Road user charges and keeping freight moving after disasters could dominate discussion at the Road Transport Forum's annual conference in Queenstown, Road Transport Association Otago-Southland president John Scally says.
The three-day conference, starting on Friday, will focus on the business practices companies will need when the economy emerges from the recession.
But Mr Scally said many delegates wanted to hear what Transport Minister Steven Joyce had to say about the way road-user charges were levied.
Mr Joyce last week confirmed road-user charges would increase on October 1, the same day another 3c a litre was added to the fuel excise duty.
The road-user charge increase varied depending on the size and configuration of the vehicle, but typical large truck-and-trailer units would pay between 4% and 6% more, Mr Joyce said.
Industry leaders last year lobbied unsuccessfully for the road-user charge to be replaced by a tax on diesel.
Officials are reviewing the model which works out how costs should be allocated between different classes of vehicle.
Talk of having vehicles charged according to their manufacture weight instead of their rated weight might mean vehicles that carried less, but were rated to carry more, were charged more than others, Mr Scally said.
"It would mean that competitors carrying the same material would be charged the same, so in that respect it would be a level playing field," he said.
"But it might also mean that larger vehicles that are only carrying toilet paper will pay more than a vehicle with a lighter manufacturer's rating carrying fertiliser."
Association manager Dave Potter said the response to the Canterbury earthquake, and the challenges of keeping transport moving on disaster-hit infrastructure, might also be discussed.
"Our people everywhere responded very well to what happened in Canterbury, and there will be plenty of lessons there for the rest of the country."
About 450 delegates had registered for the conference.
Mr Joyce and Labour Party Transport spokesman Darren Hughes will address the conference, which also features guest speakers racing driver Greg Murphy, 1974 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Dick Tayler, and fashion designer Tamsin Cooper.
