Mike Gillespie stands out as a legendary figure at Southpac Trucks. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, his journey from starting out as a certified mechanic in Timaru to becoming their South Island Sales Manager is a testament to his dedication, expertise, and passion for trucking – that and him clocking up over 70,000km on the road each year.

Born and raised in Timaru, Mike’s fascination with trucks began at an early age. After completing his training as a certified mechanic, he found himself working as a mechanic salesman for Leo Leonard motors back in the PDL Mustang days.

“I always wanted to get into trucks,” says Mike. “We were doing light trucks, and then the opportunity came for me to get into heavy trucks and that’s where I wanted to be.”

Mike’s career in trucks began in 1989 with Timaru Motors selling Hinos and Ford Louisville trucks. He recalls the first truck he ever sold was a N-Series Ford; “it was an eight-tonner, rebadged Hino.

“We were very, very successful at Timaru Motors in the South Island with Louisville, we were a big dealer and sold a lot of product in those days.”

Mike says that down the track, because they didn’t have a cabover, they were bought by Colonial Motors and Maarten Durent, and they started a company called Timaru Trucks, who were the Kenworth and DAF dealer. 

“I stayed with them for a few years and then started working for Southpac direct (rather than the distributor) about 2001, doing the whole South Island on my own,” says Mike.

According to Mike, things took a long time to grow. He says he took over from Mike Corliss, [who was shipped to Auckland with Southpac] and therefore had the whole island to himself and really clocked up the miles.

“I did about 70,000km on the road in those days,” says Mike. “It was [and still is] a matter of just going around, knocking on doors and presenting your product to them, and getting the opportunity when they do come to the market to have a crack.”

He says that although brands like Kenworth and DAF stand up well, they still require selling, but honesty has been his underlying key to success.

“Honesty and being straight up,” he says. “If there’s a problem, address it, but be straight up and always keep the customer informed if there’s a change or anything like that, keeping them up to speed. And I think that’s where you build the loyalty with customers. It’s a case of ‘what you say is what you do’.”

With 35-years of sales under his belt, it’s hard to get Mike to commit to any specific memorable deals, but he’s certainly sold on the brands he holds.

“We’ve done some great deals, and I think Kenworth is the key. They’re the best truck in the world in my book. They’re not the cheapest, but they’re the best.”

He does have a favourite too. “I like those 909’s, I reckon they’re a great looking truck.”

Mike believes that there’s such loyalty and desire for the Kenworth brand and that it’s based around their durability and that they’re a truck built for whatever the client wants to use it for.

“Different territories require different specifications, logs and road trucks and building those trucks for those purposes is a great thing,” Mike says.

He may not have a standout deal, but he is quick to reel off a list of fleets he’s proud of.

“I really enjoy big companies like the Wareing Group, who have been very, very loyal. Also, Hilton Haulage, Waimea Contract Carriers, and T. Croft Limited on the coast – those sorts of companies. I love putting big fleet deals together, I really enjoy that.”

Mike may have spent a lot of time on the road selling trucks, but he also has a life outside of trucks too, choosing to shoot a few deer from time to time and is very heavily into building and showing old stationary engines, or ‘single bangers’ as he calls them.

“The old engines they used to have years ago, like Andersons and things that were in old milking sheds and pumps and all that sort of thing. The oldest one I got is 1915 and was built by Anderson in Christchurch. I’ve got about 14 of them now, and I attend a lot of shows and I’m the vice president of the Christchurch Historic Machinery Club, and that’s what I really enjoy, rebuilding those engines.”

He’s got a workshop at home too, for although the engines are very simple, he says that there’s a lot of stuff you have to make because some of the bits are not there anymore.

“It’s all the fun of rebuilding these engines.”

Mike says that he does spend a fair amount of time in his shed right now but jokingly says that his wife Pauline reminds him, mowing the lawn might need a bit more of his attention come spring! In fairness he points out that Pauline has been behind him and supportive all the way through.

With over three decades of service Mike has obviously shown his loyalty to Southpac Trucks but he doesn’t look at it that way. 

“If it wasn’t a good company I wouldn’t be here. Being with Colonial Motor Company/Southpac for 35 years, doesn’t feel like that,” says Mike.

“I’ve had some great trips away to the factories with Southpac, to Holland a few times, to Australia a lot of times, to the factories with customers, and it makes it all really worthwhile, Southpac has been very, very good to me, it’s been a great ride, and I thoroughly enjoy it.”

And it would appear that the devotion flows both ways with Southpac taking Mike out for dinner and giving him a trophy for the 35-year milestone.

Nowadays Mike has reduced his workload to a three-day week, but he still remains as hardworking and committed as ever, proudly treating his South Island key accounts/friends to his decades of knowledge and experience.