Most epic day of my life!
Saxon, who wants to be a truck driver when he grows up, recently went on a visit to Martin’s Stock Haulage where he was shown around the workshop and went for a drive in one of their trucks.
Hi, I’m Saxon Oldak- er and I’m 10 years old. I live in Kilcoy, Queensland.
When asked what I want to be when I grow up, it was always a police officer. That is until I discovered cattle trucks a couple of years ago.
I don’t just want to drive cattle trucks. One day I really want to own my own truck company. I even have the colours picked out to paint all my trucks.
I was very lucky enough to recently get a tour around one of my favourite company’s depots – Martin’s Stock Haulage at Oakey. I met up with Adam, their manager on site who took me for a drive in one of their trucks before a tour of the workshop and checking out what maintenance they were currently carrying out on their trailers.
I didn’t want to leave – I was having one of the most epic days of my life! The experience really made me more determined to work hard at school so I can sit in that driver’s seat when I grow up. It will be a day I remember and be forever grateful for their kind gesture.
Some interesting facts about Martin’s is that they have 100 trucks in their fleet, spread between their two depots – Oakey in Queensland and Scone in New South Wales – and all are Kenworths. The biggest trip they make is from Perth to Armidale, carting cattle. They also cart sheep and have carted goats and deer as well.
Technology and Trucking
Many industries are changing the way they do things to help the environment. Globally, transportation accounts for between 15 and 20% of emissions each year. In New Zealand, big freight trucks account for nearly 25% of New Zealand’s road transport emissions. Greener, efficient and smarter trucks can help reduce the transport industry’s carbon footprint.
Here, we look at ways the transport industry is using technology to make a difference.
Fuel
Most trucks run on diesel. Many companies are changing the types of fuel they use that are better for the planet, such as electricity, biofuels and green hydrogen.
Better efficiency
Efficient practices such as using vehicle space more efficiently or reducing freight demand can reduce freight emissions. Many different types of technology are used within trucks and at depots to help manage logistics, the workloads of truck drivers, and track freight.
Electric trucks
Many transport companies are introducing electric trucks to their fleet. Many governments around the world are providing financial incentives to encourage businesses to make the switch to electric vehicles.
Better driving
Skilled driving not only has a direct impact on safety, it can also result in better fuel consumption and a lighter carbon footprint. Many trucking companies have introduced software onto their trucks to help their drivers with speed, maneuverability and to see where they can make improvements.
Let's get cracking! A day in the truck with Dad!
Jackson got up early to spend a day with his dad in his Kenworth T909, transporting some cattle through some small towns in New South Wales, Australia. Did they meet their tight delivery deadline? Read on to find out!
Our day started early for me – much earlier than it would if I had to get up for school. We woke at 6am and had brekky, and made sure we had our supplies for the day ahead.
We left Dubbo in the truck at 7am and headed to Gilgandra to load. My dad has a Kenworth T909 producing 620hp from a Cummins ISX, EGR motor. I love Dad’s truck. Today we were towing B-double rhino cow crates.
At the farm, we loaded 78 head onto our truck and another truck that was coming along with us today. It was a bit slow loading cattle – they are huge and very heavy. We had a deadline to meet of 3pm at the feedlot today, so we had to ’get cracking’ as Dad would say!
Our trip down to the feedlot took us through some small towns like Narromine, Condobolin and onto West Wylong and eventually ending up at Springdale. As our schedule was tight, we couldn’t stop at Dad’s favourite takeaway shop, so we ate a meal mum had made for us from dad’s freezer – it was a yummy curry casserole.
We just made our deadline in time. We unloaded both trucks of cattle safely at their destination and made our journey back home to get ready for the next day’s work.
Max is mad about Truckin'
Max Brighouse and his granddad Dave Matich are not just family; they’re great mates.
If you want to find 15-year-old Max Brighouse on a Satur- day morning, he’ll be around one of the gorgeous trucks owned by his grandparents Dave and Colleen Matich.
Max is a young trucker to the core, and he is already living the dream. During the week, Max attends Raglan Area School, but come the weekend, he gets a different education, learning the finer points of cleaning, servicing, operating, and polishing ‘big iron’.
He spends every spare moment he can with grandad Dave, and they’ve travelled the country from top to bottom. In fact, when Dave bought his K200 Kenworth last year, he spec’d the 2.8m aerodyne with a double bunk, pretty much so Max had somewhere to sleep too. What a guy!
If you see the big green TSMS Kenworth thundering along, give it a huge wave. The driver waving back will be Dave, and the big wave coming at you from the passenger side will most likely be the super-friendly Max Brighouse.
