Does the job offer have to be more than 55 grand a year for work permit or is that just residence ?
alza1988:
Does the job offer have to be more than 55 grand a year for work permit or is that just residence ?
Permanent role, min. 30hrs/week
Hi already in New Zealand working my way down south, have tried for work around Tauranga, no joy at moment agents saying they have lists of drivers waiting, what is it like Christchurch way, have heard that there are a lot of irish drivers hanging around waiting for jobs or is this just a rumour. I hold a class 5 license but have no work visa yet, are there still driving jobs down in Canterbury area, any help would be appreciated, have done tankers, skelly, low loaders, taughtliners etc.
If your struggling to get a work visa try Hiltons in Timaru or Hall’s refridgerated…
Maybe Brenics but by all accounts the owner can be a (zb).
Gary McLeod is the TM at Brenics and he’s a decent fella.
Hi duck, thanks for reply, am heading down to canterbury now. Did you still apply for jobs even though they said ’ visa holders ’ only or was it just pot luck. Ive held a class 1 for 33 years, been a owner driver, transport managment, driven loads of different vehicles, have VML instructors ticket and plant operating experience, FLT instructor, driven LPG tankers, skellys, tautliners, fridges, etc do you have any thoughts on companys down your way worth speaking to ?, have seen Linfox are an accredited company and Frontero, is halls do you know.
Have been to Imgnz in wellington,we had trouble understanding the spanish guy who we spoke to in imgnz (thought you had to speak english fluently ) said a job offer was very inportant and you had to prove the need even though its on the skills shortage list !! different to what we had been told in Hamilton, oh well no worrys here for 6 months should get it sorted, just revising for the class 5 licence test now, will do that in Christchurch, told they have changed the Q and A on the 7th so new set coming out any time. Thanks for any help or advise you can give.
Don’t worry about the small print, just have a walk around the ind. est. in Hornby etc.
That’s your best bet.
Tony Gould is the bulk truck manager at Hilton’s Timaru and he’s a top bloke.
Jeff’s vehicle deliveries on Port Hills Road were in the process of getting accredited and the GM’s name is John Fitzsimmons.
Otherwise get yourself down to the Riccarton Racecourse Hotel and have a yap to the drivers.
Don’t go near Strait Freight, they’re [zb]s to work for and just about everyone in Chch. knows this.
there was a transport manager on here a few months ago looking for drivers to do a milk season starting about september. jobs may be filled by now but it may be a contact, think it was a welsh bloke called owen from tuapeka transport/dynes transport,seeing as you are over there he may be worth a call.
I have a couple of UK drivers starting end of August, you can email me through our website.
Thanks Tuapeka got myself sorted with an accredited employer as i found many others didn’t want the hassle with immigration NZ, cant say i blame them. The government and labour offices classify Heavy Vehicle Class 5 as an unskilled job and so after all the hassle i went through to get a work visa i’ve got no hope of residency as its on the ANZSCO as class 4, the min required for residency application is class 3,so become a receptionist or B&B manager as its classed as more skilled than a class 5 driver !!!. Any brit drivers thinking of coming over for a career as a skilled driver think again, your work visa will only be valid for 12 months, as thats all you get as an unskilled ANZSCO class 4 worker,jobs are not as plentyfull as we are led to believe, i went to one agency in Tauranga and was told they had a waiting list for class 5 (HGV 1 ) drivers and weren’t taking any foreign drivers, there are exceptions, Halls are recruiting in Christchurch and so are others but the cost of living is very high down here and the wages very low, a lot less than the UK, i’m lucky it’s only me and the misses so we are staying in a sleepout, its cheap. 2 bed homes are running at about £150 - 200 a week, and these are old damp ones. Enough of my ranting, i havent yet met a nasty Kiwi, so it isnt all bad it’s just the Government needs to get its ARSE in gear and re categerise Heavy Vehicle drivers to class 3.
Its not just me, read NZ Truck and Driver July 2012 page 41.
Look on the bright side Biddyboy… You’ll soon learn how to speak Mandarin if your living in Christchurch!!!.. 
Nee-hoow-ma■■? Me and a lad from Dorset ended up stopping in a shared house full of Asian chicks on Riccarton rd. and that cost £100 per week per room!!! Still, I’ve stayed in worst places… 
At least you get treated like a person over there… motel for nights out/paid whilst on the interislander etc… It’s not that bad surely??
