Alison and Mike Verran spotted Mike Macartney parking up at Brett Marsh’s yard in Tauriko, Tauranga. Mike spends his days behind the wheel of his impressive 2019 Kenworth T610 SAR with 615hp Cummins X-15. With containers on his seven-axle B-train, Mike has two set runs – either three loads a day out of Wallace Corp at Waitoa or a load a day out of Yarrows Bakery at Manaia, in South Taranaki. Both runs bring him back to the Port of Tauranga. “I’m home every night, and that’s how I like it,” he says.

“I was brought up on a farm. I rode around in Wealleans bulk spreaders on the farm. I got the bug, and all I wanted to do was drive trucks. As a kid, I rode around with anyone who would take me for a ride. My preference was logging trucks.

“I’ve had 45 years driving trucks and machinery. I started driving in 1977 for Cochrane’s Transport in Tirau. I was always mad about trucks!

When I wanted to leave school, I was too young to drive heavy vehicles. My parents said, ‘If you’re going to leave school, you have to have a trade.’ So I had to do an apprenticeship as a glazier. I’ve never done any glazing since.”

One thing that frustrates Mike on the road is the lack of money spent on infrastructure. “Funds need to be spent on more passing lanes and building more multi-lane roads.”

Mike didn’t hesitate when presented with the vexing question: Ford or Holden? “Ford because I drive a Ranger.”