The road freight industry is warning the poor state of New Zealand’s roads are having a serious impact on the safety of road users.

And there are major concerns that delays over replacements for the Interislander Cook Strait ferries could have a big negative flow-on effect for the economy.

Those are some of the findings of the 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey, from Transporting NZ.

Billy Clemens, policy and advocacy head at Transporting New Zealand, said the vast majority (93%) of survey respondents agreed poor road maintenance is putting truck drivers and other road users at risk.

A significant number (84%) also believed that regional roads and bridges are neglected, and that delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries pose a major risk (79%). The survey was done before the announcement that the Aratere is to be retired in August.

“The survey painted a gloomy financial picture for business – only 34% of those surveyed expected their financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, and only one in four respondents reported having sustainable operating margins,” Clemens said.

Health, safety and wellbeing are big concerns for the industry, with 78% of respondents calling for more purpose-designed rest stops for drivers, and 72% saying it was important for drivers to have a good work-life balance.