Next week’s TechDRIVE Melbourne will bring together transport operators, regulators, OEMs, technology providers, energy companies and industry bodies to focus on practical decisions facing Australian transport towards 2030.
To be held at Seaworks, Williamstown on October 21, the event will focus on key issues ranging from regulatory reform, road safety and workforce pressures to AI, automation, connected fleets, alternative fuels and electrification.
Following more than 300 attendees at TechDRIVE Melbourne in 2025 and the TechDRIVE Connect industry forum in Brisbane this August, the Melbourne event will build on many of the themes emerging from Brisbane while expanding the program, technology showcase, vehicle displays and opportunities for industry discussion.
The program will feature representatives from Daimler Truck Australia Pacific, Volvo Group Australia, FBT Transwest, Garmin, Austroads, Transport Certification Australia, HVIA, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator, Viva Energy, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds, MCM Logistics, the Victorian Transport Association and Wettenhalls, alongside technology and industry specialists.
The program has been structured around four interconnected challenges facing transport operators: how regulation and safety requirements are changing; how technology is transforming operations; how fleets will be powered in the future; and how leaders balance people, performance and investment decisions.
The full agenda (and registration details) are available here.
WHG CEO Australia Dylan Hartley says the breadth of the 2026 program reflects the growth of TechDRIVE since its launch in Melbourne in 2023.
“TechDRIVE started with a simple idea: Bring the industry together and create an environment where different perspectives could be shared openly to help drive progress,” he says.
“What is particularly encouraging this year is the increased participation from OEMs and the breadth of innovation coming into the conversation, from alternative fuels and electrification through to AI, automation and connected technology. These are not separate conversations anymore. The decisions fleets make around vehicles, energy, technology, people and infrastructure increasingly affect each other.”
Beyond the conference program, the Seaworks precinct will host technology exhibits and vehicle displays extending from inside the venue through to the recently restored wharf, with HMS Endeavour and Port Phillip Bay forming the backdrop to the showcase.
Partners participating across the program, technology showcase and vehicle displays include Allotrac.io, Bandit Security, Daimler Truck, FBT Transwest, Garmin, Healthy Heads in Trucks & Sheds – Roadie, Polymer Connect, Ramco, Volvo Group Australia, FleetWEIGH, Logmaster and Ten-League.