Hi Duck, yer it is like little china here and Taiwan, Japan, South Africa.
Me and the OH came to NZ in 2009 for a recce and met some really nice people and have been back to see them again and they have all said the same thing, which was strange to us at the time, “what do you want to come here for” !. We have spent 5 weeks here now and as we saw before the country is stunning, but as we we have been looking for a life, not a holiday, things are not as they seem. I would warn any family to think long and hard about coming over, its not a land of milk and honey, wages are very low compared to the uk but the cost of living is a lot higher as everything of any value has to be imported and there is no competition. Petrol has gone up by at least 12 cents a litre in 5 weeks. If both of you can work in good jobs its not too bad but to try to live on a truckers wage would be dam nigh impossible for a couple, let alone any kids as well.
Heres one for yer Duck, my visa took 48 hours to come through, posted in Christchurch office monday at 4, returned thursday, visa letter dated on wed, so they can do it, we did have enough paper to grow a tree or two in the envelope, i think the OH even put in her primary school swimming cert !. Well gotta go and have my 3rd medical now, 1 for licence, 1 for visa, 1 for employer, and guess who pays !! well at least i know im healthy, but skint.
It is rather expensive to say the least… My lasting memory of NZ is not of the stunning surroundings, the friendly kiwis, the virtually brand new Kenworth I was driving or of the All Blacks…It’s of those [zb] Watties TV dinners from Pak ‘n’ Save!! 
Started work at stupid 'o clock in the morning and then got home at night and ended up eating that [zb] on a regular basis!! YUURRRKKK!! I may possibly be able to go back and work at STL Linehaul but the reality is I can earn more in the UK as it costs me very little to live here in comparison… I’m thinking that there might be one more “adventure” left in my before I’m too old to get a WHV and that’s Australia… I’ve also got family in Queensland so who knows??
Good morning guys, well I made it to sunny Auckland on saturday and now it’s time to find a job…
Moved over here with the girlfriend and kids,she’s a teacher and has just gone off to work on her first day.As her partner I get an open work visa. I have a class 1 licence and plenty of different experience.
Like the sound of the tankers,need to earn as much as possible as it’s ■■■■ expensive in Auckland. Where should I start re getting the ADR and prospective employers ■■ ■■
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Biddyboy… It’s no better back home,believe me. Don’t know where you come from back home but we lived in London.
Costing £1,300 a month plus big bills for a three bed flat in an ok area of of east London,if you know east London that’s not saying a lot. I was in a job earning around £5-£600 a week and the other half was on decent wages as a teacher but we still struggled to get by with 3 kids. Had an ok lifestyle but nothing flash,one holiday together in 4 years. Personally I was earning more in 2000 than I was just before I left the U.K. I would gladly exchange the lifestyle in NZ and quality of life in NZ over east London every time.
I haven’t come here with grand plans to have a big house,boat,ute and buckets of cash. Just a nice life with plenty of outdoors and happy smiling people not the ■■■■■■, illegal immigrant ,robbing,murdering scum that frequents large parts of London.
I’d rather live in a tent here than a big house in London,Blairs big social engineering experiment has finished off one of the great countries in the world.
R.I.P U.K
God Bless NZ.
Hi Gorrington, glad to see youve arrived ok, i hope you settle in auckland and find a house cheaper than £1500 a month, down in christchurch we have been looking at dry 2 bed sheds for £1200, im with you on the quality of life its just very strange when you get talking to the locals who have said, and these are across the age range, that if they could they would move to OZ or UK. The family who’s sleepout we are staying in has seen 2 of her 4 children leave for oz and a 3rd leaves in 5 weeks. Its very different down the south island to the north, the divide between rich and poor is getting greater and the younger generation are leaving for a better life leaving the older generation the dominant age group and less able to contribute to the local economy as their savings are being depleted. Our landladys sisters rent has just been raised from $325 a week to $375 for a damp 2 bed house, because her landlord can ask what he wants, shes been in the house for 2 years since her own house was damaged in the earthquake. We came over with the intention of applying for residency but we’ve put it on hold for the moment leaving our money in the UK, friends from the UK who came over 15 years ago would go back tommorrow if they could afford it, and they are retired. On the positive front work down here is easier to come by, i put my CV into a company and was offered a job there and then, Halls are recruiting but im not sure if they are up north, as i said before, pay is less but you are expected to put in a 60/70 hour week which brings it up, having the wife working is a benefit. On another bonus point you dont have to drive far out of the city to find stunning scenery and beaches, but they don’t pay the bills. We have decided to give it 12 months and see how things pan out, i have been told i need to work down her for 6-9 months then i can apply for a transfer to another depot, maybe up north, see how it goes.Things here have changed since we came out on a 2.5 month recce in 2009 so we didn’t come out blind but hey thats life we will get on with ours the best we can.