Max’s quick questions!
What are you going to do when you grow up?
“Get my licences and drive trucks.”
What do Dad and Mum do?
“My dad Sol is an oil-rig worker in Taranaki; my mum Sandra is a midwife at Waikato Hospital.”
Brothers and sisters?
“One sister, Esme.”
Does she like trucks too?
“She likes them, but I don’t think she will drive them.”
Favourite thing about trucking?
“Driving everywhere, seeing the country, and the chats and talks that Grandad and I have as we roll along.”
Favourite jobs around the trucks?
“I like polishing, especially the wheels – it keeps them shiny.”
Favourite thing you like about TSMS trucks?
“I like the throwback to Senton Sawmills colours. I think that looks really cool.”
Keeping safe on the road
There are a lot of things to consider when driving in any vehicle, and trucks are no different! Rugged landscapes and changing weather can catch out the most experienced drivers. But driv- ing a truck can be fun and stress free if the driver has done their homework, understands the road rules and takes care on the road.
These days, trucks are equipped with lots of features and equipment that help truck drivers stay safe. Here, we take a look at a few of the things truck drivers need to consider when hitting the road.
Safety check!
• When you’re leaving
Wear your seatbelt, check surroundings (blind spots and when reversing out), drive slowly.
• When you’re driving
Gap check, passing lane, speed limits, road hazards.
• When you’re arriving
Slow down, safe reversing and spotting, check blind spots.
• And remember…
Take breaks and drink plenty of water!
Wheels Wheels Wheels
Our mate Thomas loves heading out on his dad’s truck, and when they get home, it’s his job to wash all the wheels.
Hi! I’m Thomas, I’m 7 years old and I live in Maffra, which is in the state of Victoria in Australia.
I love trucks, and Kenworth is my favourite type of truck.
I have always been around trucks, and my dad drives a Kenworth T409. When I go out trucking with Dad, I get to see heaps of trucks – Kenworths, Western Stars, Peterbilt. And when Dad brings his truck home, I always help him wash it – my job is to do the wheels. There are 10 wheels on Dad’s truck, and on his B-double trailer setup, there are 24 wheels on the trailer.
All my life, all dad’s friends have been truck drivers, and they have always let me sit inside them, which is really cool. When we’re out trucking, Dad and I always wave at our fellow truckers.
I also have a lot of toy trucks, so I can pretend that I am in a real truck. When I grow up, I want to be a truck driver with two trailers carting cattle around Australia. I like trucks because inside the trucks look so cool and big.
Lots of laughs with Dustin and Roger
Dustin was lucky enough to spend the day out in a truck with his mate Roger from GVT Landline, transporting fertiliser to a couple of farms.
Hi my name is Dustin Wright. I’m 12 years old and I live in Hawarden, North Canterbury.
I recently went out on a truck trip with GVT Landline, a transport operator. That spring morning, I woke up and had my breakfast - I needed to be at the end of the drive early for the day ahead.
I was picked up by Roger Marsh from GVT Landline at 7:30am, and we were going to spread some fertiliser. Roger drives a 320hp Mercedes-Benz 4x4 fert spreader.
We went down to the quarry to pick up the fertiliser. Roger got in the loader and warmed it up and then loaded up the truck as his trailer was getting fixed. After loading the truck we went to a dairy farm and put the fertiliser on the land.
After finishing at the dairy farm, we went to our next location - this time it was a sheep and beef farm. We went up quite a steep hill - even Roger didn’t like it too much! At the quarry, the loader took one and a half bucket loads to load the truck.
I really enjoyed my day, with lots of laughs along the way.
A day in the life... Riding Shotgun with Gundy
We spent a day with Will Gunderson from Gundy Transport in Palmerston North and his 2021 Kenworth K200 Fatcab!
It’s 11.30pm when I arrive at Foodstuffs, Palmerston North ready to ride shotgun with Will Gunderson, owner of Gundy Transport. Tonight, we are in his very cool 2021 Kenworth K200 Fatcab! With 600 horsepower, run by a X15 engine and an 18-speed Road Ranger gearbox, this tractor unit and 14.1 metre semi-trailer is well equipped to get the job done.
I am a tad early so I join some other staff on their break where I meet Jordon. He works in the office doing the night shift and invites me in to wait for Will. I am told the truck is already loaded and ready to roll. Will arrives and grabs his paperwork. This includes all tonight’s deliveries – places we are going and what is going to each destination. Before we can head out onto the road, a vehicle inspection is done and log book started — now we are ready to roll!
