National Road Carriers Association

Signing off from serving an amazing industry for 13 years

By David Aitken, CEO of National Road Carriers Association

AFTER 13 YEARS AS NATIONAL ROAD CARRIERS’ CHIEF executive it’s time for me to move on and give someone fresh the opportunity to keep NRC moving forward, and for me to seek new challenges.

The association is in a very good space, both financially and in membership numbers and satisfaction. I am proud of the professionalism my team has shown over the years. We are also very lucky with the partnerships we have with product and service suppliers, which both NRC and our partners benefit from.

Over the years we’ve had groups of members from around the country join us because they could see the value we offer in terms of industry know-how, competitively-priced partner products and services, and advocacy with transport authorities and local and central government.

HIGHLIGHTS

When I was appointed, the association was not in a strong position. In fact, we had to borrow money from board members to keep going and set up a loan facility with the bank. Paul Chappel was the chairman at the time and gave me exceptional support.

My arrival was made more intense as I was almost immediately embroiled in a huge protest action, with about 2000 trucks driving into Auckland city centre and more into other city centres around the country, to oppose a road user charge increase. The whole industry got behind it and the support we got from the public was phenomenal. It helped change the Labour Government at the time.

Along the way we have introduced numerous initiatives including the driver workforce strategy that became the SWEP programme and is now the Road Transport Forum’s Te Ara ki tua Road to success programme….

And we have advocated for new and better-quality roads, and informing members on their options to reduce carbon emissions.

Last year it was action stations again during the COVID-19 lockdowns. I don’t think people realise how hard the NRC team worked keeping the industry informed, advocating with the authorities and responding to questions at all hours of the day and night.

CHALLENGES

Most NRC members appreciate what we do, but some members and companies that are not members of an association do not. In some ways it is understandable because there is so much work we do behind the scenes.

Road freight companies are in a far better space having industry organisations to advise and represent them. Getting that message across is our biggest challenge.

NRC does not see other associations as competitors. We are all trying to make the industry a better place, with the Road Transport Forum in Wellington representing the industry with a strong single voice at the national level.

RECOGNITION

There are so many people who have contributed to the NRC’s success while I have been “in the driving seat,” including the current team of Jason Heather, Paula Rogers, Steve Chapple, Veronica Marsh, Louise Gardner and Shakthi Jeyashankar, plus recently retired, long-serving members Tom Cloke and Grant Turner, chairman Don Wilson and current and past board members.

I would like to give special thanks to three people who have contributed so much to the association and the industry at their own time and cost.

Paul Chappel was chair when I started. It would have been very difficult for me, just starting out, without Paul’s support. He has the ability to take a helicopter view of the situation – always looking at the bigger picture. The association owes Paul a lot, given the work he put into it at the time to get it back on track.

Chris Carr puts in an extraordinary amount of time representing NRC and the industry in meetings with the NZ Transport Agency, Auckland Transport, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team, the Auckland Business Forum and Ports of Auckland….to name a few. He’s always available as a sounding board or to offer advice.

Calven Bonney is a legend in the road transport industry and in motorsport and it was great to see him receive the Member of the NZ Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2018. Calven has selflessly helped NRC to provide all members – whether they have one truck or a fleet of hundreds – with support to run their businesses successfully.

FINAL WORD

We are 100% governed by the members who are represented by the board. Not all members agree with the decisions made, but we must do what the majority decide. So if you have something to say, tell us….or stand for the board.

This is an amazing industry, full of good, hard-working people providing an essential service. It has been a privilege to serve it. And now I look forward to being part – if I’m allowed – of the Golden Oldies, that informal group of industry retirees run by Elva and Les Murphy. If the Golden Oldies group is not a sign of the spirit that exists in this industry, I don’t know what is. T&D

David Aitken