Road Ninja, New Zealand's innovative driver employment platform and app, is expanding its reach into Australia, with operations set to launch by late January 2025. This marks a major milestone for the company as it brings its cutting-edge technology and services across the Tasman, redefining driver employment solutions in the Australian market.

Road Ninja is reshaping the future of transport and logistics with its revolutionary employment platform and app. By seamlessly connecting businesses with a network of pre-vetted, ready-to-work skilled drivers, the platform addresses critical labour shortages head-on. Road Ninja empowers businesses with a flexible, scalable, and cost-efficient solution, ensuring they can meet demand without compromise. Finding the right drivers at the right time has never been easier.

Road Ninja’s Australian launch will focus on the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining industry, a key segment of Australia’s billion-dollar mining economy, which is known for offering abundant job opportunities and competitive wages.
"In its first year in New Zealand, Road Ninja onboarded over 500 drivers and 100 companies, facilitating more than $1 million in transactions. The platform has quickly become New Zealand’s largest source for driver talent, offering businesses a one-stop shop to access skilled drivers on-demand while creating valuable job opportunities for those registered.

Bodhi Vette, CEO and Founder of Road Ninja, says: “The expansion into Australia is a key part of Road Ninja’s strategic growth plan. Our initial focus will be on servicing the fly-in, fly-out driving jobs in the mining sector across Australia, leveraging our talented pool of skilled Kiwi drivers who bring extensive experience in the unique demands of this industry.

“At the same time, we’re excited to create new opportunities for Australian drivers and businesses to join the platform, address the growing demand for skilled professional drivers, and deliver significant value to both the transport and wider mining sectors. Additionally, Road Ninja will help skilled drivers access work opportunities on both sides of the Tasman, fostering greater flexibility and collaboration between the two countries.”

Drivers with relevant experience, or those willing to take on contracts requiring set periods away from home, will have the chance to work across numerous destinations throughout the country.

Bodhi continues: “Our expansion won’t be limited to one region; we’re looking to build a truly nationwide driver network, connecting people with work opportunities from the east to the west coast of Australia.”

With Andrew Ritchie as a lead investor in Road Ninja, the inclusion of bus drivers will also be a key focus for the platform’s expansion. Andrew, who has significant transport interests in Australia and previously sold Ritchies Coachlines to the KKR Group in 2021, brings a wealth of industry expertise.

“Andrew’s backing brings invaluable industry knowledge and connections as we expand into Australia,” says Vette. “His experience strengthens Road Ninja’s ability to provide innovative solutions to businesses and drivers alike.”

Differing from traditional driver-hire and recruitment models, Road Ninja’s subscription-based approach has transformed the commercial driver marketplace.

Bodhi concludes: “Our subscription model marks a groundbreaking moment for the transport industry.  We reimagined how companies could access driver resources by combining contract driver sourcing, job board advertising, and direct recruitment into one cost-effective, high-value platform. The result is a flexible solution that eliminates traditional recruiter fees and gives businesses complete control over their hiring needs.”

“With the success we’ve seen in New Zealand, we’re confident that Australia will be the next big chapter in Road Ninja’s journey. Our platform is purpose-built to solve the challenges facing the modern transport industry, and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead for both drivers and businesses.”

For more information about Road Ninja, or to sign up to use the platform as a driver or business, visit www.roadninja.co.nz