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Supporters get to see much, much more, without the adverts, and also help enlarge the resource.
Should you consider helping us fund this project – visit us on Facebook to glean an insight into some of what we host in our archive.
THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS SITE IS –
For those that HAVEN’T been here before … welcome!
Due to a wide range of factors, New Zealand has relied more heavily upon on its road transport fleet than almost any other comparable country during its short history.
This website celebrates the people, the vehicles and the landscapes that dictated the evolution of the industry.
Help us refine and enlarge this resource, to make more video content, scan and upload the many thousands of images in our archive, and convert this content into a range of video’s that celebrates our industry.
To get an idea of the scope of this site – click here.
IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN ROAD TRANSPORT – THIS IS YOUR WEBSITE.
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR POSITION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, PAST OR PRESENT, YOU HELPED BUILD WHAT YOU WILL SEE ON THESE PAGES.
Travel with TruckArchive as we explore and document the history of the New Zealand road transport industry over 120 years.
We have around 20,000 images waiting to be uploaded.
Some, such as the ATL-Sterling above, may have featured as part of a magazine shoot, but there could well be another 200 taken during that shoot which never made print.
We are now in the position to unearth, and showcase some of them.
Every month, I promise new ‘old’ material.
This shot magnificently encapsulates what driving trucks in New Zealand can be.
Great gear, a country renown for its magnificent landscapes, and an ever changing view out the office window.
It also captures how quickly things change in our industry – when photographed in 2009, this Sterling was brand new, but the marque has since disappeared and is now a foot-note of our trucking history – and five-axle B-trains are going the same way here in New Zealand.
Again, a video beckons, as we have plenty of shots of Sterlings and Fords in the files…watch this space.
We are slowing working through a vast catalogue of material shot from the 1980-2011 period – the ‘golden age’ of trucking in New Zealand.
During this time, the government deregulated the road transport industry and the industry we know today was born.
However, it was a difficult gestation.
Anyone remember Transpac and the chaos that ensued around the eighties during deregulation?
This story and others are on our video production hit-list, drawing primarily upon the work of the now retired, road transport industry photo-journalist/video producer (1987-2024) and Truckarchive editor – Bryce Baird – and the body of work he amassed over this period.
It’s time to dig up the past…so we can appreciate the present!
From the chaos of deregulation rose some great success stories – such as Mainfreight and the Mack brand – both legends of the industry…
However, many other brands and companies fell by the way, and those successes, and departures powered the evolution of the road transport industry into the highly-honed industry it is today.
Every brand and company had a part to play, and the imagery on these pages is a small tribute to those that helped created the modern industry.
To see a little of this story – watch the documentary below for an overall picture of our industry.
