The Northland Freight Group meets quarterly to progress various safety initiatives and share important information through the freight group membership. Regular presentations are made at each of the meetings by either members or invited guests regarding specific information or issues that are believed to be relevant to the freight sector regarding safety & health.

An example of projects discussed at each meeting include –

Share the Road (STR)  – this heading acts as an umbrella for all the groups projects:

  •             –  STR Schools programme  – Hancock Forest Management (NZ) Ltd. Education programme targeting approximately 33 schools annually positioned on rural roads throughout Northland and affected by log truck movements.
  •             –  Truck Education & Health Stops (TES) – these Stops – 2 annually are like Fatigue/Driver Reviver Stops but have  Health professionals on hand who offer free health checks. Police Commercial Vehicle Safety Team (CVST), NZTA, Health & ACC staff are available to answer queries from the drivers. Information and basic resources are supplied in carry bags covering health, driving, safety & maintenance tips, Fatigue Management, correctly filling in Log Books etc.  A survey is also completed by the drivers which covers health and lifestyle choices and asks what further information would be useful to the drivers – health issues (including healthy eating/fatigue management/Sleep Apnoea) and new legislation affecting drivers is a common response – this is collated and compared with previous surveys and taken into consideration when planning the next Truck Education Stop. Truck Education & Health Stop 6 November 2019 at Uretiti, Northland – YouTube Clip
  •           –  ACC Fit for the Road – Fit for the Road addresses concerns about driver health
    In recent years, concerns have been raised about the increasing number of heavy vehicle drivers experiencing health problems, including obesity and heart disease. These problems have forced many drivers to leave the industry.
    The Log Transport Safety Council and ACC therefore got together to discuss possible solutions – which led to the development of ‘Fit for the Road’, a one-year driver health and wellness programme.
  •            –  Radio Messaging examples – MediaWorks have worked closely with the NFG/NZTA to develop appropriate safety messages.
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–  Consultations/Did You Know? – http://www.nzta.govt.nz/commercial-driving/chain-of-responsibility/