I realised something the other day, quite out of the blue. With our attention focused on elections and coalition governments, infrastructure, roads and potholes, economic downturns and technical recessions, and wayward Cook Strait ferries, there hasn’t been much talk about the truck driver shortage recently.

It’s still a serious global concern and an important talking point in international media, but I couldn’t recall the last time I heard the topic come up locally. A quick search of our systems revealed a whole lot from 2023 – back to 2016, in fact – but barely anything this year. My first thought was to wonder where this year has gone, but my attention quickly returned to the topic.

Of course, one of the main reasons for this – other than all those other things hogging our attention – is that many sectors of the economy have suffered this year especially, and trucking is a direct casualty. Less demand means fewer loads, vehicles and drivers. Add in rising costs, and operators are potentially left in a very sticky situation, as we’ve unfortunately heard of late.

As poor as it may sound, talk again of a truck driver shortage will have positive connotations … It’s a topic that’s sure to return when activity picks up again.

What set me down this path was a news item out of the United States; its Department of Transport is awarding $3.5 million for truck driver training to 27 community colleges to boost commercial driver programmes. In the context of the US, that’s not a whole lot of dosh, with each organisation receiving $130,000 on average. But I hazard a guess such an amount in the New Zealand context would be highly appreciated by those companies that, under typical circumstances, just can’t justify the costs of on-the-job training.

The grants are part of the current administration’s Trucking Action Plan launched in 2021, which I’ve alluded to in prior editorials is a commendable initiative in an era where so much else vies for legislators’ attention and Treasury’s purse strings.

And across the ditch earlier this year, the Victorian government added $1 million to its programme with the Victorian Transport Association (VTA) to train more heavy vehicle drivers and secure their employment. Since 2016, 400 new drivers have taken to the road through continuous investment in the programme.

Fifty a year might not sound like a lot, but it’s better than nothing when you’re short by the thousands and struggling to attract a new generation into a profession they don’t comprehend the importance of.

Of course, I write this with the full understanding there’s so much else going on in the wider New Zealand context. Last week, Dave commented on the shocking situation we find ourselves in, with the closures of hubs of manufacturing and community employment, and past short-sightedness.

There’s some serious stuff going on right now that can potentially create significant change. But I feel that once the tide turns and we’re again on a firmer footing, we’ll be back to having those same conversations and questioning how to get drivers behind the wheel.

Take care out there,

Gavin Myers
Editor