HIYA. Can someone please tell me what work is really like in NZ please? Hours you work, what employers are like, that sort of thing. I hear so many conflicting stories. Thanks guys!
You won’t get over here anymore through truck driving, it’s been taken off the skills list, unless you have another trade, I’ve been in Christchurch now for 6 years and love it, work is the same as anywhere else in the world, they want your pound of flesh for their money, there are some good companies out here but also some shockers, and to get your foot in the door your more than likely going to have to go with one of the lesser paid ■■■■ gear kinda companies to start with, saying that it’s still the best country in the world to work for a ■■■■ company, I’d say South Island is also more suitable for a pom, it’s more British
Truck drivers still listed on the Canterbury skill shortage list as long as you want to go down Christchurch apart from that your options are pretty slim for staying here driving trucks
As mentioned in one of the previous post, Working in New Zealand as a truck driver is very similar to that of the U.K
I spent 5 months in New Zealand in the latter part of 2011. I was travelling Australasia and needed some funds to put back into the travel kitty.
I initially worked for a company called interclean, Which are an industrial service company in the suburb of Bromley in Christchurch, I then worked on general haulage for Move logistics in Christchurch
I can tell you that I was on 18 dollars an hour at move logistics which equates to roughly 9pound per hour. Lovely boss to and a great sense of camaraderie something that lacks abut over here in Blighty. But as mentioned do like to work you hard. I was on logbooks at the time but that may have changed.
The best place to look for truck driving jobs is a site called trademe.co.nz if you are eligble
to work their. Hope some of this info can help.
All the best.
i find trucking in NZ reminds me how trucking was in the UK when i was growing up before all the fairy’s started driving were if you’ve got a job to do or somewhere to be then its expected that it’ll be done ive never had anything ridiculous asked of me here most days i do 12 - 13hrs.
on top of that drivers here are expected to do some work on their trucks especially in smaller oufits for instance were i worm were expected to change our own tyres, bulbs and other minor repairs
if you like to work hard then you will possibly like it here were as if you want to hold on to a steering wheel and park up as soon as youve done 14hrs everyday then nz probably isnt for you
Yep 100% agree with that, you don’t just attend a steering wheel here, dannyboy chance are our paths have crossed, I live in Bromley and used to drive a swing lift on containers for TNL then a swing lift for PBT, did you know old marmite when you were at move logistics? I’m now driving a truck and trailer for Christchurch readymix
G day drunkgman.
Cant say I remember marmite at move maybe a first name if you got one.
The one thing that does stick in the memory is driving a b train combunation for the first bloody reversing took me a ling time to master.
Oh and the Eaton fuller crash gearbox, That makes you a real truck driver in my book none of this synchro crap.
Hows it all looking over their now? I expect you are flat out with the rebuild and all of that.
I would move back if my now wife didn’t miss her folks so much, we have got so many good memories of the place and the people. Never say never I suppose.
Stay safe.
Thank god, true answers from drivers. Thank you very much. All I kept getting from ‘companies’ was “oh its brilliant, come here”! I learnt from working in Canada a few years ago…lots of promises that didn’t come true.
I’m looking at a temp 12month work visa 1st, and around Christchurch as I also drive construction equipment…
Thanks again guys!
Ooliganpete, if you can operate construction equipment then you will be sweet in Christchurch, you will need to go to a driving school here and do your WTR endorsements first tho, that’s wheels tracks and rollers, they aren’t that expensive and the tests are on simple equipment, I got mine without even getting on a machine, if it’s trucks you wanna drive then the companies who say how brilliant they are normally aren’t the ones you would want to work for, as a benchmark figure drivers now won’t work for less than $19-20 an hour, so if someone says oh come to us and we will pay you a whopping $16 an hour, tell them to jog on, personally I won’t work for less than $23 an hour now as I have learnt some good skills over here that companies look for, I will have a think of companies to contact and who to avoid
Judging by the amount of All Blacks flags and silver fern stickers on trucks in WA, I’m surprised that there isn’t a greater demand for truckies in NZ. 
Maybe look into working holiday visa to start?
Drunkgman. Thanks for that. I’ve been talking to a company called ‘Skills in Demand NZ’. They say they’re able to get me into agency work? The trouble is, I have a good job in the UK, with a decent wage, so I’m not going to jump without the right offer.
Thanks again.
Be very wary of the agency and certain other larger companies such as Strait Freight.
I know the owner of STL Linehaul quite well. Bit of a long story but the best man at his wedding just happens to be a good friend of mine. I never tried to get a job there in case things didn’t work out as we could have ended up falling out as a result but if you do decide to go to NZ I can have a word. They’ve got some very nice equipment but like most NZ firms I guess you’d be working long hours. It’s not a bad place at all and I’d much prefer to drive a truck in NZ than the UK but it isn’t the utopia that many people perceive it to be.
