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NZ Trucking : April 2017
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WWW.GOCLEAR.CO.NZ ThatwasthequestionIwasconfrontedwithoverthe Christmas period by a well-respected member of the older generation. “Why are all these trucks having accidents, and what’s brought on this driver shortage that everyone’s talking about? What on earth is going on?” He looked at me for an answer. I took a deep breath... “Two things we first have to factor in. One is the speed and availability of information today. Right up until the 80s in all reality, if a truck fell over in the Hawke’s Bay, West Coast, Catlins or Kaikohe, the other end of the country would likely have known nothing about. Secondly, as a nation we’re growing at approximately the size of Wanganui each year so it’s inevitable that the gross number of accidents will rise. It’s any increase in ratios that’s worthy of investigation and on that count the percentage of deaths in the annual road toll from crashes involving trucks is on a gradual rise. This is interesting considering the safety engineered into the modern truck. It infers therefore the quality of driving is in decline, and that’s where your second question comes into play, which is a real cause for concern. Aside from the revenue perspective i.e. an export-driven economy with a stalled freight network; the societal safety implications of the driver shortage are significant. There’s been a perfect storm brewing in trucking for some time. Having a passion for trucks, I started out by riding around with drivers, being exposed to the industry, and taught by great mentors, men behind the wheel who I looked upon as heroes. At about the time the information revolution struck and exponentially opened the opportunities on offer to the younger generation, the portcullis of compliance was coming down on the access youth had to the trucking industry. Congruent to all of this was the preaching of government on the benefits of an educated society. Children started being marshalled into a university mind-set by both parents and careers advisors. This strategy was made all the more attractive by the trade apprenticeship scheme at the time being in disarray, not that trucking was affected by that in the least. Its appeal by now had fallen out of sight as it was considered skilled labour at best – and still is really. The final cherry on the cake was pay rates. Trucking’s commercial arena was – and again largely still is – that of a gladiatorial masochistic price war, and as such getting a healthy net pay for drivers was based on gross hours worked. This meant many men missed their kids growing up, and one real downside of that was many drivers joined the ‘Do something better with your life’ career advice path; not that many young ones needed the advice because they’d already decided they wanted their own kids to know their dad. So, there it was, kids now unable to get to the machines and men that drove them in a society that was doing its best to steer them away from a job that was seen as long hours, poor pay, without qualification, and anti-family. Because no one was coming through the ranks the industry failed to evolve. Conditions and pay didn’t really change. The industry, and industry associations – to whom fees were being paid – failed to read the writing on the wall early enough and do what was needed to get the occupation formally qualified, and promote entry. As a result a yawning generational gap has opened up in the labour market for drivers. Although the wheels of promotion and training have begun to turn in recent years, what’s on offer is still of limited appeal to today’s youth – no formal national trade certificate, 70 hours a week and pay in the low- to mid-$20 range usually. Access to the industry is still limited for the youth, with new blood arriving after a three to four year graduated licence programme and some polytech education (the better ones with an in-field component). As for the hiatus in the labour pool – profit- driven manufacturers still require their freight moved and if that means less experienced or marginal immigrant labour, both short on the skills required to handle big trucks in New Zealand’s topography, then so be it; and that’s another storm we’ll have to weather. But at least we’ll learn the importance of paying people well for a job that’s essential.” Dave McCoid Light Commercials This month we introduce a bimonthly light commercial test and news section. We’re lucky to have well respected motoring journalist Jacqui Madelin providing the content for the section. “What on earth is going on?” 6 New Zealand Trucking April 2017 EDITORIAL adapted masthead.indd 1 8/02/2012 11:02:47 a.m. The new Mercedes-Benz Actros. Actros prime movers never moved so efficiently. Visit mercedes-benz.co.nz/actros for more information, or contact your local authorised Mercedes-Benz Trucks dealership below: Trucks & Trailers Ltd Auckland | Palmerston North | Wellington 0800 327 777 Prestige Commercial Vehicles | Christchurch | 0800 37 98 99 MER3003 Actros Press 3004297X210 V2.indd 1 7/2/17 4:31 pm
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