Latest news with #IaAraAotearoaTransportingNewZealand
Scoop
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Road Transport Workforce Report Released
National road freight association Transporting New Zealand has released the landmark 2025 Road Transport Workforce Report, in collaboration with Teletrac Navman. The report explores how the demographic makeup of New Zealand's road freight industry evolved between 2013 and 2023, drawing from previously unreleased census data. The detailed snapshot of New Zealand's trucking workforce revealed key insights around age, gender, nationality and ethnicity. Drivers aged over 65 made up more than 10 per cent of the workforce in 2023. This finding echoed that of the recent 2025 National Road Freight Survey, in which almost half of industry respondents (47 per cent) indicated that "up to 25 per cent" or more of their staff would retire or leave the industry in the next five years. The workforce report also found that the number of female truck drivers increased by 240 per cent between 2013 and 2023. Female drivers made up six per cent of the truck driving workforce in 2023. Migrant workers are also playing an increasingly important role with almost 25 per cent of drivers being born overseas as of 2023. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the report provides a valuable insight into the truck driving workforce. "Truck drivers make up 1.2% of New Zealand's total workforce, making it the 11th most common occupation in the country." "With nearly 93% of New Zealand's total freight tonnage moved by road, the demand for road freight services will only increase as our population continues to grow. Ensuring that the sector is staffed with skilled, capable drivers is more important than ever." "As the workforce gets older, more truck drivers will reduce their hours or retire, leaving severe skill shortages. The road freight industry and the government must work together to ensure new entrants are supported through the driver development pipeline". "The report sets out how Transporting New Zealand has been responding to these challenges, and how the road freight industry can develop, recruit and retain a diverse and resilient workforce." "We're very grateful to Teletrac Navman for supporting the Road Transport Workforce Report, as part of the multi-year Te ara ki tua Road to Success workforce development programme." The full 2025 Road Transport Workforce Report can be viewed here. About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Freight Companies Need Flexibility To End Unworkable Employment Relationships
Transporting New Zealand is backing a proposed law change that could make it easier for freight companies to part ways with unsafe drivers. If enacted, the Employment Relations (Termination of Employment by Agreement) Amendment would enable employers to initiate protected conversations for the purpose of ending an employment agreement by settlement. Under the Bill, an employee would have to agree to have the conversation and cannot be coerced into signing anything. Simply having the discussion is not, on its own, grounds for a personal grievance claim. "The current employment dispute resolution process in New Zealand is marked by costly delays, says chief executive Dom Kalasih. "In high-risk industries like freight transport, we cannot afford to wait when it comes to dismissing a hazardous driver." He says terminations are rare in the industry and usually occur for exceptional reasons, such as drug use, repeated speeding or logbook breaches. "This is a public safety issue," Kalasih says. The advocacy group cited examples from members who have faced long, costly processes to dismiss drivers who have failed drug tests or showed up to work impaired. "This Bill provides a way to avoid unnecessary delays and expenses associated with working through the entire process, when the ultimate result is the same - termination of employment." Speaking to the Education and Workforce select committee on Wednesday, Kalasih said the current framework imposes unreasonable costs and delays on employers and employees alike. Currently, parties are waiting up to three months to have their cases mediated by MBIE before it can even progress to the Employment Relations Authority. The vast majority of cases are already resolved by financial settlement. The industry association is satisfied that the protections in the Bill and the voluntary nature of protected negotiations are adequate safeguards against abuse of the framework by bad-faith employers. Kalasih says similar legislation has been in place in the UK since 2013 and has been running smoothly there. "Transporting New Zealand does not condone workplace bullying or non-compliance with the law," Kalasih says. "The Bill must ensure that employees are given adequate time to seek independent advice and that any pre-termination negotiations can still be used as evidence if they have involved coercion, discrimination or dishonesty." About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Scoop
30-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Port Of Auckland Fee Increases Cause Concern For Industry
Press Release – Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand National road freight association Transporting New Zealand is voicing strong concerns over the Port of Auckland's (POAL) announced increases to Vehicle Booking System (VBS) fees, warning these price hikes at the country's largest import port will have major repercussions for businesses and consumers. Trucks have been charged $130 per visit in access fees to the container terminal during peak hours since January 2025. This will increase to $180 in January 2026, $230 by July 2026 and $350 by January 2027. These fees are levied each time a truck accesses the terminal to deliver or collect a container. Billy Clemens, Head of Policy & Advocacy at Transporting New Zealand, is questioning the justification for these large increases, noting that POAL's productivity improvements have been minimal. 'Our road freight members and their customers haven't seen an associated increase in Port productivity,' he says. 