Focus: Behind the scenes at Mainfreight and the realities of a truckie driving New Zealand’s big rigs

Aucklander Dennis Morar has been a truckie for the better part of 30 years.

But his first time behind the wheel dates back even further.

“I was 12,” Morar laughed. “My Grandparents owned some land out in the Bombays and I was given the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a small truck and drive it around the paddock and that’s where my passion started.”

That same passion is something trucking companies like Mainfreight hope more young people will discover as they grapple with ongoing challenges with driver shortages.

Mainfreight has around 700 drivers across the country but it’s not enough. National numbers suggest the industry is at least a few thousand short across the board.

A big contributor to the issue has been misconceptions over what the job entails.

“It was probably seen as not the most desirable sort of a job, or maybe there wasn’t money in it,” one of Mainfrieght’s Bbranch managers, Scott Collings, said. “That has changed over the last few years. We have put a lot of focus to make sure that it’s viable for them.”

Mainfreight owner/operator Dennis Morar. Photo / Mike Scott

The borders reopening post-Covid has helped fill some seats - including one of Morar’s.

His night driver is a former tip truck operator from Fiji.

“From what I gathered, the lifestyle wasn’t that good and there wasn’t a very bright future for him in Fiji,” Morar explained.

“He came here with a friend and I was looking for a driver at the time so I actually trained him. He had his truck and trailer licence in Fiji, but I helped him convert it to a New Zealand license and he’s turned out to be really good.”

Keeping New Zealand’s freight moving 24/7 comes with a number of other challenges too - recent weather events are an example of when things can get especially tricky.

Cyclone Gabrielle left many roads up and down the country damaged or even closed making getting essential items to cut-off communities near impossible.

And that was just some of the worries for those at the top.

“There’s health and safety type concerns that come with our drivers having to drive on these roads that have big slips and are partially open,” Collings said.

“And even the last time Gisborne flooded, there’s only a couple of ways into that town. So it creates longer journeys, which has an effect on driving hours.”

“No two days are the same. When things happen, the team really get on with it and then they just find ways to get things done.”

Getting behind the wheel of a big rig certainly isn’t for everyone.

Long hours and night shifts are admittedly some of the harder aspects but not enough to put off those who live and breathe trucking.

A piece of advice to those interested in giving it a go: “You’ve got to want to do it,” Morar said.

“You’ve got to have passion. If it’s just a job you can do something else.”