In Search of Perfection
Southland’s Hokonui Rural Transport could
be considered something of a work in progress.
Under regular revision, that is – as the company goes to
great lengths to make sure each new make and/or model added
to the Gore-based fleet looks “perfect.”
It’s a livery that was born of change – created after the
company was formed following the two-way split of Hokonui
Haulage in 2003.
The new Hokonui Rural Transport retained the sea-green
and white primary colours of the old company, but modified
them into a new colour scheme, featuring a deeper band of
green across the cab, a broad stripe running from the aero
kit through the crates and yellow pinstriping highlights. The
previous yellow chassis was also dropped in favour of dark grey.
A distinctive HRT logo and Hokonui Rural signage was
designed then – and has remained a constant in the 13 years
since….even through a change of the owners involved in the
50% partnership with the HW Richardson Group.
But the livery did get a major makeover three years ago,
with a modern – and much more prominent – restyling of the
yellow striping on the side of truck cabs.
Rather than the former, more traditional airflow-style
striping, with its gentle curves, the new stripes are more
sculpted, more ribbon-like….almost like a loosened bow. And
there’s a sweeping, crescent-shaped sea-green section at the
rear of the cab sides, framed by another yellow stripe.
With extra grey and yellow pinstriping, there’s a lot going
on in the colour scheme – but it all comes together to provide
a standout look to the Southland operation, which currently
runs to 23 trucks, comprising livestock units, tippers and bulk
fert groundspreaders.
The latest addition to the fleet – a DAF CF85 which
features as this month’s poster truck and earns HRT a finalist
spot in the annual PPG Transport Imaging Awards– has called
for more fine-tuning, says HRT manager Adam Waghorn.
“We’re forever trying to improve it (the colour scheme),” he
confirms.
“This DAF was quite a challenge – just to try and figure out
a plan. We’re quite lucky – we’ve got a pretty good relationship
with our signwriter, Cliff McDermott from McDermott Signs
in Invercargill, so we’ve spent a lot of time planning… and he’s
right on the money.” The plan included painting two grille slats
silver.
The painting is done by Bob Christie Ltd: “It’s quite handy –
they’re right next door to each other.”
Waghorn admits that with the Space Cab DAF: “We were
worried for a start – because it’s such a big cab – that we had
too much green. But I think it’s come out pretty good to be
fair.”
In fact, on second thoughts, he upgrades that: “No, we were
rapt actually. It came out real good.”
A third new DAF is just being painted now and they’ve
agreed on more minor changes – making some of the grey
pinstriping slightly darker “to make it stand out a bit. It is quite
hard to see until you’re up quite close.”
The previous challenge before the DAFs was making the
most of the livery on three new Mercedes-Benz Axor sowers
added to the operation – the first of that model on the fleet.
Last year, there were also two new Kenworth K200s that
the livery had to be adjusted to suit: “It took a bit – just to get
it perfect.”
There is only one conventional on the fleet – a Freightliner
Century Class. Its livery predates the revised striping in
2013, which was first applied to two new Freightliner Argosy
livestock units.
The look of the trucks, Waghorn confirms – unnecessarily,
considering the painstaking work that’s gone into each
new make and model added to the fleet – is “definitely very
important. We like to try and have sharp-looking gear out on
the road.”
And yes, HRT does get “really good feedback” on the look
of its trucks – from the public, within the industry and from
customers. People notice “because we have been painting them
a wee bit different since 2013.”
Rural transport is a tough line of work in terms of keeping
trucks looking good: “The guys might spend all day polishing
them, and then they’ll be down a gravel road the next day…
It’s a hard job to keep them clean.”
The realities of the rural work mean there’s no hard and fast
rule about when trucks have to be washed: “Just when they can
– you’ve got to work within your time limits.”
But he’s happy that they get the care and attention they
deserve: “We like to think our drivers take pride in their
trucks. We all just like to have them look good out on the
road.”
Courtesy of New Zealand Truck and Driver