TruckSafe New Zealand Supports AFMS
The AFMS is a flexible risk-based system that allows transport businesses to vary driver work and rest times beyond standard legal limits, but only where robust fatigue management systems are in place and approved by the regulator.
TruckSafe New Zealand, the industry-designed and independently audited safety management system, is now supporting transport operators nationwide in preparing for and achieving approval under the Alternative Fatigue Management Scheme (AFMS) framework set out by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.
The AFMS is a flexible risk-based system that allows transport businesses to vary driver work and rest times beyond standard legal limits, but only where robust fatigue management systems are in place and approved by the regulator. TruckSafe New Zealand provides operators with exactly that: a comprehensive, fit-for-purpose safety management structure that aligns with the AFMS performance standards.
'TruckSafe is uniquely positioned to help operators meet the rigorous expectations of AFMS,' says Carol McGeady, Director of TruckSafe New Zealand. 'It provides the documented policies, procedures, training frameworks, and internal review systems that the Transport Agency requires for AFMS approval. It takes the guesswork out of compliance.'
TruckSafe New Zealand has been developed by industry, for industry, and covers key areas critical to fatigue management, including driver fitness for duty, safe scheduling and rostering, training and supervision, and vehicle safety. Through independent auditing and structured documentation, TruckSafe gives operators the confidence to demonstrate compliance with both the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and the Land Transport Act 1998.
Benefits of TruckSafe-aligned AFMS readiness include:
Clear fatigue prevention policies and responsibilities
Proven systems for monitoring driver work/rest time
Driver consultation and engagement processes
Documented countermeasures for flexible operating limits
Independent verification through external audit
TruckSafe also provides tools and guidance to help operators plan effective rest strategies, document countermeasures, and gather the evidence needed to submit a strong AFMS application. For operators that subcontract or work with contractors, TruckSafe's structure supports Joint Management provisions ensuring wider compliance across the transport supply chain.
'We know that setting up an AFMS can seem complex and time-consuming, but TruckSafe makes it manageable,' said Carol McGeady (TruckSafe New Zealand Director) 'It's a proactive step that enhances operational flexibility and positions businesses as leaders in safety and compliance.'
With AFMS approval increasingly recognised as a mark of excellence in fatigue management, and likely to feature in future procurement and tender requirements operators who act now will be better placed to win contracts, retain good drivers, and reduce fatigue-related incidents.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Techday NZ
4 days ago
- Techday NZ
Exclusive: Craig Stanley on SAP-driven enterprise architecture transformation
Organisations are shifting their IT investment mindset towards reinvention, with artificial intelligence emerging as a key catalyst, according to Craig Stanley, Head of EA Alliances at Kapish. Speaking exclusively to TechDay during the SAP NOW AI Tour Australia & New Zealand in Melbourne, he said the balance between managing costs and driving growth was tilting towards transformation. "Definitely a lot of focus on the reinvent side of things," Stanley said. "Organisations are trying to accelerate their growth, their transformation, for sure." Stanley, whose role at Kapish includes working closely with SAP customers, argued that too many digital strategies fail in execution because of weak alignment between business objectives and technology initiatives. "Any sort of transformation needs to be aligned to the goals of the organisation," he explained. "It's the lack of alignment, but it's also the lack of shared vision. Everyone needs to understand where they're driving to and be part of that journey." He stressed that transformation itself is not the final objective, but a process towards a continually evolving end state. "The no BS way to get there is having a plan," he said. "But it can't be immutable. Some things are going to fail, some will succeed, and some will have unexpected outcomes." Working with SAP-aligned tools such as LeanIX and Signavio, Stanley said Kapish helps customers visualise alternate pathways and keep projects outcomes-focused. He illustrated this with a cloud migration example, where decommissioning a server is just one step towards a broader strategic goal. "Strategy versus tactics is key," he said. "Some tactics might fail, but we want our strategy to still succeed." While not every organisation needs a fully defined 'Plan B', Stanley said the ability to pivot is crucial. "They should be able to identify an alternate path. Fail fast, fail early, but always stay aligned with your strategic goals." Transforming enterprise architecture from a purely planning function into a growth engine requires broad participation, Stanley said. "We talk about the democratisation of Enterprise Architecture - the contributors and consumers of EA should be distributed across the organisation," he explained. "It's the opposite of an ivory