Faye Lougher had to risk life and limb standing in the middle of SH1 in Levin to get a shot of John ( JJ) Klinac‘s stunning rig. I think you‘ll agree the risk was worth it! JJ owns Exclusive Boat Haulage and was transporting a boat from Kerikeri to Nelson on one of those perfect spring days. “You would have to pick a day when the truck‘s dirty!” he laughed, but to be honest the 2013 Hino 700 4×2 was looking great and a bit of dirt just proves it‘s a working truck. The Hino is fitted with a ZF 12-speed AMT gearbox and works exclusively on boat transportation around New Zealand. JJ has been driving for 50 years now, starting when he was 16 and moving on to the road two years later. For him, it‘s all about the people.

“I‘ve always been a people person and I enjoy the boat business because it‘s one-on-one and I like the people I work with. We aim to please.” When asked what he saw as the main problem with the industry, JJ smiled and said, “We‘ve only got five minutes, haven‘t we?” He went on to say that price-cutting was one of the biggest issues. “And I agree with the CVIU, but I don‘t agree with how the trucks are so hammered. There is a lot of crime that never gets investigated, but the weighbridges are always full. I agree we need them, but it‘s all about the attitude of the people you‘re dealing with.” JJ went for question 10, beef, pork, lamb or chicken, and said he‘d go for chicken.

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