New initiative to address truck driver shortage

Programme would attract 1000 more drivers into the road freight transport industry. Photo/File

A new initiative to address a shortage of truck drivers by attracting more to the industry has been welcomed by a freight logistics strategy group.

The Bay of Connections Freight Logistics Action Group has welcomed a new government and industry initiative to help attract and train new freight truck drivers.

The group said 32 per cent of the nation's freight travelled on roads in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato and they hoped the new Government-led Sector Workforce Engagement Programme would help in attracting 1000 more drivers into the road freight transport industry nationwide.

Group chairman John Galbraith said the scheme was positive as many businesses were struggling to find skilled drivers as the existing workforce in that field was ageing.

"The problem won't go away and it's something we must address quickly as an industry," he said.

Career Pathways programme director Steve Divers said since 2013 the industry had lost 3000 drivers and needed 1000 more on top of those being trained each year to replace ones lost mostly due to retirement, illness, or injury.

"We currently train 1800 drivers a year but students need to know there is a career path and what that path looks like," he said.

Freight operator, GBC Winstone's national transport sales manager Jon Reid said the biggest issue faced when recruiting was the actual shortage of 'skilled and capable' drivers available.

"The hours required and the wages on offer also means there are difficulties around attracting young people to an industry that is not looked upon favourably as a career path," Mr Reid said.

Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology has operated its Logistics Training Centre in Tauranga since 2002 and has trained more than 600 heavy transport and distribution operators for industry in that time.

The institute offered a Certificate in Road Transport Level 3, and said its biggest barrier was the current driver licensing laws.

Toi Ohomai group leader of logistics training, Dean Colville, said students were 18 and a half by the time they get their full car license and then had to wait a further six months before they do the course and can get their class 2 license.

Mr Divers agreed this was a problem with less than 9 per cent of 20-34-year-olds passing their full class license in 2016.

"We need to produce more class 2 licenses and we also need the freight and truck industry to support those drivers in further training so they can obtain their class 4 and 5 licenses."