tower, where decisions are decreed but not communicated." On governance, Stanley argued that it can either slow progress or become a competitive advantage, depending on its application. "We talk about just enough governance," he said. "Go slow to go fast. Set the guardrails so everyone knows where they're going, without blocking progress or overreaching." Metrics, he added, should always align with strategic objectives and customer outcomes. "What gets measured is what gets done," he said. "Whether it's more customers, reduced hardware spend, or faster solution deployment - it has to connect to the reason you're transforming." Stanley also shared an unexpected business win from implementing LeanIX within SAP customer environments. One client reduced enterprise architect onboarding time from up to six months to just weeks. "They had a knowledge base being maintained," he said. "Within a week, a new starter was effective - far more efficient than the old model." When it comes to legacy systems, Stanley acknowledged the challenges of replacement. "I'd like to say detonate, but the reality is there's so much corporate knowledge in these systems that it's very hard to do," he said. "The business rules are often only documented in the code itself." Looking ahead, he sees enterprise architecture - particularly in SAP landscapes - playing an elevated strategic role. "The future of quality enterprise architecture is a pragmatic outcome, but with clear trust and insights at the C-suite level," he said. Asked what differentiates successful EA leaders, Stanley pointed to vision, communication, and empathy. He highlighted practices like design thinking, where professionals immerse themselves in the environments they serve. "Whether you're wiring networks or doing enterprise architecture, you need to understand the problem you're solving," he said. "Being able to see yourself in other people's perspectives is really important."
The Spinoff
04-08-2025
- The Spinoff
Windbag: The clown car of candidates vying to be Wellington's next mayor
Twelve candidates – including at least one actual clown – have put up their hands for the worst job in local politics. As the clock struck noon on Friday, August 1, the candidate nominations closed for the Wellington mayoral race. The capital entered a new era. The transition of power has begun. By October 11 (or October 16 if it's a really close race), the capital will have a new overlord. A new man or woman will seize the chains of power – and with it, the ability to grant the key to the city to any cat they choose. There are 12 candidates in the race, ranging from very serious to not serious at all. This is my rough attempt to sort them into tiers. Serious candidates Andrew Little You know him, you love him (or more realistically, have no particularly strong feelings about him)… It's Andrew Little. The former Labour Party leader and senior cabinet minister under the Ardern government is by far the most credible and experienced candidate in the race. He has left-wing bona fides but a conservative temperament. He's unlikely to propose any game-changing reforms, but he's a steady hand who promises stability. He's announced policies to introduce a weekly cap on bus and train fares, committed to funding community facilities, and proposed some boring-but-sensible rules to make council decisions more transparent. Alex Baker Pitches himself as a Green-aligned candidate with a free-market approach to housing policy and business regulation. A former director of sustainability at Kāinga Ora and a chartered accountant at KPMG, he has solid back-room experience, but this is his first time seeking public office. He's pushing a switch to land value rates and cuts to commercial rates. He wants more bike lanes and bus lanes, further reforms to encourage high-density housing development, and an overall focus on growing the city's population. Diane Calvert A third-term city councillor, Diane Calvert entered the race after Ray Chung's campaign self-destructed, and immediately became the most credible candidate on the centre-right. She typically takes fiscally conservative stances and is a fan of more extensive community consultation on most council decisions. She has generally opposed bike lanes and the Golden Mile, and supported community projects in her Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward, such as the Khandallah Pool and Karori Event Centre. Her campaign policies so far are based around a 'back-to-basics' approach, with lower council expenditure, more regional collaboration with other councils, and a focus on suburban voices. Karl Tiefenbacher The founder of the Kaffe Eis ice cream chain and former banker has run twice unsuccessfully in Pukehīnau/Lambton ward. This year, he's seeking the mayoralty as well as running in Motukairangi/Eastern ward, which should be more receptive to his centre-right views. He's become a regular attendee at council meetings, and his opinion pieces on Scoop show a good grasp of council functions (which in this race is saying a lot). He's campaigning on reduced spending, cutting cycleways, and reforms to encourage faster housing consents and to incentivise the growth of the tech sector. Unserious candidates (who think they're serious) Ray Chung A few months ago, Ray Chung was the highest-polling candidate. Then his campaign blew up with the emergence of tawdry emails he'd written about the mayor, which he repeated in live