Rick Kosterman, on his half-hour break, had just grabbed a coffee and pie in Sanson when Alison Verran drove past and noticed the unusual load he had in tow.

Rick enjoys driving for Hawke’s Bay- based company Whitfield Transport. “They’re an awesome company to work for,” he says. He is Taupo-based, driving a Kenworth K200, powered by a 600hp Cummins engine. He travels throughout the North Island, carting general freight. “You name it, we carry it.”

The load that caught Alison’s eye was part of a crane destined to help create a wind farm at Raglan. Rick was heading to Taupo for the night, then on to Raglan the following morning.

A 40-year driving veteran, Rick was originally a storeman, driving forklifts at the NZ Apple and Pear Board. “The guys let me drive the old TK Bedfords around the yard. I loved it and decided to do it as a career… and I’m still doing it!

“The two things I like most about driving are having the variety in the job and being able to take in the amazing New Zealand scenery every day.”

Rick considers one of the main issues within the industry is the calibre of many of the truck drivers on the road, with such a major driver shortage.

When presented with vexing question No.62: ‘Pyjamas or the full monty?’, Rick laughed and said, “Not either – somewhere in between.”