Road transport industry sets bold goal of 1000 new applicants

The shortage of professional drivers is a worldwide problem and New Zealand is not immune, with some estimates that the country needs thousands of new drivers. And it is not just drivers, it is also people working in logistics and support roles. An aging workforce compounds the problem.

However, New Zealand’s road transport industry is making good progress to encourage more people to join by undertaking professional qualifications. Te ara ki tua Road to success is an initiative set up in 2021 by three organisations: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, National Road Carriers, and the NZ Trucking Association.

Late last year, Road to success set itself “the big hairy audacious goal” of 1000 enrolments in tertiary qualifications by the end of 2023.

“Work over the last couple of years, has seen the Road to success tertiary qualifications pathway gain more momentum than ever,” says Fiona McDonagh from Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand. “The road transport industry is an exciting place to work – especially with new technology changing the way people work. These tertiary qualifications are bringing the industry up-to-date and putting it on a more professional footing. It has also become far more diverse, and is attracting many more women into what was once very much a male-dominated industry.

“The sooner we get this tertiary qualification pathway commonly recognised as the go-to path that truck drivers take as a matter of course – which is not too dissimilar to the approach taken in other sectors with apprenticeships – the more our sector will benefit in the long run.”

McDonagh attributes the success of the programme so far to good buy-in from road transport companies. “The leadership they have shown, particularly in innovating and changing their approach, make it easier to nurture new to industry drivers or give their current driver an opportunity to gain a fit-for-purpose industry qualification.”

Road to success offers two options: The traineeship provides the pathway for new to industry drivers, as well as supporting those operators who are already training and developing new drivers, giving them the tertiary qualification framework to complement the training in-cab already being given. The Boost programme provides an opportunity for more established drivers to gain a tertiary qualification and promotes continuous learning.

For more information contact:
Fiona McDonagh, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand:
027 471 4350 or 04 472 3877 or email success@transporting.nz.

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand (Transporting New Zealand) provides unified national representation for the trucking industry, that is, about 1,200 individual road freight transport companies, which operate about 14,000 heavy trucks delivering for New Zealand. The road freight transport industry employs 32,868 people (2.0% of the workforce), has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion, and transports 93% of the total tonnes of freight moved in New Zealand.

by Roadtosuccess

Truck driver traineeship launched

Truck driver traineeship launched

Thursday, 29 April 2021

Today, Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Transport and Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood joined the Road Transport Forum to launch a traineeship dedicated to the road transport industry – Te ara ki tua Road to success.

“On the back of research that we conducted last year, trucking operators clearly identified a shortage of drivers being a problem for their businesses,” Road Transport Forum (RTF) chief executive Nick Leggett says.

“We believe in industry solving its own problems where possible, so we decided the time was right for a dedicated truck driver traineeship, run by the RTF for the industry we represent.

“Trucking has an ageing workforce and we want to bring a new and diverse range of people into the road freight transport industry. We want trainees to be clear on a career path and to be rewarded for their successes.

“We believe that over time, this training will ensure a higher skilled and safer workforce, leading to safer roads.”

Training is a mix of practical and theoretical components, designed to lead directly to qualifications relevant to the industry. These are in the form of micro-credential qualifications completed online and delivered through MITO.

“This traineeship allows people to work and earn money while they go about their training,” Leggett says.

The traineeship has its own branding and website and has two staff members administering it on behalf of employers and trainees, employed by the RTF, Trainees are on the programme for one year, after which it is expected the trainee will continue on at the company they trained with.

“Getting the programme off the ground in the quick timeframe of a year would not have been possible without government assistance and backing,” Leggett says. “In particular, the Tertiary Education Commission and MITO have come to the party in getting the micro-credentials available and waiving fees until 31 December 2021.

“RTF is also working with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on placing registered job seekers and those affected by Covid-19 with road transport operators. In fact, we are holding the launch event at Carr & Haslam in Auckland which has employed three Te ara ki tua Road to success trainees via MSD’s Kiwi Can Do programme.”

Chris Carr, from Carr & Haslam, says road transport is an essential service in New Zealand, “and it is essential that we attract good people to deliver the goods we all need”.

“Even in these early days of the traineeship we have had three keen and motivated drivers join us,” Carr says. “It is a new way of doing something about our driver shortage that we should have done years ago and I commend the RTF for establishing this traineeship.”

About Road Transport Forum New Zealand (RTF)

RTF provides unified national representation for several regional trucking associations. RTF members include Road Transport Association NZ, National Road Carriers, and NZ Trucking Association.  The affiliated representation of the RTF is about 3,000 individual road transport companies which in turn, operate 16-18,000 trucks involved in road freight transport, as well as companies that provide services allied to road freight transport.

