High cattle numbers keeping transporters busy

Livestock transporters say they have never been so busy so early in the year as thousands of cattle move out of north-west Queensland and the Northern Territory.

Roads Trains Australia says it has put 15,000 cattle through a spelling facility in Longreach since the start of the year.

The wet season is yet to arrive in the state's north-west and on the Barkly Tableland.

Road Trains manager Mike Bailey says a shortage of drivers means many cattle trucks are sitting idle.

"We've got six trucks sitting down here and our counterpart in the Northern territory has got eight sitting down because we've got no drivers." he said.

"The new government legislation isn't helping either because they take de-merit points off for log books and the other thing is we can't afford to pay what the mining industry pays."

Boulia Mayor Rick Britton says he is amazed at the number of road trains travelling through his shire.