Double Coin Imaging Awards

Coolpak Coolstores CONCEDES that, when you

see one of its trucks, it’s pretty much “a big white box.”

But, it adds in its website statement, “it’s what’s inside that counts – and we’d love to show you our cool world.’’

It turns out the exterior of those big white Coolpak boxes – visible out on highways all across the South Island – is actually very cool as well.

It’s a look that – by contrasting four shades of blue, plus a dash of silver metallic, against a backdrop of crisp white – achieves a bold graphic that helps the Coolpak fleet stands out.

The livery is now shared across 10 trucks working in the Coolpak logistics fleet based out of Timaru and Rolleston. And the consistent messaging is reinforced by running by an exclusive stable of modern DAF units.

“The 10th one has just gone on the road,’’ says Coolpak Coolstores director and Canterbury manager Ivan McAuley.

“Three of them are 2021 DAF CF 530s in 8x4 configuration and powered by the Euro 6 version of the PACCAR MX-13 engine. There are also six 8x4 Euro 5 units and a single 6x4, with the Euro 5 engine, on the fleet,” says Ivan.

“We only have DAFs. Mike Gillespie at Southpac (New Zealand’s DAF dealer) won’t let us have anything else!” he laughs.

In fact, he adds: “All of the team seem to like them. The new model is particularly quiet, they pull good and they look great.”

Coolpak has facilities in Timaru and Rolleston providing cold storage, refrigerated container and blast-freezing services. The trucks haul fish, processed fruit and vegetables, dairy and meat products between these stores and also bring six loads of butter a day across Arthur’s Pass from Hokitika.

“We are mainly export-based – carting and storing export product for our customers,” Ivan says.

The company history is traced back to a coolstore and transport operation founded in 1966 by Ivan’s father Sid McAuley, and the company remains family owned.

Sid says the choice of blue colours represent the ocean: “GR McBride Ltd was the original name of our company, formed in 1966 to transport fish for Timaru Fishing Company – locally and chilled fish from the Timaru fishing vessels to a Christchurch fishmarket owned by P. Feron & Son in Moorhouse Ave.

“Blue is what we deemed to be appropriate for Coolpak as it portrays the cold, blue sea. Fish storage and transport has been the core of our transport and cold storage from the beginning.

“We changed the name to Hilton Haulage Ltd in 1974 and to Coolpak Coolstores Ltd in 1995, when we divided the transport operation off. Coolpak Coolstores company has been in business for 55 years.”

The white-blue Coolpak theme was first used on a 1997 International S-Line that went to work in 2004. Several other early trucks to carry the livery included a Sterling, a Freightliner FL and a Hino – all four having now been moved on from the fleet to make way for the DAFs.

Sid recalls that locals Peter Taylor or Andrew Geddes, at Timaru Signs Graphix, would have done the original Coolpak signwriting. The same company designed the latest update to the livery – adding modern metallic colours and a little more use of blue – in 2016.

Says Ivan McAuley: “The design has gone from a very basic block of colour on the bonneted trucks to a slightly fresher look on the Euro cabs.

“The space cabs also have more room, so we can display our value set of customer service, safety and accuracy.

“Even now we make tiny little changes to each new one. What was matt blue is now a metallic blue and the technology in the stickers is constantly improving.... We added the blue strip along the bottom of the curtains because it tends to get the dirtiest there.”

The launch of the latest look five years ago coincided with a large-scale growth phase for the company. Ivan says the company has doubled in size since then. And it’s not a stretch to say that the striking image of the trucks has played at least some part in that success.

“We cart high-quality food for high- quality customers, so the gear needs to match the job,” he adds.

And yes, he does see the trucks as high-profile billboards…..their appearance designed to match the quality of the service: “Absolutely. All of our fleet, including the forklifts, are kept to a high standard. If we can’t look after our own gear, how can we possibly look after the customers’ product?”

Ivan says too that the late-model trucks and their striking appearance helps with attracting drivers who share the company values: “We have an outstanding driver group…. The signage looks great and I think it makes all the people who work for us proud to associate.’’

These days, Clarkson Signs in Addington, Christchurch, is doing most of Coolpak’s signwriting work, as new trucks come into the Christchurch branch of the Coolpak operation. The company’s trailer inventory – predominantly Fruehauf units – include a mix of hardsiders and curtainsiders, plus skeletal trailers for refrigerated container movements.