Blake Noble shares his thoughts on this year’s TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show.

I write this month’s column aboard an Auckland-bound Airbus, having spent the best part of two days in Christchurch for the New Zealand Trucking Association’s TMC Trailers Trucking Industry Show, a biannual event, the last of which in 2023 was a major success, representing the entire industry.

Fast forward two years to what should’ve been another significant showcase, and it was as though many in the industry had double-booked themselves. Not many people showed up, either as delegates at Friday’s industry summit or in the form of fleet representation at Saturday’s Show ‘n Shine.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some stunning units on show, with particularly strong representation from Steve Murphy Ltd, Hilton Haulage, Bascik Transport, Mackleys, Burnell & Sons, Barry Satherley’s crew, Road Metals, Opzeeland, Brenics, Porter Heavy Haulage, Halls, Talleys, Fenco, and a few units from the North Island, combined with some stunning classic units to round things out. But where were the big South Island and nationwide fleets that previously attended?

I’m the first to admit there is a time and cost commitment associated with getting to an event like this, for individuals trying to balance the obligations of their day-to-day responsibilities and for operators trying to make a go of it in the strained economic climate, notwithstanding taking working rigs out of operational routines to sit in a paddock for truck-spotters to salivate over.

Logically, however, it does take the industry fronting up in sufficient numbers for an event to be regarded as an industry occasion, and in this regard, it was incredibly disappointing for the operators, and suppliers for that matter.

Surely there has to be immense value in spending time around your peers in such challenging times? What are they seeing? What opportunities are there to learn from others? What new technology is in play that might give your operation an edge? Or maybe it’s as simple as taking out a day or two from the business to decompress and simply spend time with likeminded folk.

I hope I am wrong, but I also suspect that the fact that the event was the brainchild of one association meant we saw little or no representation from others. Surely, though, we’re bigger than this, right?

I put my views on the event out in this form not to knock the show itself or the immense effort that went into organising it, but to highlight the need for support and collaboration in general rather than an ongoing splintered approach to the industry.

Similarly, I was staggered to hear of the recent arrival of yet another new industry body on the scene, the South Island Road Transport Association. After the significant effort applied to creating regional and national consolidation, we again see a breakaway group determined to dilute the industry voice. If only the energy applied to creating these new entities and hierarchies could be applied to working as a team, our sector would be a much better place.

The next time there’s an opportunity for you to be a part of an industry event, big or small, don’t do a no-show; you and the industry will be a lot better for you showing up!