National Road Carriers members know that I’ve been investing a lot of time in raising the profile of the importance of the freight task to the economy. This week I joined Kathryn Ryan on her Nine till Noon morning show to discuss how we’ve fallen behind Australia on freight and supply chain strategy – and the impact that’s having on our economy.

At first glance, that might seem a step removed from the practical realities of getting goods delivered. After all, isn’t it obvious? Of course we need an efficient freight system.

But there’s a big difference between recognising something is important – and actually doing something about it. 

It’s easy to talk about the importance of freight – but developing a joined-up strategy and making the right investments to improve efficiency is far more complex. Unlike Australia, we don’t have a national plan to measure or drive freight efficiency. I’ve met with the CEOs of our major transport agencies, as well as Minister Bishop, to call for clear organisational goals to be set in this area.  

So how does this policy conversation play out on the ground, day to day? Transport operators are living with the consequences of decisions that weren’t made over the past two decades. That means what should be four delivery turns a day is reduced to three because of traffic congestion. It means hundred-kilometre detours when state highways close due to slips – because resilience work wasn’t done ten years ago.

We don’t want to be in the same position five years from now – which is why this conversation matters.

It was encouraging to hear the Minister this week signal that he’s exploring options for an update to the Freight Demand Study (last completed in 2018), and looking at ways to formalise how the freight industry engages with the Ministry of Transport and NZTA.

These are important and welcome signals from the Minister that improving freight and supply chain efficiency is firmly on the agenda.

National Road Carriers launch new Total Cost of Ownership Model at ERoad Fleet Day

At a crowded EROAD Fleet Day, with hundreds of attendees, NRC and partner EECA launched the updated Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model for road transport vehicles. With tight margins and rising costs, staying on top of cost recovery per run has never been more important.

Developed with EECA’s support, the new tool helps transport operators drill down into their fixed and variable costs to ensure pricing is set accurately. For the first time, it also allows operators to directly compare the operating costs of low- or zero-emission vehicles with their current fleet. The model can also be scaled up to manage costs at the fleet level.

The response has been strong, with many operators already putting the tool to work. Give it a try – you can access it here . NRC staff are on hand if you have any questions or need support.

A huge thank you to EROAD for hosting such a fantastic event – it’s fast becoming a must attend in the industry calendar. 

Justin Tighe-Umbers, Chief Executive, National Road Carriers Assn