Accredited trucking companies
Jun 24th 2019, 4:23 am
#31
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Out of town but within a reasonable driving distance of the Port could be pretty much anywhere in and around Tauranga. I suppose it depends on the time you'd be starting work and max distance/max time for the commute but in reality unless you're travelling in peak traffic (which can be a pain in specific locations a couple times a day Mon-Fri) you will never be more than 30 mins from the Port no matter which area you live so long as you not far out rural.
There has been much talk about it recently on this forum and a discussion I decided to stay out of as I just can't be arsed with drama.
All I'll say is this.......
Accreditation is approved for employers who are able to demonstrate (amongst other things) that they are worthy of this trusted status by Immigration NZ. Trusted to do the right thing by NZ and Kiwis, which includes recruiting locally where possible, training and upskilling locals, offering opportunities to locals already working for them, having solid Human Resource processes and practices, being financially stable and have had no issues in terms of employment disputes, problems with unions, workersâ rights and so on and ONLY where necessary offering work to candidates overseas who don't normally have the right to live and work in NZ.
The accreditation/talent visa policy was created to provide a Residence pathway (by means of Work To Residence Visa and Talent Visa) for people with jobs that in recent times paid a minimum of $55 000 per annum. The idea behind it being that there are those who come to NZ and find work who make a highly valuable economic contribution to that company and to the country but who may never score sufficient âpointsâ to qualify for a Resident Visa under the Skilled Migrant Category - now named Skilled Migrant Resident Visa (SMRV) or whose jobs are not defined as âskilledâ. It was meant to compliment the Skilled Migrant Category objectives.
Accreditation has worked for many companies in many industries that have ongoing recruitment needs that cannot be satisfied locally - truck driving being one of those. There is no labour market test attached to the resulting visa applications which means employers havenât needed to keep proving they cannot find staff in NZ but made a genuine effort to do so. In an extremely tight labour market where thousands more jobs are being created each month than there are people to fill them, offering this Residence pathway is one way to help a company retain staff, so with all that said it goes without saying that YES, of course the employer will be paying at least $26.50/hr for a 40hr week to achieve the essential minimum $55 000 per year as that is all part and parcel of the Accredited Employer/Talent Work Visa/Work To Residency Policy although the policy papers probably don't specify in black & white that the employer has to pay minimum $26.50/hr for a 40hr week to achieve the essential minimum $55 000 per year.
From the migrants perspective the 30 month Talent work visa allows them to apply for a resident visa after 24 months. With the WTR visa it is a 24 month visa with the intention of the holder moving to Residence at the end of the 2 years, however the holder can actually apply for Resident status as soon as they are on NZ soil and working.
Partners and children are also granted temporary work and student / visit visas and so receive access to the same status, care and benefits. School age children are treated as domestic students in terms of cost of education (paid for out of taxes for the most part). It is potentially a really good option for a lot of companies in a country where there are simply not enough people to fill the jobs being created while at the same time offering a more certain pathway to Residence for those willing to commit and prove their value over that two years.
There was talk in cabinet last year (2018) of increasing the $55 000 salary threshold but there has been nothing since, only speculation and the effect it would have on employers.
I don't agree that paying one person one wage - i.e. paying a migrant $26.50 per hour to satisfy the Accreditation policy means the employer has to pay other employees the same. There will always be people at work doing the same job who are on better money and those employees may have just turned up from overseas. It's tough but a real fact of life and all you can do is suck it up, be better to get more $$$'s or move elsewhere.
The majority of properties in NZ are managed by a rental agent who takes full responsibility of managing the whole process from selecting the tenant to doing all the necessary tenant security/financial checks to managing maintenance, collecting the rent...everything, in return for a small % fee. Out of the 5 properties we've rented in NZ only one of them was managed personally by the owner. All the others we had to deal with a local agent. The managing agent is generally the one you need to convince, not the owner.
Since it is only you coming out, you'll more than likely only be looking for a one, maybe two bedroomed place or even just a house share or renting a room. Because of this is is less likely you'll be dealing with an agent and more likely you'll be dealing directly with an owner as your landlord and I'd also say if it was me I'd live more or less anywhere in and around Tauranga as the worst place here isn't anywhere near as bad as the bad council estates back home. No point paying out loads of $$$'s to live in the same size house in a 'nicer' area when you aren't there most of the time.
