The Gisborne Herald • Wednesday, July 7, 2021 1

Keep on trucking 2021 2 TOPIC Big wheels page2 Rewi Haulage rewarded rolling for uplifting work

pages4-5 Cara Haines - FEATURES TEAM LEADER Changing gears as industry evolves Welcome to our 2021 issue of Keep on Trucking. In this publication we hear about Rewi Haulage, who won a Maori Agribusiness award; we speak to Alaister Gray, who has seen a lot of changes in his 40 years in the transport industry; we catch up with Dave Pardoe and Kevin McKay, who were honoured at the Eastland Forestry Awards; we learn about the ninth book in Gavin Abbot’s Trucks and Truckers series; we chat with Kiefer Shanahan about being part of the family trucking business; and Jasper Taunoa tells us how she page6 went from being a qualified hairdresser to a driver for Farmers Transport. Passion still burns in trucking vet Dave If you know any interesting trucking stories that we can feature in our next Trucking feature, please give me a call on 869 0654 or email me on [email protected]

page10 Returned to forestry roots www.gisborneherald.co.nz

page11 From salon chair to driver’s seat

“Locally Owned page12 Diesel runs in & Operated” Kevin’s blood

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Contact Kevin McKay 027 246 3350 40025-01 40023-01 The Gisborne Herald •Wednesday, July 7, 2021 3 Rewi Haulage rewarded for uplifting work THE CREW - The Rewi Haulage team are, from left, Hylo Wilson (Chubb and Agnes’s granddaughter), Ali Rewi (their son), Dave Rewi (brother), William Houkamau, Henrietta Raroa, Alby Maangi (partially obscured), Derek Fox, Jason Awarau, Paul Hale, Chubb RANGITUKIA-based log trucking company MPI deputy director- Rewi, Wiremu Henare, Hira Olson, Beau Hailey, Nui Lawson, Hoana Rewi (daughter) and Rewi Haulage Limited (RHL) won the general Karen Adair said Agnes Rewi. Maori Agribusiness Award in the Primary it had been a tough time for employers Industries’ GoodGood EmployerEmployer AwardsAwards inin April.April. with Covid-19. Still, the awards finalists had their career RHL is a Maori family-owned log transport shown passion, innovation and commitment goals. company. Directors Chubb and Agnes Rewi to the food and fibres sector that deserved Forest took a risk and incorporated the business to be acknowledged. Owners in 2014, starting with one logging truck “Our food and fibres sector plays a vital Association Chubb operated with no initial contracts of role in the recovery of our economy. OurOur vice president his own. people are our most important resource, Grant Dodson Chubb said the award, although a and the finalists have all demonstrated that says many surprise, was a recognition of the way the they’re putting their people first.” people still company runs its business. RHL trucks logs down to Eastland Port thought the This award recognises employers from Te Araroa,Araroa, workingworking alongalong thethe wholewhole land-based who have developed new or innovative coast. industries processes who provide good employment “We have nine of our own trucks and we were only conditions and Maori employee pathways, employ 12 subcontracted owner-drivers as about food production. Primary Industries Good Employee Awards”. and incorporate tikanga Maori to increase well,” ChubbChubb said.said. “But we have companies and individuals “They are representatives of many other individual, community, hapuhapu andand iwiiwi Now RHL owns nine units, has direct in our forest industry who are equally proud individuals and companies who are working outcomes. forest contracts with six different forest of the work they do. It’s great toto seesee themthem to high professional standards in our “It’s pretty overwhelming to be honest,” managers and subcontracts with eight recognised through these Ministry for industry.” said Chubb when they were nominated. companies. “It’s certainly something positive for the Beyond its direct employees, this business East Coast and for forestry.” network employs a further 18 people in the The awards, run by the Ministry for region, all of whom have strong ties to Ngati A leader in bulk Primary Industries, recognise the work Porou and whakapapa to the land. haulage, providing employers do to promote the food and RHL directly employs 19 local Ngati Porou fast, friendly service fibres sector as a great place to work. staff consisting of transport operators, throughout the Waikato “The way we do things is orientated administrative and executive staff. and Gisborne area. to our wider whanau and to help build Post Covid-19, RHL realised the need to 100% kiwi-owned. stronger local communities and businesses expand other avenues of business. One area which we need. It’s less about individuals.” that the company focused on was their own Member of the Road Chubb says the goal is to improve logistics department. This now has contracts Transport Association. opportunities for people who want to live to dispatch for several other transport on the Coast. companies in the region. “It’s cheaper living if people have got Other diversifications include a family land here. The biggest issue they had tyre-fitting and servicing workshop, a was getting jobs so that’s why we’re trying mechanical call-out unit, a slash recovery to increase that area in terms of training and unit that provides the local mill in Ruatoria employment.” with slash to convert into fence batons. RHL is doing just that. In addition to their The addition of a licensing and driver- allbulk haulage limited current operations, Chubb said they hope to training programme has seen two drivers hire a harvesting team which means three graduate and go into full-time employment, or four more staff on the books. increasing employment and development 370 Bushmere Road, PO Box 1025, Gisborne 4040 “It all takes time and money.” opportunities for staff so they can expand 40024-01 Phone 027 294 5727 or 021 285 778

