Starting up a new truck business – whether you intend operating one truck or many – is a major decision that should be based on quality advice and information.
We recommend that very early in your planning process, you get professional advice from people and organisations such as lawyers, accountants, insurance agents and Inland Revenue. You can also talk to our contact centre for advice on the vehicle use rules and regulations with which you must comply.
In most situations you'll need a goods service licence to operate a trucking business.
You must also ensure that transport service licence labels are displayed in all trucks, either as close as practical to the bottom inside of the windscreen on the passenger's side, or in the window behind the passenger seat.
Find out how to get a goods service licence
More information about transport service licence labels
Your vehicles must meet higher safety standards before you can operate them in a licensed transport service. These include registration and annual licensing requirements and routine certificate of fitness inspections. Your vehicles must continue to meet these safety standards while operated in a transport service.
When buying vehicles for your business, you should also be aware of the safety features common in many modern vehicles and any features that could affect the environment.
Find out about registration and annual licensing requirements
Read more about choosing a safe vehicle
All vehicles are defined by class, with standards applying to each class.
Read more information about vehicle classes and standards
To help you choose trucks that are suitable for the type of service you expect them to provide, we've developed a heavy vehicle selection guide.
It's important that you maintain your trucks in a safe and serviceable condition at all times.
Attending to faults straight away will keep you in business and save you money in the long term.
For more information on maintaining your trucks in a safe and compliant condition, check out:
Incorrect loading practices can contribute to truck and trailer rollovers and loads falling off vehicles.
All trucks should be designed and operated so that loads can be restrained. The minimum standard for load restraint is the Truck loading code.
Read the Truck loading code [PDF, 4.1 MB]
Find out more about safe loading of heavy vehicles
Learn about preventing heavy vehicle rollover
Road user charges apply to:
all vehicles with a manufacturers’ gross laden weight of more than 3500kg or over, and
all vehicles powered by a fuel not taxed at source, such as diesel.
Find out more about road user charges
You must ensure that your drivers hold a current and valid licence and endorsements for the class of vehicle they are driving.
As a transport service licence holder, you can also access TORO (the Transport Organisation Register Online) to:
More information about transport service licences
No matter how sophisticated a vehicle’s technology, driver behaviour is the most crucial factor in avoiding crashes.
You can improve safety for your drivers and other road users by investing in driver training – so they know how to use their vehicles, and have a good understanding of your expectations of their behaviour while driving.
More driver training options are available through MITO, the training organisation for the road transport industry.
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 transport operators and key people in a transport business have a number of legal duties, including the responsibility to identify and manage risk proportionately to the harm it might cause. They must ensure the health and safety of not only their own workers but also anyone else, such as other road users, that may be affected by the work activity, equipment, or products produced.
Health and Safety at Work Act 2015(external link)
The 'chain of responsibility' recognises that everyone who influences a driver's behaviour and compliance should, and must, be held accountable if that influence results in non-compliance.
Ensuring your truck operations are efficient is one of the keys to your business's success.
A number of resources provide useful information on improving operational efficiency. These include:
SAFED NZ (Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving New Zealand)(external link)
information on transporting overdimension and overweight loads.
Contact us for advice on and help with complying with all transport-related rules, regulations, and vehicle standards and requirements.