I understand what you mean about a more chilled relaxed work/life balance. I feel I have achieved that, BUT there are many people who say the opposite. I don't know enough about the truck driving industry in NZ to make a call. I have heard in the past that truck drivers work more or are expected to work more than the typical 40hrs/week as there is a higher demand for work and reduced regulation of driving hours and all that jazz, BUT don't know if that's actually true?
I'm sure you know but the major industry export in NZ is milk powder. Instead of just looking at the Port of Tauranga for trucking jobs or even looking at the logging industry, also consider the milk tanker industry and have a look at Fonterra and maybe the possibility of collecting milk from farms all over the Bay Of Plenty and delivering that to the plant for processing. After a recent site visit to a Fonterra plant in Hamilton (Te Rapa), they are always looking to recruit drivers and I believe they are very well paid way in excess of $26.50 per hour.
I'd like to say trucks are respected over here for the work that they do and the reasons why they are such an essential part of NZ given the other transport methods aren't that great. I experience lots of trucks on my commutes and I have always respected them probably just because of who I am and where I came from BUT I know for sure they frustrate the life out of some people. One major frustration I've found is that trucks have a speed limit of 90kph on the open state highways where it is 100kph for the majority of other road users, but what you'll generally get is trucks doing 100-105kph on the flat meaning you can't legally overtake so you sit there in a huge convoy for miles until a passing lane appears and when you do overtake you have to go like 120kph + to pass quickly and are at serious risk of a ticket but yet the trucks trundle along all day and night at 100-105kph without consequence.
Kiwi drivers aren't the best and I've often said they pass their driving tests blindfolded.
Overall I'd say there is a higher respect here than the UK as there's much less traffic and people, but you may find it is similar ?
There has been much talk about it recently on this forum and a discussion I decided to stay out of as I just can't be arsed with drama.
All I'll say is this.......
Accreditation is approved for employers who are able to demonstrate (amongst other things) that they are worthy of this trusted status by Immigration NZ. Trusted to do the right thing by NZ and Kiwis, which includes recruiting locally where possible, training and upskilling locals, offering opportunities to locals already working for them, having solid Human Resource processes and practices, being financially stable and have had no issues in terms of employment disputes, problems with unions, workersâ rights and so on and ONLY where necessary offering work to candidates overseas who don't normally have the right to live and work in NZ.
The accreditation/talent visa policy was created to provide a Residence pathway (by means of Work To Residence Visa and Talent Visa) for people with jobs that in recent times paid a minimum of $55 000 per annum. The idea behind it being that there are those who come to NZ and find work who make a highly valuable economic contribution to that company and to the country but who may never score sufficient âpointsâ to qualify for a Resident Visa under the Skilled Migrant Category - now named Skilled Migrant Resident Visa (SMRV) or whose jobs are not defined as âskilledâ. It was meant to compliment the Skilled Migrant Category objectives.
Accreditation has worked for many companies in many industries that have ongoing recruitment needs that cannot be satisfied locally - truck driving being one of those. There is no labour market test attached to the resulting visa applications which means employers havenât needed to keep proving they cannot find staff in NZ but made a genuine effort to do so. In an extremely tight labour market where thousands more jobs are being created each month than there are people to fill them, offering this Residence pathway is one way to help a company retain staff, so with all that said it goes without saying that YES, of course the employer will be paying at least $26.50/hr for a 40hr week to achieve the essential minimum $55 000 per year as that is all part and parcel of the Accredited Employer/Talent Work Visa/Work To Residency Policy although the policy papers probably don't specify in black & white that the employer has to pay minimum $26.50/hr for a 40hr week to achieve the essential minimum $55 000 per year.
From the migrants perspective the 30 month Talent work visa allows them to apply for a resident visa after 24 months. With the WTR visa it is a 24 month visa with the intention of the holder moving to Residence at the end of the 2 years, however the holder can actually apply for Resident status as soon as they are on NZ soil and working.
Partners and children are also granted temporary work and student / visit visas and so receive access to the same status, care and benefits. School age children are treated as domestic students in terms of cost of education (paid for out of taxes for the most part). It is potentially a really good option for a lot of companies in a country where there are simply not enough people to fill the jobs being created while at the same time offering a more certain pathway to Residence for those willing to commit and prove their value over that two years.