PHONE 06 868 5340 39890-01 4 TOPIC Changing gears as industry evolves

by Jack Marshall SEEN IT ALL - After being in the industry Not many know the East Coast trucking for over four decades Alaister Gray industry as well as Alaister Gray. has seen a lot. He says the business is constantly evolving. He started his working career as a marine mechanic, but joined his father at Gray Sargent over 40 years ago. He calls the transport industry a family Coast, and they were big operations in bigger or sell out.” many of Farmers Transport’s employees affair, with trucks and reputations passed their own rights. An offer was made and Transport are first-timers in the business. down through the generations. “It was a sign of the times. The big were Holdings, now Farmers Transport, “We have a huge training programme Transportation is a booming industry getting bigger and the small were not purchased the company. that has evolved. We train from Class 2 and its expansion and professionalisation able to cope with it.” “Within a month they had bought us units right through to Class 5 trucks. has resulted in big operators slowly Alaister was there when Gray Sargent and we were on the journey of being with “Today’s environment in transport is swallowing up many family operations. joined Farmers Transport. a pretty big outfit.” professional. The guys on the road are “There have been a lot of Gray Sargent was turning over well Although transportation and trucking highly skilled. amalgamations happening within the for the size of its operations and this are now full of corporations and powerful “What the public sees is only part of transport industry on the East Coast,” was causing a bit of grief for the more players, the people who love the industry it. There are units that are $700,000 and Alaister says. prominent companies. are still there. they can have anything between $60,000 “Hicks Bay Carriers, Goldsmiths, “But we got to a stage where we either “A lot of us within transport families to $80,000 of stock on board.” McGregors and Chaffey all sold out of the had to invest a whole lot of money to get on the East Coast have joined up with “Companies take their role very the bigger companies because we are seriously. You get the Mainfreights of passionate about transport. this world and the HWR Richardsons in “Transport has not been the easiest transport who spend huge amounts of game but the people in it love it. It’s a money on their staff.” passion.” They have to be sure the staff can At its core, the job is about people. handle those big rigs, Alaister says. “It is about building relationships. We Along with changes in human have to make sure their day is going well. capabilities, technology has altered the “One of my biggest things is the transport industry from top to bottom. people you meet. They are amazing. “Transportation from point A to point “Farmers Transport is a huge employer. B is an absolute must for the efficiency of We have 25 drivers here and there are the dollar,” Alaister says. 90-odd drivers down the road. “As much as we focus on our drivers, “I think it’s that end result each day. the other part of the team is the logistics You can go home knowing you have putting that together and mapping the done a good day’s work. days out.” In the past, people drove trucks A lot of this information is on tablets. because of their family ties but today “They’re all GPS-tracked.”

