More than 4,000 truck drivers across Australia have completed the free Truckie First Aid online training program developed by NatRoad and St John Ambulance Australia.
The milestone reflects growing industry participation in a program designed to give heavy vehicle drivers practical first aid skills for situations where they may be among the first people to arrive at a road crash or medical emergency.
Launched in October 2023, Truckie First Aid was developed specifically for heavy vehicle operators and takes around 30 minutes to complete online.
NatRoad CEO Warren Clark said truck drivers regularly travel through regional and remote areas where emergency services may take longer to reach an incident.
“Truck drivers travel every corner of Australia, including many remote and regional areas where emergency services can take time to arrive. They’re often among the first people at the scene of a crash, and those first few minutes can make all the difference,” Clark said.
“Every driver who completes Truckie First Aid comes away better equipped and more confident to step in and provide potentially life-saving assistance in the vital minutes before professional help arrives.”
Training reaches more drivers
The program has expanded over the past year, with Punjabi, Mandarin, Hindi and Arabic versions introduced to make the training more accessible to Australia’s diverse road freight workforce.
The translations were supported through funding from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative, supported by the Australian Government.
The course covers first aid skills including CPR, maintaining an airway, managing severe bleeding, using an automated external defibrillator and responding to other medical emergencies drivers may encounter on the road.
Participants can complete the program using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer and receive a certificate after finishing the course.
According to NatRoad and St John Ambulance Australia, research indicates around 67 per cent of truck drivers are likely to experience being first on the scene of a road crash during their careers.
St John Ambulance Australia Director of Partnerships, Fundraising and Community Impact Fairlie Tucker said knowing how to respond during the first few minutes of an emergency could significantly affect the outcome.
“In an emergency, the first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death. A blocked airway can become fatal in as little as four minutes, and for every minute CPR and defibrillation are delayed during a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival decreases by ten per cent,” Tucker said.
“By equipping more truck drivers with first aid skills, we can ensure more people are ready to take action when it matters most, and ultimately help save lives.”
Truckie First Aid remains free for truck drivers across Australia.