There was talk in cabinet last year (2018) of increasing the $55 000 salary threshold but there has been nothing since, only speculation and the effect it would have on employers.
I don't agree that paying one person one wage - i.e. paying a migrant $26.50 per hour to satisfy the Accreditation policy means the employer has to pay other employees the same. There will always be people at work doing the same job who are on better money and those employees may have just turned up from overseas. It's tough but a real fact of life and all you can do is suck it up, be better to get more $$$'s or move elsewhere.
The majority of properties in NZ are managed by a rental agent who takes full responsibility of managing the whole process from selecting the tenant to doing all the necessary tenant security/financial checks to managing maintenance, collecting the rent...everything, in return for a small % fee. Out of the 5 properties we've rented in NZ only one of them was managed personally by the owner. All the others we had to deal with a local agent. The managing agent is generally the one you need to convince, not the owner.
Since it is only you coming out, you'll more than likely only be looking for a one, maybe two bedroomed place or even just a house share or renting a room. Because of this is is less likely you'll be dealing with an agent and more likely you'll be dealing directly with an owner as your landlord and I'd also say if it was me I'd live more or less anywhere in and around Tauranga as the worst place here isn't anywhere near as bad as the bad council estates back home. No point paying out loads of $$$'s to live in the same size house in a 'nicer' area when you aren't there most of the time.
I understand what you mean about a more chilled relaxed work/life balance. I feel I have achieved that, BUT there are many people who say the opposite. I don't know enough about the truck driving industry in NZ to make a call. I have heard in the past that truck drivers work more or are expected to work more than the typical 40hrs/week as there is a higher demand for work and reduced regulation of driving hours and all that jazz, BUT don't know if that's actually true?
I'm sure you know but the major industry export in NZ is milk powder. Instead of just looking at the Port of Tauranga for trucking jobs or even looking at the logging industry, also consider the milk tanker industry and have a look at Fonterra and maybe the possibility of collecting milk from farms all over the Bay Of Plenty and delivering that to the plant for processing. After a recent site visit to a Fonterra plant in Hamilton (Te Rapa), they are always looking to recruit drivers and I believe they are very well paid way in excess of $26.50 per hour.
I'd like to say trucks are respected over here for the work that they do and the reasons why they are such an essential part of NZ given the other transport methods aren't that great. I experience lots of trucks on my commutes and I have always respected them probably just because of who I am and where I came from BUT I know for sure they frustrate the life out of some people. One major frustration I've found is that trucks have a speed limit of 90kph on the open state highways where it is 100kph for the majority of other road users, but what you'll generally get is trucks doing 100-105kph on the flat meaning you can't legally overtake so you sit there in a huge convoy for miles until a passing lane appears and when you do overtake you have to go like 120kph + to pass quickly and are at serious risk of a ticket but yet the trucks trundle along all day and night at 100-105kph without consequence.
Kiwi drivers aren't the best and I've often said they pass their driving tests blindfolded.
Overall I'd say there is a higher respect here than the UK as there's much less traffic and people, but you may find it is similar ?
Jun 24th 2019, 4:25 am
#32
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
The reason I will come back to this again is that I think it important to keep things as accurate as is poss. & I also think perhaps there is a little muddle over terminology here.
There is no requirement at all for an NZ approved accredited employer to pay $55K pa. It is free to offer what rate of pay it wishes for any given vacancy. There is nothing in the policy guidelines for accreditation that states rates of pay. The rules and regs are there to ensure the employer is bona fide, stable and of a standard but it is also there to ensure an employer does not abuse workers from overseas. Accreditation is to help employers net in the labour force it feels it needs. Example: A hotel chain and general hotel workers i.e. chambermaids etc.
An accredited talent WTR policy is there for a twofold reason. It is there to once again help the employer attract the person it needs for a set vacancy. It is also there as a lure for the possible overseas applicant.
The word talent is the key here & why the salary level was set to $55K. That being seen as a rate commensurate with a quality skill & expertise. It is there to dovetail. A company may need a particular skill or expertise and not find a suitable applicant here on NZ soil. An overseas applicant might come along or be actively sourced but may not be of an age ; have the matching formal quals etc to enable a skilled migrant policy approach. In such a case an accredited employer can offer to 'sponsor' & provided the set criteria is met all will be well. I know of one currently - that of a game keeper. The employer is accredited as there is a need for staff and there is a turnover but when it came to overall management of this there was no-one to fit the bill so n experieced gamekeeper was actively recruited from overseas.
