Linehaul drivers quit due to dangerous conditions and inexperienced drivers

Monday, 27 March 2017

Picton truck driver Barry Peters has ditched his night shift to Christchurch in favour of a safer day shift to Nelson.

Linehaul truck drivers forced to drive the overnight 'white-knuckle highway' are quitting their jobs in favour of safer day shifts with other haulage firms.

Picton driver Barry Peters left his employer last month because he feared for his life driving the alternative Picton to Christchurch route, an inland detour while the quake-damaged coastal highway was repaired.

A truck heading south on State Highway 7 with a queue of cars behind it.

He swapped to a day shift driving between Picton and Nelson, and knew of a dozen other drivers who had done the same.

Driving past other truck and trailer units rolled on their side was a constant reminder of the dangers, which would only get worse in winter.

Crews work to clear massive slips blocking State Highway 1, south of Kaikoura.

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'You go to work and you expect to get home again that night,' he said. 'I just wasn't enjoying going to work anymore driving that road.'

Road conditions and time constraints to shift freight the same day, as well as fatigue, and inexperienced drivers made the journey more dangerous, he said.

'It takes only a couple of seconds of inattention to go off the road.'

Peters, a truck driver of 43 years, frequently drove State Highway 1 to Christchurch and back before the November earthquake closed the road.

After the quake, he drove a 34-wheeler B-train on the alternative SH63/SH7 route for three months.

'It's not the best of roads because it hasn't been built to handle the volume of traffic all day and all night,' he said.

'I know of at least a dozen drivers who have quit, apart from myself, because it's just too dangerous. They have had enough and gone driving elsewhere.'

His old shift after the earthquake involved leaving Picton at midnight and driving 400 kilometres for five-and-a-half hours to Culverden to swap trailers with a Christchurch driver, he said.

After a 30-minute break he returned to Blenheim, arriving late morning, a total of 11 hours and 800km driving.

'You are mentally fatigued after concentrating on driving that long.'

The trip during the week could sometimes be delayed by an hour by road works trying to repair SH63.

'The roading guys are doing a fantastic job and without them the road would be more dangerous.

'But the safety factors on the night shift driving to Culverden are being compromised.'

A shortage of drivers, caused by more freight travelling by road, meant more inexperienced drivers using the highway, he said.

'For many it's pretty hair-raising driving a big truck 2.5 metres wide on a very narrow road with oncoming traffic at night.'

Peters handed in his notice three weeks ago. 'I was just sick of other drivers' behaviour at night.

'I didn't mind the day shift coming back to Blenheim, apart from the delays with the road works.

'The night shift going south didn't have the road works delays but it was far more dangerous.'

Peters said driving on the SH1 route to Kaikoura before the earthquake was familiar to drivers.

'You trusted those guys with your life, you knew them and they knew you.

'Now with so many new drivers doing the SH63 route you don't know them, or how they drive.

'Basically these new guys don't give a s…'

Drivers often return to the depot minus side mirrors from close shaves with oncoming trucks, he said.

'That's how close these big trucks pass each other, there's very little give and take.'

Road Transport Association New Zealand Marlborough chairman Peter Heagney said inexperienced driving was causing the bulk of truck roll-overs on the SH63 route.

'Drivers just need to be patient and not take risks,' he said

'You should only put a driver out on the road if you have confidence in his ability to drive that route.

'But a few companies are putting inexperienced drivers in the cabs.

'Everyone has different skill sets but these companies should either not be sending them out, or be training them better.'

Heagney said the industry did not need more truck accidents.

'It doesn't matter which company has the accident, it affects the whole industry in the long term.'

Some drivers were legally 'working on the edge' of the regulations for maximum driving time.

'The biggest issue is to get SH1 open as soon as possible.

'The delay in opening SH1 is going to become more of a concern when road conditions worsen in winter with snow and ice.'

A NZ Post spokesperson said the company were aware of the driving conditions on the alternate route between Picton and Christchurch and had made changes to the transport network to ensure drivers on this route can operate safely, that they are well supported and monitored if they need a break, or when diversions happen when roads close unexpectedly.

'The safety and wellbeing of all of our people, and those who work on our behalf is very important to New Zealand Post.'

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