NZTD News

The May 2026 issue of New Zealand Truck & Driver reaches a milestone for the magazine – 300 editions since the title debuted in March 1999. 

The May cover and Giti Tyres Big Test put the spotlight on the new Kenworth T620, which brings styling updates and Euro VI performance to the brand’s bonneted line-up.

Our feature truck is called Starting Over, a T620 8x4 Sleeper Cab which has joined the Northchill Group fleet. It runs between Auckland and Palmerston North towing a refrigerated quad-semi with driver Hay...

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has approved funding for a new railway overbridge in Whanganui East, with the project expected to cost $2.7 million, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. 

“A replacement Wakefield Street bridge in Whanganui will be built to modern standards, restoring a key local connection and allowing heavier vehicles to cross,” Mr Bishop says. 

“The existing bridge was closed in January 2025 after a safety review found the 70-year-old timber structure was no longer safe for vehicles. T...

The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider has launched its Q1 Imperans Report, a quarterly workplace drug trends report. The report empowers New Zealand employers to engage in proactive workplace risk management. It provides them with an analysis of drug and alcohol usage trends, combining results from across the country.

In Q1 2026, 3.0% of screens conducted by TDDA indicated the presence of drugs. While this is down from 4.0% in Q4 2025, what is concerning is changes in t...

Investment into improvements for State Highway 2 in Wairarapa continue, with a road rebuild at Clareville due to start from Monday, 4 May until end of May.

It follows the completion of similar work in Carterton in March.

Contractors will be rebuilding the highway, just north of the Hughes Line intersection. 

Here the road pavement has reached the end of its working life and needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. This will make the drive between Carterton and Masterton noticeably better, as it will be ...

The extended closure of State Highway 3 (SH3) cutting off Taranaki again highlights the importance of resilience investment, says National Road Carriers Association (NRC). 

Severe weather on Saturday along the SH3 Awakino Gorge road has caused multiple massive slips between Mokau and Piopio with mud still pouring down through the trees.

NRC Commercial Transport Specialist Paula Rogers said NZTA’s contractor Downer is working long hours to clear the road and plans to continue working over Anzac weekend. Engin...

The government has announced changes to light vehicle inspections, including a reduction in test frequency for a range of light vehicles according to their age, bringing our test frequency more into line with other jurisdictions.

The changes mean that most light vehicles under 14 years old will move to two-yearly WoF inspections (up from annually), while new vehicles will go four years before their second WoF. Older cars and motorcycles manufactured before 2000, but under 40 years of age, will move from 6-monthly to an...