Monster trucks (on our roads)

Around the end of May 2010,  New Zealand's first High Productivity Motor Vehicle (HPMV)

permits were issued by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) to two trucks owned by state-owned coal miner Solid Energy.

The permits allow the trucks to carry up to 50 tonne loads along the 60km route between New Vale Mine and *a customer in Edendale, Southland.

HPMV permits which came into effect on May 1, allow existing weight and dimensions rules for trucks to be amended to allow a new class of vehicle, called high productivity motor vehicles, to operate under a special H permit on specified routes, displaying H plates at all times.

We'll at least we'll know what hit us, or at least what it is that's chewing up our roads!

* Fonterra, in case you didn't catch it as it flew by.