Old School Trucks: Stuart Drummond transport
This mighty K125 Kenworth in traditional 80’s style livery was a second-hand purchase
One of the many Hino 700s that have joined the fleet in recent years
The first of many Freightliner Argosys to join the fleet. Pictured here brand new back in 2008.
This 2638 Mercedes 6x6 ventured into rough territories, including some treacherous sites in the Marlborough Sounds
After the G4 Transport joint venture was disbanded, the Drummond Trucks remained yellow for quite some time
The metallic green and gold was created and adorned this new FV400 Mitsubishi Shogun
A pair of identical FH12 Volvos was put on the road at the same time in 1995
This Western Star was an ex-North Island logger and remained in the previous owner’s livery
The tough-looking bright red K100E Kenworth with its setback steer axles was purchased brand new in 1987
The sea of yellow was gradually phased out. However, a few were lucky enough to be repainted back into the green and gold livery.
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This mighty K125 Kenworth in traditional 80’s style livery was a second-hand purchase
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One of the many Hino 700s that have joined the fleet in recent years
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The first of many Freightliner Argosys to join the fleet. Pictured here brand new back in 2008.
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This 2638 Mercedes 6x6 ventured into rough territories, including some treacherous sites in the Marlborough Sounds
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After the G4 Transport joint venture was disbanded, the Drummond Trucks remained yellow for quite some time
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The metallic green and gold was created and adorned this new FV400 Mitsubishi Shogun
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A pair of identical FH12 Volvos was put on the road at the same time in 1995
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This Western Star was an ex-North Island logger and remained in the previous owner’s livery
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The tough-looking bright red K100E Kenworth with its setback steer axles was purchased brand new in 1987
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The sea of yellow was gradually phased out. However, a few were lucky enough to be repainted back into the green and gold livery.
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Stuart Drummond started his logging transport company in 1985, and now the joint venture - G4 Transport, remains one of the largest log transporters in the region
My earliest memory of Stuart Drummond Logging is when I was on a holiday in Nelson in 1987 and a brand new bright red K100E Kenworth logger cruised through the nearby town of Richmond. K100E Kenworths were still rare in the South Island at the time, and this one definitely had a young truck enthusiast’s heart racing.
Stuart Drummond started his logging transport company in 1985 with one unit—a 1974 Kenworth W924R. Thirty-two years later, the fleet has more than 30 logging trucks and remains one of the largest log transporters in the region. During this time, the company has provided log cartage throughout the Nelson/Marlborough and West Coast regions.
The impressive green and gold livery of the Drummond fleet dates back to the early ’90s. However, there was a time when the livery all but disappeared. A joint venture between Drummond and three other Nelson- and Blenheim-based transport operators was formed, and G4 Transport Limited was born. Overnight, G4 Transport become by far the biggest logging transport operator in the region, and shortly afterwards, the four companies involved decided to make the fleet colours uniform.
The colour scheme (for want of a better term) was decided and the G4 trucks churned out of the paint shops were painted bright yellow. For several years, if you passed a logging truck the Nelson/Marlborough area, there was a pretty good chance it would be yellow.
Even after the G4 Transport joint venture was disbanded, the sea of yellow remained for quite some time until the trucks were either sold or the original fleet owners returned them to its previous colour scheme. Few would argue that the return of the green and gold livery on the Drummond trucks was a welcome sight, especially the truck enthusiasts and purists.
Many makes and models have graced the fleet over the years. However, in recent times, the Hino, Kenworth, and Freightliner brands have dominated the ranks, ensuring the Drummond fleet remains one of the sharpest in the region.
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