https://www.irishcentral.com/news/new-zealand-is-recruiting-1-000-irish-truck-drivers I can't believe there a need for this when plenty of Nz citizens are more than capable to either train or learn other classes of license.And foreigner's don't have the local knowledge to effectively do the job either which takes time and time is money! Note in the article "trucks parked up"! I think the ones that are parked up because they are broken down or pink stickered and greedy companies are not spending the money to keep them mobile. Too many different drivers using the same truck and rough on the gear. Also canstaff are willing to pay their air fares f fsakes!
strobo,
Oct 1, 2:42am
I think some of those recruitment companies ( often run by foreigners themselves!) are just hungry for subsidy money and will ruthlessly exploit both our government and locals alike.They are not wanting to fall into our system of placing suitable local people into work or those who can best be trained while on the job.Something is really farked up if our very own can't be put to work. Kiwis underpaid and overqualified?http://www.stuff- .co.nz/timaru-herald/business/- 93706019/Kiwis-underpaid-and-o- verqualified-OECD-suggests-cur- es-for-NZs-productivity-proble- m
franc123,
Oct 1, 2:51am
LMAO, its totally believable, in most cases these trucking companies have such bad reputations that nobody local will work for them at any price. I hope now they've talked about the sky high wages (which are a joke compared to Australia's for the same work) that they're also going to talk about the horribly high cost of living and lack of accommodation in NZ depending on where you need to live.
the-lada-dude,
Oct 1, 3:57am
Blazing saddles movie quote . " But we don't want the Iri. "
blueviking,
Oct 1, 4:11am
I wonder what's happened to all those espousing the Irish way. Ditch farming, concentrate on IT.(where have I heard that lately?) Now their economy is struggling and a lot want out.Know a couple of mates that went back there for holidays.They were glad to get out again. At least they'd speak a modicum of English.
Why Ireland , guess because of their unemloyment they expect cheap workers otherwise theyd go for UK drivers , plus bet they charge a fat fee But trucking cos only have themselves to blame for shortage . How many take on basic drivers & then bring them up to full standard . Look at their ads " must be class 5 licence experienced reliable record etc . Like trades not taking on apprentices & having to bring in imports to solve shortage . Plus wages arent that good
strobo,
Oct 1, 6:27am
Good points, Also the unsuspecting getting here ,employed on a reduced rate (the employment companys milking their pay) and the poor buggers will end up on a low income (which is better than in irleand ) NZ is already in a low wage economy because greedy employers are not sharing it around where they should. The irish will find the cost of living too high here . paying back fees or air fares! .Maybe 10 irish living in a $400 -$500 week rental property to survive etc or singleman quarters at below market rental that locals would never qualify for! .they may see their time out out make a few dollars here and high tail it back to ireland! Blardy pointless and it stinks all round.!
tweake,
Oct 1, 6:36am
if they can't get work in the europe how good is their driving? 1000 dodgy underpaid drivers hooning around in trucks terrorizing the hell out of everyone so they can make a quick buck. no thanks.
we have plenty of truck drivers, just no decent ones wanting to work for stuff all.
strobo,
Oct 1, 6:54am
Actually I can smell those employment agencies wanting to bring in an extra 1000 diesel mechanics too ! . seeing that the job board is screaming out out for Diesel engineers apparently they cant place enough locals in a job.Well the pay here just dosn't reflect what our Skilled and qualified mechanics are worth they are here but either they end up overseas on oil rigs or mines earning 80,000 to $100,000 a year. same with truck drivers , either they are better off else where than here or better off at home unemployed without the stress the trucking industry has created for the drivers ,they do more than simply drive they operate and do a range of other tasks and meet all the stupid requirements they need to do rather than just drive. that job just doesn't pay fairly.Just a scam , exploiting people .disgusting.
serf407,
Oct 1, 7:23am
It is still very hard work on the oil rigs. The work schedule is the key for the pay e.g 2 weeks on 12 hour days and then the time off. It is also the continual encounters with idiots on NZ roads that make truck driving stressful and why truck drivers look for other jobs.
