Old school trucks: T. Croft — Part 2

By: Dean Middleton, Photography by: Dean Middleton

Date: 20.06.2023

Kenworths made headways into the fleet in the early 2000s

A versatile T404 Kenworth quad-quad unit, which had fold-down bolsters in the semi for carting logs from the West Coast and various commodities heading home

A later model T408 on heavy haulage duties pictured north of Christchurch heading back to the coast with an oversize load on

A couple of decades after the traditional T-Lines and S-Lines, Internationals made their way back into the fleet in the form of New Zealand-assembled 9800s. This typical example was a dedicated logger.

Another 9800 International on general freight duties

American cabovers have been favoured in the fleet since the early 2000s. This Freightliner Argosy was pictured on logging duties back in 2014.

Let’s not forget the hoods: 8x4 Western Stars have proved popular on logging duties in the Croft fleet

Another 4884 Western Star sister truck

A later model 4864F Western Star also on logging duties

Japanese brands have worn the T. Croft name for many decades and Hino has become the most popular in recent times

Another Hino 700 in the newer T. Croft livery

The Nissan Diesel legacy has remained in the fleet. This CG470 UD Quon is pictured keeping the Hinos honest.

Enter, the Dutch brand DAF, which has grown to have a large presence in the Croft fleet alongside its Paccar stablemate Kenworth

‘Angry DAF’ pictured with a load of logs on back in 2019

Crane trucks have been part of the Croft armoury for many years. This CF85 DAF is rigged with a front-mounted Hiab.

A CF85 DAF logger pictured hammer down near Rakaia in November 2022

Internationals have continued to hang on in the fleet with set forward front axle 9870 models

The Kenworth brand has come back in force during the last 10 years

One of the latest K200s to hit the road in the T. Croft fleet pictured in late 2022

Kenworths made headways into the fleet in the early 2000s

A versatile T404 Kenworth quad-quad unit, which had fold-down bolsters in the semi for carting logs from the West Coast and various commodities heading home

A later model T408 on heavy haulage duties pictured north of Christchurch heading back to the coast with an oversize load on

A couple of decades after the traditional T-Lines and S-Lines, Internationals made their way back into the fleet in the form of New Zealand-assembled 9800s. This typical example was a dedicated logger.

Another 9800 International on general freight duties

American cabovers have been favoured in the fleet since the early 2000s. This Freightliner Argosy was pictured on logging duties back in 2014.

Let’s not forget the hoods: 8x4 Western Stars have proved popular on logging duties in the Croft fleet

Another 4884 Western Star sister truck

A later model 4864F Western Star also on logging duties

Japanese brands have worn the T. Croft name for many decades and Hino has become the most popular in recent times

Another Hino 700 in the newer T. Croft livery

The Nissan Diesel legacy has remained in the fleet. This CG470 UD Quon is pictured keeping the Hinos honest.

Enter, the Dutch brand DAF, which has grown to have a large presence in the Croft fleet alongside its Paccar stablemate Kenworth

‘Angry DAF’ pictured with a load of logs on back in 2019

Crane trucks have been part of the Croft armoury for many years. This CF85 DAF is rigged with a front-mounted Hiab.

A CF85 DAF logger pictured hammer down near Rakaia in November 2022

Internationals have continued to hang on in the fleet with set forward front axle 9870 models

The Kenworth brand has come back in force during the last 10 years

One of the latest K200s to hit the road in the T. Croft fleet pictured in late 2022

In part 2, Deals on Wheels continues to look at some of the best trucks from the T. Croft fleet through to the present day

Last month, we looked at a pictorial spread of T. Croft trucks from the early ’80s through to the 2000s. This month we continue to look at some of the best from the Croft fleet through to the present day.

The Croft fleet has remained committed to many makes and models, with American/Australian, European, and Japanese brands. Kenworths were steady in numbers from the early 2000s, and Internationals were revived with the introduction of New Zealand-assembled 9800s.

The DAF brand has become the European truck of choice, which is no surprise, as they share the Paccar stable with Kenworth. While UDs still have a presence in the fleet, Hino has become the dominant Japanese brand of choice in recent years.

There have been subtle changes to the Croft livery over the years, the most noticeable being the removal of the white mid-cab stripe and a fully red cab with a white roof in the
mid-2000s. Thankfully, the stripe made a comeback with a refreshed T. Croft signage, which looks smart and modern.

Logging and bulk work continue to provide the mainstay of work for the Croft fleet, however, a large number of trucks are dedicated to general freight and construction/engineering-based materials largely between Christchurch and the entire West Coast as has been the case for many decades, making Crofts one of the genuine lifelines of the Westland/Grey and Buller communities.

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