Advantage Tyres Fleet Focus

Back in mid-January a press release caught our eye. The subject was a milestone for WM New Zealand’s fleet of electric trucks, which had clocked up 3 million kilometres of waste collection work to the end of 2025.

A quick read of the background info revealed an EV journey that began a decade ago. The story involves innovative local engineering, the use of EVs in multiple roles, and a strategy to reduce fuel costs and emissions as part of WM’s sustainability target to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

I hoped WM would be happy to share some details of its electric truck experiences. More than happy it turned out, and the company put me in touch with Jitesh Singh and Ash Davenport who... ... 

For more than 50 yearsthe trucks of Marlin Transport have been busy on the streets of Auckland and further afield.

Established in 1974 by Malcolm and Delma Ellis, the tight-knit family company has moved around the Penrose, Mangere, Onehunga, and Auckland Airport environs while adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the transport industry.

The Marlin Transport trucks have worked alongside rail, airfreight, and coastal shipping services while also taking on 3PL, freight forwarding and distribution work. International freight forwarding and container operations are the prime focus today.

Throughout those industry changes, the fundamentals of a small-to-medium size family c... ... 

Mitch McLachlan followed his father into bricklaying,but he didn’t stay on the tools for very long.

Instead, he changed career direction into the transport industry in 1981 to drive a courier van, stepped up to trucks, and from there has steadily built the family-owned M.E. (McLachlan Efficient) Transport operation based on the north side of Plimmerton.

In 2011 Mitch urgently needed an extra pair of hands while M.E. Transport handled the hectic transport logistics for the Rugby World Cup. Teenage daughter Brittany jumped in the truck with Mitch to travel the country, sparking her own passion for the transport industry.

When the RWC job was complete her thoughts of attending... ...