Over 1,600 fleet professionals came together at Mystery Creek in Hamilton on 5th and 6th of August for EROAD Fleet Days 2026 – for what has become New Zealand’s largest fleet management conference. Transport operators, fleet managers, safety leads, technology providers, vehicle manufacturers and industry leaders all gathered in one place, for two full days.
EROAD Fleet Days isn’t your average industry conference – this year’s event featured even more action with over 75 exhibitors, an outdoor test track, a 4×4 experience, high-performance rides and a brand-new Truck Show and Shine. Plus, a speaker lineup that ranged from a government policy chief to a White Island rescue pilot to a former Prime Minister.
But ask anyone who was there what they remember most and most of them will tell you it’s the conversations. The warm introductions, the in-person handshakes, the coffee break moments with a peer you only get to see once a year. In an industry built on reliability and trust, those connections matter as much as anything happening on stage.
The big themes from the stage
The conference programme covered a lot of ground, but three themes were evident across the two days.
Fleet operators are managing a lot right now
Whether it’s fuel price volatility, road funding reform, new safety standards, driver shortages, electrification, or the global economic backdrop, unpacked by Sir John Key – the pressure on businesses across the industry remains high and shows no signs of slowing down.
There’s power in the insights from hard-won human experience
What the presenters made clear – and what the 1,600 Fleet Days attendees recognise – is that we have much to gain from the experience of others. Mark Law didn’t just present theory about emergency response. He shared his personal story, reflecting on what it actually cost him to make life-or-death decisions under pressure and what he carried out the other side. Craig Wilson, Jonathon Dick and Brett Horrobin talked openly about what has genuinely worked in running their fleets and what hasn’t.
Many of the attendees commented on how much they’d learnt from the presenters’ candid reflections on some hard-won experiences. It’s these moments that can become the catalyst for positive change in our industry, and something that’s all the more powerful when you hear it first-hand.
The tools only go as far as the people behind them
What also came through clearly across the two days was that the gap between a good fleet and a great one isn’t just the technology. It’s the culture, the managers and the drivers. Fleets that invest in their people – coaching drivers in the moment, recognising the ones doing it right, giving them tools that fit how their day actually works – see that investment come back in safety, efficiency and retention outcomes.
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