Safe Rates for truck drivers needed for safe roads

Unsafe contracts for truck drivers are a threat to public safety says the National Distribution Union.

NDU Transport and Logistics Sector Secretary Karl Andersen says the prosecution of a Waikato trucking company and 21 of its drivers for exceeding working hours highlights an issue the union has been trying to get looked at for some time.

"We don't think there is widespread abuse of driving regulation among waged drivers but owner drivers are a different story," he says.

"We are seeing owner drivers being pushed into signing up to contracts that demand outputs that cannot be met without compromising their health and safety and the lives of other road users.

"These drivers frequently have to drive too fast, work too many hours, and neglect vehicle maintenance, simply to make ends meet.

"We totally agree with the New Zealand Transport Agency when it the compares the effects of extreme fatigue to that of drunk driving.

"Large trucks can become instruments of death and destruction on our roads if their drivers are tired, stressed and overworked."

Mr Andersen says the NDU would like an official inquiry into whether there is a link between truck driver remuneration and payment methods and safety outcomes.

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