NZTD News

Southpac Trucks has announced the launch of a new Certificate of Fitness (COF) lane at its Rotorua Branch, marking a significant expansion of COF testing services into the Bay of Plenty region. This development positions the Rotorua site alongside the company’s Manukau and Hamilton branches, which already provide COF testing, strengthening Southpac Trucks’ network and service capability across the Upper North Island. 

The achievement reflects extensive planning, hard work, and persistence from the Rotorua team, wh...

Wellington’s SH1 Terrace Tunnel is due for its annual WoF. In the same way your car needs to pass regular inspection to ensure it is safe, the same applies to the State Highway 1 Tunnels in Wellington. They both must have annual Building Warrant of Fitness checks,” says Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager.

“Because they are critical infrastructure on heavily used traffic routes, they must be inspected, assessed, and maintained regularly.” 

Wellingtonians can expect to see a week of night closures o...

As schools return for term one, New Zealand roads are about to re-enter their most dangerous daily window - and it’s not late at night or on long-haul routes.

New fleet safety data from the annual AutoSense Guardian New Zealand Insights Report 2025 drawn from nearly 6,000 Guardian by Seeing Machines cameras installed in commercial vehicles across New Zealand - shows the highest rate of driver fatigue events occurs between 7 and 8am, overlapping with the start of the school run when parents, school buses and commercial ...

The unseasonal stormy weather has closed parts of three State Highways in the upper half of the North Island due to flooding and slips, resulting in lengthy diversions in some cases. 

SH25 Whangamatā to Whiritoa (Coromandel): The only practical diversion is a lengthy two hour trip via SH25A and SH26 through Kopu, Paeroa and Waihi. The slip is highly unstable and challenging to safely clear. NZTA say the earliest date the road will reopen is Wednesday 4 February.

SH25 Kūaotunu to Kūaotunu West (Coromandel): t...

Unseasonal weather is further evidence we need to think differently  

The impact of bad weather on transport was covered extensively in the media this week. In a strange way, this is a subject I enjoy talking about because during these times our industry excels. The road freight sector has a great reputation for being highly resilient, even in really challenging weather and roading conditions. As long as the network is open then trucks can keep freight moving – albeit varying delays. 

T...

Otago’s popular summertime truck show will once again recognise the region’s best-looking trucks when the 2026 Dunedin Truck Show takes place on Saturday.

With naming rights sponsorship from Carter’s Tyre Service, the annual event is held in conjunction with the Otago Taieri A&P Show.

Along with Show & Shine prizes, barbeques and entertainment the show awards the Alex McLellan Memorial Trophy for the King Rig overall winner.

Truck entry is $10 minimum donation with funds going to the Otago Southland Re...