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40154-01 5 topic

The logistics team send That change has been drivers a full day of work, with immense over the last the route mapped out. 10 years, and looking “You used to write into the future, everything on paper, hand the Alaister believes the driver a card and tell them ‘go next 10 years will be and do this for the day’.” just as significant. Occasionally there are “It is evolving. It’s news stories about truck something that does drivers working 48 hours not stand still.” straight with no sleep, putting The area that has themselves and others in seen the most change danger. has been compliance. Technological innovation “In livestock cartage is helping eliminate this it has been huge. overworking. We have to own The tablets also work as everything that is a driver’s logbook so they done on that unit.” know when to have breaks Alaister says that the and cannot exceed the legal future is only going to number of hours worked. get more complex but If a driver pulls up at a he is confident. weigh station or is stopped by “We have got used law enforcement, they hand to change and we cope over their logbook and police with it.” can download the timetable. For all the hype, The industry’s Alaister does not see professionalisation has meant electric vehicles taking the chain of responsibility over trucks anytime has grown and the onus for soon. mistakes is no longer just on “Electric is still a the driver. long way off.” “Before it was just ‘their The only thing he problem’. Now it’s everybody’s is sure of when it problem. We all have a part comes to the future to play. of trucking is that “We all have to answer, ‘why change will continue did that problem or accident to happen whether we happen?’” like it or not.

40411-01 The Gisborne Herald • Wednesday, July 7, 2021 6 Passion

PASSIONATE ABOUT TRUCKING - Dave Pardoe will celebrate his 75th still burns birthday soon. He is pictured wearing his trademark Drive 35 cap in front of a couple of rigs he uses to train Tairawhiti’s future truck drivers. He was honoured for his passion and commitment to the in trucking trucking industry at the Eastland Wood Council Forestry Awards last month. vet Dave Picture by Rebecca Grunwell

by Sophie Rishworth

Dave Pardoe remembers in 2018 when “These people trucks were parked up and Tairawhiti waswas will be around 180 drivers short. for decades. Today he has a list of more than 150 They have a of infrastructure to log and re-establish 18-speed gearbox, a double clutch and how recruits who are being trained through the good 20-30 years ahead of indigenous forests. to use the gears (not brakes) going down Tairāwhiti Road Transport Training Trust.Trust. them. Returning to New Zealand, he moved hills. Dave has always been driven by new “The modern trucks are so much more into the private sector with the NZ Forest He knows electric trucks will be next, but challenges and is hugely passionate about comfortable.” Corporation, managing distribution of logs not in his generation, he says. the forestry and trucking industries. Dave is always trying to encourage throughout the North Island and to Ports of Dave works three days a week and spends For the past few years, he has been whoever he can into a truck-driving career. Tauranga and Napier. He has worked with his long weekends re-doing his home at addressing the critical shortage of truck At the Eastland Forestry Awards last Williams and Wilshier for more than 25 years. Manutuke on 1 heactare of land. drivers. month, Dave was honoured for his passion Today he trains the drivers of tomorrow. Funnily enough, says Dave, the A stalwart of the trucking industry, Dave and commitment to the industry. To inspire others, Dave likes to tell stories property is the one his grandfather tried is training new recruits and is positive about Dave says a lot of it was good timing. about the people he has trained and the unsuccessfully to buy in the 1920s. the future of trucking in Tairawhiti. He started as a trainee with NZ Forest adversities they have overcome. Dave has turned it from a patch of land The gender gap is starting to lessen as Service and went on to hold management Helping people get into jobs is what keeps into a home where all his whanau come to well, as he points out a third of the trainee positions in forests on the East Coast, before him going, he says. visit. truck drivers are women. moving to Kaingaroa Forest. “And there is always a demand for drivers He has four children, nine mokopuna and He says truck driving is an aging industry In the mid-80s he moved to WesternWestern with a Class 5 licence.” three mokotuarua. although 75 percent of the new recruits are Samoa with wife Gwen (now passed on) and Getting there can take around 18 His whakapapa has links to under 45 years old. three of their kids. He oversaw the building months to two years as recruits navigate an Rongowhakaata and Ngati Porou. 40414-01 The Gisborne Herald • Wednesday, July 7, 2021 7

