Old School Trucks: Rapid Despatch Carriers

By: Dean Middleton, Photography by: Dean Middleton

Date: 22.09.2022

When I began photographing RDC trucks in the mid-’80s, Isuzus were the dominant brand in the fleet, a natural progression from the Bedfords

An SHH Isuzu eight-wheeler and four-axle trailer

An EXZ Isuzu tractor unit and three-axle semi-trailer with a spaced self-steer rear axle

Another EXZ Isuzu, however, this was a rare 350hp Cummins powered one. Pictured on swinglift duties.

Two new Isuzus joined the fleet in 1993; this tractor unit was on skeletal container duties

The sister truck was an 8x4 truck and trailer

Crane trucks were also utilised in the RDC fleet

This classic International 3070 towed this early two-axle swinglift

2226 Mercedes-Benz was based in Rangiora when Jack Wood and the late Roy Grant had a brief partnership. The company later became known as Rapid Transport.

Several pre-loved trucks entered the fleet over the years; this 112-metre Scania was also on swinglift duties

An ex-NZ Post Scania pictured towing a 20–40’ Steel Bros swinglift

This 2643 Mercedes Actros was a lease truck and one of only a couple of units to wear this livery

When Charter Trucks Limited Acquired shares in Rapid Despatch in 2002, this new livery was devised. The companies were still run as separate entities.

This CW400 Nissan Diesel was the only brand-new truck to wear the new Rapid livery

Rapid Despatch became wholly owned by Charter Transport in 2004. Rapid were then integrated into the Charter Rapid brand of many decades was phased out and gradually disappeared.

A CW380 Nissan Diesel in full Charter Transport livery

The only new truck to wear the new RDC livery received the Charter livery when it was less than 18 months old

Charter Transport sold the swinglift/skeletal container division to Frews Contracting in 2006

Frews Contracting then went on to sell the swinglift/container division to Container Transport and Storage (CTS)

When I began photographing RDC trucks in the mid-’80s, Isuzus were the dominant brand in the fleet, a natural progression from the Bedfords

An SHH Isuzu eight-wheeler and four-axle trailer

An EXZ Isuzu tractor unit and three-axle semi-trailer with a spaced self-steer rear axle

Another EXZ Isuzu, however, this was a rare 350hp Cummins powered one. Pictured on swinglift duties.

Two new Isuzus joined the fleet in 1993; this tractor unit was on skeletal container duties

The sister truck was an 8x4 truck and trailer

Crane trucks were also utilised in the RDC fleet

This classic International 3070 towed this early two-axle swinglift

2226 Mercedes-Benz was based in Rangiora when Jack Wood and the late Roy Grant had a brief partnership. The company later became known as Rapid Transport.

Several pre-loved trucks entered the fleet over the years; this 112-metre Scania was also on swinglift duties

An ex-NZ Post Scania pictured towing a 20–40’ Steel Bros swinglift

This 2643 Mercedes Actros was a lease truck and one of only a couple of units to wear this livery

When Charter Trucks Limited Acquired shares in Rapid Despatch in 2002, this new livery was devised. The companies were still run as separate entities.

This CW400 Nissan Diesel was the only brand-new truck to wear the new Rapid livery

Rapid Despatch became wholly owned by Charter Transport in 2004. Rapid were then integrated into the Charter Rapid brand of many decades was phased out and gradually disappeared.

A CW380 Nissan Diesel in full Charter Transport livery

The only new truck to wear the new RDC livery received the Charter livery when it was less than 18 months old

Charter Transport sold the swinglift/skeletal container division to Frews Contracting in 2006

Frews Contracting then went on to sell the swinglift/container division to Container Transport and Storage (CTS)

Christchurch-based Rapid Despatch Carriers can trace its roots to 1938. Deals on Wheels takes a look back at their fleet.

Christchurch-based Rapid Despatch Carriers can trace its roots to 1938 when Reg Lamb started with a motorbike, sidecar, and two one-tonne trucks. Jack Wood worked for Reg in the early ’50s and it was then he earned the name ‘Rapid Jack’ because of his high work rate when hand loading and unloading was the norm.

Jack became an owner-operator in 1956 and became the outright owner of Rapid Despatch Carriers soon after. It was the mid-’80s when the Isuzu brand was prevalent in the Rapid Despatch fleet that I first photographed trucks from the fleet, and by then, the general carrier fleet had become engaged in container cartage.

Rapid Despatch was one of the first transport companies to run container swinglift units in Christchurch and established themselves in this field to become one of the largest shipping container carriers in the area during the ’90s. 

After the Tranpac demise in the late ’80s Jack Wood had a brief partnership with the late Roy Grant, which was later to become Rapid Transport. Rapid Transport then became wholly owned by the Grant Family.

Jack Wood maintained ownership of Rapid Despatch until 1996 when it was sold to the Samson family of Dunedin-based Samsons Transport fame. Charter Trucks Limited Acquired shares in Rapid Despatch in 2002 and ran as separate companies until 2004 when Charter bought the remainder of the company and was integrated into the Charter Trucks Limited company.

This was to be the end of the Rapid Despatch company and brand. Charter Transport then sold their swinglift/container division to Frews Contracting in 2006, who, in turn, sold this portion of their business to Container Transport and Storage (CTS) several years later.

Jack Wood, who’s still known as ‘Rapid Jack’ by those who know him now, lives on the Gold Coast of Australia and at 93 years of age is still as sharp as a tack and has a wealth of knowledge on the history of road transport in New Zealand.   

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