radio interviews. He handled the backlash ineptly and candidates started fleeing his ticket so fast that Independent Together became Independent Not Together. He's campaigning on zero rates increases but has not provided any numbers to show how he would do that. Ray Chung has never been fit for office Rob Goulden Goulden was a Wellington City Councillor for four terms from 1998-2010. According to reporting by Stuff in 2009, he was accused of being 'too combative, too aggressive, too intimidating' and was eventually trespassed from the council offices. Then mayor Kerry Prendergast said councillors were concerned by 'his increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings' and '[Some of the] women staff will not meet with him one-to-one.' Then-councillor John Morrison, a former political ally, said he was 'unfit for public office'. Goulden is running on a fiscally conservative platform, but no one is paying much attention to him. Kelvin Hastie Came a distant sixth in the 2022 mayoral election and is running again despite doing little to grow his profile in the intervening years. Describes himself as a ' predator-free hero ' and ' community champion '. Has promoted some ambitious but questionable policies, including a six-lane tunnel underneath the CBD, a roof on Sky Stadium, and selling the council's social housing to first home buyers. Joan Shi Previously ran in the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward byelection, during which she seemed well-intentioned but didn't have a particularly strong grasp of the issues. Says she wants to fix the pipes, cut rates, and make public transport cheaper. Donald 'Newt' McDonald A beloved figure on local Facebook groups and a star guest on Guy Williams' New Zealand Today podcast. McDonald has some big ideas for how to fix the city. Unfortunately, most people struggle to understand what he is trying to say. Unserious candidates (who know they're unserious) William Pennywize (Pennywize the Rewilding Clown) Wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp, repopulate the Golden Mile with moa, and use genetically enhanced tuna as the foundation for a new public transport network. Josh Harford (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party) Campaigning on subsidised pizza delivery, publicly accessible cows, a lazy river on Courtenay Place, anti-rain dances to keep the sky sunny, a legally enforced no-hat-no-play policy, and mandatory optimism. Scott Caldwell Founder of the Scoot Foundation, which, depending on who you ask, is either a shadowy global cabal of Yimbys whose power and influence rivals the Atlas Network, or a Twitter account that he runs. He's a spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes and is a genuine expert on housing density and infrastructure. There's just one problem: he lives in Auckland, and according to The Spinoff's sources, has only been to Wellington once.
Otago Daily Times
01-08-2025
- Otago Daily Times
25% of district's cars unwarranted
A quarter of Waitaki's total passenger vehicle fleet is unwarranted, latest data shows. Data supplied from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency show, as of July 28, a total of 4651 private, passenger-class vehicles did not have a warrant of fitness. That is 24% of the 19,070 passenger vehicles (car or van) that are required have an up-to-date, "passed" warrant. Nationally, just 16% of the vehicle fleet is unwarranted. Of those lacking a warrant of fitness in Waitaki, 1009 vehicles are also lacking a current registration (annual licence). There are 813 vehicles that have a warrant but no registration. The situation was put into the spotlight after an Oamaru man questioned why vehicles regularly parked on a street in Oamaru with no valid warrant and/or licence were not being issued tickets or infringement notices. He was told the issue dated back six years and a decision of the Waitaki District Council not to apply to central government for the necessary delegated power to issue stationary vehicle offence notices. "Registration of vehicles is a central government licensing and taxation requirement; warrant of fitness is a vehicle safety issue which is outside the enforcement capability of council," WDC regulatory manager Andrew Bardsley said. "Council has a bylaw that allows it to enforce 'parking' related issues, not vehicle safety or licensing non-compliance. Applying for this delegation would make us the enforcement, and revenue collection agency for central government, but would require resourcing from the council. "Waitaki District Council is responsible for the safety of council roads, and enforcement of parking-related issues. New Zealand Police are responsible for the safety and licensing of vehicles using the roads." Police say they attend parking issues "if available, depending on other deployment priorities". The government will be reviewing warrant frequency and inspection requirements for light vehicles as part of the Land Transport Rules Reform Programme, which encompasses several workstreams that aim to reduce compliance and improve safety and fleet quality. "One of these workstreams is reviewing warrant of fitness and certificate of fitness frequency and inspection requirements for light vehicles while ensuring the safety of those vehicles is of a high standard," Associate Transport Minister James Meager said. "This work is ongoing. We'll have more information to share in due course."
