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Charlotte Haye 16th December 2019

New Zealand Are In Desperate Need Of Licensed HGV Drivers – But Why?

So you’ve just qualified as an HGV driver in the UK? Congratulations!

Now, how would you feel about taking a bit of a trip and starting your career somewhere a bit sunnier? Say, New Zealand? We only mention it because New Zealand and specifically Auckland is in a bit of a sticky situation at the moment. They are currently undergoing a major crisis in the haulage industry, and are in desperate need of licensed HGV drivers. This is all thanks to a change in regulations last year, which have had an unexpected knock-on effect.

Industry Changes

In 2018 the New Zealand government made the decision to remove Class 5 drivers from New Zealand’s list of skills in short supply among immigrants. While this might seem like a small change, it’s had a big impact on the industry. The idea behind it was to discourage the haulage industry from hiring already licensed foreign drivers, and instead encourage them to hire and train indigenous homeless residents of New Zealand. This is a good idea in theory – but they never stopped to consider that training to become a driver in New Zealand takes about 3 years.

The result of this seemingly minor change? Around 112 haulage companies across the country were suddenly unable to operate at full capacity and were struggling to attract any talent at all. Even if every homeless resident of New Zealand had jumped at the chance and started training the day the regulations changed, there would still be a significant skills gap for 3 years. Estimates suggest that the New Zealand haulage industry has an immediate and pressing need for almost 400 drivers just to get things running properly again, and it’s got firms scrambling to hire drivers from wherever they can – including Europe, India and Asia.

An added twist is that this sudden surge of hiring foreign drivers to meet their needs causes more problems for politicians – because it completely defeats the point of changing the regulations in the first place! So they have responded in kind by making it more difficult for foreign drivers to remain in the country after their one-year work permit expires. Drivers are now only really able to stay long-term if they apply for permanent resident status. But because there is no workable solution for haulage firms besides foreign hiring, you are pretty much-guaranteed work if you are willing to relocate to New Zealand.

Driver Shortages

Sadly, New Zealand isn’t the only one suffering from the driver shortage. While the UK hasn’t changed any major regulations (yet), the truth that we have also been suffering a significant driver shortage for a number of years now, and it’s only getting worse. We’re not quite at the crisis state of New Zealand yet, but it isn’t too far off.

One of the positive things we have going for us in the UK is that HGV driver training can be done in a matter of weeks or months, rather than years. This makes it much easier for aspiring drivers to get on the road quickly and is one of the main reasons the haulage industry is still surviving. Plus, all you need to get started is a full car driving license. If you have that, all you need to do is pass a medical exam and fill in some paperwork, and you can get your provisional license and get behind the wheel. From there you can train and take your theory and practical tests as quickly or slowly as you want, and know you have a wide variety of job options waiting when you pass.

If you would like to take your first steps towards a career in HGV driving, you’re in the right place. At Easy as HGV we pride ourselves on a nearly 100% pass rate first time for new drivers, with a team of experienced instructors and drivers on hand to pass on all of their industry knowledge, tips and tricks during training. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with us today.

Charlotte Haye

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