It was a scorching day in the Bay when Alison Verran caught up with Baz Harper at the BP Truck Stop at Tauranga Crossing. Baz has been driving for his brotherin- law‘s company, Marsh Transport, for seven years. He‘s currently driving a 1998 FLB Freightliner powered by a 400hp Cummins. Baz carts palletised product around the Tauranga area with the 8-axle truck and trailer combination, and when Alison spoke with him he was loaded and heading back to the depot.

Truck driving is in Baz‘s blood, thanks to his father who started his own trucking business back in 1946. Baz followed in his footsteps and has now been driving for 46 years. “The people you meet and the people you work with,” are the reason Baz loves driving. He‘s found the industry has changed a lot, sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. The volume of traffic on the roads has definitely made the job more difficult. Trying to negotiate local roundabouts is tough. “People should go in a truck and see what it‘s like.” Baz misses the old-school style of trucking, “the waving and the flick of the blinkers doesn‘t happen so much any more”. Baz chose vexing question number 63, boxers or briefs? With a chuckle, Baz admitted to briefs.

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