The Government allowing more migrant truckers into New Zealand may not address a shortage of stock truck drivers, an industry spokesman says.
Road Transport Association New Zealand senior industry adviser Jim Crouchley, of Ashburton, said recent media reports of truck company owners calling for the Government to allow more truck drivers into New Zealand to address a truck driver shortage might not help address a shortage of drivers of stock trucks.
The migrant truck drivers might be able to transport general freight because it was more "straightforward" work than transporting livestock.
"You can’t just throw anyone in a rural carrying truck — they’ve got to have an affinity with the rural lifestyle and understand a little bit about farming."
Traditionally, truck companies employed drivers who had been raised and worked on farms and knew how to operate heavy machinery.
Truck driving was a professional career, he said.
"We would like to see the education system recognise truck driving as a skill and promote it in the schools."
He wanted it to be easier for young people to obtain their heavy vehicle driver licences and have fewer age restrictions.
"They have restrictions until age 25 and by that stage they’ve probably gone and found another career."
Truck driving was wrongly perceived as a profession of low pay, long hours and limited work-life balance. "That’s all changed."
"It is a bit of a chicken and egg thing."
Ranfurly Transport Ltd stock dispatcher Campbell "Wheels" Wheeler, of Alexandra, said he was employed to work in an office and organise truck drivers to transport stock but due to a staff shortage he was driving stock trucks.
"We are that short of drivers, here I am," he said to Southern Rural Life at the Balclutha Saleyards.
Fewer people were becoming truck drivers in New Zealand, he said. His father was a truck driver so he grew up around the industry.
"I’ve got diesel in my veins."
He believed a reason for the decline was companies banning passengers in the cabs.
"The kids going with Mum or Dad is where they get the passion for the truck, whereas now, we are so health and safety conscious, no kids get to be in trucks."
Opportunities for family members to enter the industry had been lost for a decade, he said.
He encouraged people to consider truck driving as a career.
"It’s an awesome industry and you make a lot of good friends."
Andrews Transport co-owner Dave Duffy, of Riversdale, said he wanted it to be made cheaper, easier and quicker for young people to obtain their heavy vehicle driver licences.
"It’s just got harder and harder."
Industry in New Zealand had grown faster than the workforce and employers across a range of sectors were competing for the same staff, he said.
His father was a truck driver.
Growing up, all of his siblings wanted to be a passenger in their father’s truck during school holidays in Central Otago.
"We used to fight to go with Dad."
The profession was "in the blood" and was one he loved.
"When you’re driving you are a paid tourist — you get to see a lot of the country no-one else gets to see."
