National Road Carriers welcomed a diverse new generation of board members at our annual general meeting on 24 June, representing the geographic spread of our members, the changing ethnicity of the industry and the breadth of governance skills required.

Northland log truck company owner Ian Newey has been appointed chair, with Waikato-based Glen Mackay of Orion Group as deputy and West Auckland-based Corey Burnett of Burnett’s Transport as owner- driver representative. Former chair John Baillie continues as immediate past chair, and long-term Auckland-based NRC member Bipendra Ram also joins the board.

Other continuing board members are life member Calven Bonney and corporate communications expert Pamela Bonney of LW Bonney & Sons, Don Wilson of On Road Transport, commercial law specialist Shafraz Khan of Fortune Manning, and Adam Norman of Normans Transport.

The new appointments were celebrated by long-time NRC member Greg Sheehan, now retired, who sent a congratulatory email to NRC noting, “The sons and daughters of good mates from times gone by are now representatives of our industry on the board of the association. This clearly shows the commitment of families to this close-knit band of people, dedicated to help other like- minded people and enjoy the camaraderie of our industry.”

Greg posted on NRC’s Facebook page: “It’s so great to see family descendants continuing involvement in the NRC board. Corey Burnett, Pamela Bonney and Ian Newey are all following in their dads’ footsteps as dedicated people for the betterment of our industry.”

Ian Newey joined the NRC board in 2019. He has been in the transport industry since he was 16 and bought his first truck at 24. Ian and his wife Shelley created IK & SM Newey Transport in July 2002. Today, the company operates 35 log trucks, of which 20 are owner-drivers or contractors and 15 are owned by Newey Transport.

Ian joined the board of NRC because he believes in the need to invest in the industry today to ensure a sustainable industry in the future. He says talent is key and the road transport industry has space for everyone, whether you have left school with minimal qualifications or are a university graduate.

Ian says there is a wide variety of roles available beyond driver, including finance, marketing, admin, mechanics, design, management and operations. NRC’s role is to help attract talent to the industry and ensure the industry trains, develops and supports them to be the transport leaders of the future.

Glen Mackay grew up around trucks, as his father owned Stockley’s Transport in Te Aroha. He formed Orion Group in 2001, and the company now has 165 permanent staff members (plus seasonal workers) and operates a fleet of more than 120 trucks, servicing customers primarily across the poultry, pig and dairy sectors.

Glen is passionate about giving back to the industry after growing up observing his father as president of RTA region 2. He says the industry faces many challenges, and bureaucracy is often the first stumbling block. Helping to break down bureaucratic barriers is one of the key reasons Glen joined the NRC board.

It’s great to welcome Bipendra Ram to the board, given the growing ethnic diversity of the industry. Bipendra is a long-term member of NRC. Starting as a courier owner- driver for NZ Post in 2001, he has grown a fleet of 20 vehicles ranging from HPMV linehaul units to inter-city metro delivery trucks. Bipendra’s company, Ram Logistics, contracts to NZ Post, Foodstuffs and Goodman Fielder.

Bipendra has taken on the NRC board governance role to make “any contribution I can, big or small, through my experience”. He says New Zealand has world-class transport operators and a key challenge is the rising cost of running a transport company. New technologies and pressure on operators to adapt at pace with demands for faster transportation with a zero-carbon footprint will be the future of transport, he says.

NRC has gained real momentum over the past year, and we plan to make the most of these gains as we head into the next financial year. Part of our success is annually reviewing the board and opening opportunities to members to help drive the organisation forward. I look forward to working with our new board leaders and members.