National Road Carriers Association (NRC) is calling on political parties to appoint a Minister of Supply Chain to co-ordinate New Zealand’s $59 billion-a-year freight sector, which it says is projected to grow by 55% over the next 20 years.
The call is one of six priorities outlined in NRC’s The Freight System New Zealand Needs election manifesto.
Other priorities include smarter transport infrastructure spending to improve freight productivity and faster rule changes to allow bigger, safer and more efficient trucks. NRC is also calling for greater security of onshore fuel supplies and support for low-emission heavy vehicles, changes to the Transport Service Licence (TSL) system and greater responsibility for freight users, and recognition of truck driving as skilled work with a migration pathway to residency.
NRC CEO Justin Tighe-Umbers says the cost of living and economic growth will dominate the 2026 election. He says freight costs account for about 12% of supermarket prices and reducing those costs would benefit New Zealand households.
“Everyone from businesses through to everyday New Zealanders have felt the pinch in their pockets. The freight sector has an indispensable role to play. From fruit and vegetables, to appliances, and construction materials, every sector of New Zealand’s economy depends on the freight system,” says Tighe-Umbers.
He says there is currently no person or group with end-to-end responsibility for the performance of New Zealand’s freight system.
“Roads sit with one minister, rail with KiwiRail, ports with councils, workforce with Immigration, and energy with another portfolio.
“Australia, the United Kingdom, and Singapore each line up the three things that make freight work: one minister responsible for the end-to-end supply chain, a government department that can span this system, and a co-ordinating body with a mandate to bring government and industry together. New Zealand aligns none of them.
“We appreciate the recent decisions from this Government to launch the Action Plan for Freight and establish the Freight Advisory Council. We call on the next Government to build on this momentum.”
NRC’s manifesto says New Zealand ranks in the top 10% of the OECD for infrastructure spending per person but in the bottom 10% for what that spending delivers. It says greater continuity of infrastructure projects between governments could shift spending from consultants to construction.
The association wants the next Government to task the Freight Advisory Council and Infrastructure Commission with identifying investments across road, rail, sea and air that move the most freight for each dollar spent, drawing on the National Infrastructure Plan.
NRC is also seeking faster adoption of international vehicle standards rather than New Zealand developing its own vehicle rules.
“Changing these rules can take years. In the meantime, our freight operators can only watch as the world adopts bigger, safer, and more efficient trucks. Finland cut national transport costs by 4.4% over four years from a single mass limit change – in New Zealand that would equate to a $2.6 billion saving on our $59 billion annual freight cost.
“We also risk being left behind by international supply chains. International shipping lines are rapidly adopting 38-tonne containers which would be too heavy for most permitted trucks on our roads.”
Fuel security and the transition to low and zero-emission heavy vehicles are another focus of the manifesto.
“Any significant shock to our fuel supply chain – whether that is a geopolitical event, future pandemic, or natural disaster – could stall our freight supply chain in weeks. The total cost to New Zealand in increased diesel cost since the Iran war started in February is more than $1.5 billion.
“We need to firm up our onshore fuel supplies by increasing onshore storage capacity and grow our energy independence by backing the shift to low and zero-emission heavy vehicles.”
NRC is collaborating with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority on the transition away from fossil fuels, while members NZ Post, WM New Zealand and truck rental company TR Group are introducing electric and hydrogen-powered trucks.
The association is also calling for changes to the TSL system, which it says currently makes licences too easy to obtain and too difficult to lose.
“The system needs to identify and attach consequences to operators who create risks,” says Tighe-Umbers. “Roadworker Johnathan Walters was killed when he was run over in May 2024 by the unroadworthy truck of an operator who continued to work despite many breaches and a system that failed to stop him.
“A procurer can take the cheapest quote for freight transport without fear of consequence, creating a race to the bottom where the operator that skips on compliance and charges less wins the business. We need freight owners, freight forwarders, transport operators and end customers to all hold a level of responsibility for safety compliance. Australian Chain of Responsibility legislation is an example of a system that ensures purchasing decisions take compliance and the cost of it into account.”
Workforce pressures form the final priority, with NRC’s manifesto stating the average New Zealand truck driver is 57 and the proportion of young New Zealanders entering the sector is declining.
“The truck driving labour pool is international and mobile, and we are struggling to attract qualified skills to our shores. We need to recognise truck driving as skilled work, with a migration pathway to residency, so New Zealand can compete for the people it needs,” says Tighe-Umbers.