Fleet Focus

The way Gen 2 truckie Ethan Smith sees it, his family’s trucking and contracting business is “the last of the old-school contractors.”

What he means is that, in the 25 years since Allen and Sheree Smith (yep, his Mum and Dad) started NorthEnd Contractors, some things haven’t changed: The business is still run in much the same way as it was in the beginning.

Although he and “little bro” Axel largely run the show these days, it’s still a strictly-no-bullshit, down to earth kind of an outfit – run by hard-case, hardworking people….

With zero regard for political correctness (like Ethan says, “a spade’s a spade – you know what I mean”). No corporate glos... ... 

Elle the Golden Lab has seen nearly every change that has occurred at Glenn and Kerri Wylie’s Gore Freight & Storage. The 14-year-old moves around about a bit slower these days, but still keeps her nose in all of the business and happenings at the busy Southland operation.

“She’s getting on, but she’s seen all the changes we’ve ever made here,” says Glenn.

Gore Freight & Storage had just been established in September 2009 when Elle arrived as an energetic pup. A lot has changed in nearly 15 years with new buildings and a larger yard, plus new trucks and more staff as GFS has carved a foothold in the Southern transport scene based on its local general freight ... ... 

On the face of it, it’s just another truckload of building materials being delivered to just another new house….yep, in just another new Auckland residential subdivision.

But what’s happening here at this two-storey future house (that’s so far just a weatherproof shell) – set in the midst of hundreds of others springing up on a steep, north-facing hillside in Massey, West Auckland – is actually pretty damn different. Maybe even unique.

On the one hand, even on a frustratingly changeable Auckland spring day – raining one minute, sunny the next – this is just one of the 60 to 90 GIB board building site deliveries scheduled for the day (as usual) by Onehunga-bas... ...