Hewlett-Packard Company
No 10
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
CYCLE SAFETY PROPOSALS NEED RETHINK
The draft recommendations of the
expert panel on cycle safety assembled by
the New Zealand Transport Agency
reflects the dominance of the cycling lobby
in its make up and the lack of a
representative with heavy vehicle
knowledge.
 COF Changes
Updates
 48 Tonne Advice
Repeated
 New Minister of
Transport
 Praise for New
Zealand Truck
Drivers
 $2 Tolls for
Auckland a
NoNo
 Assie Self
Driving Trucks
 Forum Board
has New Look
November 2014
Vol 33
The focus is on measures and costs
which can be imposed on other road users
to make cycling safer. Heavy vehicles are
singled out with proposals to consider
banning either heavy vehicles or cyclists
from major freight routes or time-of-day.
The report also suggests requiring costly additional equipment on heavy vehicles such as
side under-run protection, blind spot mirrors and technologies like collision detection
equipment and cameras. Overseas studies show the benefits are inconclusive or don’t
appreciably increase cycle safety.
The Forum has submitted a forthright response to the draft recommendations with a
strong emphasis on focussing on improving the behaviours of road users, especially those
of cyclists.
Read the full Forum submission here
Read the cycling safety panel submission here
RTFNZ-GRANT THORNTON COST INDEX
The index for the period ending June 2014
with a forecast to September is now available on
the Forum website. Overall the index changes
over the period have been small. Fuel fluctuations
and minor downward trends in two indices have
dampened any overall increase in the index to
September.
 Trucking 2014
Scores
 Brits Short of
Read the full cost index here
Drivers too
ISO TANK AND CONTAINER TRANSPORT
Members have asked about transporting intermodal ISO tanks or containers on
standard vehicles and combinations not fully designed or equipped for the purpose. The
Forum’s advice is that it is extremely difficult to transport these containers on such vehicles
and in most cases the equipment proposed to be used is not fit for purpose.
Read the Forum’s full comments here
50MAX THE LENGTH OF NEW ZEALAND
An extensive engineering assessment of the Whirokino bridge on SH1 south of Foxton
now means it is possible to drive a 50MAX vehicle from the North Cape to Bluff. It gives
operators of such vehicles a significant time saving as it removes the need to detour via
Shannon and Palmerston North. The New Zealand Transport Agency points out that
restrictions have only been lifted on 50MAX vehicles. Other HPMVs need to keep using the
routes specified on their permits.
The Agency also says that 1,843 50MAX permits had been issued as of 1 October.
2
COF CHANGES UPDATE
The New Zealand Transport Agency has updated details about the new
WoF/CoF regime. The new information covers revisions to vehicle certification
administration fees, how the CoF changes affect Warrant of Fitness
inspecting organisations, the CoF pre-registration and application process,
MITO training for new CoF vehicle inspectors and CoF variable frequency. Key
dates and changes to vehicle certification label fees and other administration
fees are also included.
Read the Forum circular including links to information on the Agency
website here
48 TONNE ADVICE REPEATED
The latest New Zealand Transport Agency newsletter reiterates its position on giving 48
-tonne eight-axle combinations near network-wide access. It quotes Freight Transport
Director Harry Wilson as saying “while this sounds great for productivity and road safety,
unfortunately it is a non-starter for value for money due to the infrastructure implications.”
Wilson adds that operators can apply for 48-tonne HPMV route-specific permits where
the infrastructure is suitable for heavier vehicles. HPMVs with eight axles will also be able
to travel at higher mass on the High Productivity Freight Network.
Read his full comments here
NEW MINISTER OF TRANSPORT
Simon Bridges has replaced Gerry Brownlee as Minister of Transport. Mr
Bridges qualified as a lawyer and, after a period as a litigation lawyer, became
the Crown Prosecutor in Tauranga. A National party activist from the age of 16,
he was elected MP for Tauranga in 2008.
Mr Bridges has previous experience with the transport portfolio as associate
minister from April 2012 until January 2013 when he entered Cabinet as
Minister of Labour and of Energy and Resources. He retained the latter portfolio
when he was made Minister of Transport. He is also Deputy Leader of the
House.
PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALAND TRUCK DRIVERS
Murray Rouse from Christchurch was so impressed with the standard of driving by truck drivers on a recent
journey he sent the Forum an email about it. Here’s what he said: Yesterday I travelled CHCH/KIAKOURA return,
there was considerable amounts of heavy vehicles on the road and without exception the courtesy and good driving
observed by the truck drivers was top class. So thank you truckies, you put the car drivers to shame
$2 TOLLS FOR AUCKLAND A NO NO
The latest proposal to raise extra funding for Auckland transport projects by
imposing a $2 toll to access the motorway network isn’t a flier. Heavy vehicle
operators and other road users have already paid for the network through RUCs,
petrol taxes and registration fees. On a practical level, operators would have to pass
the costs on, resulting in higher transport charges, and rat running to avoid the tolls
could cause congestion on residential streets.
Read the Forum’s media statement here
AUSSIE SELF DRIVING TRUCKS
Rio Tinto now has 900 self-driving trucks in what it calls an
Autonomous Haulage System operating in its Western Australia
mines according to Fairfax Australia. The trucks are the equivalent of
six fully laden Boeing 737s and use 200 sensors and Cisco
networking technology to keep them on route. Although they self
drive their performance is monitored – in Perth 1,800 kilometres
away.
Cost was the driving force with an industry analyst, Emilie Ditton,
saying that “truck drivers were paid incredibly insane amounts” and
even then it was difficult to get people to drive the vehicles.
3
FORUM BOARD HAS NEW LOOK
Neil Reid is the new chairman of the Forum Board replacing Ken Winsloe who
stood down after a three-year term. Joining him on the Board are new directors
Graham Sheldrake representing RTANZ Region 2 and John Anderson for CARTA.
Mr Reid has been involved in road transport since 1974. In 1988 Mr Reid with
others bought the Nelson, Marlborough and Buller assets of Transpac from the
receiver and renamed the business TNL Group Limited. As Managing Director from
1989 to 2007 he built TNL Group into a customised road transport, contract
warehousing and international freight and customs operation.
Active in the Invercargill NZRTA branch in the 1970s Mr Reid was chairman in
1976. He became vice–president of Region 4 RTANZ in 2008 and Region 4 director
of Road Transport Forum in 2011.
Mr Sheldrake was the NZRTA owner driver director on the Forum Board between
1998 and 2005. He has also been Vice President, Acting President and President of NZRTA Region 2. He was the
President of NZRTA until it was restructured in 2010 and became the founding President of RTANZ. He has also
been a member of the Log Truck Safety Council and has represented the Forum Board on it. He has been involved
in the logging industry for 30 years and now runs Tokoroa-based GJ Sheldrake Ltd specialising in log cartage and
general freight.
Mr Anderson joined the executive of Wellington Road Transport Association in 1972 and became president in
1983. Between 1988 and 1990 he was a major player in the restructuring which led to the reorganisation of NZRTA
into regions. As National president of NZRTA between 1994 and 1996 he was heavily involved in the creation of the
Forum. He has continued his involvement with the Wellington branch and CARTA since then. He was made a Forum
life member in 2013.
Mr Anderson runs the family firm LG Anderson now based in Lower Hutt specialising in FCL containers and LCL
freight from the Port of Wellington.
TRUCKING 2014 SCORES
Over 10,000 people flocked to Trucking 2014 at the Wigram Air Base
on October 11. Organised by the New Zealand Trucking Association and
Road Transport Association NZ, the day racked up some other
impressive figures with 269 vehicles in the truck display, more than 80
trade exhibitions and 650 people at the dinner. As well approximately
$22,000 was raised for the Child Cancer Foundation and Ronald
McDonald House.
Trucking 2014 was the first joint promotional activity of this nature
by the two associations, but it’s definitely not the last. Planning for the
next Trucking event to be held on October 8 2016 is already underway.
BRITS SHORT OF DRIVERS TOO
New Zealand operators aren’t the only ones suffering from a driver shortage. The UK
logistics industry has 30,000 truck driver vacancies to fill according to the Guardian
newspaper. The paper points out that there are now more Polish-registered heavy vehicles
going to mainland Europe from Britain than UK-registered ones.
Mislaid your username and password for the Members’
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“I didn’t recognise the number, so I didn’t take it”
Prime Minister John Key on why he missed a call from President Obama to congratulate him on the
election result, Time 6 October 2014
Trucking Brief is compiled by the national office of Road Transport Forum New Zealand Incorporated as a membership service.
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