Old School Trucks: Linfox—Part 2

By: Dean Middleton, Photography by: Dean Middleton

1 12 Freightliners hit up the main portion of the linehaul fleet in the South Island back when Linfox first established themselves in the South. 1 12
2 12 The day cab Argosy was the model of choice for Linfox 2 12
3 12 With ARG178 being the registration number you could be forgiven for thinking it was a personalised number plate 3 12
4 12 Sleeper cabbed Freightliner Argosy joined the fray several years later 4 12
5 11 A very sharp looking line-up at the 2004 Christchurch Truck Show 5 11
6 11 Freightliner Columbias were another dominant model for Linfox during the mid-2000s. This one was based in Christchurch, pictured on swing lift duties. 6 11
7 11 A Freightliner Columbia powering out of Christchurch on a linehaul run towing a B-Train with the remnants of a previously iconic transport company that was taken over by the Linfox Juggernaut 7 11
8 11 Mitsubishi/Fuso also became a popular brand in the Linfox fleet in the early to mid-2000s 8 11
9 11 Lest we forget the important role the Metro trucks serve in the logistics chain 9 11
10 11 The first Linfox Mercedes Benz Actros trucks were sourced from Australia and sported after-market aero kits 10 11
11 1 An immaculate Mercedes Benz Actros snapped posing for pics at the 2004 Christchurch Truck Show 11 1
12 11 Another Australian-sourced truck and the only flat floor high cabbed Mercedes Benz Actros to make into NZ in Linfox colours 12 11
13 11 A 2651 Merc with the hammer down on the Taupo bypass back in 2016 13 11
14 11 A quad/quad configuration pictured just south of Whangarei back in 2017 14 11
15 11 A 3251 Merc truck and trailer negotiating a gentle bend just south of Maramarua in 2018 15 11
16 11 2017 saw the introduction of T409 Kenworths for the fuel distribution fleet in the North Island 16 11
17 11 An 8x4 T409 Kenworth just north of Taupo heading home to Auckland in October of this year 17 11
18 11 The Swedish Volvo brand has joined the fleet in large numbers in recent years and not all of them received the recognisable ‘marmite’ colours 18 11
19 11 A more traditional looking FM Volvo heading north just south of Christchurch on a return trip to Dunedin in March of this year 19 11

In Part 2, Deals on Wheels takes a look at the Linfox fleet from the '90s until today

A couple of weeks back, I was standing in the operations office at work with several truck drivers of all ages and I heard them talking about Linfox. Thinking that everyone would know the answer, I asked them if they knew where the name Linfox came from.

To my surprise all I got was blank faces staring back at me. How can all these people from the transport industry not know that Linfox was founded by Lindsay Fox, hence Lin-Fox? Or was I just showing my age? No wait, there were people significantly older than me standing in the room.

Lindsay Fox founded Linfox in Melbourne, Australia back in 1956 with one truck delivering soft drinks in the summer and bulk fuel during the winter months. More than 60 years later, Linfox has become Asia Pacific’s largest privately owned logistics company, involving more than 24,000 people throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. 

Linfox established themselves in the North Island back in 1989 by acquiring large and iconic New Zealand transport companies like M&J Inglis, Provincial Transport and Total Transport. 
It was well into the 90s before the Linfox livery was seen in the South Island with their purchase of Christchurch-based bulk foodstuffs carrier Jones and Cornelius. 

I actually vividly remember Linfox being known as Marmite Transport at the time due to the similar colours of the Australian condiment spread. Freightliners were the make of choice in the South Island back then, followed closely by the Mercedes Benz brand and a spattering of Mitsubishi/Fusos on both metro and linehaul duties.

In more recent times the Kenworth brand has rejoined the ranks on bulk fuel deliveries and throughout the rest of the country, Volvo and the latest Merc Actros have gained a stronghold in the fleet.

The Linfox livery and brand is well known in New Zealand and when you come up behind one of their units on the open road or motorway and pull out to overtake, to quote the famous catch phrase on the back of their units: «YOU ARE PASSING ANOTHER FOX».  

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