A brisk winter evening found Carl Kirkbeck chatting with Graeme Evans of Welcome Bay while Graeme was in Thames and planning his next port of call. Graeme was enjoying his first shift in the HWR Group T610 Kenworth and B-train tanker combination.

“I am normally in a Volvo. However, this evening I was given the 610, and I have to admit that this new cab on the Kenworth has a nicely laid out interior, with a lot more room than the old cab. It is a real pleasure to drive.”

Graeme’s driving career started when he was 16, collecting freshly bailed hay from the paddocks near Kerepehi on the Hauraki Plains. At 18, he sat his HT licence, then at 21, he completed his trailer licence. This is where his story is a little different from most. When Graeme left school, he started an electrical apprenticeship, working for Baxters Electrical of Paeroa. The electrical industry was Graeme’s gainful employment until about 20 years ago. By then, the need for change and the call of the road had grown, placing Graeme firmly in the driver’s seat again.

Graeme has been with the HWR Group on fuel deliveries for more than five years now and loves the job. “They are a fantastic crowd to work for, a great atmosphere.”

When talking with Graeme, we ask what he enjoys most about the driving profession. “It is the space and freedom of being in your own thoughts and enjoying the scenery, a bit like mowing the lawns.”

The vexing question for Graeme was steak-and-cheese pie or bacon and egg? Graeme is definitely in favour of the steak and cheese. However, he adds: “I have to be good and avoid them now.”

Don’t we all, mate?