Known to most as ‘Scotty’, Andrew Haberfield has not only been putting some of the finest gear in the hands of operators in his area for the past two decades, but he’s also driven and repaired them too. And that (plus many other reasons) is why he’s this month’s Southpac Legend. 

Although obviously very well known around the trucking-industry traps nowadays for his extensive knowledge and hands-on experience, if it wasn’t for Scotty’s parents sticking to their guns, his life could have taken a whole different direction. 

“The deal was, I wanted to drive trucks, but my parents said no way, they wanted me to get a trade behind me,” Scotty recalls. “And it was the best thing they ever said to me to be honest.”

His parents’ evidently sound advice soon had the young Haberfield knocking on Ron Carpenter’s door at Motor Truck Distributors where he started an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic in Palmerston North for one year and then completed the next three years in Mt Maunganui. While in Palmerston North he worked in the workshop during the day and then four nights a week in the assembly plant.

“Fortunately, I was at Motor Truck when the first Super-Liners and Cruise-Liners came along, and to this day Ron Carpenter and I still have a massive mutual respect for each other.”

It was ‘87 when he finished his apprenticeship at MTD and from there the 20-year-old qualified mechanic went to work at TD Haulage’s private workshop at the Mount. He says “that was when they had the 13W models. Peter Mozydloski was my boss at TD’s, and he was someone I learnt a lot from.

“The facility in Newton Street was new when I went there. I was there for a couple of years. I was driving trucks and spent time working in the workshop. And that’s where I got the name ‘Scotty’.”

As outlined earlier, Scotty’s real name is Andrew Haberfield, however, it was on one ‘normal’ Saturday when he was introduced to his new moniker. He recalls that he was working in the workshop on a Saturday as usual, but says that if there was no work, he’d go for a ride in the W models.

“The coolest thing about that was the guys would teach me ‘old school’ driving. The way driving should be. They were the iconic guys at TD – Daryl, Coley, ‘Fishmonger’ (Chris Raymond) and Trevor Harcourt. We were going to Huntly with a load of coal in the trucks. I was with Trevor, and Daryl, who was really witty, said across the CB ‘holy hell, there’s old Barry and Scotty from the Toyota ad’ and ever since then it stuck like a magnet,” Scotty laughs.

Upon leaving TD’s Scotty went to work for Sherson Construction in Hamilton, driving an F1800 International. He was working on the air force base at Ohakea, helping to rip up all the concrete. 

“I was at Shersons for another couple of years and then drove for Laurie Urlich who had the Harvey farms contract for chicken feed. I was driving an ERF back then.”

Scotty then decided to move back to the Mount where he took up various positions within the industry. He drove with Halls back when their livery was brown and yellow.

“My shift partner Phil Rose and I got the first C12 powered truck in New Zealand, which was a Freightliner. It was double shifted, and we did 323,000km on an average every year in it,” Scotty says proudly. “He was an unreal shift partner.”

He also went to work for hall of famer Mike and Judy Lambert at Lamberts where he recalls that he got the first T650 logger they bought. Scotty says that Mike and Judy were great employers and taught him good old-fashioned morals which he still holds today. 

“We spent periods of time down in Gisborne, me and Dave Sharples doing heli logging for Pacific Haulage, that was very cool working with good buggers”.

When Scotty eventually left Lamberts, he went to work for Reliable Haulage, driving a Kenworth T900 and a T650. He says that Ian and Carol Hobbs were really iconic to work for and that their gear was mint. Following that Scotty worked for Kevin Williams at KW Road Haul, where he drove a Merc. 

“With him [Kevin] selling the business I got a job at Jackson Road Haul, and I drove Jack 6 which was a T650 and then on to Jack 7, a K100E called “Out of the Blue’ which was a flat-roof sleeper 6-wheeler Kenworth.”

Scotty returned to TDs after that to work in their workshop and says that John sent him down to Nelson to drive on set runs five days a week, ‘six if we had to’.

“Then I did a stint in Kalgoorlie for a year to work for Byrnecut Mining Ltd, which was a great experience. Unfortunately, in 2004 my father’s health took a turn for the worse which brought me back home to Mt Maunganui.”

For a short time, Scotty found himself without a job and he reached out to an old boss (Peter Mozydloski and his partner Carol Allen) who told him that there was a salesman’s position that had come available at Star Trucks International (Dale and Leanne Greaves) in the Mount. After successfully applying for the position Scotty took to the role immediately.

“They were selling Western Stars and MANs and then Dale integrated his Mitsi part into it from Nelson, so we could still sell Mitsi’s in this area.”

Among numerous others, Scotty recalls selling Alexanders’ some new bright yellow Western Stars. He says that he was only there for a year before Terry Peabody (who owned the Western Star distribution) announced that he was going to change things and that effectively made Dale and Leeanne kind of redundant. But bigger things were on the horizon for Scotty.

“I had already booked a demo of a Western Star to Mike Lambert. I went out there and we were driving around after a cup of tea and some homemade cake and he said to me, ‘well young Haberfield, you’d be better off selling Kenworths I’m telling you that right now’. The next thing I knew I had a job at Southpac. And that was a really big coup for me.”

Pretty soon Scotty was sent over to Australia on a training course, and says his sales career with Southpac carried on from there - that was around 2005 and Scotty remained with Southpac for around sixteen years before his health took a turn for the worse.

“I’ve got to tell you that the management and staff at Southpac have been amazing to me through this journey with my health. I’m 56 now. I’ve got lesions on my brain and lung cancer. 

“It was the 11th of May 2021, when I was diagnosed. We had previously been to the Dr’s demanding for a scan.  We had a scan at 9.30 that morning and before midday we were back at the Dr’s receiving the devastating news.”

With several decades within the industry to reflect upon, Scotty says that the thing he’s enjoyed most is the number of friends that he’s amassed. 

“A lot of people have become really good friends, from colleagues to customers and I really respect that part of it. I’d have more friends that have eventuated through the truck sales or trucking affiliation than anywhere else.”

Scotty says he enjoys all aspects of the transport industry: “There’s no downsides, I would say quite clearly that every day I went to work, even up to the time when I stopped, there was always something new I’d learn. You’re not special to say you know it all, I’ve never had that opinion. And you’ve got to take on board what people say, and if you’re not comfortable then you walk away.”

Scotty’s also got an array of trophy’s which he has won for various achievements over his years. 

“I’ve won the Top Gun award from Kenworth Australia because I sold the first T908 in Australasia to the Jilesens, and I also sold the first K108 8-wheeler and that was to Jack Shaw (or Eagle back in the day). I’ve also been salesman of the year a few times and got the award for getting the most trucks in a new area.”

Scotty has evidently garnered a lot of experience and advice during his time in the industry, but he is also adamant that he wants to dish out some of his own when it comes to health and that is - ‘if you’re not feeling right, speak up.’ Advice we should all heed.

“I am now grateful that I am supported by my partner Justine, our dog Frankee and many family, friends, and work colleagues to help me through this battle with my cancer. I am extremely lucky to have such fantastic support.”