With over three decades of experience, Paul Chappel from Pyramid Trucking certainly knows a lot about the road transport industry. Not only does his company have a keen eye on social responsibility but Paul himself is committed to paying it forward to future generations of truckers via the industry associations – that’s why he’s this month’s Southpac Legend.

Although he spent a short OE stint in Australia after leaving school, Paul’s parents owned a transport company, Chappel Carriers, and so it seemed inevitable that he would venture into the industry.

“My family was in it first and so I wanted to be a driver from a young age,” says Paul. “And as soon as I was old enough to get a HT, I was into it.”

He says that his parents’ business actually started out as hide and skin buyers but couldn’t get anyone to take the hides to the tanneries, so they bought a truck and started from there.

Paul joined the family business immediately upon his return from Australia, starting off with the smaller trucks before moving up to drive their Fodens. He recalls; “Those 4000 series Fodens worked great for us and in those days, we ran about six full units of hides and skins a night into Napier, they had about the right amount of horsepower and comfort.”

Paul says that he worked in his parent’s business for around three years before it was sold. It was then that Paul set up a business with his brother Glen, who stayed in it for a few years before Glen selling out and going into another line of business.

“So, I didn’t go with the original business when it was sold,” Paul says, “And ended up buying the business back off the people they sold it to a few years later.”

Paul says that Pyramid Trucking (a name that stemmed from the belief of having a solid base and being lean up top) started in 1995.

“The first owned truck came in `96 but we actually started in August 1995, they gave us a loan for the first six months,” recalls Paul.

“We started off with just one truck, a 1996 FLD Freightliner. It was a refrigerated curtainsider as was carting sheep intestines (casings).”

It may sound a bit gruesome to some, but according to Paul nearly everybody eats them because they get made into sausage skins.’ From there the business began to grow.

“We pretty much stayed on our [first customer] for about 12 months or so and then some of the other older customers that had dealt with me in the previous company weren’t happy, so when they got new work, they asked me to price it,” says Paul.

From there, the company that his parents had sold to, asked Paul if he’d be interested in buying it back. “It was because by-products just don’t blend so well with general freight, so it wasn’t working out,” says Paul.

While busily building and running the Pyramid business, Paul also got heavily involved with National Road Carriers (NRC).

“I was on the board there for about 13 years, spent one year as Vice President, three as President and three as Chairman of Owner Carriers Association of NZ, which is NRC and New Zealand Trucking Association,” says Paul.

He is clear about his motivation too, saying that being a member and seeing the benefits that you get from being a member, he just wanted to give back.

“I mean the people that do this [go on the NRC and other association boards] donate their time and I think everybody should at least have a go if and when their circumstances allow. If they’re working off the efforts of people before them to make it easier for us on the way through, I think everybody should play their part somewhere,” he says.

Paul recalls numerous ‘memorable moments’ during his tenure. Of note though, he says that amalgamating what was the former Region 1 from the RTA, into the NRC, was one of the highlights.

“I was very proud of the way both boards interacted. There were some very mature conversations and realisations. There was no ego at the table. It was actually quite good to be involved with,” Paul says.

“It was a collective board, there were groups on both sides and some of those from the former Region 1 went on to become presidents and life members of NRC, so it just shows the ability to work together for a common goal.”

He adds that before that happened, he was involved in the truck protest era against the previous Labour government.

“That was certainly an interesting time. That must have been 2008, at the end of Helen Clark’s reign,” says Paul.

“The country was getting agitated; customers were getting beaten and there was just nobody happy. The economy wasn’t going great. I guess something snapped and the road user charges were put up overnight without warning after repeated promises that it wouldn’t. So, the industry worked fantastically together all across the country and it was a very successful protest.”

Paul says he hopes he’s never involved in one [a protest] again because he expects the government to listen should the situation be serious enough. However, he also believes that the industry is not having an easy ride right now.

“It’s a tough time for the industry right now and I think we’re in for a very tough 12 months ahead, so keeping our head down and concentrating on the job in front of us is needed,” Paul says.