Downer delivering emergency response

Emergency management and winter maintenance is now in full swing for the Tairawhiti based Downer team. In an emergency, we provide response capability to ensure the public’s safety in the event of any emergency with a 24/7 roster of personnel. Wee workwork closelyclosely withwith thethe emergencyemergency responseresponse teams,teams, suchsuch asas NZ Police, Fire and Ambulance, to support them in managing any incidents. As we are always on the road delivering multiple services, we also ensure that any disabled vehicles, objects or debris, including fluids, arising from an incident, are removed from the network to prevent obstruction that could cause a safety hazard for all road users. In case of such events, please call 0800 493 5323.

40412-01 8 TOPIC A Direct role in trucking industry over the decades

Golden Days - Clare and Clare Ltd was a major long-term player in the Gisborne trucking industry between 1910 and 1973. For decades the company was based on the (above) Reads Quay-Childers Road intersection. Like its many Gisborne contemporaries, all operating in a competitive and rapidly changing industry, it is no more. Picture courtesy of Gisborne Photo News

TRUCKING veteran and aficionado Gavin blue trucks a common sight. The company than 30 miles if a rail line covered the area. McGregors was a typical rural operation, Abbot has lived in Opotiki all of his life but changed to a blue and white livery in the The Gisborne-Motuhora line was not carting stock — to freezing works and he knows a lot about the Gisborne trucking 1970s. dismantled until 1959 and Mr Smith spent farms — fertiliser, wool, posts, metal and industry and the many firms which have The origins of Direct Transport date back much time in courts and licensing sittings general freight. come and gone. to Mr Smith, who entered the trucking with New Zealand Railways. Wards and McGregors added 35 trucks The retired driver and Direct Transport industry in 1939. The contract between Mr Corson and Ron and trailers to Direct’s Gisborne operation. (Opotiki) manager recently released the Ron Smith Ltd was contacted in 1948 by Smith was to last 40 years. Direct Transport later moved to a new ninth book — Ron Smith Ltd and Direct Tan Corson, who had established Gisborne By 1963, Ron Smith Ltd had a large depot in Banks Street. Transport — in his Trucks andand TruckersTruckers Markets and wanted his vegetables business operating between Bay of Plenty In 1973, Direct Transport bought Clare series. delivered overnight to Rotorua. and Gisborne, with depots in Gisborne and and Clare Ltd — a major player in the Direct Transport had a significant role In that pre-deregulation era, trucking Rotorua. Gisborne industry since 1910. in the Gisborne trucking industry with its companies could not service a route longer Gisborne Markets was still its biggest Clare and Clare Ltd had been run by customer. three generations of the Clare Family — Ron Smith Ltd merged with Rotorua Lionel, Ronald and Randal — since Lionel company Lightning Transport andand itsits namename founded the company in 1910. Family-owned business was found after answering the question: The company even ran four ships “How would you send your goods between between New Zealand and Australia in its Rotorua and Gisborne?” early years. operating for over 25 years “You would sendsend themthem direct.”direct.” Clare and Clare started its business in a Direct Transport was bought out by a small building on the river side of Read’s group of Nelson businessmen in 1965 and Quay before establishing its long-term the company underwent rapid expansion. base on the Reads Quay-Childers Road The company became a subsidiary of corner. Carter Holt in 1971. The company moved to the Awapuni In 1973, Direct bought Tolaga Bay-based industrial subdivision in 1971. McGregors Transport and Wards Transport Mr Abbot wrote in his book that the in Gisborne. purchase of Clare and Clare added 42 items Direct had moved from Childers Road of plant to the rapidly-expanding Direct into a new and bigger depot shared with Transport. Wards Transport in Carnarvon Street, Chaffey’s Transport Ltd of Tokomaru Bay leading to the takeover. was purchased in 1976 and integrated with Wards was a large operator on the Coast. McGregors for East Coast operations. Its green and cream trucks were involved In 1987, Direct Transport was bought by in stock cartage, freight runs and general Te Puke company Dawe & Sons. cartage. That company collapsed in the 1990s.

