Gisborne carrier Trevor Jukes reckons the key to it – how the family has managed to stay in business for 100 years – is simple.

"By diversifying as fast and as hard as you can! We're not too proud to do the shitty jobs." 
Within a whisker of his 78th birthday, the man who's spent almost 60 years in the family biz, happily provides more detail: "Let's say you're Charlie with a truck. You're working for Fred – who's got a job to cart some product to supply someone. 

"If the supplier decides he doesn't want the product, Fred's out of pocket – and you're in deep shit. All because one of the people in the link decides to change the thinking. 

"So the trucking guys are very vulnerable – unless you have a secure base, secure workflow and utterly trustworthy people you work with."

Trevor Jukes has got a truck and trailer full of stories to share about his time in trucking – but none ring true more than this one.

Gallery