It was 2018 when Ray and his wife Fiona, from Rangiotu near Palmerston North, secured one of the most coveted rigs in the country, a brand‑new Kenworth T900 Legend, number 163 of the limited run produced that’s sold within a single day. And for a man who has spent decades building his business, this truck was a milestone.

Remarkably, it was Ray’s first ever brand-new Kenworth after owning what he guesses is probably a hundred Kenworths over the years – all the others bought second‑hand and rebuilt by hand in his own workshop.

It’s fair to say that for any operator to land a Kenworth Legend is no small achievement, but to understand why this truck means so much to Ray, you have to understand the road that led him here.

Transport runs wide and deep in the Reid family. “My grandfather started trucking about 1949,” Ray explains, and from there the family business grew across multiple generations, with Ray’s father and uncle also involved for decades.

The Reids eventually bought Peterson Transport in Foxton, and it was during that transition that Ray himself got fully drawn into the business.

Ray began trucking life young, very young. “I started truck driving when I was 16,” he says, recalling the special licence he and his brother were allowed to obtain at the time, although he couldn’t pull a trailer until he hit 18.

His first truck? A TK Bedford, a machine he remembers fondly. “I loved it,” he says, laughing at the memory of the high seats and the no‑frills nature of the cab.

From there, Ray worked his way up through J5 Bedfords and other modest machinery, long before he ever imagined owning something like a Kenworth Legend. However, it wasn’t just the trucks that shaped him, it was the life. “I just love everything I’ve done with transport,” he reflects. “I just love doing it.”

Ray’s admiration for Kenworth began decades ago. Influenced by the iconic trucking series BJ and the Bear and that unmistakable American styling, he remembers the first time he saw those classic dashboards on screen and thought, “I have to have one of those in front of me.”

But Ray says that back then, Kenworth didn’t have the strongest dealer support, and Mack was the dominant brand with a more reliable agent network. That mattered to operators who relied on solid after‑sales service and parts availability.

But times changed. “You just see what’s on the road now, Kenworth are just brilliant, and the agent is brilliant,” Ray says. “They support everybody.”

As a result, Kenworth became the backbone of his fleet.

Though he had bought and rebuilt countless Kenworths, he had never bought one new, not until the T900 Legend came along. When asked why he chose the Legend, Ray doesn’t need time to recall his decision. “Ah, it was beautiful,” he says simply. “It was old school, the perfect growl, the perfect bonnet, and the perfect agent. So, what could go wrong!”

The Kenworth Legend series is famous for its heritage‑inspired aesthetic, limited‑edition availability, and nostalgic design cues that throwback to Kenworth’s most iconic eras. Each run is sold strictly within a single 24‑hour window, and Ray’s one was no different.

He recounts the day he and his wife Fiona decided to buy it. “The salesman came around and said, ‘what do you reckon?’ My wife told him that I had just bought a T650 a week ago and ‘I don’t think he wants another one at the moment’.”

“He replied, ‘I think he’ll want this one’ – and he was right.”

Ray’s truck, number 163, carries the authenticity and rarity that collectors and operators dream of. It’s powered by a 600hp Cummins X15 Euro5 engine paired with an 18‑speed Roadranger gearbox, giving it serious pulling power and a classic mechanical feel.

Its heritage styling includes chrome accents, gold‑bezel gauges, quarter‑light doors, and has a burgundy metallic cab with vintage cream pinstriping (by Steve Forest) that reinforces its old‑school character.

With its stainless visor, LED‑lit panels, and perfectly balanced alloy body and 4-axle trailer, (by Transport Trailers in Hamilton) the truck delivers a show truck presence straight from the factory. Overall, the T900 Legend combined modern performance with nostalgic design and created a rare and striking flagship for Ray’s fleet.

And in Ray’s own words: “It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

With a limited edition truck like the Legend, customisation options are minimal by design. Ray notes that Kenworth didn’t allow for choices like disc brakes or radically different configurations.

“You didn’t really have a lot of choice,” he says.

The idea was to preserve the integrity and authenticity of the heritage spec, and Ray was completely happy with that.

He did briefly consider adding a bull bar, even going as far as ordering one, but changed his mind after using the bull bar on his T650.

“Bull bars are a pain in the arse,” he laughs. “You’ve got to undo two bolts to lift the bonnet, and I don’t want that.”

So, the Legend kept its bumper, clean, functional, and true to its old‑school lineage.

He did, however, upgrade the seats to a higher spec, a decision he’s particularly pleased with.

And although the burgundy and cream colours were not his usual fleet colours, this truck was not meant to blend in.

“This was a special truck, and it didn’t matter whether it was in the fleet colour or not,” he says confidently.

As if to underline the Legend’s importance, the truck was given a nickname, “I called it my wife’s name, Fiona,” says Ray.

To understand why this truck mattered (and still matters) so deeply, you have to look back at Ray’s sacrifices, like selling his prized Holden Monaro (327) as a teenager to raise the money needed to buy into Peterson Transport. Or the decades of rebuilding Kenworths that already had a million kilometres on them before they even reached his workshop. Or the early mornings, long hauls, and endless commitment to a family trade that started long before he was born.

The Legend still takes pride of place in Ray’s fleet and up until he became semi-retired recently, he has personally racked up around 150,000kms behind the wheel (it now sits at around 200,000km).

“It drives the same as they did 25 years ago and there’s nothing wrong with that. They stayed on the road, they were good to steer, they haven’t got the best lock in the world of course, but overall, it couldn’t be better,” he says.

For Ray, buying the Kenworth T900 Legend in 2018 was a marker of a lifetime in transport. It’s pride, passion, and heritage on wheels.

“It’ll always be special to me,” he declares. “I’m thankful I’ve got it and I see the value of having a such a special truck.”

When he’s not driving, Ray’s other passion is GM and Chev cars.

“We’re involved with the AmeriCARna festivals and follow them around. We’ve got a vintage truck, and I used to run the Northern Classic truck group, and I’ve cottoned on to doing some vintage speedway too. I’m enjoying something I wanted to do when I was 35-40 but never had time to do.”

Did he buy another Monaro? Unfortunately, not. But he does have a Camaro instead along with some Butterworth vintage midgets and a pink Caddy.

Even now, Ray’s Kenworth T900 Legend is more than a showpiece; it’s a working symbol of everything the Reid family has built. With its unmistakable stance, its rumbling 600hp heart, and its classic lines honouring Kenworth’s history, the truck fits Ray perfectly – timeless, hardworking, and proud of its roots.