Transport News – Diversity Toolbox a key driver for trucking industry

Road freight peak body Transporting New Zealand is right behind the industry’s drive to get a diverse range of new people into the sector.

Transporting New Zealand has partnered with Teletrac Navman to develop the Diversity Toolbox, a set of practical resources designed to make the sector even more welcoming to people wanting to work in the road freight sector.

A launch event for the Diversity Toolbox is being held at Alexander Group’s Waikato Hub in Cambridge this Friday, with a diverse range of industry stakeholders and supporters attending. Keynote speaker at the launch is former Black Sticks hockey star and Olympian Brooke Neal.

Transporting New Zealand Interim CE Dom Kalasih says the Diversity Toolbox is great news for the industry.

“With a shortage of at least 2400 truckies in the sector, welcoming people into the industry is great for our firms who are critically short of drivers and will provide people with rewarding careers in road transport.”

The launch is the latest element of the Driving Change Diversity Programme, which is part of the road freight industry’s Te ara ki tua Road to success programme.

Policy and projects advisor Billy Clemens says trucking businesses of all sizes will find the Diversity Toolbox useful.

“We’ve created lots of useful tools and resources which are free for everyone to use. We encourage all trucking operators to have a look at what’s on offer and to download or order the Diversity Toolbox resources.

“There’s something in The Diversity Toolbox for all transport businesses. You might be one of the many operators already doing great work to create a supportive environment for all your staff, or just starting out on the journey,” Billy Clemens says.

“We’re also delighted to have some of our Road Freight Diversity Champions attending this launch event. Our ten Diversity Champions were nominated from across the road transport sector to attend a two-day Diversity Workshop last year, and have their stories shared with the transport industry and wider community. They also provided some great feedback that helped shape the Diversity Toolbox resources. We are really fortunate to have such a dedicated group of industry advocates.”

The Diversity Toolbox and Driving Change Diversity Programme have been supported by Teletrac Navman, a leading provider of GPS-based fleet tracking and asset management services.

The company’s ANZ marketing manager, Sarah James, says the Diversity Toolbox aligns with the company’s commitment to supporting an inclusive road freight industry made up of people from diverse communities.

“At Teletrac Navman, we strongly believe that the transport industry can only benefit from a culture where all voices are heard and all talents are celebrated.

“It made perfect sense for us to support the creation of this Diversity Toolbox as part of our commitment to the Driving Change Diversity Programme.

“The Toolbox offers practical insights and resources to strengthen workplace inclusivity for all organisations at every stage of their commitment to diversity,” Ms James says.

“By embracing diversity in the transport industry, we tackle driver shortages, reduce turnover, and elevate productivity. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

A guide to making your job advertisements, position descriptions and interviewing practices appeal to a wider pool of applicants. With conservative estimates putting the current truck driver shortage at 2400, road freight businesses need to be casting a wide net.

A best-practice pamphlet for employers, providing guidance about how to encourage your staff to raise issues with management. Having good systems in place for your people is a key part of having an inclusive workplace. It’s often hard to be the one to speak up about discriminatory or unsafe behaviour at work, and even tougher for some workplace minorities.

A set of customisable workplace posters setting out a simple process for how to speak up in the workplace. This identifies unacceptable conduct (ranging from racist and sexist behaviour, to health and safety concerns), sets out what complainants can expect from their employer, as well as the correct supervisor or manager to contact. It’s a great option to display in break areas or staff kitchen.

The “Supporting Your Employees” booklet is an easy-to-read 8-page booklet focusing on three issues: how to deal with bullying, mental health problems and supporting neurodiverse employees. There is also a series of step-by-step processes that employers can compare against what they are doing currently.

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

New Zealand’s road freight transport industry employs 33,000 people (1.2% of the total workforce) and has a gross annual turnover in the order of $6 billion. This is part of a wider transport sector that employs 108,000 people and contributes 4.8 percent of New Zealand’s GDP.

Teletrac Navman aims to be the driving force behind the industries that transform and sustain futures by offering simple and intelligent solutions that enhance efficiency, safety, and sustainability. As a connected mobility platform for industries that manage vehicle and equipment assets, Teletrac Navman simplifies the complex so that its customers can transform the way they work through cloud-based solutions that leverage AI to unlock the power of operational insight. Teletrac Navman manages more than 700,000 vehicles and assets around the world. The company operates globally, with offices worldwide and headquarters in Orange County, CA.

Teletrac Navman is part of Vontier, a global industrial technology company uniting critical mobility and multi-energy technologies and solutions to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving, more connected mobility ecosystem. For more information visit www.TeletracNavman.co.nz.