You don't need to tell Pukekohe trucking company mother and son Bev and Matt Young that old adage about not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Once upon a time, back in the days when Bev's husband Bruce was still alive, they dared to risk testing the truth of the saying….and got burnt.

Pukekohe Carriers, now in its 37th year, was lucky to survive the experience, says Matt: In 1986, Bev and Bruce took a punt – taking up the offer of a contract with a big produce company to cart its produce from Pukekohe to Auckland….

Conditional on the two-truck business putting on six extra trucks, to do the work. For a little company, just a couple of years old, it was a huge deal. 

Another Puke company, Powells Transport, had previously done the job, Bev explains: "We were approached and asked if we wanted to take it over – and Bruce even went and spoke to Richard Powell, because he didn't want to step on his toes. Richie just grinned and said 'you can have it.' " Later, she says – smiling thinly – "we found out why." 

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