The Complementary Relationship Between Trucking and Natural Gas

Across the globe, and in Australia, trucks are helping to get goods to people in a timely manner. Trucks and the people who drive them are indeed essential to the way we function as a society, connecting urban and regional areas to ports and distribution hubs across the country. That is why Brighter and the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) have been partners since 2019 – both sectors complement each other.

The partnership between Brighter and the ATA has helped strengthen the relationship between Australia’s trucking and natural gas sector.

“The ATA and natural gas sector have a strong connection as we both represent industries that are a vital part of the Australian way of life,” said Ben Maguire, CEO of the ATA.

“The backbone of both our industries lie in the regional and rural towns of Australia. Whether it is local transport companies or the natural gas projects based near regional communities, we both support communities, local jobs and small businesses.”

“As our partnership continues, we look forward to the opportunity for further collaboration between the trucking and natural gas industries, including through the Brighter Bright Spark program, which tells the stories of hard-working people employed directly and indirectly by the natural gas industry, including truck drivers and trucking operators.”

The partnership sets out a number of activities that complement the work both organisations are doing.

For Brighter, ATA’s members help the natural gas sector in many ways. Some of these ways include trucks being a distributor of liquefied natural gas (LNG) across the country – both to urban and regional areas. Specially designed LNG road tankers, some in a triple road-train configuration, can deliver up to 3,000 gigajoules of natural gas, the equivalent of more than 80,000 litres of diesel across distances in excess of 1,200 kilometres.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to present challenges for all sectors, importantly one of the supply chains that is still supporting the natural gas sector is the trucking industry.

“Brighter’s partnership with ATA ensures that we have an open exchange of ideas not only during COVID-19 but for when the economy gets back on track,” said APPEA CEO Andrew McConville.

“Our industry provides vital energy resources to millions of Australian homes and businesses, that is why we need essential supply chains like the trucking industry to be active as the Australian economy bounces back. With that said, I am encouraged by ATA’s ongoing support of the Brighter initiative, and I welcome the ongoing partnership between both sectors.”