It’s always great making the call to the John Murphy Memorial Top Truck winner each year, more so this year because we were able to pass the message on to nine-year-old Orlando Scott about his family’s truck taking the title – he’s now the first little trucker to receive the news. As cool as the phone call might be, nothing beats presentation day.

It was first after first for the 2023-2024 John Murphy Memorial Top Truck award. It’s the first time we’ve given the official news to a junior member of the trucking industry. It’s the first time we’ve had John’s family at the handover, and it’s the first time we’ve split the presentation between the two islands – which is fitting considering the truck runs Christchurch to Auckland on a regular basis.

On a clear Christchurch morning, we were thrilled to have the entire Scott family present – Kane, Tamara, Orlando and Jett, with their award-winning Scania R540 and Fruehauf NZ Schmitz Cargobull semi. Also there was John Murphy’s wife, Margaret, son Ashley, and granddaughter Ali.

Of course, No Bad Days, the machine of the moment, was present, the grand occasion taking place at the Hellers Kaiapoi facility where the truck is based.

Margaret presented the winner’s plaque, and Ashley the painting of the winning truck, a wonderful Auto Art by Rochelle Thomas original, now a tradition in the competition’s makeup. We’re hugely thankful for Rochelle’s continued support of the competition and the industry. In the best traditions of interisland linehaul, part two of the ceremony was held at Hellers in Auckland. The regular driver on No Bad Days is Hamish Stuart and at the time the truck won the monthly Top Truck prize in the December 2023/January 2024 New Zealand Trucking magazine, readers may recall Kane saying Hamish was a fastidious operator and much credit for the truck’s appearance must go to him. For that reason, Kane wanted Hamish involved in the grand award, and so Power Retreads director Dave Leicester handed over the eight Vipal Premium drive tyres to a delighted Hamish when he was in Auckland recently.

But, you know how it goes, ‘The best-laid plans … ‘ and all that. As kind as the gods were in Christchurch, they couldn’t pull the weather rabbit out of the hat in a typically unpredictable Auckland spring.

“Congratulations to Kane and family, and Hamish also for presenting an excellently prepared unit for this year’s New Zealand Trucking magazine Top Truck,” said Dave Leicester. “It’s great to see a rig of this standard on our roads and a bonus will be running a set of Vipal premium drive retreads. Well done to the team at Scott Carrying.”

“I’m just delighted to win it,” said a beaming Hamish Stuart. “It’s really cool. Kane has the oldest head I’ve ever seen on a young person’s shoulders. He’s great to work for.”

An extra special thank you must always be reserved for the ongoing anchor support Power Retreads provides us in the monthly and annual Top Truck Award. Without Dave and the team, we at New Zealand Trucking Media could not run the competition the way it is. Please support what is a great product and a family of unfailing road transport stalwarts.

The final word goes to Kane. “It’s a fantastic thrill for all of us – myself, Tamara, the boys, and Hamish, of course. We really can’t thank Power Retreads, Auto Art by Rochelle, and New Zealand Trucking magazine enough.”