Tuapeka:
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.
True. But without few exceptions, smaller companies don’t wanna go thru the visa process even thou there’s bugger all for the company to do and it doesn’t cost anything. Reckon it’s all about the waiting period, smaller companies might be in need of a new driver asap and bigger ones can wait for awhile for the applicant to get his visa approved. And, you gotta start from somewhere. If you got only one offer and it being from any of the above companies, surely you’ll take it to get your foot on the door.
Typhoon:
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.
Umm… …no work… …just take a look at TradeMe and tell me then there’s no trucking jobs… And, why else would it had been made option for transport companies to employ foreign drivers…? Unlike in OZ, can’t get sponsored unless working in mines. That’s exactly why Australian companies are recruiting kiwis cause they can’t get enough aussies on the job and that in turn affects driver shortage in NZ. Althou, you got drivers and operators…
Typhoon wrote:
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.
Umm… …no work… …just take a look at TradeMe and tell me then there’s no trucking jobs… And, why else would it had been made option for transport companies to employ foreign drivers…? Unlike in OZ, can’t get sponsored unless working in mines. That’s exactly why Australian companies are recruiting kiwis cause they can’t get enough aussies on the job and that in turn affects driver shortage in NZ. Althou, you got drivers and operators…
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh,lets clear up a few Myths before people get the wrong impression.
Kiwis are ONLY in Australia as they are percieved as Cheap Labour,same as the Polish were recruited to UK.
Mining jobs in Gladstone(QLD) that were paying $40.00 P/Hr are now paying $20.00 P/Hr due to the influx of Kiwis-And they,Kiwis,are despised by other Kiwis that have lived in Australia and are sick of the Kiwi come lateleys destroying work conditions and turning anywhere they go into a Mini New Zealand,ask any Kiwi that has been in Australia for a few years.
New Zealand has no industry to speak of,and they do not believe in Labour laws benefeiting everyone in society-Only the Mega-Rich.
If you are not Proffesionally Employed in New Zealand do not expect to have a better life than in England.
gorrington:
Thanks for the advice Duck…
How much would you say is the average wage working for the firms you mentioned ■■
Cheers.
TBH I’ve never worked for any of them but I guess they’re all pretty similar. At Weatherell’s I was averaging about $1300-1400 a week…
If I was in Auckland right now I’d try Brausch Trucking in East Tamaki… Glenn Brausch has got some nice Argosy’s and Scania 8x4’s on fridge work and told me to give him a call if I ever go back… TM is Frank Bunce the ex All Black legend who took several haymakers in the face from Aussie Michael Brial during a test match and laughed it off… Check it out on YouTube… Apparently Franky caught up with him after the game…
The only other advice I could give you about Auckland may end up in you getting
divorced but ■■■■■■■■!! Suma dem Maori/Pacific Island gurls got serious boo-tay!!
gorrington:
Thanks for the advice Duck…
How much would you say is the average wage working for the firms you mentioned ■■
Cheers.
TBH I’ve never worked for any of them but I guess they’re all pretty similar. At Weatherell’s I was averaging about $1300-1400 a week…
If I was in Auckland right now I’d try Brausch Trucking in East Tamaki… Glenn Brausch has got some nice Argosy’s and Scania 8x4’s on fridge work and told me to give him a call if I ever go back… TM is Frank Bunce the ex All Black legend who took several haymakers in the face from Aussie Michael Brial during a test match and laughed it off… Check it out on YouTube… Apparently Franky caught up with him after the game…
The only other advice I could give you about Auckland may end up in you getting
divorced but ■■■■■■■■!! Suma dem Maori/Pacific Island gurls got serious boo-tay!!
Dont know how you found the time to go out chasing pacific island girls Duck, to earn the money you talk about you need to be working a 70 - 75 hour week, which when your married with kids it ent no fun. In answer to Gorrington if you work between $19-22 per hour and you might get time and a half overtime (they don’t all pay it) then you aren’t far off. Look in trade me, i’m in ChCh at the mo but its a s—h–e
so we are moving on back up country. The south of south island is stunning as Tuapeka has said but the OH wants to head back to Nelson or north island and there seems to be lots of work in Palmerston and around so heading back up north to see what happens.
