Southpac Legends

For some operators, a new truck is just a tool. But for Ray Reid, a brand-new Kenworth Legend is the culmination of generations of grit, graft, and passion for transport.

It was 2018 when Ray and his wife Fiona, from Rangiotu near Palmerston North, secured one of the most coveted rigs in the country, a brand‑new Kenworth T900 Legend, number 163 of the limited run produced that’s sold within a single day. And for a man who has spent decades building his business, this truck was a milestone.

Remarkably, it was Ray’s first ever brand-new Kenworth after owning what he guesses is probably a hundred Kenworths over the years – all the others bought second‑hand and rebuilt by hand in his... ... 

Few names in New Zealand’s logging industry carry the same weight as Bevan Satherley.

As the owner of one of Hawke’s Bay’s most recognisable log transport operations, Satherley Logging, Bevan has built a reputation founded on hard work, high standards, and an unapologetic love for quality machinery. At the centre of that reputation sits one of the most distinctive working trucks in the country — the Kenworth T900 Legend.

Bevan’s affinity for trucks began long before he was running his own fleet. Growing up around his father’s earthmoving business, it wasn’t the diggers that caught his eye — it was the trucks that kept everything moving.

“My father ran an earthmoving busines... ... 

In the heart of New Zealand’s South Island, where the dramatic peaks of Otago meet seemingly endless sprawling valleys, a family business has been shaping the landscape for nearly seven decades. Maungatua Contracting Wanaka Limited boasts three generations of dedication, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to quality, a legacy enhanced by their prized Kenworth T900 Legend truck.

The story of Maungatua Contracting begins in 1956, when Murray Duncan laid the foundation for what would become a cornerstone of the Otago construction industry. Starting as an agricultural company based out of Maungatua Ranges, the business initially focused on farm work, small tracks, general farming oper... ... 

In the world of transport, where deadlines are tightand the road is long, a company’s true horsepower is often found not in its engines, but in its people and its principles. For Kevin McKay, 36 years in transport and founder of thriving Gisborne-based cartage company, McKay Cartage, this philosophy is the bedrock of their success – and that’s why he’s a Southpac Legend.

Kevin’s story is not just one of business growth, but a deeply personal narrative of family legacy, an unbreakable partnership with his wife Megan, and a profound commitment to treating their team as an extension of their own family.

It’s a journey that began with the humble rumble of a truck engine in a small to... ... 

In the rugged, demanding world of New Zealand’strucking industry, some characters are larger than life. They are the ones whose passion is infectious, whose work ethic is legendary, and whose story is woven into the very fabric of the roads they travel.

Phil Bourke, known to most as ‘Bourkey’, is one such figure. From a rebellious teenager (who found school a poor fit) to a proud owner-driver of a bespoke Kenworth K200, Bourkey’s journey is about hard work, the power of good people and so interesting, that they made a play about it.

Bourkey’s story began, as many great trucking tales do, in the passenger seat of his father’s rig. Growing up in Pahiatua, a town he describes as “a ... ...