HEB Construction’s new Western Star 4700 with a 417kW (560hp) Detroit DD15 was looking extremely sharp for its first day on the road for the company, complete with yellow and navy paintwork and The Muppet, Animal, to match the driver’s arm tattoo.

Alison and Mike Verran spotted driver Blair Duncan pulling into the Hull Road Caltex Truck Stop in Mt Maunganui with a pretty big smile on his face. Blair carts mainly concrete and steel for HEB, with many loads oversize.

Blair has always been around trucks. “I had a passion for trucks when I was a kid. I was brought up on a kiwifruit orchard, and I would catch rides in Dad’s mate’s truck to the packhouse. My uncle was a firefighter, so I used to run amok in the fire station around the fire trucks. I’ve also been a volunteer firefighter but chose not to drive the fire trucks.”

Like many truckies, Blair started young, sitting his truck licence at 18. He has been driving for 25 years.

Blair was heading to Hamilton to load an oversize (6m-wide) load of ducting to take back to the Mt Maunganui port. His return journey would start at 2am and be accompanied by three pilot vehicles.

Blair’s trucking takes him all over New Zealand, with most trips within the North Island. “I like being on the road – it beats being stuck in an office. I couldn’t stand that.

“We have a serious issue in the industry, with a lack of drivers. Truck driving needs to be promoted more in high schools. We need to encourage the young ones into the industry.”

The vexing question for Blair was, ‘If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?’ After slight consideration, he answered: “X-ray vision!”