Weatherell’s have got nice equipment and they were one of the better firms I’ve worked for but you’ll work around the clock day and night… Once your 70 hours has been consumed it’s 24 off and then back in again. Due to the fact that I was living in little China Town I was getting 2-3 hours sleep a night and then back up the Kaikoura coast… On metro work I could still get 60 hours a week minimum. In Auckland I stayed above the transport office at a machinery transport company for free and most days was back in the yard for 4pm so it was no problem but of course the girls chased me around not vice versa!!
After 70 work time, you have to have 24 break, that is the law here, so, cant really moan about working around the clock,if your doing what you can do legally. I could quote the logbook rules and regulations, as I do instruct in them ( and truck licensing) but I wont. Palmerston North is a busy place yet its not too crowded or congested, and its the main hub of the lower North Island so plenty of Transport companies have depots here.
It is a great place, nice sized town, can get everything and anything here, airport, close enough yet far enough away from everything really.
As for emigrating here, cant beat it for lifestyle,yep you have to work and pay tax and prices go up and there are some things to moan about, but most people work hard, but weekends are for family, and we like it like that ! We always seem to be busy, beach, trips to the river, fishing, hunting, and these things are free over here, as are the kids playgrounds and some outdoor swimming pools, good family time, and not breaking the bank. Scenery is stunning,always something new to see,no two views are the same. Cant beat it !!!
Would we go back to U.K?, ummmmm,let me think… not even in a box !!!
andy_c1982:
Hi does anyone know a good site that would give you a list of haulage firms that I could phone have tried a google search for road haulage new Zealand and not much comes up cheers in advance andy c
Hello my wife wants me to give up my job in Uk and go to New Zealand with her sister, not alone of course lol
I work with ventolation company and would like to drive lorrys. I have to learn, is that better in England or in NZ?
Boring Johnson:
Hello my wife wants me to give up my job in Uk and go to New Zealand with her sister, not alone of course lol
I work with ventolation company and would like to drive lorrys. I have to learn, is that better in England or in NZ?
James
Honestly…■■
You gotta have NZ class5 before you can even start to think applying for work permit… …of course, if you can get visa thru ur wife but even then, not many will take you on, they got enough learners in here. Well, they don’t, but seems that way too many firms are lookin for NZ roads experience…
Boring Johnson:
Hello my wife wants me to give up my job in Uk and go to New Zealand with her sister, not alone of course lol
I work with ventolation company and would like to drive lorrys. I have to learn, is that better in England or in NZ?
James
Honestly…■■
You gotta have NZ class5 before you can even start to think applying for work permit… …of course, if you can get visa thru ur wife but even then, not many will take you on, they got enough learners in here. Well, they don’t, but seems that way too many firms are lookin for NZ roads experience…
Yeah, it was mentioned about using my own skills in pump engineering, my wife can transfer her job easily enough. The question reall was, instead of spending all our saving on an english licence, would it be easier to just learn to drive in New Zealand. I probably need those same 2 years with a licence before getting a drivers job.
Sister in laws tryring to sort out paperwork for us, she is married to a sheep farmer
Boring Johnson:
Yeah, it was mentioned about using my own skills in pump engineering, my wife can transfer her job easily enough. The question reall was, instead of spending all our saving on an english licence, would it be easier to just learn to drive in New Zealand. I probably need those same 2 years with a licence before getting a drivers job.
Sister in laws tryring to sort out paperwork for us, she is married to a sheep farmer
James
As far as I’ve understood it’s pretty darn expensive to get your class5 in NZ and takes quite awhile. Althou, evrythin depends what’s your equivalent UK license. But, if startin from car license (class1), reckon it’s at least few yrs before you can get ur class5. You better check online. If that’s the case, I’d recommend gettin ur class5 equivalent in UK.
Like mentioned, in NZ you do have shortage of drivers but being a foreigner all just depends finding the right person/company willing to employ you. Umm… …correction… …NZ has enough drivers, it’s just the lack of operators…
To get up to class 5 (truck and trailer) license here in New Zealand can take 6mnths or 12 mnths (if under 25 yrs old) from date of taking class 2 license.
You must hold a full NZ car license for 6mnths then,
Have to sit class 2 first, 3 days, sit learner license first day, logbook unit standard second day and the truck unit standard and drive on the third day.
Then wait 3 or 6 months,depending on age then take class 4,just one day course with us. then wait 3/6 months and sit class 5.
