If the ‘behind every great man…’ adage is true, then it’s safe to say that behind every great transport operator there’s been a great truck. Over the past 60 years Kenworth is a name that’s been synonymous with such outstanding trucks here in NZ, and regardless of configuration, size, or powertrain, over the years they have invariably been on some amazing journeys – here’s the first story about one of these Southpac Legends.

As with most things, it’s always good to start at the beginning, and what better place than this 848 from 1964, carrying the chassis number 81687. This conventional, tandem axle Kenworth actually arrived on NZ shores alongside a sister Kenworth, however, it was the first registered and took pride of place as fleet number 57 at NZ Forestry Products in Tokoroa on or about March 6, 1964.

Under the 848’s bonnet was a turbocharged NH Cummins developing 280hp, meaning that this new Kenworth was a game changing pioneer for the NZ road transport industry. Especially when you consider the trucks it replaced were 190hp, carrying 25-tonnes of logs maximum, (most carried 20-tonnes), this new Kenworth turned up and could cart a 35-tonne payload no problem.

“It was a huge step towards efficiency, of which New Zealand was one of the most efficient logging countries in the world back then, especially in road transport,” says Barry Caulfield who has spent the past decade restoring this iconic truck.

The 848 stayed at NZFP up until around 1986/7 where it went to auction along with a whole lot of forestry gear. It was bought by AF Porter from Te Kowhai, given a rock body and began its next career, moving rocks in NZ quarries.

Taupo-based JS Burrows Ltd was next to own the 848, followed by Rasmussen Contractors in Waihi. It was then moved to Taumarunui, firstly doing a stint at King Country Earth Compaction and then Jilesen Contractors, where it was ‘destroyed’.

Barry says that their driver was coming down a steep hill out of the quarry, it was thick with fog, and he couldn’t see.

“He drove into a rock that was the size of a house and it knocked the front axle back, squashed the air cleaner and bent the dash right up in the air. It completely destroyed it. And that was the condition it was in when I got it,” Barry explains.

In fact, the 848 made one last stop before heading Barry’s way, and that was to Allen Mills & Sons in Dannevirke. Barry recalls that around a decade ago Allen Mills had the Kenworth in his shed.

“Allen needed an engine for one of their Kenworths, and I had a cabover Peterbilt with a nice engine, so we swapped.”

Barry says that 848 was a bit rough when it arrived, with the cab itself being the biggest issue.

He says, “they were all steel cabs back then, Kenworth aluminium didn’t start until about ‘66 and we didn’t see them here until ‘67/8. But by my calculations, there were only around eight Kenworths that ever came to NZ with steel cabs, so getting a replacement cab was an issue.”

However, as luck would have it, Barry was on holiday in Portland, Oregon and drove past a house that had a steel Kenworth in its garden, and it was exactly the one he needed.

“So, I knocked on the door and said, ‘can I buy that truck in your garden?’.”

Ironically, or maybe fittingly, the truck in the garden was originally owned by American timberland company, Weyerhaeuser.

Barry cut the chassis off the cabin and bought the whole front quarter, saying that the owner gladly kept the rest because steel was worth good money back then. And so, the restoration began.

“Everything has been kept standard. It’s still got the original engine and transmission,” says Barry. “It’s been reconditioned many times and being a forest truck, it’s probably been tipped over several times in its life, but it’s all original, right down to its Bostrom air seat.”

Barry explains that when the Bostrom seats came out they had a huge flat air bag under them, a lot different to what we know as air suspension seats today. ‘Quite a unique looking seat’.

Barry says that although he’s had the 848 for quite a while now, the actual build time for him so far is probably around five years, and it’s not finished yet.

“You start these jobs, and you can only do things when parts pop up, you can’t just go down the road to get them.”

However, he adds that he’s now got all the parts to finish it, and it only needs glass and wiring, and the refurbished original seats being put back in. ‘It just needs a week or so for the finishing touches to be done’.

Barry adds, “the sign writing has to go on too, NZFP in black writing across the door and their logo and fleet number 57 up front. But it’s still an original orange cab and black chassis truck.”

As for how many miles this truck has travelled, Barry says he has no idea.

“They worked 24 hours a day off-highway, so it could have easily done 50-100,000 miles per year, and from when it arrived in ‘64 to when it ‘retired’ in ’87. That’s a lot of miles.”

What’s more, even during its extensive refurbishment, NZ’s first Kenworth is still clocking up the miles. It’s already been on show at the Kenworth 100 celebration held earlier this year, and when finally completed it will be travelling to the future Mercer Transport Museum for all to come and see – but the Kenworth’s current owner (and museum creator/curator) Dave Carr says that’s still a little while away yet.