Teletrac Navman Fleet Focus

It hasn’t been part of a formal business plan, but one truck per year is a rough average for the step-by-step growth of Laurent Contractors.

The rural transport company at Waharoa, just north of Matamata, turns 10-years-old in early December. So, the maths of reaching a decade in business suggests the Laurent fleet should now number 10 red trucks.

Which is pretty much spot on… there are 10 red trucks (but one is for sale) plus a new MAN spreader in pristine white that’s set to be painted red as soon as it can be taken out of the work rotation for a few days. So yes, let’s call it 10 years to build the fleet to 10 trucks.

You get the first impression... ... 

Standing at the highest point on this rural Waimauku property, Iydden Wood is clearly proud of the place.

Below the 40-year-old is his company’s work of the past eight years – work that makes this part of his Dirtworks operation look to me kind of like a landscaper…..but on an enormous scale.

There’s a least a kilometre of wide, sweeping, heavy-duty concrete roads (almost 200-millimetre-thick). And, directly in front, a whole valley now being given a massive makeover. 

And, whereas your typical landscape company might run a ute or light truck, a little digger and maybe a Bobcat mini excavator, the property below us is crawling with 20 to 30-tonn... ... 

Whether at work or at play, the tools and the toys are always heavy-duty for the Easy Moves crew.

When the West Auckland operation owned by the Etting family isn’t at work on house and building relocations, they are fielding a two-truck effort in the NAPA Auto Parts New Zealand Super Truck Championship.

And with the 2024-25 championship set to begin at Manfeild over Labour weekend, New Zealand Truck & Driver thought it was timely to learn more of the story behind the team with two bright yellow race trucks – the Kenworth raced by Troy Etting and the Volvo by his son Connor.

Troy Etting says he’s approaching 40 years of working in the house removal a... ...