Fleet Focus

Delivering fuel to where it’s needed – whether it’s to keep farm, forestry and civil equipment working, send a luxury cruise ship to its next destination, or to restock a busy petrol station – has kept the McFall Fuel trucks on the move for more than 40 years.

While the primary task remains largely the same, a huge amount has changed at McFall Fuel since the company featured in New Zealand Truck & Driver 20 years ago.

Our 2005 Fleet Focus traced the history of the McFall family businesses, and at the time fuel and lubricants had been the sole focus for only five years.

That had come about in 2000 when founder Morris McFall and his son Allan sold thei... ... 

When somebody sets up a trucking company from scratch you’ll generally find they’ve had an early association with the industry that leads to a career in it, and eventually to the point of striking out for themselves.

Which made Ray Brown a bit of an exception when he bought his first truck in 1963, at the age of 26. He’d had no family connections in the game (his father worked with the Railways, and had plans for him to train as an engine driver) – nor, by all accounts, was he truck-mad as a youngster growing up in Garston, in northern Otago.

What he did have in common with many future transport entrepreneurs was a less than enthusiastic attitude to school... ... 

A teenager earning a few quid from a lawn mowing round and a service station job greasing trucks in Waiuku, is one the starting points for the Knight & Dickey story.

It’s been almost 70 years since the late Graham Dickey raised the money to buy a stake in Jack Knight’s fledgling Waiuku transport company.

“Dad used to have a lawn mowing round as a teenager,” says Graham’s son John, who with his wife Denise today owns and runs the family transport company known for its distinctive red and yellow trucks.

“He was mowing lawns for Bill Lever in Kaiwaka Rd, who said to him one day; “I hear you are going to buy into Jack Knight’s business?

“Dad said... ...