Dairy giant Fonterra has provided NorthTec with a milk tanker to help driver training and ultimately create employment opportunities for the region's young people.
The decommissioned tanker was handed over to NorthTec's commercial transport department recently.
The tanker, on loan to NorthTec, will be used in training for students earning their Class 4 and Class 5 truck licences. It can also be used for completing driver competency tests and assessments, and other training opportunities such as safety inspections, mechanical inspections and truck safety days.
Named Uruao, the tanker is the third tanker and trailer unit loaned by Fonterra to tertiary institutes in New Zealand.
Fonterra's national transport and logistics manager Barry McColl said that with lots of young people seeking employment in Northland, Fonterra hoped the truck will give them a tool they can use to gain experience and as a springboard into a new career.
"We're really proud to be able to support initiatives that help develop communities and give back to the regions where we operate.