Sector - General cartage

Burnett's Motors, Cartage Contractors, Ashburton, International D246F model 6x4 truck with a water turbine for a hydro-electric power station on the deck. D series International trucks were built from 1937-1940 and the D246F was a medium-heavy duty tandem drive model. The similar size 4x2 model was a D50. D246F models were powered by an International FBB298 petrol engine, a heavy duty 7 main bearing 6 cylinder engine that was the forerunner of the well known Red Diamond engines. Red Diamond engines were fitted to International trucks as late as the early 1970s and were built as large as 501 cubic inches with the RD501 engine.

Ward's Transport trucks, Ruatoria & Gisborne, loaded up with freight. From the left-White-probably mid-1920s, c.1929-1933 White, c.late 1920s-early 1930s White-(a slightly heavier model than the one to the left of it), c.1926 Chevrolet and c.1929-1931 GMC.

Early 1930s Bedford WLG 2 tonner of Ward's Transport, Gisborne.

Ward's Transport, Gisborne, 1942-47 Ford Jailbar artic.

Two V8 Perkins powered K series Dodge artics of O'Malley's Transport, Ranfurly.

McKenna's Transport fleet. From the left 1946 Chevrolet, 1940 Chevrolet, 2 Bedford OLBs.

Smith Bros., Gisborne, Australian International ARC or ASC 160 series semi-forward control truck. This type of cab over engine truck was introduced by International Harvester in the U.S. in the early 1950s with the LC version of International's totally new L Line trucks. IHC in Australia didn't offer an ALC model and began manufacturinging this type in 1954 after the introduction of the AR series with the ARC 160 series. ARC and ASC 160/162 models were manufactured in Australia from 1954 until the later 1950s. ARC trucks were powered by Australian Silver Diamond ASD240 petrol engines and ASC trucks were powered by the larger Australian Black Diamond ABD264 petrol engines. The ASC series were manufactured from 1957. Apart from the badging the ARC and ASC trucks were virtually identical. In the U.S. IHC offered trucks of this type in 160 and heavier 180 series. One shortcoming of the Australian cab over 160 series was overloading of the front axle leading to wheel bearing problems and other failures as the load carrying area was shifted quite a bit further forward than on a conventional longer bonnet truck. Although only offered as 160 series trucks in Australia, I have seen these trucks fitted with heavier rated cast spoke wheel 180 series front axles to get around this problem.

A photograph taken in the main street of Te Araroa in 1930 showing a c.1929-1931 Chevrolet and a White of a similar era. Notice that the White is a heavier truck with dual rear wheels compared to the Chevrolet.

A truck that went through several owners and drivetrain combinations, Misty Blue is seen here when operated by Trevor Lowrey of Christchurch contracted to Mainfreight. This International Fleetstar F2010-A series was new to Nelson roading contractor, J.W. Steer and was originally powered by an IH V549 V8 petrol engine of around 257 horsepower running through an Allison MT series automatic transmission. Wally Steer used the truck to tow a transporter and a tipulator. After the Transport Nelson Group purchased his business and folded it into Highways Construction, it worked for Radiata Transport pulling wood chip trailers. Next, still in TNL ownership it went to Marlborough Transport based at Blenhein where it carted logs. While at MTL it was repowered with a Caterpillar 3208 V8. The next owners were H. Langridge & Sons, earthmoving contractors at Greymouth. Trevor Lowrey bought it from Langridges and he was at first contracted to Mogal Freight still with the 3208 V8. The truck was repowered again with a Detroit Diesel 6V92T of around 320 horsepower and the Allison gave way to a Roadranger manual gearbox. It became a very well known truck running between Christchurch and Invercargill in Mainfreight colours and was a great sight and sound for truck enthusiasts. By the mid-1990s, this c.1971 model which had been lengthened to become a 3 axle rigid bulk tipper pulling a 3 or 4 axle trailer was still regularly running up and down the Main South Road.

A truck that went through several owners and drivetrain combinations, Misty Blue is seen here when operated by Trevor Lowrey of Christchurch contracted to Mainfreight. This International Fleetstar F2010-A series was new to Nelson roading contractor, J.W. Steer and was originally powered by an IH V549 V8 petrol engine of around 257 horsepower running through an Allison MT series automatic transmission. Wally Steer used the truck to tow a transporter and a tipulator. After the Transport Nelson Group purchased his business and folded it into Highways Construction, it worked for Radiata Transport pulling wood chip trailers. Next, still in TNL ownership it went to Marlborough Transport based at Blenhein where it carted logs. While at MTL it was repowered with a Caterpillar 3208 V8. The next owners were H. Langridge & Sons, earthmoving contractors at Greymouth. Trevor Lowrey bought it from Langridges and he was at first contracted to Mogal Freight still with the 3208 V8. The truck was repowered again with a Detroit Diesel 6V92T of around 320 horsepower and the Allison gave way to a Roadranger manual gearbox. It became a very well known truck running between Christchurch and Invercargill in Mainfreight colours and was a great sight and sound for truck enthusiasts. By the mid-1990s, this c.1971 model which had been lengthened to become a 3 axle rigid bulk tipper pulling a 3 or 4 axle trailer was still regularly running up and down the Main South Road.

