High profile road transport industry leader and Director of Tranzliquid, Greg Pert, has resigned his membership of the National Road Carriers Association.

This move is part of a wider split within the road transport industry, with NZ Trucking Association and National Road Carriers breaking away from the industry national voice, Transporting NZ (formerly known as the Road Transport Forum).

Pert will be joining Transporting NZ as a full member, as it refashions itself into a national organisation, working with the Road Transport Association. It is understood that merger talks are underway.

Pert chaired the RTF Board until recently, when he was removed by National Road Carriers as a board member to RTF because of his belief in one united industry organisation.

“I really believe in this industry, so to get the best deal for trucking operators, we strongly need one organisation, not four. It’s a duplication of effort, unstable competitiveness and a financial cost to members, which dilutes the overall value to the transport industry. We lose so much because of the predominate voices of some industry members that are stalled by an old way of thinking – the world is changing rapidly and we need to get ahead of the times,” Pert said.

“The successful advocacy to government and in the media secured by Transporting NZ over many years, can now be combined with a top-notch membership offering and fresh leadership. I am excited to be part of that and invite all transport operators to join a new national organisation that will have the ear of government and officials.”

Pert has said that it is unlikely most NRC members would have been adequately consulted regarding the proposal that was offered and rejected by their board for one national management structure. Similarly, they may be taken by surprise by the fact that the resources and efforts of Transporting NZ may no longer be at their disposal as members of NRC.

NRC has had reasonable disruption recently with some board members being replaced at the recent AGM or resigning, along with a high staff turnover in the last year, including the departure of long-term CEO, David Aitken.

 *The above statement has been edited for publication but is otherwise presented as issued – Ed.