Maher Transport continues the legacy of the former Taihape Transport Holdings. We find out about the company and meet its latest attention- grabbing stock unit, an IVECO S-Way 570, Te Kauhatau.

These days, it seems as if everything from past eras is dismissed, trivialised or considered inappropriate – the future is where we should be focusing our attention and efforts. Mangaweka-based Maher Transport took time to reflect on those who came before when starting out in business, recognising the history, colours and men from the Taihape region, who gave the Maher team a start behind the wheel.

The result is a livery instantly recognisable to anyone familiar with the region and the transport sector. Maher trucks wear a pallet synonymous with the now long-gone Taihape Transport Holdings fleet. Times have changed – the trucks, too – but the passion and the service to the community remain.

On SH1 between Taihape to the north and Hunterville to the south, the small township of Mangaweka is most likely little more than a blink of an eye to many motorists. For many years, it was most notable for the Douglas DC3 aircraft alongside the highway used as a tearoom. After about 30 years, the DC3 was removed in 2021 to be restored in Shannon and sold. To those who look further, the Rangitīkei River cuts through the landscape, offering recreational activities and awe-inspiring scenery. Catering to the wider Manawatu-Whanganui region, the township is well served by several carriers.

Between the Rangitīkei and SH1 is Maher Transport, owned by Barry and Lara Maher. Formed in 2018, the business is comparatively young and consists of five units. It’s not a large number, but Barry says he’s happy with the size and has a good crew around him. Looking forward, consolidating the business is a primary goal. As most companies have experienced, the past few years have offered up hurdles. However, hard work and getting the basics right have resulted in two new units hitting the road in the past 12 months.

This month’s Top Truck contender is the newest addition – joining the fleet in January 2024. Barry admits the IVECO S-Way wasn’t necessarily his first choice; FUSO has been a long-trusted brand. But with the need for an 8×4 unit, Hastings-based IVECO salesman Elliot Barnard stepped up with a unit ‘on the water’, and importantly, an available build slot. Barry says it was too good an offer to pass on and after some 50,000km, the IVECO is acquitting itself well.

The S-Way sports IVECO’s Cursor 13 Euro-6e engine rated at 425kW (570hp) and 2500Nm (1850lb/ft), running through a Hi-Tronix 12TX 2640 TD AMT. The extra horsepower is a welcome bonus, and Barry says driver Ricky O’Hara is enjoying the comfort and room of the high- roof Euro cab.

Barry opted for the Bigfoot CTI system which he says is “bloody brilliant”. The truck deck is a Ross Engineering, Feilding, unit fitted with a Total stock crate. The IVECO pulls a refurbed five-axle trailer and runs at 50MAX.

The cab was painted by Royans in Palmerston North. Keeping things within the ‘family’, driver Ricky’s father, Daryl O’Hara, who operates Lasercraft Signs and Engraving in Taihape, takes care of Maher’s graphics and signage.

Barry says that when the company opted to run with the Taihape Transport Holdings colours as the basis of its fleet colours, the painters were a little surprised at the thought of using what might be considered an older colour palette. At that stage, the previous company had been gone a good 30 years. Transferring them onto Barry’s trucks brought back the once familiar colours and there’s little doubt they still look every bit as sharp today as when they originally travelled the area.

The IVECO wears the colours well, making for an eye- catching unit, which has left a real impression so far. A new contender with a nod to the past.