Jason Jarvis, from Dunedin, is a familiar name to many, his photos popping up on truck-related Facebook pages. Thanks to Craig Andrews, here’s a chance to put a face to the name.

Jason’s career kicked off in 1986 as a storeman for Dominion Breweries in Dunedin. Working on the forklifts, he’d unload DB’s Mercedes-Benz trucks and load up transport freight trucks from around the region. DB gave way to Allied Liquor in 1987, until that ceased operations in Dunedin after moving to Christchurch in 1990. It was then onto local stalwart McCormick Transport, where Jason started part-time and eventually became full-time. He has been with McCormick’s for 32 years and still enjoys the work. Stephen McCormick runs a good ship, and Jason is surrounded by good people and is happy there.

In 1992, he got his license in a D-series Ford at McCormick’s, but admits he did a lot of learning in the passenger seat. Jason’s dad Reg worked at nearby Stewart’s Transport. Reg was a painter and later a driver for them. This is where Jason caught the truck bug as a kid. After school, he would spend a lot of time kicking about the stores in the Stewart’s yards and riding alongside other drivers, often in Bedfords and Leylands. The big TM Bedfords that Stewart’s operated were a favourite for Jason. It was this schoolboy work experience that got him into this vocation.

These days, he spends most of his day driving a Fuso Canter curtainsider and loading and unloading other trucks. He had a 2002 Isuzu ELF before the Fuso, which he got new and put 250,000km on in 15 years of metro work. McCormick’ still works for Lion Breweries in Dunedin, but no longer DB. If Jason is not moving beer about the city, it is vegetables and apparel.

Not much bothers Jason but metro work can be frustrating at times. Dunedin city centre is now full of barn dance crossings so waits are longer at the lights, and ongoing main street construction has also been a source of frustration. The rise of Uber sees loading zones stolen quite often.

He appreciates good clients, and as he’s a regular sight around Dunedin shop owners value having the same delivery driver each day. Jason says he appreciates being recognised out of work and gets the odd shout at pubs for his great delivery work. He knows Dunedin Central like the back of his hand.

In his spare time, he plays football for the Grant Braes Masters, mostly in goal, and has been involved with German Shepherd dogs for about 40 years and is still active in showing them around the South Island. At one stage, he was busy behind the camera taking truck photos as a hobby, but he no longer does this, thanks to life getting in the way.

The future for Jason will be the same. He is happy to be at McCormick’s, where he is the longest-serving employee, until he retires. Why change a good thing?