The road freight transport industry employs 32,868 people (2.0% of the workforce), has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion, and transports 93% of the total tonnes of freight moved in New Zealand.

by louise

Driving diversity in trucking

Driving diversity in trucking

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand (Transporting New Zealand) and Teletrac Navman are bringing a ground-breaking initiative to the road transport industry in New Zealand to drive diversity

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand (Transporting New Zealand) and Teletrac Navman are bringing a ground-breaking initiative to the road transport industry in New Zealand to drive diversity.

The 2022 Driving Change Diversity Programme will develop a group of diversity champions, nominated from within the transport industry, teaching them how to create change and facilitate diversity in their workplace and community. It is based on a similar successful programme run by the Australian Trucking Association (ATA) across the Tasman.

Falling under the banner of Transporting New Zealand’s Te ara ki tua Road to success traineeship, it will be the first trans-Tasman programme of its kind in the industry, focused on tackling the challenge of attracting talent to the industry by making it more inclusive.

“With the support of Teletrac Navman, the 2022 Driving Change Diversity Programme will showcase diversity champions to the New Zealand trucking industry and wider community, and help promote a positive view of the careers available in road freight transport to encourage more people into the sector’s workforce,” says Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett.

Participants in the 2022 Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Programme will be provided professional development coaching to become mentors, be supported to become spokespeople for diversity and inclusion in the industry, and develop a strong professional network with like-minded individuals.

“There’s no doubt our industry will benefit from this. There have long been concerns about driver shortages, so we need to create an environment where both local and overseas drivers feel welcome,” Leggett says.

“Diversity in the workplace has proven benefits such as increased productivity, access to a greater talent pool, competitive advantages, and the development of more inclusive, attractive workplaces. There are many opportunities available to people with an interest in road transport, logistics, and heavy-vehicle mechanics,” Leggett says.

Transporting New Zealand says that the trucking industry is vital to New Zealand’s productivity and economic growth, with trucks transporting 93 percent of New Zealand’s freight.

Teletrac Navman Marketing Director Megan Duncan says, “During the two years that the programme has been running in Australia, we’ve seen positive changes in the transport industry. Interest in the programme is increasing and the participants are creating a strong diverse network of people who will help shape the future of the industry. We’re looking forward to bringing New Zealand into the programme in 2022 and growing diversity in the sector on both sides of the Tasman.”

ATA Chair David Smith says the programme had received overwhelming support from industry members since its Australian launch.

“We are so thrilled to welcome our New Zealand counterparts to the programme. They are demonstrating the leadership and innovative thinking that is crucial to building a viable and sustainable industry,” Smith says.

Nominations for the Teletrac Navman Driving Change Diversity Programme can be made from 20 April until 3 June, 2022. Participants must be involved as an owner or employee in a trucking business in New Zealand.

The programme will kick off at a workshop in September and participants will attend the Transporting New Zealand Conference in Invercargill.

For more information on how to participate contact Fiona McDonagh at Transporting New Zealand, fiona@transporting.nz

ENDS

About Teletrac Navman

Teletrac Navman is a global, market-leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider leveraging AI and machine learning to drive next-generation mobile asset and fleet management. Powered by AI to turn real-time data into decisions, Teletrac Navman’s specialised solutions deliver businesses with simplified, smart, predictive and actionable insights to help enhance productivity and profitability. Its fleet and asset management technology uncovers and simplifies information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward with certainty. It tracks and manages more than 550,000 vehicles and assets around the world. The company is headquartered in Orange County, CA, with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. For more information www.teletracnavman.co.nz.

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand (Transporting New Zealand) provides unified national representation for the trucking industry, that is, about 1,200 individual road freight transport companies, which operate about 14,000 heavy trucks delivering for New Zealand. The road freight transport industry employs 32,868 people (2.0% of the workforce), has a gross annual turnover of $6 billion, and transports 93% of the total tonnes of freight moved in New Zealand. For more information www.transporting.nz.

About Australian Trucking Association

The Australian Trucking Association is a united voice and forum for its members on trucking issues of national importance. The ATA’s vision is to deliver what people need in a safe, progressive and viable way. For more information www.truck.net.au.

Media contacts:

Rachael Joel for Teletrac Navman rachaelj@botica.co.nz 021 403 504

Nick Leggett for Transporting New Zealand nick@transporting.nz 021 248 2175

by louise