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1970 - Line-up of Clare & Clare trucks in Banks Street.

Wards Transport, Gisborne - Chaffey’s Transport, Tokomaru Taken over in 1973 Bay - Taken over in 1976

SUPPORTING GISBORNE TRUCKING FOR THE LONG HAUL

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UDC Finance Limited Steve Gittings | 027 245 9748 Kris Hall | 021 924 744 10 TOPIC Returned to forestry

A FAMILY AFFAIRAFFAIR -- Kiefer Shanahan with the newest truck in the BBL yard. roots Picture by The Black Balloon

by Diana Dobson

Kiefer Shanahan was probably always with Connexis and destined to join the family business BBL, doing his necessary even if he didn’t know it himself. licences through The 26-year-old spent a few years Tairawhiti Road working at the port in Wellington before Transport. deciding to come home. Keifer passed He may be the boss’s son but that doesn’tdoesn’t his Class 2 licence mean much in this award-winning and in early 2020 then highly-respected integrated road line Class 4 late 2020, harvest company. advancing to full BBL harvests logs and build roads and Class 5 this year. skid sites for the forestry industry. It is an He gathered extremely challenging task, particularly other qualifications given the East Coast terrain. along the way like Kiefer is a machine operator and truck his wheels, tracks and rollers. It all comes in hop between machines doing all sorts of stuff.” “We are all looking out for each other up driver for the company. As a youngster hehe handy during a normal work day. The machine list is long and reads like there. The terrain is often quite challenging, grew up helping his dad “Irish” butbut hadhad nono Kiefer says he is loving working within a young boy’s wish list — rollers, diggers, especially in the winter season.” desire to join the company after leaving the family company and with a crew of wheel loaders, excavators, dozers, graders He encourages others to look into the school so headed south. experienced operators and drivers. and trucks. industry. It is a different story now. He is powering “I am enjoying learning all I can,” hehe says.says. “It makes it very interesting. I came in “Go for it. It is a challenging job but you his way through the first year of a three- Most of Kiefer’s days are spent spreading here green and have learned a lot.” are outdoors, you keep fit and there are a year New Zealand apprenticeship in metal for 10-12 hours in the bush. He is conscious of the constant need for lot of really good people who work in this infrastructure works (forestry earthworks) “I enjoy that it is never just one thing — I attention to health and safety. industry.”

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40339-02 40459-01 The Gisborne Herald • Wednesday, July 7, 2021 11

NEW DIRECTION - Jasper Taunoa with the ‘little’ truck she currently drives. Picture by The Black Balloon From salonsalon chairchair toto driver’sdriver’s seat seat

