By: Dean Middleton, Photography by: Dean Middleton
‘Star Attraction’, the stunning Western Star, which more often than not takes away a prize or two at the many truck shows it attends
Then came the Freightliner brand in force. This Argosy named ‘The Green Grocer’ was one of the first of the brand to enter the fleet back in 2007.
‘Green Envy’, the awesome king cab Freightliner Argosy shot at a Christchurch Truck Show back in 2010
This pre-loved Argosy started life as a truck and trailer combination before being converted to an eight-wheeler and after receiving the Summerland's treatment was named ‘The Green Milky’
Two Freightliner Coronados strutting their stuff at the 2016 Invercargill Truck Show parade
A set back front axle Freightliner Coronado named ‘Jelley Baby’
An 8x4 Coronado aptly named ‘Lean, Mean and Green’
A later model cheese grater Freightliner Argosy named ‘The Green Goddess’ is pictured at a Christchurch Truck Show in 2018
A near-identical Argosy named ‘Green Curry’
This tipping curtainsider Argosy named ‘50 Shades of Green’ certainly looked the part at the 2016 Alexandra Blossom Festival Truck Show
A Christchurch-based Century Class Freightliner named ‘Chicken Little’ pictured on swinglift duties
Someone was obviously a Bruce Springsteen fan when they named this Coronado ‘Dancing in the Dark’
Also, no prizes for guessing who ‘Green Trump’ was named after. Pictured at the 2019 Alexandra Blossom Festival Truck Show sporting twin American flags.
An alternate livery has been introduced in recent years and seen here on ‘The Drifter’—an Iveco Stralis
A pre-loved Freightliner Argosy named ‘Lexie’
Several Mercedes-Benz Actros have made their way into the fleet and look impressive in the alternate livery
A superb wide cab Mercedes-Benz Actros, weaving its way around Lake Dunstan near the Clyde Dam in central Otago
While the alternate livery looks great, the full lime green livery still holds a greater presence on our roads
The commitment and passion of the Summerland Team is undeniable with their consistent and large attendance at all South Island Truck Shows
‘Star Attraction’, the stunning Western Star, which more often than not takes away a prize or two at the many truck shows it attends
Then came the Freightliner brand in force. This Argosy named ‘The Green Grocer’ was one of the first of the brand to enter the fleet back in 2007.
‘Green Envy’, the awesome king cab Freightliner Argosy shot at a Christchurch Truck Show back in 2010
This pre-loved Argosy started life as a truck and trailer combination before being converted to an eight-wheeler and after receiving the Summerland's treatment was named ‘The Green Milky’
Two Freightliner Coronados strutting their stuff at the 2016 Invercargill Truck Show parade
A set back front axle Freightliner Coronado named ‘Jelley Baby’
An 8x4 Coronado aptly named ‘Lean, Mean and Green’
A later model cheese grater Freightliner Argosy named ‘The Green Goddess’ is pictured at a Christchurch Truck Show in 2018
A near-identical Argosy named ‘Green Curry’
This tipping curtainsider Argosy named ‘50 Shades of Green’ certainly looked the part at the 2016 Alexandra Blossom Festival Truck Show
A Christchurch-based Century Class Freightliner named ‘Chicken Little’ pictured on swinglift duties
Someone was obviously a Bruce Springsteen fan when they named this Coronado ‘Dancing in the Dark’
Also, no prizes for guessing who ‘Green Trump’ was named after. Pictured at the 2019 Alexandra Blossom Festival Truck Show sporting twin American flags.
An alternate livery has been introduced in recent years and seen here on ‘The Drifter’—an Iveco Stralis
A pre-loved Freightliner Argosy named ‘Lexie’
Several Mercedes-Benz Actros have made their way into the fleet and look impressive in the alternate livery
A superb wide cab Mercedes-Benz Actros, weaving its way around Lake Dunstan near the Clyde Dam in central Otago
While the alternate livery looks great, the full lime green livery still holds a greater presence on our roads
The commitment and passion of the Summerland Team is undeniable with their consistent and large attendance at all South Island Truck Shows
In the final instalment of Summerland Express Freight, Deals on Wheels takes a look at how the fleet has evolved to the present day
In our final instalment of Summerland Express Freight, we look at how the fleet has evolved to the present day. One truck that must rate a mention is a stunning 2011 Western Star 4864F aptly named ‘Star Attraction’.
This truck has won more prizes at truck shows than a centipede has pairs of shoes and is an absolute credit to the operator(s) it has had at the helm. After looking at the major brands of trucks over the last couple of issues to grace the Summerland livery, the obvious brand that has been missing is Freightliner.
The sheer volume of Freightliner pictures in this pictorial article undoubtedly shows that the North American brand has gained dominance in the fleet in more recent years, particularly the Argosy and Coronado models.
Coming from the same Daimler Benz stable, several Mercedes-Benz Actros have also recently joined the fray. Summerland Express has long been a proud supporter of South Island Truck Shows, and the presentation of the units continues to highlight the pride and passion of the Summerland’s team and, of course, the aforementioned number of awards and prizes sitting in their trophy cupboard.
Whether in the alternate colours or the more traditional bright green livery, Summerland Express continues to have a large presence on South Island roads and is an absolute credit to the Millard family who started out in Cromwell with a couple of older trucks and a big vision back in 1992.