National Road Carriers and New Zealand Trucking Association have signed a memorandum of understanding to work closely together to address common road transport issues and goals.
Together the associations represent more than 3000 members, who collectively operate 30,000 trucks nationwide.
NRC and NTA support their members with legal, financial, employment relations, health and safety, workplace relations, business, and environmental advice. They advocate on behalf of members and work with central and local government on road transport infrastructure and regulations.
“The partnership will see the associations’ maintain their separate entities while coming together to collaborate on key transport initiatives to share knowledge and support their members’ needs,” said David Boyce, CEO New Zealand Trucking Association.
“Together the focus is on providing services and solutions to real-life issues faced by our members, working collaboratively with Government agencies to effect positive change, and maintaining social licence to operate efficiently and productively.”
Justin Tighe-Umbers, CEO National Road Carriers said, the agreement allowed NRC and NTA to act as ‘affiliate associations’, working in good faith to benefit the wider road transport, freight, and logistics sector across New Zealand.
“We are already working closely on critical work including responding to the recent adverse weather events across the North Island which have laid bare the sorry state of our road network, highlighting the urgent need for a 50-year roading infrastructure plan to ensure future resilience,” said Tighe-Umbers.
“Both organisations are laser focused on working with Government to help ensure New Zealand has a more productive network, that lowers the long-term cost to the economy and is more resilient.”
Boyce added, “Contributing to a safer transport industry is a key focus and initiatives such as HARMfree Transport, which is launching later this year with the support of funding from the ACC Workplace Injury Prevention Grant, are set to make a positive impact on how the industry operates.
“With health and safety a top priority, we are excited to be bringing the Australian TruckSafe accreditation programme to New Zealand. This programme is well recognised as a leading business risk and safety management system,” he said.
“With no encompassing industry guidelines or code of practice for the Road Transport Industry in place currently, this is a great opportunity for the industry to lay down strong foundations for a safer future.”
Tighe-Umbers said, “We have a window for industry to take ownership and shape what best practice and continuous improvement needs to look like for the New Zealand transport industry.
“Taking learnings from the Australian programme and shaping it for the New Zealand environment allows positively drive the collaboration with regulators, rather than have a regulatory framework imposed that may not be fit for purpose.
“TruckSafe will be a national programme that will be readily accessible to all New Zealand road transport operators no matter what their size. This industry-led initiative will align strongly with the NZ Transport Agency’s Road to Zero strategy.”
