4 minute read
Just Truckin’ Around
Hamish Lyttle
Faye Lougher spotted the Emmerson Transport truck pulling over in Shannon and stopped to chat with its driver, Hamish Lyttle.
Hamish had come from Levin and was heading to Hastings. The 2018 Kenworth K200 had an 18-speed Roadranger and some pretty stylish curtains. The truck mainly carries out farming-related work, transporting meat and skins.
He says he was a “suit and tie man” working for Inland Revenue in a former life. “I didn’t like it, so I taught myself, and I’ve been in the industry for 15 years now.”
The past eight years have been spent as a driver, but Hamish started in dispatch and was a branch manager for Super Freight in Wellington before taking the wheel.
He loves the freedom truck driving gives him.
“And the view – this is my TV screen,” he says, pointing to the front window of the truck.
A common refrain – not enough capable drivers – was the main problem Hamish thought the industry faced. “Not enough experienced drivers, and we need more female drivers too.
“I’d like to see a lot more of them on the road.”
Hamish had his 15-year-old daughter Bizhahn in the cab with him. “She’s been coming with me because she wants to be a driver too.”
Bizhahn says being a truck driver is her dream job, so hopefully, we’ll also stop her for Just Truckin’ Around one day in the not-too-distant future.
It was only fair to ask them both a vexing question, so Bizhahn got soup or stew and opted for stew. Hamish got wine, whiskey or beer, and said he’d probably go for a nice glass of red wine.
Daryl McKay
Everitt Enterprises of Dunedin specialises in scrap metal. Its flagship 2002 Isuzu CXH 450 Gigamax had a makeover last year, which included a new Jonsered 1400z crane and a repaint courtesy of Wilcock Truck Painters in Christchurch.
After organising a photograph of the completed unit, Craig Andrews took the opportunity to talk to its operator – Daryl McKay.
Daryl collects scrap metal from various points throughout Otago, including Central and the Waitaki Valley, when he’s helping out at the Oamaru depot. His main role is farm pick-ups, with a regular run into OceanaGold Macraes, near Macraes Flat village. He also clears various landfills around the region.
He began driving when he was 18 and working at Everitts.
His career in driving has not always been with Everitts. He has been back and forth a few times, although now he is there to stay. “It’s my retirement job,” he says, adding Everitts has looked after him, and the crew is great to work for.
His driving history reveals time spent at Dunedin stalwart Stewarts Transport, piloting AECs around town and later doing a daily freight run down to Balclutha in an AEC 6-wheeler with a lazy axle.
The lure of the big red continent saw him head to Australia, driving Atkinsons and Mercedes-Benz road trains out of Karratha before once again returning to Dunedin.
The transport game is one that Daryl holds in high regard, and not much bothers him about it. The odd bit of double-handling plus the good old logbook brings on a frown. When he’s not collecting scrap metals, he goes from 450hp down to one – spending his spare time riding his own horse around the countryside.
Just truckin’ around – overseas
Ian McMaster
Ian is an old hand on mine sites and is currently the mobile maintenance supervisor for GEMCO (Groote Eylandt Mining Company operation). He tells Howard Shanks about the time he spent in New Guinea’s mine sites in 1973. There were no telephones or television in the camps, and the only form of entertainment were outdoor movies. He laughs as he recalls the occasional ‘safety film’ (an oblique reference to blue movies), screened to help pass the long hours. Compared with those days, Groote Eylandt is like a holiday resort.
His responsibilities include overseeing the workshop area for the mobile plant used at the mine. Ian came to the island a little over three years ago after spending 20 or so years in the mines of New Guinea and Indonesia.
Originally from “somewhere in northern Queensland”, Ian says the constant challenges mining presents have kept him in the mines for over two decades.
Contractors & Truckers Delight
www.bayleys.co.nz/559873
Offers over $1,550,000 + GST
Deadline Sale (unless sold prior) 1pm, Wednesday 19 May 2021
This is an exceptional opportunity to secure a prime 4.06 hectare property. Located on Old West Coast Road, it is well connected with easy access to all areas of the city and main arterial routes leading out of Christchurch; both north and south.
Currently consented for a contracting business, the property boasts a cleverly laid out 714sqm building that encompasses office space, a huge board room, bathroom, toilets and kitchen facilities plus a large workshop and tool storage areas. A consented truck wash, onsite well and re-fuelling station offer the perfect solution for civil/agricultural contractors or trucking companies looking to maximise space with a growing business. Whilst ideally set up for a contracting enterprise, this property will also appeal strongly to buyers looking at other opportunities; especially given its strategic location close to Christchurch city and Christchurch International Airport.
Emma King
M: 021 242 9911 E: emma.king@bayleys.co.nz
Chris Jones
M: 027 220 5043 E: chris.jones@bayleys.co.nz
