Getting a transport service licence
You'll need a vehicle recovery licence to operate a vehicle recovery business. You must also ensure that your transport service licence label is displayed in all tow trucks you operate as close as practical to the bottom of the windscreen on the passenger's side.
Find out how to get a vehicle recovery service licence and where licence labels must be displayed.
Understanding the Operator Licensing Rule
Section 10 of the Operator Licensing Rule specifies the minimum legal standards and requirements you must meet in operating a vehicle recovery business.
Meeting vehicle requirements
Your vehicles must meet higher safety standards before you can operate them in a licensed transport service. These include registration and annual licensing requirements and routine certificate of fitness inspections. Your vehicles must continue to meet these safety standards while operated in a transport service.
When buying vehicles for your business, you should also be aware of the safety features common in many modern vehicles and any features that could affect the environment.
Vehicle classes
All vehicles are defined by class, with standards applying to each class. Find out more.
Choosing your vehicles
To help you choose tow trucks that are suitable for the type of service you expect them to provide, we've developed a heavy vehicle selection guide. You can also find more information on truck selection in the Australian Transport Safety Group's guide to buying a safe truck (external link).
Operating vehicles safely
It's important that you maintain your tow trucks in a safe and serviceable condition at all times.
Attending to faults when they become apparent will keep you in business and save you money in the long term - and it will help you to achieve consistently good Operator Rating System (ORS) scores.
For more information on maintaining your tow trucks in a safe and compliant condition, check out:
You can also take steps to make your tow trucks more visible to others. Find out more.
Loading vehicles safely
Incorrect loading practices can contribute to rollovers and loads falling off.
All tow trucks should be designed and operated so that loads can be restrained. The minimum standard for load restraint is The official New Zealand truck loading code, which is available at most good bookstores.
Find out more about safe loading and truck rollover.
Road user charges
Road user charges apply to:
- all vehicles with a manufacturers' gross laden weight of 3500 kilograms
- all vehicles of 3500 kilograms or less powered by fuel not taxed when sold, such as diesel-powered and electric vehicles.
Find out more about other vehicle types and road user charges.
Developing a safe driving policy
Every dent, prang, speeding ticket or collision involving your tow trucks will affect your business's financial bottom line. So it makes sense to encourage safe driving - and potentially save lives - by making it an integral part of your business policy.
Get help with developing a safe driving policy.
The chain of responsibility
The 'chain of responsibility' recognises that everyone who influences a driver's behaviour and compliance should, and must, be held accountable if that influence results in non-compliance.
How we can help
Call our contact centre for advice on and help with complying with all transport-related rules, regulations, and vehicle standards and requirements.
