2 April 1965 to 22 June 2022

Hundreds gathered in Palmerston North on 2 July to farewell a legend in the transport industry – Bryan ‘Ruffy’ Menefy, who lost his long battle with motor neurone disease 10 days earlier.

A procession of trucks – with the CVST providing a front and rear escort – travelled across town to take Ruffy from his home to the Lychway Chapel and on to the cemetery following the funeral. A special frame had been built above the turntable of his 2018 Super-Liner to carry his casket.

A testament to the regard Ruffy was held in, the chapel was packed, with mourners spilling out into the foyer and lining up outside to pay their respects. No one was surprised to hear that Ruffy had organised his funeral in advance, choosing the music (Pink Floyd of course) and lining up some of his closest friends to speak.

Born at Ross on the West Coast, Ruffy later moved to Taihape with his family. As a child he would occasionally go for rides in the trucks of Mid Island Transport. Although his father wasn’t in the transport industry, Ruffy’s grandfather, Eric Menefy, had a specialist transport business in Dannevirke.

When the family moved to Palmerston North, as a young boy Ruffy said he spent a lot of time hanging around the Mack dealership and that’s obviously where his love of the brand came from. He remained loyal to the brand his whole life, with that loyalty extending to those he dealt with in business or as friends.

A Mack man through and through, he began his trucking career in 1986 with Ian Easton – driving a Mack, of course.

After working for others, in 1997 Ruffy bought his first truck and became an owner-driver at Owens Tankers in Auckland, operating fuel and chemical tankers. About 2006 he sold out of Owens Tankers, focused on flat-deck work, and built Menefy Trucking Ltd into the significant business it was prior to his illness.

The love for the Mack brand never left him, and over the years he slowly built his collection of Macks both classic and new. Known for not taking no for an answer, this led to him badgering former Motor Truck Distributors general manager Murray Sowerby until he became the proud owner of the world’s first 8-wheeler Mack Super-Liner and the world’s first 8-wheeler Volvo FH16 750 tractor unit.

His trucks were always immaculate inside and out and Ruffy and his team took great pride in the fleet’s appearance. Friend Paul Nixey shared an anecdote at the funeral about the time he went on an early morning trip on a -5°C day with Ruffy and mentioned he was looking forward to a ‘mince and cheese salad’ at the next stop. He was told in no uncertain terms he’d be bloody cold eating it because there was no way he’d be eating it inside the cab!

Paul said a dedicated group worked until 2am on the day of the funeral to ensure the trucks would have passed Ruffy’s close scrutiny.

A Pink Floyd fan from way back, Ruffy’s understated trucks were instantly recognisable for their striking graphics and being named after Pink Floyd songs. The trailers were also painted with Pink Floyd song titles. His beautifully restored Mack R797 was named Vera Lynn in honour of the World War II sweetheart – but it’s also a song from The Wall.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ruffy several years ago and getting the opportunity to write about many of his trucks. He was generous with his time and I loved catching up for a chat about our shared love of Fords and motorcycles. As long as I turned up with custard squares, I knew I was sure of a warm welcome.

Goodbye Ruffy, you will be missed by more people than you can imagine. Our condolences go to your soulmate Lorraine and to your family.