Double Coin Imaging Awards

Carterton owner/driver Mark “Pom Pom” Thomas has a surprising story to relate about the immaculate new Kenworth K200 logger he put on the road in January.

“Everything behind the cab is actually 10 years old,” says Pom Pom.

“It’s all used gear.”

The standout finish of the metallic blue and silver K200 2.3 Flat Roof Sleeper 8x4 is the result of Pom Pom putting his engineering and electrical talents to work and pulling out all stops during an intense nine-week DIY build.

Pom Pom, operating as SEM Haulage Limited, had previously owned a CAT-powered 2007 Kenworth K104B he’d bought from Alan Forbes.

“Alan Forbes is a very honest man, and I bought a great truck ... ... 

There’s a new name and a bold new look signalling the transformation of one of New Zealand’s largest and longest-established transport and logistics companies. 

That’s the story behind the unmissable blue, white, and orange MOVe Logistics livery that began appearing on NZ highways during the second half of 2021.

MOVe Logistics is a rebrand and consolidation of the company formerly known as TIL (Transport Investments Ltd) Logistics Group – which can trace its family tree back to horse-drawn Taranaki beginnings….with the formation of Hooker Bros Transport in 1869. 

That’s just over 150 years in the transport business and you’ll see the tagline, “Taking care o... ... 

It was late 2000 when Mark Picard and his wife Lisa founded their Rerewhakaaitu, Rotorua, transport company.

Deciding on a colour scheme turned out to be an easy part of the move into the business venture – thanks to the purchase of a one-year-old Mitsubishi logger from a Tauranga operator.

Mark explains: “The colour scheme comes from the Shogun I bought from Brian O’Malley. He was a great guy, and he was really good to me when I was getting started.”

He and Lisa clearly liked the colour scheme on the Mitsi – “in fact,” Mark confesses, “that’s one of the reasons I bought that truck. And that’s why we’ve stuck with the same colours.”

Now, as M.A. & L.P. Picard c... ... 

Generation Y Auckland transport operator Kohan Wilson’s background shines through in the look of his fast-growing fleet of trucks.

The 35-year-old channels an interesting mix of a love of fast Mazda rotaries, old Holdens and Harleys, plus social media smarts, biker/skatie culture….

And memories of growing up being helluva impressed by big trucks with towering exhaust stacks coming down the road – loving how they looked like something out of Mad Max.

He’s also clearly driven to succeed, entrepreneurial, not afraid to take risks, knows what he wants….and goes right after it.

The result of all that reveals itself these days in spectacular fashion. That’s spectacul... ...