ATA chairman, Trevor Martyn, said he understood the hardships that many in the industry were going through, but warned that shutdowns were not the answer.

"Many owner drivers and small trucking companies are in crisis because of the spiralling price of diesel,

which has gone up 50 cents per litre since last October," Mr Martyn said.

"Many people in the trucking industry are now

watching their life's work collapse around them.

"But going on strike and standing around truck stops for two weeks isn’t the answer.

"The price of diesel is going up across the world because of China’s massive demand for fuel. Holding a two-week strike in Australia will have no effect on prices at all.

"Instead of going on strike, I urge every owner-driver and trucking operator to think through how their

business can deal with the rising price of fuel."

Mr Martyn said truckies need to:

*understand their costs and review them regularly: not once a quarter or once a year, but every

week;

*negotiate with their customers to increase their freight rates or impose a fuel surcharge. Some

companies will need to increase their freight rates by more than 20 per cent; and

*most importantly, refuse to accept jobs that do not pay enough to cover their costs.