Andrew Rogers, or Gonzo as he’s better known, was out among the greenery of West Otago, spreading fertiliser on a local dairy farm. Craig Andrews was on the hunt to get pics of RTL’s new P450 Scania, running under West Otago Transport colours, based in Heriot. With that mission achieved, he had a quick yarn with Andrew.

In 2008, Andrew started with West Otago aged 18, driving a 1998 MAN spreader. He spent a few years spreading fertiliser around the region before moving onto a Foden Alpha on stock work and a couple of Kenworths. The driving gave way to dispatch work with the spreading division, and only recently has he returned to the field to continue driving.

He enjoys the driving side and being involved with the rural industry. For Gonzo, “it’s like being a paid tourist”. He gets to move around the region, helping other depots within the RTL group. When the spreading season winds down, he will jump onto a stock truck, mainly during the dairy herd shifts.

The Scania was almost brand new at the time of the pics and was one of three that RTL has recently put into service. Joining Gonzo on the day was his son Chris, who enjoys sitting alongside his dad as he plies his trade.

Andrew’s vexing question was: V8 supercars or F1? Supercars for him as he has never been a fan of Formula 1.