Hi all not really truck related but i have landed a job on the christchruch rebuild and was wondering what sort state christchruch is in.(hearing mixed reports). The company is based at hornby so was just after any info on prices of rent/living costs, best places to live etc preferably around this area for myself, partner and 3 year old daughter. Also would quite like to keep my hand in with driving so will may try for some weekend driving on proper trucks, what would be the likelyhood
Much appriciated
Sam
Duck. Thanks mate. That’s exactly the sort of info im after. At the moment im doing 45 hours, driving around Devon and Cornwall, no more nights out, no more mainland Europe trips, and NO weekends. Hence why the offer has to be perfect!
ooliganpete:
Duck. Thanks mate. That’s exactly the sort of info im after. At the moment im doing 45 hours, driving around Devon and Cornwall, no more nights out, no more mainland Europe trips, and NO weekends. Hence why the offer has to be perfect!
It’s obviously dependant upon the particular job but you’d most probably swallow up the 45 hours in the first 3 days of the week in NZ as you’re on a written log book. As I recall you amass 70 hours total work time, then have 24 off to reset the clock. 10 hours for daily rest, supposedly a maximum of 14 hours daily duty time, including upto 13 hours driving per day and after each 5h 30m segment of “work time” (which can be driving or other work) you take a 1/2 hour break. It’s been a while now since I was there so things may have changed but the only other rule I seem to recall was that you got an extra hour (to park up or whatever) if running inter-island and short of time when reaching the harbour in Picton or Wellington.
It sounds like you’re on to a winner in the UK but nothing is stopping you going over to have a look around on a short holiday and seeing it all for yourself. It may be a long way from the UK geographically but it’s also the “closest” place there is with regard to how everything works. I remember seeing a sign in the post office stating that UK citizens could draw their pension out directly.
I don’t like to speak ill of the place because I have nothing at all against NZ and you’ll never meet nicer people than Kiwis but I must confess I found Christchurch mind numbingly boring after a while and ended up attacking a Mack CH 600 B-train near the airport after I’d had some mechanical difficulties and some lip from the young transport manager. 
Gotta agree there, New Zealand is a boring country, depending on what your wanting to do in life, there’s not much to do here, duck is bang on regarding the drivers hours, and you more than likely will be maxing your 70 a week, I stuck the ■■■■ out for 12 months then once you’ve proved your worth then you can pick and choose, I’ve also found companies LOVE us pom drivers as we are more professional and have a higher standard of driving.
Sambo45, Hornby is on the “good” side of town, mainly uneffected by the earthquake, rents are horrendously high, the place I would advise looking to live would be rolleston, Hornby isn’t the nicest place to be honest and has a bit of a reputation, so somewhere within 15 mins drive would be rolleston, templeton, halswell, hope this helps
Yup, like previous guys have said, quite often you end up hitting close to 70hrs/wk but at the very least 50+hrs if you only work 5days. Unfortunately, more and more companies expect you to work 6days/wk… I’d still say at least 40% of your time you end up hanging around your truck just watching when you been loaded or unloaded, this in metro work.
Christchurch ain’t bad place to live but like posted, rents are horrendous, landlords are taking advantage of current situation. And the roadworks, don’t get me started… I’ve been in ChCh now for 2yrs and I do still enjoy it but would move down south asap if you just could get work permit i.e. in Otago. ChCh can be a bit rude but in general, would defo choose South Island over North Island, just so much more relaxed in here and you don’t really need to go far from city to rural areas and end up meeting bloody goodhearted people.
And, still adding for the rental situation, whole western/southern side is ridiculously expensive, even ■■■■■■ units but that’s the side where everything is happening. Up till now have been living in city and eastern side and as much as it’s cheaper, you end up spending a lot of your time in traffic… …just about to move to western side, closer to work, can’t wait for those 10min drives home not having to worry about traffic.
hi all have any u guys got info on trucking in Australia work permits that sort thing have got family connections tks
I can only speak for WA, but here trucking jobs are plentiful. You will have to re-take your truck licence, car and motor bike will simply be swapped over. Normally, you’d have to do a Heavy Rigid course first and then wait a year before you can upgrade to Heavy Combination (Class I) or Multi Combination (road train). However, it seems to depend on which way the wind blows on the day you go to the licencing centre. Provided you’ve had a Class I for some time you may be able to go straight for an HC licence. I had to do my HR and then went straight on to doing the HC licence. This cost can be claimed against your tax return.
Even though AMT’s are becoming more popular, it’s best to go for an un-restricted licence, so that you know how to work a non-synchro, twin splitter box.
You’ll also need a commercial driver’s medical for about AU$600 and basic fatigue management which you can do online and then print out a certificate. Some companies will provide these.
Truck driver’s are not on the Critical Skills List, so you won’t be able to get a visa that way.
Due to the lack of an MOT equivalent, gear on the whole tends to be a older, especially with smaller operators. There are still some Leylands’s, Bedford’s and Dodge’s around. I’ve even seen an old Atkinson pulling double road trains.
I’ve been working over in NZ for the past two years. Previous to that I was working in London for 25 years, guess where I’d rather be… Have been in Auckland but no having to move down to Christchurch to work as NZ immigration have taken Heavy Truck Driver off their Skills Shortage List. No biggy,South Island is a cool place to live.