by Diana Dobson

An opportunity to follow a new career The rest is history. The industry and her work at and happy member of the 26-strong path has proven just the ticket for mum- Jasper passed her Class 2 licence and Farmers Transport has exceeded her team. of-one Jasper Taunoa. qualified as a forklift operator and is expectations. “She is outgoing, determined and a She has been a driver with Farmers working towards Class 4. Her long-term “Every time I get in the truck I learn real team player,” Andrew says. Transport for seven months — a far cry goal is Class 5. something new. It is about taking your The company has long run a cadet from the industry she chose as a teen. “The theory has been a challenge. It time to take all that in and transition scheme where it takes on trainees and Jasper is a hairdresser by trade, having was like going back to school,” she says. to the next stage. You have to be so supports them through their licences. cut and styled hair since she was 15, but “There’s a lot of health and safety aware of all the potential hazards in this “Farmers Transport is so supportive, it for the eight months before she joined stuff to understand as well, which is so industry. You have to concentrate, be is like one big family,” says Jasper. “I can Farmers Transport she had been out of important in this industry. There is always organised, have good self-discipline and ask any question of anyone in the office work due to Covid-19. something to learn — I just keep at it. an attitude to not give up. I know there and they are always there to help. They “I realised I wanted to work in a John and his team have supported and will always be challenges and that is OK.” encourage us to ask questions.” different industry and take a new helped me achieve these goals. He even Jasper has the Serenity Prayer tattooed She is also appreciative of the support journey,” Jasper says. “I wanted to do drove me out to see Farmers Transport at on her leg to remind her to accept the she continues to get from her parents. something new and I have always loved the beginning. I am so grateful for them things she cannot change and have the Jasper’s six-year-old daughter Honey the country and farm life.” helping me.” courage to change the things she can. floored her the other day when she A call from the Ministry of Social It helps that Jasper has plenty of She is thriving as a truckie-in-training told her she too was going to be a truck Development led her to Dave Pardoe, who energy and is “keen as” to tick all the at one of the oldest rural carriers in the driver . . . “just like you Mummy”. arranged for her to attend a heavy truck boxes. region. “That was pretty cool.” driving course managed by Tairawhiti “I love how big the trucks are and being Jasper is the third female driver to join In the meantime, Jasper will keep Road Transport and conducted by John able to learn how to operate such a large Farmers Transport and manager Andrew working her way up the grades and McInnes and his team. rig like that.” Church says she is valued as a bubbly being the best truck driver she can.

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40515-01 proceeds to Phone 06 867 8564 or 027 443 9410 proceeds to Gisborne Cancer Society 40730-01 12 TOPIC

BORN TRUCKER - McKay Cartage co-owners Kevin and Megan McKay. Kevin comes from a trucking family. Diesel runs in Kevin’s blood

by Jack Marshall

Kevin McKay is a born trucker and now has an That means more work for Kevin. award to prove it. Kevin and Megan were based in Mount Kevin who co-owns McKay Cartage with wife Maunganui before moving to Tokomaru Megan, won the Cartage Excellence category at the Bay in 2006 to start McKay Cartage. Eastland Forestry Awards in May. They came just as the forestry and Cartage work requires long hours and early logging industries were starting to boom starts but that does not bother Kevin. with the maturing of large swathes of “If you tell a truck driver he’s at work too early, pine trees. he’ll probably tell you you’ve got too much time on It was a bold move at the time. Only your hands,” Kevin says. a few years prior was the “Huaguang The industry is full of hard-working people, he Disaster”, when a Chinese company with says. cutting rights to East Coast forests went “It’s not just driving a truck down the road by into receivership, leaving many operators any means.” saddled with debt. Megan says: “Trucking is in Kevin’s blood. He’s “A lot of people had been stung and got three older brothers who are drivers. His father burnt,” Kevin said. was a driver, too.” Then for a decade Kevin worked on In an article in New Zealand Truck & Driver weekdays in Tokomaru Bay and would magazine, Kevin said growing up he spent a lot of drive back to Gisborne for the weekend time around trucks with his dad. to be with family. McKay Cartage Ltd - Andre Tamepo “The diesel bug gets you and that was the end “Megan was basically a solo mum for (Truck Driver) of that.” that long, and I worked my ass off for When Kevin decided to drop out of school as a that long,” said Kevin. teenager, his mother told him he would need a job, Megan initially had no idea of the so he followed his father into the industry. cartage business. Now he is winning awards for his work. “I wouldn’t have known the front from Kevin says it is hard to know what he does the back of a truck before Kevin”. differently from others in the industry because he What set him apart was his passion for does not see how the other outfits run. the industry. “We just do our job.” “He is the kind of person who will One of Kevin’s strengths is his reliablilty. never over-commit to anything. If he says “If you say you’re going to do something for he is going to do something, he will do it. someone, you do it.” “And he doesn’t set himself apart from Staff shortages can make life difficult sometimes. his team. Anything he expects his team “Trying to find good people is hard. We have a to do, he’ll do it. He’s the one washing good team of drivers but we’re short in the the trucks. He’s the one rolling around in workshop at the moment.” the dirt.”