Old established Dunedin carriers, Crust & Crust, Bedford ML with van body advertising National Airways Freightair City-Airport service.

1974 Mack FR785RST with 237 horsepower ENDT675 Maxidyne engine owned by B. Docherty of Christchurch and contracted to Mainfreight. This Mack started its working life with Transport Nelson, later passing to Thames Freightlines. In this night shot it is picking up a Mainfreight shipping container with a Steelbro sidelifter. It later went to Stirling Contracting at Drummond in Southland where it hauled a lowbed transporter.

2 S model Bedfords and a Leyland Comet of Hardie Bros., carriers from Whangarei. The Bedford artic is hitched to an insulated meat trailer lettered for the Borthwick's meat company.

Ellesmere Transport, Leeston, Canterbury Bedford TK series-likely to be a KF 7 ton or KG 7 1/2 ton model. Bedford's TK series was introduced in 1960 and replaced the previous C series-4-6 ton and S series-7 ton models. The TK was a very modern design when introduced with much improved cab access with set back front axle and low step ahead of the axle. The C and S models by contrast had a set forward front axle with a step ring on the front wheel to assist cab entry. The truck is loaded with sacks of grain or seed with a Cuddon or similar sack loader. The 4 wheel trailer has grass seed boxes on it.

Southland Frozen Meat Co., Makarewa Bedford A3.

An S model Bedford at a 44 gallon drum dump. The truck crossing the bridge with Motor Panels type cab could be either a Thornycroft or a Guy.

Another International AB182 of R.A. McLennan, Paving and Cartage Contractors, Nelson and Blenheim. This one pictured on a weigh bridge is an artic hitched to a single axle tipulator with a bitumen tank chained to the deck.

T.N. Mouat, Westport, GMC CCW353 6x4 carting a Cletrac or Oliver crawler tractor.

A GMC CCKW353 6x6 belonging to Collins' Transport, Kurow carting a Caterpillar D6-4R series tractor fitted with a LaPlant-Choate hydraulic bulldozer. Collins' 1941-46 type Chevrolet truck has the much easier task of transporting the blade.

AEC Mammoth Major model TG6R no.203 in the Transport Nelson fleet. It has a relatively long wheelbase for an artic, but this allows room for a box for small items of freight behind the cab. This truck and others like it in the Transport Nelson fleet would have run between Nelson and the rail head at Spring Creek, near Blenheim. A-train configuration.

2 of Solly's TK Bedfords with trailers loaded with what appear to be pig houses.

Sollys were obviously loyal Bedford buyers with 7 TK types, 2 S models and an RL, a J model, 2 OLBs and an ML or K model in this fleet photo.

Shaw's Motors of Arrowtown, ERF B series 8 wheeler. The B series trucks with ERF's own fibreglass tilt cab were introduced in 1974 and B series trucks sold in New Zealand featured Cummins engines, Fuller Roadranger gearboxes and Eaton or Kirkstall rear ends. From 1970-1984 the ERF franchise was held by Industrial Steel & Plant.

One of the first Leyland lorries to operate in New Zealand was this X-type Leyland truck belonging to the Mt. Cook Motor Company of Fairlie, South Canterbury. It is seen here loaded with wool bales with sticks used to twitch the ropes tight.

W.T. Smith Carrier appears to have got his solid tyred 1920s model 33 or 43 International a bit stuck. Looks like the sack hanging in the open side of the cab to keep the worst of the weather out wouldn't do a lot for visibility.

The signage on the side of these trucks proclaims that these five 'Pantechnicons' are transporting furniture from Christchurch to the Milford Sound Hotel. In the days of rail protecting its business - this trip was a big deal for a driver, who got to travel more than the 30 mile limit of the day. The trucks all belong to the N.Z. Express Co. with the first one, a long wheelbase Bonus Built Ford V8 from the Oamaru branch, followed by a Bedford OLB, Dennis Pax COE, 5 ton Austin Loadstar and another Dennis COE. The N.Z. Express Company was founded in the 19th century with its head office in Dunedin, and at at one stage, (I guess in the horse and cart days), claimed to be N.Z.'s largest employer. They had branches from Invercargill to Auckland. The company managed to over extend itself financially and by the time of the Great Depression were forced to all their North Island branches and the Invercargill branch leaving them 5 branches in the South Island-Christchurch, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin and Gore.

A very well stacked and roped load of sacks containing a reasonably light seed-either grass seed, cocksfoot seed or maybe chaff for horses on a Burnett's Motors International C40F truck. Parked outside Bob Burnett's garage in Ashburton, the sign on the building advertises another of Bob Burnett's businesses, the Mt. Somer coal mine.