tweake,
Oct 1, 7:36am
i don't know how they manage that. especially as a slower vehicle deals with much more traffic than others. but then again they are professionals not mere amateurs.
kevymtnz,
Oct 1, 7:41am
yip thats crap nz where you get 18/20 per hr yet they say up to $23 and free travel top dollar what a joke, thats why im moving to oz cose there are no jobs here for me and the last 2 where given to rich english immigrants who didnt need to work, but for me to do the course i have to have a job offer but i cant move up because the idiot Nat govt let these english buggers in and take jobs nzers cant move upto
hamishcookie,
Oct 1, 9:59am
I don't get why there are a shortage of drivers I love truck driving, jokes on my teacher too that said I would never get a job staring out the window all day
sadmuddle,
Oct 1, 10:14am
I was an owner driver in the late 1990,s Paid $80,000 for a B Train . There was no hope of making any money working for NZ biggest company Sold the unit for $30,000 2 years later. It is my view both owner drivers and wage drivers should insist that a company manager attend a meeting with their accountant and also their lawyer . If the company is not prepared to do this walk away from the job. It not a lot of fun sanding down a $10,000 paint job.
casper35,
Oct 1, 5:08pm
Most of the trucking companys here arent interested in training you from the bottom. They all want you to come in with class 5 and x year experence. Its there own fault the dont have drivers.
tweake,
Oct 1, 5:27pm
and thats true of many industries. many years ago they dropped the apprentice scheme and many industries dropped training. then years later all complain about lack of staff.
snork28,
Oct 1, 5:37pm
many companys cant win, they spend time and a lot of money training new drivers right up through the ranks and as soon as they become an asset to them they leave for greener pastures ie aussie or further afield, this is why we are in this situation, really the only option left is to import what you want and this is exactly whats happening.
pauldw,
Oct 2, 7:22am
Ken Shirley of the Road Transport Forum whinging about NZ graduated license system "Shirley said young people traditionally had come into the industry straight from school, but "the whole pipeline that feeds into our industry is choked because of this time constraint and delays".
"You're 21 before you can get a heavy truck licence whereas in earlier days, 18 years olds were driving trucks."
It was not economic to put younger drivers to work on smaller vehicles while they were waiting for their full licence, Shirley said."
The transport firms too busy undercutting each other to pay experienced drivers.
elect70,
Oct 2, 11:37am
2 iraqis go into employment office . The boss asks him what he did in Iraq , says I was ladies underwear fitter . MM says the boss what size bra does my secretary there wear from the selection on the table ? . So he picks up a pair & says des ill fitter . Outside he tells his mate , jobs easy to get here i just got 1 as a deisel fitter .
elect70,
Oct 2, 11:42am
NZ s 2 biggest truck firms are just as guilty of not training staff as well . Perhaps they should look at that UK firm Stobarts to see how to do it .
tweake,
Oct 2, 12:00pm
they obviously suck at staff retention. the conditions and pay here must be pretty bad for people to leg it overseas. also just like any apprentices they typically have a contract that stipulates the time they have to serve. this enables the company to get there money back.
the other thing is if drivers here are going overseas and they import drivers from overseas, the import drivers cannot be any good otherwise they would be doing the jobs the kiwis are going over to do. same old story we export all the good stuff and import cheap crap.
seems to me if you pay what the job is worth more people would be interested in the job. Applies to a lot of trades and skills in NZ.
phalanax,
Oct 2, 4:50pm
I was gonna do a class4. booked in had to wait a month . organised the day off work and the training org changed the date on me 5 days out. I got a refund and booted it. heres a tale from another class4 driver he was out doing traffic control and one of their drivers got called back urgent and took a ute leaving their truck. he asked if anyone else had their class4 someone jumped at the opportunity so he said he would let them drive back. turns out they couldnt drive for diddly. werent able to find 3rd ended up coasting downhill scorching the brakes they didnt even know how to use the engine brake. not good. they said they learned on an auto and had only driven manual cars. he got them to pull over and drove it himself. not good.
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