Southland’s Herberts Transport has only been around for 28 years – and in its present form way less than that: Just three years, in fact.

And yet the foundations of the Edendale-based trucking company date back more than a century.

The current name and the incorporated commercial entity that goes with it was established in 1993, as an equal partnership between Dynes Transport and the HW Richardson Group – with Jim Dynes and the late Bill Richardson as directors. 

But the roots of the firm stretch back way before that, in the guise of WJ Herbert Ltd, whose history – if not the actual trading name – goes back to 1918.

That’s when William John (Jock) Herbert started using a horse-drawn wagon to cart whey from the little dairy factories around Edendale to the town.

The work soon expanded into other areas – and by 1923 Jock was operating as a general carrier in the region. He stayed in charge of the operation until the early 1960s, when ill-health forced his retirement and the management of the company was handed over to his son, Roy.