'In fact, from financial year 2023 to 2024 POAL's average truck turnaround time improved by only 1.5 per cent, or 17 seconds. I don't know of any road freight companies who could hike their prices by 170 per cent over two years following that level of performance.' Clemens also challenges POAL's rationale that higher peak-time fees will incentivise off-peak deliveries. ' Traffic data confirms that our members already do their best to avoid peak traffic because it's a nightmare in Auckland as it is. If they could, they would.' 'A survey by one of our major North Island members revealed that only 12 per cent of their customers could accept night-time deliveries of containers.' Transporting New Zealand is warning that these increased costs will inevitably be passed on to consumers and exporters, making New Zealand goods less competitive on the international stage. All at a time when the Port is already comfortably surpassing its profit targets. Productive alternatives Clemens urges POAL and its owner, Auckland Council, to focus on enhancing productivity and performance rather than imposing higher fees on industry stakeholders. 'One practical option we've previously raised with POAL is to lower VBS charges for dual bookings, where a freighter both drops off and picks up containers on the same trip.' 'If POAL wants to improve productivity, it should also look to its 2024 Annual Report. POAL was comfortably meeting its peak vs off-peak truck target, but failing on crane rate, ship rate, and import dwell time, amongst others.' Cargo owners share concern at price increases Mike Knowles, chair of the New Zealand Cargo Owners Council, says the time-of-use approach is too simplistic to achieve significant behaviour change as the port is just one part of a complex supply chain. The Cargo Owners Council believes it is time for benchmarking of NZ port productivity against their charge structures. 'We think the time is long overdue for a closer look at arbitrary fee increases that do not result in measurable service or infrastructure improvement – as things stand the ultimate loser here is NZ Inc.' About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Poor Roads And Ferry Delays A Major Risk To Safety And The Economy
Press Release – Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand The 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey of nearly 200 road freight businesses was conducted in March this year by Research NZ on behalf of advocacy group Transporting New Zealand. The survey was also supported by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association … The road freight industry is warning the poor state of New Zealand's roads are having a serious impact on the safety of road users. And there are major concerns delays over replacements for the Interislander Cook Strait ferries could have a big negative flow-on effect for the economy. Billy Clemens, the Policy and Advocacy Head at Transporting New Zealand, says the vast majority (93 per cent) of respondents in the 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey agreed poor road maintenance is putting truck drivers and other road users at risk. As well, a significant number (84 per cent), believed that regional roads and bridges are neglected, and that delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries pose a major risk (79 per cent). (The survey was done before the announcement that the Aratere is to be retired in August.) The 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey of nearly 200 road freight businesses was conducted in March this year by Research NZ on behalf of advocacy group Transporting New Zealand. The survey was also supported by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association and Groundspread NZ. It represents the most extensive industry snapshot in over a decade. 'The survey painted a gloomy financial picture for business – only 34 per cent of those surveyed expected their financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, and only one in four respondents reported having sustainable operating margins,' Clemens says. Health, safety and wellbeing are big concerns for the industry, with 78 per cent of respondents calling for more purpose-designed rest stops for drivers, and 72 per cent saying it was important for drivers to have a good work-life balance. About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Poor Roads And Ferry Delays A Major Risk To Safety And The Economy
The road freight industry is warning the poor state of New Zealand's roads are having a serious impact on the safety of road users. And there are major concerns delays over replacements for the Interislander Cook Strait ferries could have a big negative flow-on effect for the economy. Billy Clemens, the Policy and Advocacy Head at Transporting New Zealand, says the vast majority (93 per cent) of respondents in the 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey agreed poor road maintenance is putting truck drivers and other road users at risk. As well, a significant number (84 per cent), believed that regional roads and bridges are neglected, and that delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries pose a major risk (79 per cent). (The survey was done before the announcement that the Aratere is to be retired in August.) The 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey of nearly 200 road freight businesses was conducted in March this year by Research NZ on behalf of advocacy group Transporting New Zealand. The survey was also supported by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association and Groundspread NZ. It represents the most extensive industry snapshot in over a decade. "The survey painted a gloomy financial picture for business - only 34 per cent of those surveyed expected their financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, and only one in four respondents reported having sustainable operating margins," Clemens says. Health, safety and wellbeing are big concerns for the industry, with 78 per cent of respondents calling for more purpose-designed rest stops for drivers, and 72 per cent saying it was important for drivers to have a good work-life balance. About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