gorrington:
Good morning guys, well I made it to sunny Auckland on saturday and now it’s time to find a job…
Moved over here with the girlfriend and kids,she’s a teacher and has just gone off to work on her first day.As her partner I get an open work visa. I have a class 1 licence and plenty of different experience.
Like the sound of the tankers,need to earn as much as possible as it’s ■■■■ expensive in Auckland. Where should I start re getting the ADR and prospective employers ■■ ■■
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Get in touch with Agoge logistics for the DG endorsement (ADR)… agoge.co.nz
You’ll need to change your licence over to a NZ class 5 first though if your looking to do that kind of thing…
Hall’s refridgerated are nationwide…Auckland base is in Takanini and they’ve got a driver recruiter, take a look at their website… halls.co.nz
Brenics are looking but not sure at which depot… The owner’s name is Gary Johnstone…
L.W. Bonney & sons in Auckland…
Smith & Davies are a big firm from Northland but they may have a few jobs based in Auckland…
Actually there’s loads of firms, you should be able to get a job in no time…
First things first though, get yourself to Britomart station in the CBD and walk across the street to the ferry terminal…
Take the ferry to Devonport then you’ll be able to check out the best views of Auckland and if you’ve got a head for heights check out the SKYTOWER!
I’d say on a personal point of view that it’s the lifestyle of OZ & NZ why I enjoy so much living in this corner of the world. OZ is blessed with gorgeous weather and I’d still be there if I could but NZ doesn’t fall off too far. Fair enough, money ain’t as good in here but yet again, living is less expensive. Unfortunately, I was never given a shot in trucking industry in UK so can’t really compare wages to living expenses but comparing FIN vs. NZ, back home I was spending about 45-60% of my wages just for rent, car, food, mobile etc. In here I’m using about 30-35% and the rest is for enjoying life. And, like mentioned, NZ has stunning scenery pretty much everywhere you go. Just did a drive yday from ChCh down to Invercargill, especially road south from Dunedin reminded me so much about Scotland.
prefix:
I’d say on a personal point of view that it’s the lifestyle of OZ & NZ why I enjoy so much living in this corner of the world. OZ is blessed with gorgeous weather and I’d still be there if I could but NZ doesn’t fall off too far. Fair enough, money ain’t as good in here but yet again, living is less expensive. Unfortunately, I was never given a shot in trucking industry in UK so can’t really compare wages to living expenses but comparing FIN vs. NZ, back home I was spending about 45-60% of my wages just for rent, car, food, mobile etc. In here I’m using about 30-35% and the rest is for enjoying life. And, like mentioned, NZ has stunning scenery pretty much everywhere you go. Just did a drive yday from ChCh down to Invercargill, especially road south from Dunedin reminded me so much about Scotland.
Very much like Scotland.
Many moons ago I used to live in Dunedin and drove an old Thames Trader for Otago Hospital Board,drops in Roxburgh,Alexandra,Gore,Balclutha-Invercargill,plus other places I cant remember.
Stunning scenery,happy days.
Head further south for a better quality of life, much more relaxed and wages are better. Christchurch is expensive because of the earthquake with a severe shortage of housing. My drivers earn good dough and all have a good life. The better drivers down in Otago/Southland earn $23 plus per hour, expect bigger hours too. The likes of STL, Halls, McDowells and the like don’t pay the best as they only do linehaul which isn’t the most challenging. Get in amongst the rural transports would be the go for anyone wanting a change. I went home (south Wales) just last month and it seemed to me that wages were going backwards!
Why do you think New Zealanders try to come to Australia to live? There is no work in NZ and what work there is has many people competing for it, driving wages down.