Loggers, Gods and soldiers are awake early to get the day started.

Which begins the explanation for why New Zealand Truck & Driver is waiting in the carpark of the Pan Pac mill, just north of Napier, at 3.30am on a chilly Monday.

We’re meeting Platoon Sergeant Storm Harrison from the 5/7 Battalion NZ Infantry Regiment Army Reserve. And his two stand-out log trucks named Tāne Mahuta [God of the Forest] and Tūmatauenga [God of War].

The military and logging trucks have been dual career paths for Napier-based Storm. And it’s a combination he continues to be busy with approaching 26 years of service with the NZ Army.

Storm has made the early start to introduce his drivers Ben Morris and Tre Brooking. They’re taking us north on State Highway 2 to Willow Flat Rd and then west into the forest in a run timed for the trucks to be loaded at first light and work their way through some rugged Hawke’s Bay scenery in the morning light for our Fleet Focus images

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