First stop
It is 12.30am when we leave Foodstuffs, heading south to Wellington loaded with chilled goods. We arrive at Foodstuffs, Grenada North at 2.40am, back into the loading dock where we are greeted by a forklift driver who unloads five pallets containing what they call small goods. These include things like processed meats, chicken and pre-packaged salads that are then distributed further on to different shops.
Next stop is New World, Thorndon and we arrive there around 3.30am. Here we drop off six pallets and get six empty pallets to return to Foodstuffs, loaded and unloaded by the forklift driver who also checks the items we have delivered are correct. Each pallet is assigned a number and the items are listed and scanned into the system. Before leaving, Will grabs a trolley and moves the pallets for our next delivery to the rear of the trailer.
We arrive at our next destination early at 4am. We are now at New World, Courtney Place in Wellington City. Here Will catches up on paperwork while we wait for the shed to open. Seven pallets are unloaded and then we are off again! Exiting this supermarket can be quite difficult during busier times of the day with heavy traffic going by, but lucky for us most people are still fast asleep.
Taking pride in our gear
Kilbirnie Pak’n’ Save is our fourth stop and again we arrive early at around 5am. With an hour before the gates open and we are unloaded, now is the perfect opportunity for polishing the truck’s wheels. Taking pride in the gear is a big part of being a truck driver. The gate eventually opens and we reverse in, eight pallets are dropped here then we head to New World in Miramar. This is our last delivery before leaving Wellington and heading back towards Palmerston North. It is now 7am, the sun has risen and it’s daylight! Here we grab ourselves a coffee in the staffroom while the forklift driver unloads the last four pallets in the trailer.
On our way back, we stop at Fresh Pork NZ, Levin. Here we get fully loaded with pork legs, belly, and various other bits. The trailer is quite heavy now with each pallet weighing anywhere between 200 and 800kgs. Our trailer has the capacity to carry 24 pallets (20 tonne).
Back to Palmy
It’s about 10.30am when we arrive back in Palmerston North, where we stop at Premier Bacon to unload the pork, which will then be carted to Premier Bacon in Carterton for processing by another truck. Once unloaded we head back to Foodstuffs. Here, we back into the loading dock ready to be reloaded for the next driver to do his deliveries. For us, it’s now time to go home and sleep!
I had an awesome time tagging along for the ride and getting a wee insight into what goes on in the world of refrigeration truck transport.
Thank you Will for having me!
On the road with Milly
My name is Milly McCauley. I am 14 years old, and I have grown up around trucks for my whole life.
I am a Year 9 student and I go to Garin College in Richmond, near Nelson in the South Island.
My dad is a truck driver for Sollys Contractors, and we live in Motueka. He would often ask if I wanted to come along for a quick ride in the truck with him, running a load of stock food over the Takaka Hill to Golden Bay for the afternoon, or to cart a load of Dolomite to Southland, staying away in motels for several nights. I have always leapt at the chance.
My first ride was when I was three years old. I lived in Reefton at the time and Dad took me to deliver a load of hay to Rotomanu, near Greymouth. I still take any chance I can to jump in the truck to spend some time on the road.
Having the opportunity to go on rides with Dad has been exciting because I have been able to travel all around New Zealand and see some amazing stuff, even if it’s through a large cab window at 4am in the morning with a hot pie and Coke in hand (a nutritious breakfast for little truckers).[/vc_column][/vc_row]
I originally come from the deep south of the South Island. I have now been to many of the main cities, small towns, and villages in both the north and south islands. I have also travelled across the Cook Strait on all the different ferries on various trips. We’ve seen a multitude of trucks and admired them on the way.
My grandfather was also a truck driver, and my dad has been taking truck photos since he was 11. So, I guess I am the third generation of truck enthusiasts in our family.
Being involved with the transport industry through my father has given me a platform to share my experiences with you all. Dad taught me how to take photos when I was younger, and I have continued with that as a hobby. I have also been able to contribute my interest in photography and videography to New Zealand Trucking magazine – I am one of the editors of the online Out and About video features and I have written some feature articles.
Besides school and contributing to the magazine, I also have a white British shorthair cat called Benjamin, who is completely deaf, who I hang out with heaps. I love dance and have been attending jazz and contemporary classes since I was four.
Little Trucker Down Under is going to be an awesome platform where we talk trucking and transport. You can learn about my journeys in and around trucks and learn more about the transport industry, through articles and stories recorded within these pages. I am super-excited to have this opportunity where I can share with you what it’s like being a trucking kid and I’m sure many of you will be able to relate to these experiences. I can’t wait to start sharing all my adventures with you, and even learn about some of yours!
Thanks for reading! I can’t wait to show you guys what’s been going on and I am looking forward to hearing about your journeys.
