Southpac Legends

During a lifetime working in the trucking industry, Ian Emmerson has developed a strong philosophy that, while competition is vital to driving business efficiency, just as much can be gained from cooperation – between transport operators and their customers, and between industry groups. 

This month’s Southpac Legend also admits to being passionate about the engineering side of the business, in terms of specifying and setting up units for optimal efficiency and suitability for their jobs.

To this end he was very active in the industry group that worked with government agencies to develop what became the HPMV regulations in the early 2010s. 

Early, and succes... ... 

FOR WELL OVER FIFTY YEARS, IAN SPEDDING AND HIS namesake business ‘Ian Spedding Transport’ has shifted copious amounts of kiwi dirt and earth in order to shape the modern day Auckland City that we see today. However, it’s this ‘hobbyists’ unwavering passion for keeping his trucks and gear in pristine condition that makes him a Southpac legend.

Originally from the motherland, the now octogenarian Ian arrived on NZ shores at the age of 11.

“My parents [Mary and Harry] came out from England in 1951. They bought a house in Otahuhu, and I lived there until I got married at 29.”

Ian can trace his love of trucks back to his childhood, saying that he had “a thousand Dinky to... ... 

This month’s Southpac Legend, Rod Dow, was literally born into a transport company. Three years before his arrival, his parents, Dennis and Cynthia Dow, went into partnership with his uncle and aunt, Jim and Bev Barker, to buy a small King Country carrying firm, renaming it Otorohanga Transport. Jim and Cynthia were siblings.

Consequently, you could say that the company would be his future, like it or not. But he did like it. As he recalls, even the young fantasy games had a transport bias: “When we were little kids we used to be always around the yard. In those days pretty well everyone smoked, and I can remember us going to the dairy and buying those little lollies you could g... ... 

In a career filled with memories and memorable achievements, Warwick Wilshier reckons some of the greatest highs have come from the way business competitors have often put aside financial differences to come together in a common cause.

“I’m particularly proud of what has been achieved with the LTSC (Log Transport Safety Council) and the respect and cooperative spirit of the logging operators,” he says.

“The camaraderie and respect between people in the log transport industry is huge, there is never that competitive edge when we are working on LTSC business. We all work together.”

The LTSC and associated organisations have played a massive part in Warwick’s life, and ... ... 

Neil Weber has been in the transport industry for over four decades, through good times and what he calls ‘the dark days’. 

He’s helped keep logging trailers on the road, created innovative solutions, increased safety and even given us an All Black - and for that, he’s a Southpac legend.

Unlike many in the industry, Neil Weber can’t claim to come from a long list of truckies, however, he did get the truck driving bug early.

“My late father [Graham Weber] was actually a farmer but we always had a farm truck to do hay and stuff like that, so I was driving trucks when I was about 9 or 10 years old. And you know how farmers are on a farm, they’re pretty innovative t... ...