If you want to do it on your own and not on approved courses such as ours, you have to wait 3 months after getting the appropriate learner license before you get the full license.
I to the training,assessing and issue the pass certs and then just take the certs to VTNZ and get it put on your license.
Conversions of foreign truck licenses are bit different, some are easy,i.e. English license, some are a bit different.
And it`s not that expensive, if you want a truck license.
i’ve been reading these and other post’s for a while now and doing a bit of research into moving to NZ to gain work as a driver, my findings are a bit mixed, there seems to be work yet upon looking at NZ government stat’s they have enough drivers!
some chaps on here have made the move and appear to of made a success of their move yet there seems to be issues with affordability with regard to housing, lifestyle etc, to add a bit more confusion whilst looking at the ESIM list (pier) review list i came across this-(tried adding the link but wasn’t able to) type immigration, essential skills in demand lists and review process, scroll down to preliminary indicator evidence reports [7.2MB]
so, does this come around every year and the NZ transport forum persuade immigration not to remove the occupation or are they about to remove truck driver general from the list?
i know this may be a bit of a rambling post but its a long way to travel to find out there’s no possibility of work!
Even thou government is a bit reluctant putting class5 drivers to Long Term Skill Shortage List, I still can’t see us ever taken away from Immediate Skill Shortage List cause there’s always need for professional operators. I just got my 2nd work permit, went thru pretty fast, took only 1,5wks to get it granted.
crikey, a week and a half for a permit, that was quick! i’m hoping to be arriving soon and was trying to figure if its worth having a CRB check done in the UK or if NZ immigration are only issuing one year permits if theres any point, also, any pointers on the questions for the licence conversion would be a help, read that NZ employers prefer a NZ class 5 as opposed to a UK licence.
thanks all in advance
sonnie:
crikey, a week and a half for a permit, that was quick! i’m hoping to be arriving soon and was trying to figure if its worth having a CRB check done in the UK or if NZ immigration are only issuing one year permits if theres any point, also, any pointers on the questions for the licence conversion would be a help, read that NZ employers prefer a NZ class 5 as opposed to a UK licence.
thanks all in advance
Well, I knew which strings to pull…
Atm, it’s only 1yr visas immigration is granting for class5 drivers, probs won’t change any time soon or at least that’s what the big boys tell me. Wouldn’t know about the conversion, still using my FIN&UK licences, althou my current employer wants me to change it since they wanna have few endorsements in my licence. Should do somethin this weekend since got 3days off cause of public holiday tmw, can give more info once got my NZ class5.
just read the latest review of the esid list from immigration NZ and although truck driver (general) is still on the list they intend to remove the occupation at the end of 2013.
have you chaps on the ground heard any information regarding appeals or reconsideration?
I did think something was afoot when a member of the New Zealand road forum, who submit appeals to immigration and quite strangely wanted drivers placed on the LTSSL and who happens to own a transport company was advertising for drivers and stipulated “must be a New Zealand resident”
I guess its decision time, think i’ll email my cv to a number of companies and see if I get a response, the bizarre thing about all this is there are constantly adverts for class 5 drivers on the likes of seek and trademe, if I get some responses I reckon a 9 or 10 month break from the UK wont do me any harm and who knows, the decision may be reversed.
good luck to all of you who have made the move in what must be a worrying time, hopefully immigration will see sense and realise that people who are prepared to make a big upheaval, work and contribute should be allowed to continue to do so.
Yes, there have been discussions that government is planning to take class5 drivers out of Immediate Skill Shortage List but many of the big companies, including the one I’m working for now, is lobbying heavily against it. Everyone in this industry knows it would be almost a killing blow if foreign drivers would be banned. There’s big enough shortage of drivers atm and then there’s OZ who’s picking large amounts of drivers from NZ work force. Even if class5 drivers would be kept on ISSL you couldn’t get residency easily that way, if at all. If class5 drivers would be finally put onto Long Term Skill Shortage List that would give you opportunity to apply for residency after few years. At the moment, best bet is to find an accredited company who would be willing to ‘sponsor’ you, in other words you’ll be applying 30month Work To Residency Visa, which will pretty much automatically grant you residency after 24months if you haven’t messed up anything while being in NZ.
Check it out on YouTube… Apparently Franky caught up with him after the game… 
