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“I did the road transport course to further my business. I harvest and prune avocados on contract with my own cherry picker and this gives me a back-up if we hit a bad season. It also gives me entry points into other industries because we get tickets in operating fork lifts, wheel tracks and rollers, and handling dangerous goods, as well as trucking and bus driving. Other trucking courses didn’t have the variety or the value that the NorthTec course has.” Holly has been able to do the course around her work. “I have especially enjoyed jumping on the digger and driving the truck but I was terrified driving the bus because of its size and blind spots. Luckily there’s not much theory but we cover enough to learn the importance of things like keeping up-to-date log books to avoid big fines.” “Tackling the challenges has built up my confidence to actually do things. I bought a wide trailer that I had to drive through Auckland and over the harbour bridge. There was only just enough space, but I did it, partly because of the confidence from the course and the tutors.” Holly wasn’t interested in trucking until the last few years. “My Mum is a dairy farmer and my Dad is a trucker, but I only got interested in trucking after I went out and bought a cherry picker. It’s not considered a woman thing and I got shut down a few times, but business took off so that boosted my confidence.” “The course has opened the doors for the possibility of expanding my business and offering more services to my customers.” Find out more about NorthTec's Road Transport courses
"As a mature student, it’s a long time since I studied but I’m enjoying learning and my memory is better than I...
“I’m now in my 40's and was ready for a change from the physicality of water-blasting in Auckland for 12 years. Truck driving seemed like a good option because there’s a high demand for it and my Dad, my Mum and my brother were all drivers, so it’s in my blood and I know that world.
“I had driven smaller trucks but I really enjoy learning to drive the bigger trucks, and because it’s a part-time course, we can practice in our downtime. We study the theory of the highway codes and as a mature student, it’s a long time since I studied but I’m enjoying learning and my memory is better than I thought it would be.”
“It’s interesting being with the students because we all come from different backgrounds but have the same goal, and the tutors are strict but fair. There’s a lot more to the training than I expected because, as well as the driving licences, we can get tickets in wheel tracks and rollers, forklift driving, load restraints, the Highway Code and dangerous goods transport. The dangerous goods study is a bit of a challenge because there’s lot of info on what can be transported together and why, but it’s good for me.”
“I’ve now got my Class 2 and want to go on up to Class 5. Ultimately I’d like to be an owner/operator but the world of truck driving is still new to me so I will see what unfolds. In the meantime, I know it’s an industry with job security and several options.”
“This programme makes you work ready. It teaches us what’s inside commercial trucks and all the technology we need to...
I got a job straight from the course because the transport company approached the tutor. The tutors are very...
“I blew my back out in forestry so I had to change industry and upskill. I looked into commercial transport options because I had driven trucks before but didn’t have the licences. This course has given me the tickets and is close to where I live in town.”
“The best part of the course has been learning something new and meeting the other students and tutors. The tutors are very professional and really know what they are doing. The biggest challenge was having back surgery the month before the course finished, and somehow getting through the final Class II assessments.”
“I got a job straight from the course because the transport company approached the tutor. I’m now a fill-in driver for the hospital bus plus I work around the company’s yard, and in the summer I’ll be driving tours up 90 Mile Beach. It’s a relief to get completely off WINZ. My ultimate goal is to be driving in Australia - preferably with my own business in transport.”
The completion of the course and the certificates I will receive will give me a lot more job opportunities than I...
“I’ve always liked driving and I’ve driven a lot of things but not big trucks. I joined this course to get a Dangerous Goods licence for courier driving and now I realise other licences we are receiving are opening more options.”
“My brother studied architecture here at NorthTec and suggested I have a look.”
“After passing my class 2 licence, I got to experience driving trucks which I really enjoyed and I also received awesome feedback. The challenge is to keep telling myself it’s easy.”
“Before I joined the course my four children lived with their father. The surprise is that they are now back in my care, so as a single mother it gets a little tricky to juggle family commitments as well as studying, as my youngest is two years old. My tutor is understanding of my personal life and makes allowances to make sure I can keep on track with the course.”
“As students we're all like a family. We all have the same end goal so we help each other to get through completing the course. The completion of the course and the certificates I will receive will give me a lot more job opportunities than I originally thought. I can explore other options such as wheels, tracks and rollers, and also diggers.”
“When I finish this course I will roll over to the next semester to upskill myself for more tickets including class 4 and 5. At the moment I’m enjoying expanding my possibilities.”
I’m surprised at how well I’m doing and how much I’m getting on with it. I’m also surprised at the range of what we...
“Doing this course gives my life direction and meaning. Before this I had work but I had no tickets, no goals, and my life was going nowhere. I was working on a farm in the weather and the mud and driving the school bus, but I’ve always wanted to drive logging trucks and do long hauls.”
“I can still work three days a week while I do this commercial transport course and I end up with several tickets like forklifts and a National Certificate in class 2, 4 and 5 licences. Everyone here is so keen to learn and the programme and tutors are a great motivation. The tutors have all been out there doing it and that makes a huge difference to how we learn.”
“This is the first course I have ever done so the paperwork is a challenge but there’s help here for that. It’s good to exercise my mental capacities and I’m surprised at how well I’m doing and how much I’m getting on with it. I’m also surprised at the range of what we learn. It’s not just driving but includes safety, making your load secure, and how to prevent driver fatigue.”
“I’ve already got work lined up for when I finish the course. I dropped my CV into a trucking company and they’re keen to take me on. My ultimate would be working in the mines in Australia driving big dump trucks. I’d literally be moving mountains.”
“NorthTec’s tutors also have great connections and networks with people locally and throughout New Zealand that can...
The quality of the tutoring was priceless and so much more than I expected. It opened my mind and has changed my life...
“I’m a qualified welder and was working fulltime making trailers when my work was reduced to part time. I heard on National Radio that there was a shortage of drivers and I’m used to working with engines and steel so I decided to come back NorthTec and do the transport course. I had previously done an engineering course here and I like the environment.”
“The quality of the tutoring was priceless and so much more than I expected. It opened my mind and has changed my life and I did well in class. We got several tickets including forklift driving, tracks, rollers, dangerous goods, Class II licence and First Aid and the tutor kept changing things on us so we would get used to the flexibility that is needed in transport.”
“To get driving experience I came down to TranzNorth and worked during my holiday breaks. There is so much to learn in transport and it’s a long process to get familiar with identifying product, safe loads, the paperwork and just doing the seat time.”
“I figured that if I didn’t get work after the course I’d go back to welding but now I’ve got a permanent job here at TranzNorth and this is so much better. I love getting out and about and each delivery is an accomplishment.”
“The other students in my course were fully involved in their learning and I recommend anyone who wants to better themselves or upskill looks at what’s available at NorthTec.”
Cook Island Maori
Tribe - Ngati Amo