Transporting New Zealand is partnering with Teletrac Navman to produce a detailed snapshot of the road transport sector.
The report will be released at Transporting New Zealand’s South Island Road Freight Seminar in Christchurch on 28 June.
It will analyse shifts in age, gender, income trends, and even home ownership across the 33,000-strong truck-driving workforce.
One of the early findings is that truck drivers on the West Coast of the South Island do well in comparison to the rest of New Zealand, said Transporting New Zealand’s Policy and Advocacy Lead, Billy Clemens.
“The latest Census data shows that the West Coast has the best-paid truck drivers in the country, followed by Southland and Waikato,” Mr Clemens said.
“This varies according to the different regional freight tasks and demands. Our analysis will dig into that further.”
The report is the latest element of the Driving Change Diversity Programme, sponsored by fleet management solutions provider Teletrac Navman as part of that company’s commitment to supporting workforce development in the transport sector.
Mr Clemens says having an evidence-based report of workforce trends will help road freight businesses with planning and building resilience.
“We know that over 30,000 New Zealanders work as truck drivers – as at 2023, this figure was up to 33,744. However, we’ve been missing evidence-based insights into the number of women working in the industry, the age of the workforce, average hours worked, income, and other demographic trends.”
“Our Road Transport Workforce Snapshot will look at data from the past three censuses, along with other authoritative data sources, to paint a comprehensive picture.
“This information will help ensure Transporting New Zealand and our members are prepared for changes in the workforce, help guide our policy and project priorities and will demonstrate the progress the road freight sector is making in workforce development.”
“Transporting New Zealand is incredibly grateful for Teletrac Navman’s ongoing support of the Driving Change Diversity Programme and the Road Transport Workforce Report,” he said.
Regional Rankings – Mean Truck Driver Income Across New Zealand (according to 2023 Census data)
- West Coast
- Southland
- Waikato
- Tasman
- Marlborough
- Manawatū-Whanganui
- Canterbury
- Otago
- Taranaki
- Bay of Plenty
- Hawke’s Bay
- Auckland
- Northland
- Nelson
- Wellington
- Gisborne.
