Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

WorkSafe NZ is increasing its focus on the use of vehicles at work sites, in response to the large number of vehicle-related fatal and serious injury accidents occurring each year.

Two new pieces of guidance for PCBUs (persons conducting a business or undertaking) in managing vehicle and worksite safety have been released – covering seatbelts at work and site traffic management. 

This is important information for all transport operators and RTF has picked out some of the key points. More information, including the complete guidelines are available at www.worksafe.govt.nz 

Seatbelts at work

Workers should wear seatbelts whenever they are using vehicles...

The freight industry and the New Zealand economy in general require a plan for how we are going to open up and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

Other countries are moving ahead with COVID-19 recovery plans and NZ needs to follow suit and move past the rapid alert level changes we have recently experienced. 

In New South Wales, flareups in Sydney have been contained without a citywide lockdown or closing businesses. Instead, the focus is on lockdowns on the most affected suburbs and limits on gatherings – not banning them altogether.

Here, there doesn’t seem to be much evidence of this kind of planning – or even a way to reduce the huge holdups of freight at...

At the end of January, the Climate Change Commission released its draft report on how New Zealand can achieve our commitment to reach net zero emissions of long-lived gases, and significantly reduce biogenic methane emissions by 2050.

The challenges for NZ are clearly laid out in the report – further steps must be taken over the next few decades to align our actions with our emission reduction targets.

“For the heavy transport industry however, things aren’t that simple. The industry cannot accept the development of policy on a wing and a prayer. It can’t proceed into a future where the technology that powers its vehicles is imagined, rather than real,” says Road Transport...

On the back of the news that the Road Transport Forum Conference is back in 2021, the RTF is also pleased to announce the return of the New Zealand Road Transport Industry Awards. 

The awards were set up a number of years ago to recognise best practice and achievement in the industry. They are a way of honouring individuals, organisations and companies that have gone above and beyond industry requirements in raising skills, safety practices, knowledge, training, industry awareness, innovation and expertise.

As well as the Supreme Contribution to the Road Transport Industry Award, there will also be awards for health and safety, the Young Driver of the Year and for the...

As trucks get “fitter” – smarter, more fuel-efficient, more aerodynamic etc – the fitness of the person behind the wheel comes under increasing scrutiny. 

In the United States, for instance, there is a new emphasis within transport companies on both equipment efficiency AND driver health.

Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency is about to undergo a review of the Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive publication. Considerable advances in medical treatments have occurred since Fitness to Drive was last reviewed, and things such as medicinal cannabis or fatigue may also need to be taken into consideration this time.

While the Road Transport Forum and member associa...