I'm a doctor at a metropolitan hospital emergency department. I work extremely long hours, work in sometimes very tedious conditions and often with a shortage of staff and resources. My income isn't terribly impressive and at times I feel unappreciated and like the goverment isn't listening when we say hospitals need more funding. But I don't strike. I don't make everyone suffer because my working conditions aren't ideal. I continue doing my job....saving lives. What gives anyone in any profession the right to conduct themselves in a such a way that says "give me what I want or else?" Yes some of the conditions you have are unfair, yes fuel is terrible in price - but if you don't like the job don't do it. And don't make the whole of australia suffer because you are unhappy. How is that fair? you say without trucks australia stops.....well there are a lot of professions that are critical to the well-being of the country, but they have the dignity and decency to fight for what they believe is right in a productive way and not punish everyone.

I beg to differ "Tallina" - there are teachers strikes, nursing strikes - it happens everywhere. Good on them for fighting for what they believe in!

Tallina, i hope you realise that in the medical profession you are asked to work long hours, and are paid accordingly. In the transport industry you cannot work over 12-14 hours, or you will get penalisied, with chances of losing your licence and heavy penalities. You can work in a medical profession with dealing with peoples lives, which i consider worse than a truck driver.

If you owned your own business and worked damn hard to made a living out of it, then suddenly an increase in a fundamental resource and a change in government policy meant that you were losing $100s every week, rather than earning an income you would have 2 solutions: (a) get out of the industry; or (b) Strike for better renumeration.

Anything else would not address the core problem. I support this strike, because truckies are the lifeblood of our country. They deserve to be paid a livable wage for a challenging and difficult job. The government should have seen this one coming years ago, it was inevitable.

People need to start paying the real cost of transported food and truckies need to see that renumeration in their hand.

Trucking is the only profession that you can loose almost a full week's wages in fines for making a spelling mistake in your logbook. Road side parking bays are being closed to trucks, so where do they rest ??? Many many issues needing to be heard.

I wonder if this doctor is paying the bills and costs of this metro hospital?? Nah don't think so. This isn't about just a job. Truckies are losing their homes, their trucks and in some cases families to the stress. If we all quit and got another job Australia would come to a stand still. You want truckies to lose money to carry your goods for nothing yet you don't give a stuff about them. Bet you support farmers. How about you work for zero and then I'll listen to you and take you seriously.

Hey Rose, I was led to believe it was the larger freight haulage companies that were responsible for smaller trucking companies and Owner/drivers being out of pocket on fuel costs by not passing on sufficient levie monies. The public is also as of now paying through the the nose for goods and services and you want them to subsidise truckies for this charade, I know what the answer will be! Gary, Matt can comment any time he sees fit, free country last time I looked. Why don't you and others go cry on Peter schuback's [Mr.80% of driver support] or Mick Pattell's [Mr Southern Cross Party] shoulder. Oh! that's right I forgot they don't like each other either.