In a move to enhance road safety and save lives, truck drivers across Australia now have access to free online first aid training in multiple languages.
This initiative, Truckie First Aid, is the first of its kind in the country, designed to empower truckies with essential life-saving skills and reduce the national road toll. NatRoad, Australia’s largest road transport association for truck owners and drivers, and St John Ambulance Australia have announced the significant expansion of the highly successful Truckie First Aid eLearning program.
The expansion comes as part of a $4.4 million investment from the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) under its Heavy Vehicle Safety Initiative (HVSI), supported by the Australian Government. Over 1,500 drivers have already completed the course, and with the latest funding boost, the free training is now available in Punjabi and Mandarin, the two most commonly spoken languages in the industry after English.
A quick, 30-40-minute online training, the program (truckiefirstaid.org.au) is free, simple, and accessible anytime, anywhere – even from your phone at a rest stop.
To build its Punjabi and Mandarin versions with accuracy and cultural sensitivity, NatRoad consulted industry reps for voiceover choices, used a trusted translation agency, and had scripts reviewed by experts and outsiders. The final modules were quality-checked to ensure they resonated with Australia’s diverse truck driver community.
Warren Clark, CEO of NatRoad, underscored the importance of this multilingual approach to improving driver readiness across the country. “This life-saving program, in a range of different languages, makes it even easier for those with English as a second language to participate. By upskilling truckies across the country, we are making sure drivers are more prepared than ever before to save lives on and off the road.’
He added, “For many of us, saving a life could be the most important thing we’ll ever do. So, if the situation arises, we want drivers to be prepared.” Truckie First Aid
Bridging a critical gap
This push for first aid access comes at a crucial time for Australia’s diverse, multicultural transport sector. As of 2023, 30.7% of Australia’s population was born overseas, with the largest migrant groups coming from England, India, China, and New Zealand – communities that also represent a sizable portion of the transport industry workforce.
Meanwhile, 1,292 road deaths were recorded in the 12 months ending February 2025, marking a 1.6% increase over the previous year, according to the National Road Safety Data Hub. Among those on the frontlines of these emergencies are truck drivers: a 2021 NT Road Transport Association report found that 67.3% of drivers are likely to be first responders to a traffic accident at some point in their careers.
St John Ambulance reports that 59% of injury deaths could have been prevented with timely first aid – highlighting the critical role of early intervention. With 39,505 Australians hospitalised from road accidents in 2021 and crash costs topping $30 billion a year, the value of timely action is clear.
The program’s rollout in additional languages, such as Hindi and Arabic by the end of this year, has also earned the backing of St John Ambulance Australia. Truckie First Aid
“This will make it easier for drivers with English as their second language, to be confident in what they learn, while reducing barriers to taking the course in the first place. Empowering truckies with this knowledge just makes sense, and extending the program into multiple languages will only encourage more to do the course, leading to more people being saved on the roads,” said St John Ambulance Australia’s Chief Operating Officer Adrian Watts.
Watts added that the training adheres to best-practice principles and is rooted in the widely recognised DRSABCD First Aid action plan. Importantly, it is free, accessible online, and tailored to suit the unique needs of truck drivers. Truckie First Aid
Feedback from the field
Feedback from participants so far has been encouraging. A NatRoad spokesperson shared that “drivers feel more prepared and ready to assist if required,” highlighting the program’s growing relevance and real-world applicability in helping truckies respond effectively in emergencies.
With positive feedback flowing in, the program’s reach is only set to grow. The initiative will soon become even more inclusive. “Yes, we will be launching Hindi and Arabic versions before the end of 2025,” a NatRoad spokesperson told Indian Link.
However, there are no immediate plans to expand into more advanced modules.
“The role of this training is to provide a short, easily accessible online course that gives drivers enough knowledge to make a difference in the critical first few moments at an accident scene,” the spokesperson added.
For those seeking in-depth instruction, St John Ambulance continues to offer more detailed, in-person first aid training options, which are promoted as needed.
Whether it’s a rest stop or roadside, Truckie First Aid empowers drivers to act quickly and confidently when every second counts.
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