Double Coin Imaging Awards

Tito Transport is a small Taranaki family-owned company that started in 2015 with owners Shane Tito and Nicola Bourke purchasing an ex-Fonterra Scania.

After attaching a hydro excavator, the company had contracts with civil contractors to lay cabling for fibre for the next three years.

During this period Shane’s love for the open road never left him. It was something he first enjoyed while travelling in the passenger seat with his father Richard in his 318 horsepower V8 single drive Fuso pulling an A-Train for Kiwi Dairies (which later became Fonterra).

Once he started his own driving career and obtained his Class 5, Shane turned his hand to drive all sorts of configurations and loads. But floating doing flat deck work in the North Island has been his passion for the past 30 years. 

Shane and Nicola then purchased an older Freightliner Argosy and started carting meat boxes. With expansion came the opportunity to purchase a second hand Scania R730 which is where they discovered the comfort of a Scania and the benefit of ScanPlan servicing (now Scania Assistance).

Recently, the company has added a 2024 Scania S660 6x4 truck to their fleet which was painted in metallic “urban grey” at the Scania factory before it arrived in New Zealand.

It was handed over to Truck Signs in Mount Maunganui where Cliff Mannington was given a free artistic license to work his magic. The end result exceeded Shane and Nicola’s expectations, with the extra touches and attention to detail a superb way to finish off the truck.

The Scania was named The Underbelly after a race-winning black gelding which was bred by Nicola’s father, Eddie Bourke, who is a semi-retired farmer and is heavily invested in the New Zealand horse racing industry.

The Underbelly has had an outstanding season racking up four wins back-to-back, just beaten on his last run for the season by a whisker in the St Ledger and is now resting up for his next campaign. The whole family enjoy an outing at the races, taking the chance to relax, enjoy a beer and have a flutter.

Powering the big V8 Scania is a DC16 engine which develops 660 horsepower with 3300Nm of torque. The transmission is the Scania Opticruise G33CM and has a 4700Nm retarder.

Inside the cab is fitted out with all the comforts of home starting with twin factory Scania V8 leather seats (of which the passenger seat is a swivel recliner), a wood trimmed V8 leather steering wheel, short stop heater, fridge, microwave, coffee machine, leather door cards, electric sunroof, electric cab tilt and a 1000mm extended bed. Extra cupboards have been added up the back along with two subs in each corner for those sounds needed while traveling on the road.

Complementing the stunning artwork on the exterior of the S660 Scania, Shane and Nicola went to Andy at Performance Diesels who supplied, painted and fitted the dropdown sun visor and the polymer stone guard. 

Extra marker lights were fitted in the front grille, mirrors, side skirts and the rear of the cab with Illuminated griffin badges also featured along with an impressive light bar kit for the roof which includes four round spotlights and amber markers.

A toolbox was fitted to the right-hand side and full-length chassis deck plates painted the same as the cab colour. Last but not least the exhaust was modified to exit on the left-hand side instead of straight down.

Towing a 15.7 metre quad flat deck trailer that was manufactured in Taranaki by Nickel Engineering, the unit will be carrying general freight. Nicola says, “If we can fit it on our deck it will be off to its destination.”

Nicola, who also has daughters Bailee and Neve to look after, somehow multi-tasks to look after customer service, dispatch and minister of finance. Talk about talented! 

Currently the fleet consists of three 6x4 Scania’s each towing a quad flat deck trailer and a Kenworth K 200 truck and trailer.

Shane and Nicola would like to add:  “In a small family company your staff are your greatest asset and we are extremely lucky to have a great team of staff behind us who have many years of experience in the industry.”

Some days business can be hard but being surrounded by good people makes a big difference and Shane and Nicola never take anything for granted and feel privileged to be where they are today.