Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

After a tumultuous 2020 that tested our resilience and once again illustrated the strength and adaptability of New Zealand’s road transport sector, the Road Transport Forum looks forward to gathering the industry together to reflect on its recent challenges and discuss the opportunities it has to shape NZ’s transport future. 

Registrations are open now for The Road Ahead – 2021 Transporting NZ Conference that will take place on September 25 and 26 at Invercargill’s Ascot Park Hotel. 

The Conference immediately follows the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame (on the evening of September 24) and will provide delegates with the opportunity to attend both industry events ...

The Road Transport Forum recently appeared before a Parliamentary Select Committee to speak about RTF’s support for roadside drug testing as part of proposed new legislation.

The Transport and Infrastructure Select Committee heard that RTF has a desire to improve road safety for all road users – and that it believes a more sophisticated testing regime to identify and deal with impaired drivers is necessary to do that.

“As professional drivers, truck drivers have to meet a number of laws, rules and regulations – but other road users don’t come under that scrutiny,” RTF chief executive Nick Leggett told MPs. 

“Best industry practice is that truck drivers have thre...

New Zealand’s shortage of truck drivers has led to the development of the Road Transport Forum’s Te ara ki tua Road to success traineeship, aimed at assisting road transport operators to recruit new trainees and overcome the industry’s considerable workforce problems.

The RTF administers Road to success and is working with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on placing registered job seekers and those affected by COVID-19 with road transport operators. This is not the only source of trainees however, and any suitable person can sign up for Road to success once matched with a willing employer. The traineeship lasts a year.

“A huge amount of work has gone into working w...

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...