It’s Good To Be A Truckie On The Coast

National road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is partnering with Teletrac Navman to produce a detailed snapshot of the road transport sector.

The report will be released at Transporting New Zealand’s South Island Road Freight Seminar in Christchurch on 28 June.

One of the early findings is that truck drivers on the West Coast of the South Island do well in comparison to the rest of New Zealand.

"The latest Census data shows that the West Coast has the best-paid truck drivers in the country, followed by Southland and Waikato," says Transporting New Zealand’s Policy and Advocacy Lead, Billy Clemens.

"This varies according to the different regional freight tasks and demands. Our analysis will dig into that further."

The upcoming report will analyse shifts in age, gender, income trends, and even home ownership across the 33,000-strong truck-driving workforce.

It is the latest element of the Driving Change Diversity Programme, sponsored by fleet management solutions provider Teletrac Navman as part of that company’s commitment to supporting workforce development in the transport sector.

Clemens says having an evidence-based report of workforce trends will help road freight businesses with planning and building resilience.

"We know that over 30,000 New Zealanders work as truck drivers - as at 2023, this figure was up to 33,744. However, we’ve been missing evidence-based insights into the number of women working in the industry, the age of the workforce, average hours worked, income, and other demographic trends.

"Our Road Transport Workforce Snapshot will look at data from the past three censuses, along with other authoritative data sources, to paint a comprehensive picture.

"This information will help ensure Transporting New Zealand and our members are prepared for changes in the workforce, help guide our policy and project priorities and will demonstrate the progress the road freight sector is making in workforce development."

"Transporting New Zealand is incredibly grateful for Teletrac Navman’s ongoing support of the Driving Change Diversity Programme and the Road Transport Workforce Report."

Regional Rankings - Mean Truck Driver Income Across New Zealand (according to 2023 Census data)

1. West Coast

2. Southland

3. Waikato

4. Tasman

5. Marlborough

6. Manawatū-Whanganui

7. Canterbury

8. Otago

9. Taranaki

10. Bay of Plenty

11. Hawke's Bay

12. Auckland

13. Northland

14. Nelson

15. Wellington

16. Gisborne

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.

About Teletrac Navman

Teletrac Navman’s goal is to empower the industries that transform and sustain our futures with simple and intelligent solutions that enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of their operation.

As a connected mobility platform for industries that manage vehicle and equipment assets, Teletrac Navman simplifies the complex so that its customers can transform the way they work through cloud-based solutions that leverage AI to unlock the power of operational insight. Teletrac Navman manages more than 700,000 vehicles and assets around the world. The company operates globally, with offices worldwide and headquarters in Northbrook IL. For more information visit www.teletracnavman.com. Teletrac Navman is a Vontier company.

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