Winning ways

Hino NZ’s nationwide driver’s licence competition has placed Caroline Haack one step closer to driving her partner’s new 700 series 8×4.

Caroline entered the competition at Hino’s National Fieldays’ site in June, winning her a truck licence package, recently presented to her by Hino’s General Manager, Ray Roberts and AMS Group’s Lower North Island Area Manager, John Marcus at her rural residence.

Hino’s licence competition offers entrants the chance to upgrade their licence. The prize, valued at $1000, includes logbooks, theory, practical training and assessment. Caroline’s entry declared, “my partner, Vaughan, has just bought a new Hino and I want to drive it too!”.

Glenara Partnership, run by Vaughan Shannon and his brother Bruce, operate sheep and beef farms in the Kiwitea/Kimbolton area, just out of Feilding. Their FY2945 Hino purchase replaces a 1976 T Line International, bought from its original owner with only a few kilometres on the clock. The new heavy-duty Hino includes a deck tipper, which will be used for carting stock between the two farms.

“I’m really looking forward to upgrading from the farm motorbike”, says Caroline. To date her limited truck driving experience includes negotiating the column stick on a light-duty 1976 Volvo when she worked for Cummins in the top of the North Island a number of years ago.

Launched at the Central Districts Field Days in March, the first winner, Louis Nynman, has since successfully completed his Class 2 Licence with AMS Group. “Louis did great, and is well on his way to starting a portable rehabilitation business for horses,” says Mr Marcus. “Initiatives like Hino’s competition are a great way to raise the profile of truck driving as a real long term career option for people.”

In New Zealand the trucking industry is significant, with predictions of domestic freight growing by 75% over the next 20 years, the industry is a competitive one – yet the Road Transport Forum has predicted the national truck driver shortage will worsen in 2015.

“At Hino, we’re all about the transport industry and encouraging the next generation of truck drivers,” says Mr Roberts. “We’re really excited that Caroline was drawn as the winner, you can tell she’s eager to be involved in the industry and with only four per cent of truck drivers being female, we’re even more excited that we’re helping break down stereotypes.”