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The colour is familiar but the most recent addition to the Summerland Express Freight fleet is something different for the Cromwell-based freight company.

The new Kenworth K200 2.3 Aerodyne sleeper that is working throughout New Zealand is the only Kenworth among the 100-plus fleet operating in the Summerland signature green colour scheme.

“I’ve been a Freightliner guy most of my life, mainly because I like the Detroit engine,” says director Ross “Smilie” Millard.

It took some family persuasion for Smilie to set that loyalty aside and put the new K200 on the fleet in February for son-in-law Ricky Rodgers to drive.

“The family really wanted a Kenworth,” says Smilie.

“These days a lot of the younger people are big Kenworth fans. My son-in-law Ricky is a Kenworth fanatic and that’s the only reason I bought it.

“It’s got all the bells and whistles. I couldn’t tell you exactly what it’s got but it’s a very tidy truck.

“Ricky ticked just about every [optional equipment] box he could on it and then a good friend of mine, Steve Murphy, ticked some more boxes. That’s why it looks the way it does.

“It stands out when it goes past. I think the signwriting and the detailing on it is pretty cool,” says Smilie.

The sleeper cab is equipped with fridge/freezer, microwave oven and TV.

“Chris Gray at Southpac Trucks in Christchurch sorted it all out. He was a pleasure to deal with,” says Smilie.

The K200 is powered by a Euro 5-spec 615hp Cummins X15 with an 18-speed Road Ranger, the latest Meritor rear axles with dual diff locks and Airglide 460 rear suspension.

The Fruehauf B-Train is configured with 7m front and 11.5m rear length dimensions specifically to cart three packets of 5.5m timber.

The choice of green as the Summerland colours goes back to the early 1990s.

“We started as a small operator in 1992,” says Smilie.

“I had an earthmoving business that was working on the Clyde Dam and when that started winding down, I looked at a small transport company called Summerlands that was carting banana boxes from Christchurch down to Queenstown and Wanaka.

“I bought that and that’s how Summerland Express Freight got started.

“Alan Cooper in Cromwell painted the first truck lettuce green because we were carting fruit and vegetables. Then, a bit later on, he put an orange stripe in it because we were carting oranges.

“Once we started buying some bigger trucks instead of little Canters and Fighters, Alan added a bit of yellow to it. That colour is called Summerland Green on the PPG paint chart.”

The truck arrived painted in Summerland Green from the Kenworth factory in Victoria.

The detailed satin black paintwork around the headlights and vents is the work of Elite Transport Refinishers at Washdyke.

All of the signs and details are vinyl work created by Timaru Signs and Graphics who do the majority of the signwriting on Summerland’s fleet.

The tractor set-up was done by HDPS in Christchurch and Southpac Trucks in Auckland completed the stainless work which includes sun visor, grille bars and fuel tank.

The Summerland Express Freight operation now has over 100 vehicles with 10 depots around the South Island.

“We’ve got 96 big trucks and about 10 vans,” says Ross.

However, it’s the not very first Kenworth to run in Summerland Green.

“I had a T602 years ago but that’s the only other Kenworth we’ve had,” says Smilie.

“Buying a Kenworth wasn’t a hard decision for me. They’ve always had the resale value but the start off price is a bit higher. 

“We’ll see what it’s like when it’s done a million kilometres. That’s the only thing that really matters.”

The K200 is based at the Summerland Express Freight head office depot at Cromwell but Smilie says, “it floats” and works across the whole country.

“It goes to Christchurch, Invercargill, Auckland. Pretty much everywhere,” he says.

But the majority of the company’s work is on South Island roads.

“Other than in the fruit season we only go up to the North Island when we’ve got a load home,” says Smilie.

As well as South Island fruit the K200 and nine-axle Fruehauf curtain sider – also brand new - will also be used to haul the likes of milk powder, gib board, timber and groceries.

“We do general cartage,” says Smilie

“Everything is general about us. We’re not fancy.”

The green and white curtain sides on the truck carries the familiar Summerland “On Time - Intact” logo.

“We put a started putting the logo on back in the day when it was the big thing to have a logo. That was the best we could come up with at the time and it hasn’t changed,” says Smilie.