64 | New Zealand’s licencing needs revamp The young people coming into the industry have usually been brought up sitting up in the cab of a big truck with their dad or granddad and are naturally very familiar with the how the big rigs operate. Mathew Sheldrake laments that it is becoming increasingly challenging to find drivers with Class 5 HT licences required to operate the industry’s heavy haulage vehicles, and says changes need to be made to New Zealand’s licencing structure. Mathew owns and operates Tokoroa based Sheldrake Haulage Ltd and is also the Region 2 President of the Road Transport Association of New Zealand, which encompasses Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Northland. Sheldrake Haulage operates 15 logging truck and trailer units, along with two curtainside trucks, driving throughout the central North Island. The company employs a team of seventeen full time drivers, along with three part time relief drivers. Mathew is frequently approached by young people who have attained their Class 2 licence and have their heart set on driving a logging truck, but all he can say is come back and see him when they get their Class 4. “We don’t have any Class 2 vehicles, which is your milk truck size vehicle, and that adds to the challenge for us taking on younger trainee drivers, who may only have a car licence. Transport New Zealand runs a programme called Road to Success that a company signs up for. Driver cadets are assigned to another company that does have Class 2 trucks and once the cadet has passed that licence returns to your business and progresses to Class 4 and then 5. So, it’s a shared programme with that young cadet. The programme also helps with licencing costs. We get young people who have Class 4 licence and do a lot of training to get them into their Class 5, but in a small town like Tokoroa, a programme like Road to Success is of little value because although there are a lot of trucks here, they are all big Class 5 trucks.” Mathew says the young people coming into the industry have usually been brought up sitting up in the cab of a big truck with their dad or granddad and are naturally very familiar with the how the big rigs operate. He says there are not too many young people completely new to the industry looking to drive big trucks as their career of choice, and puts a lot of that down to the challenge of getting a Class 5 licence. “You have to be eighteen to get your Class 2 and then it takes so long and costs so much to get to your Class 4 and 5 that younger people don’t pursue it. RURAL SERVICES » Sheldrake Haulage • to page 65 Richard Loader FORESTRY SPECIALIST 0800 55 54 53 | www.sweeneytownsend.co.nz | info@stib.co.nz The team at Sweeney Townsend know that, when looking at your insurances, you need to make sure your coverage is fit-for-purpose and that it is specifically designed to cater to your business. Policies should be targeted to support your business in the most beneficial way — depending on what you do your needs may differ significantly from other operators. We know it’s been tough over the past few years, and for most in the forestry, logging and logistics sector insurance is a major component of your annual operating costs, so please don’t hesitate to call us for an insurance “warrant of fitness check”. It will cost you nothing to have Sweeney Townsend review what you currently have in place and provide a second opinion.
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