Double Coin Imaging Awards

As a boy, Pete Dormer got his start in the trucking industry washing machinery and cleaning around the yard at March Construction in Christchurch.

While working at March Construction, Pete spent a lot of time around driver Bob Gerrard (known as Scouse) and his W924 Kenworth Running Bear. Pete would ride shotgun with Bob doing heavy haulage, carting excavators and shingle, along the way learning many life lessons from listening to Bob’s words of wisdom.

After working his way up through the ranks and learning the business, Pete decided to start his own operation in 1994 at the age of 17.

Since starting out on his own Dormer Construction has grown into one of the top construction companies in New Zealand, winning the Canterbury Contractor of the Year award in 2008 and 2011 at the New Zealand Federation of contractors, Canterbury branch Construction Awards.

Back in 2019, while Pete was attending the Wheels at Wanaka event, he had a conversation with Southpac Trucks salesman Mike Gillespie about upgrading the Kenworth T604 tractor unit, that was currently in the fleet, with a new T909 model.

The result appears on this month’s poster with the T909 tractor unit bringing a combination of elegance and toughness to the Dormer Construction fleet.

The interior includes an ISRI driver’s seat, a centre console, GME CB radio and a Tait two-way radio while the exterior has Narva LED lights, a Kenworth bullbar and a Kenworth stainless visor (which are both factory fitted), aluminium guards over the rear tyres, a Holland oscillating fifth wheel plus hydraulics that were added by Adams & Currie in Christchurch.

While he was waiting for the new Kenworth to arrive in the country, Pete had a conversation with Andy March of March Construction who suggested the new truck be named “Scouse” after the late Bob Gerrard who had been so influential in Pete’s life and a legend of the trucking industry. 

Arriving on New Zealand shores, having already been painted in the factory, the T909 made its way to Timaru Signs & Graphix where Andrew Geddes applied the pinstriping that follows the shape of the long hood and guards so beautifully. Coupled nicely with subtle touches and the name “Scouse” this truck really is a great tribute to Bob Gerrard and the W924 Kenworth Running Bear.

Meanwhile, Pete had been looking for someone to join the company to take care of the Kenworth and look after the transporter work. That man just happened to be William “Bill” Sawyer, an Irishman with trucking in his blood.

A third-generation truck driver, whose grandad drove a Scammell in World War II hauling Spitfire wings, Bill was ‘raised in a truck’ by his father doing linehaul throughout Europe in the `eighties and `nineties.

Bill started spinning spanners as a truck mechanic at the age of 16 and continued in different areas gaining experience until moving to New Zealand following the Christchurch earthquakes to work for March Construction among others.

When Bill found out that Pete was looking for a driver he applied and said he’d fancy coming off the tools for good. It was then that the connection between the two became apparent as Bill had also worked with “Scouse” at March Construction. 

“Bob was a good mate to me and that’s why it means so much to me to drive this truck and to carry on the legacy and legend of that man. While I will never be as good, if I’m a quarter of that guy that would do me,” says Bill.

Since being put to work the Kenworth has had a good variety of work towing a 2022 Adams & Currie tipulator trailer, a 1995 Domett 40-foot flat deck trailer and the 1996 TMC transporter trailer which is run on a 58-tonne permit. The work is easily handled by the combination of the 615 horsepower Cummins X15 engine and Eaton Ultra Shift transmission.

Bill has been thankful for the Eaton Ultra Shift transmission of late as last year he was involved in a serious accident outside of work in which he sustained multiple injuries.

Bill says “Pete was the first person to see me after my wife when I came out of the coma. He parked my truck up for four months until I could get back to work. You can’t ask for better than that in a boss.”