“There’s a lot of head wind. Every aspect of our industry in the supply chain has struggled in the past to get labour. That is certainly easing but with easing comes a loss of turnover as well. It’s pretty plain, we’re an export driven country and unless our exporters are winning... we can’t win if they’re losing.”

Despite things being tough, Paul still enjoys the industry, the people, and the fact that he gets to move around the country and deal with various types of industries. Adding that there are plenty of people that have helped him along the way.

“I couldn’t name them all. And that’s the good thing about it, this industry helps each other wherever possible, and that’s why I recommend those who can afford the time to get involved in the industry, even if it’s one of the committee’s, go along and contribute your time, you’ll get the benefit back in spades,” he says.

“And that goes right across this industry, from having our great staff, we’ve got a lot of long-term staff which is really good, to long term suppliers. I’m still dealing with the same suppliers that we dealt with when we started and even before that with my parents’ company.”

Pyramid Trucking’s fleet has grown to around 25-30 trucks, with most of them being Paccar products, a flow on from the Chappel Carriers days.

“I’ve had a couple of trucks painted in those [Chappel Carrier] colours. They were buying Paccar – Fodens and the like – and I’m still dealing with the same company, Southpac. Our fleet is predominantly Paccar products, Kenworth, and DAF with some Western Stars and an International for specific jobs.”  

He says that Southpac and Fruehauf have been good service providers to them, including great back up “and when things are tough, they look after us the best they can, and we appreciate it.”

Paul believes that there is a good sense of loyalty in the trucking industry and is involved with a good network of carriers that help each other through the peaks and troughs.

Another interesting time was COVID.

“COVID was horrible. You think about the poor drivers crossing over getting swab tests done every time they crossed the boundary lines. It’s not good for people’s mental health and well-being and I hope we never have to see anything like that again.”

On the matter of drivers, Paul says Pyramid does its part in bringing new drivers to the industry.

“We try to take on apprentices for truck driving when we can. We’ve got class 2’s, 4’s and 5s, everybody’s got to do their part to bring them through. Some move about the place [after] for different life circumstances and some of them have gone on to be just amazing drivers and managers for us and other companies. They keep in touch all the time.”

Paul feels that there are areas where the industry as a whole is improving, or maybe needs too.

“Compliance is taking up a huge amount of time and effort, and it’s pleasing to see the possibility of things like permits becoming a lot easier to manage. The guys are heavily under the gun, they get a little thing wrong, and the guy could lose 28 days,” says Paul.

“Twenty-five years ago, a guy came to work, hopped in a truck, and delivered the stuff. Now he’s got all these things that he’s got to worry about, before the truck moves.”

He goes on to add, “Right now we’ve got a high R&M because the roads are in such disarray. There’s just cost after cost mounted on it.”

As for the future, both his and the business, Paul says that things are pretty flexible. His daughter is still coming through the schooling system, and he hasn’t really asked her what she wants to do with regards to any particular part of the business (if any).

“We’re just reviewing the operation and we’re looking at opportunities to expand at the moment,” he says. “We’ve been fortunate to have good loyal customers and suppliers, which has helped us get through, and we take the good and the bad times with them.”

When not working, Paul manages to do a bit of boating and travelling, plus he says he’s got a lot of mates in the transport industry, so spends time with them.

“I am also refurbishing the first new Kenworth I ever bought new at Pyramid – a 2003 K104. It’s 20-years old now. I’ve been told by a few of the old boys in the industry, it’s time to follow them around in those classic trucks.”

Paul says that he’s looking forward to it being finished, hopefully in time for the Southpac Kenworth 100 show in February.

Paul ends by reiterating his sentiments about being involved in the associations.

“People might say that they don’t have time to do it, but you have to make the time. Everybody that’s doing it has been busy or has thought they’ve been too busy to do it but you’re not only helping your own industry, but you’re also helping your own business and your own personal development.

“You might not even agree with everybody on the respective boards but you’re learning the whole time, and you can make a difference. So, as long as you feel you are contributing and learning at the same time it’s a win for the industry and it’s a win for yourself,” he says.