If the OP wishes to remain in NZ then he must ensure he meets the $26.50ph threshold and that it is set that will be for a good two years.
There is no requirement at all for an NZ approved accredited employer to pay $55K pa. It is free to offer what rate of pay it wishes for any given vacancy. There is nothing in the policy guidelines for accreditation that states rates of pay. The rules and regs are there to ensure the employer is bona fide, stable and of a standard but it is also there to ensure an employer does not abuse workers from overseas. Accreditation is to help employers net in the labour force it feels it needs. Example: A hotel chain and general hotel workers i.e. chambermaids etc.
An accredited talent WTR policy is there for a twofold reason. It is there to once again help the employer attract the person it needs for a set vacancy. It is also there as a lure for the possible overseas applicant.
The word talent is the key here & why the salary level was set to $55K. That being seen as a rate commensurate with a quality skill & expertise. It is there to dovetail. A company may need a particular skill or expertise and not find a suitable applicant here on NZ soil. An overseas applicant might come along or be actively sourced but may not be of an age ; have the matching formal quals etc to enable a skilled migrant policy approach. In such a case an accredited employer can offer to 'sponsor' & provided the set criteria is met all will be well. I know of one currently - that of a game keeper. The employer is accredited as there is a need for staff and there is a turnover but when it came to overall management of this there was no-one to fit the bill so n experieced gamekeeper was actively recruited from overseas.
If the OP wishes to remain in NZ then he must ensure he meets the $26.50ph threshold and that it is set that will be for a good two years.
Jun 24th 2019, 7:31 am
#33
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
"have a look at Fonterra and maybe the possibility of collecting milk from farms all over the Bay Of Plenty"
Jun 24th 2019, 9:24 am
#34
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: Accredited trucking companies
thought it was a bit odd that they were not, and they areFonterra Co-operative Group Limited
and some truck jobs https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/caree...-for-jobs.html
and some truck jobs https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/caree...-for-jobs.html
Last edited by MrsFychan; Jun 24th 2019 at 9:27 am.
Jun 24th 2019, 10:30 am
#35
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
thought it was a bit odd that they were not, and they areFonterra Co-operative Group Limited
and some truck jobs https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/caree...-for-jobs.html
and some truck jobs https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/caree...-for-jobs.html
Jun 25th 2019, 5:15 am
#36
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Jun 25th 2019, 6:47 am
#37
`
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,611
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Fonterra?
Solid. Tanker drivers?
Gets your foot in the door.
Make sure they understand you will apply for and uplift a temp work visa the minute you are offered a full time long term job & that you will arrive promptly. If it comes in at $26.50ph then all the better. You pass Go & go straight for Work to Residence. If not , you get here and keep the eyes up.
Once in NZ you have time then to work out where you want to live and what you want to work at.
Goer IMVHO.
Solid. Tanker drivers?
Gets your foot in the door.
Make sure they understand you will apply for and uplift a temp work visa the minute you are offered a full time long term job & that you will arrive promptly. If it comes in at $26.50ph then all the better. You pass Go & go straight for Work to Residence. If not , you get here and keep the eyes up.
Once in NZ you have time then to work out where you want to live and what you want to work at.
Goer IMVHO.
Jun 25th 2019, 7:59 am
#38
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
oh they are accredited? I didn't realise because I didn't see them on the list. Thank you.
Jun 25th 2019, 8:01 am
#39
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Fonterra?
Solid. Tanker drivers?
Gets your foot in the door.
Make sure they understand you will apply for and uplift a temp work visa the minute you are offered a full time long term job & that you will arrive promptly. If it comes in at $26.50ph then all the better. You pass Go & go straight for Work to Residence. If not , you get here and keep the eyes up.
Once in NZ you have time then to work out where you want to live and what you want to work at.
Goer IMVHO.
Solid. Tanker drivers?
Gets your foot in the door.
Make sure they understand you will apply for and uplift a temp work visa the minute you are offered a full time long term job & that you will arrive promptly. If it comes in at $26.50ph then all the better. You pass Go & go straight for Work to Residence. If not , you get here and keep the eyes up.
Once in NZ you have time then to work out where you want to live and what you want to work at.
Goer IMVHO.
Jun 25th 2019, 10:33 am
#40
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Jun 27th 2019, 2:52 pm
#41
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Thank you for all the above advice it will be very helpful,
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
Jun 27th 2019, 9:05 pm
#42
`
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,611
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Thank you for all the above advice it will be very helpful,
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
Jun 28th 2019, 7:51 am
#44
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2017
Location: Knaresborough, North Yorkshire
Posts: 51
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Thank you for all the above advice it will be very helpful,
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
I was wondering if any of you know what its like working for a nz trucking company? The reason i ask that is over the last 5-10 years here in the uk management/planners attitudes towards drivers has got worse! These days we are treated like bums on seats or steering wheel attendants and are expected to rush rush push push, margins are tight and it often gets taken out on us drivers. Now i appreciate a boss/company has to make money and i'm more than capable of hard work but its the way we are spoken to and treated that has changed alot lately. I wondered what bosses in nz were like?
He works for a big South Island freight company with normal 50 Ton on-road weight limit. Drives 14hrs max (6pm to 7am driving) 5 nights a week, averages 60-65 hrs/wk at $25.00/hr. He gets 2 half hour breaks. They run an electronic log book system (eroad) and an electronic manifest. 90% of trucks are speed limited at 90km/hr. Roads here are mountainous and winding. No motorways here! haa! what are they? we have goat tracks instead
with 20km/hr corners. Of course the two Islands have very different roads, he used to drive Auckland to Te Kuiti. Most truck drivers drive inter-island, so have 4 hrs each way on the ship crossing Cook Strait, in your own cabin ZzzTrucking companies here have to abide strictly to the law. The police always stop them randomly to check the truck, the load, way-bills, logged hours etc.
Bosses generally respect the drivers here and so do other road users. OH thinks smaller companies respect their drivers more. He also loads/unloads the trailers, maintains & cleans the truck.
Funny thing is we want to do the opposite to you by going back to the uk and OH continuing truck driving over there
Jun 28th 2019, 8:48 am
#45
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 170
Re: Accredited trucking companies
Hi grantr - my OH here in NZ (he's kiwi, I'm british) has been a Class 5 linehaul driver (HGV 1?) for 35+ years. He has F and DG endorsements which is standard here.
He works for a big South Island freight company with normal 50 Ton on-road weight limit. Drives 14hrs max (6pm to 7am driving) 5 nights a week, averages 60-65 hrs/wk at $25.00/hr. He gets 2 half hour breaks. They run an electronic log book system (eroad) and an electronic manifest. 90% of trucks are speed limited at 90km/hr. Roads here are mountainous and winding. No motorways here! haa! what are they? we have goat tracks instead with 20km/hr corners. Of course the two Islands have very different roads, he used to drive Auckland to Te Kuiti. Most truck drivers drive inter-island, so have 4 hrs each way on the ship crossing Cook Strait, in your own cabin Zzz
Trucking companies here have to abide strictly to the law. The police always stop them randomly to check the truck, the load, way-bills, logged hours etc.
Bosses generally respect the drivers here and so do other road users. OH thinks smaller companies respect their drivers more. He also loads/unloads the trailers, maintains & cleans the truck.
Funny thing is we want to do the opposite to you by going back to the uk and OH continuing truck driving over there
He works for a big South Island freight company with normal 50 Ton on-road weight limit. Drives 14hrs max (6pm to 7am driving) 5 nights a week, averages 60-65 hrs/wk at $25.00/hr. He gets 2 half hour breaks. They run an electronic log book system (eroad) and an electronic manifest. 90% of trucks are speed limited at 90km/hr. Roads here are mountainous and winding. No motorways here! haa! what are they? we have goat tracks instead
with 20km/hr corners. Of course the two Islands have very different roads, he used to drive Auckland to Te Kuiti. Most truck drivers drive inter-island, so have 4 hrs each way on the ship crossing Cook Strait, in your own cabin ZzzTrucking companies here have to abide strictly to the law. The police always stop them randomly to check the truck, the load, way-bills, logged hours etc.
Bosses generally respect the drivers here and so do other road users. OH thinks smaller companies respect their drivers more. He also loads/unloads the trailers, maintains & cleans the truck.
Funny thing is we want to do the opposite to you by going back to the uk and OH continuing truck driving over there
