TRANSPORT IMAGING AWARDS
All pictures: Remarkably, the colour scheme that came with the International LoneStar (bottom left), has proven to be equally spectacular on all of the company’s trucks....in a very varied fleet (which features six makes and 10 models).
Logging were all close behind RAC, in that order. PPG Industries New Zealand’s David White summed up the N&J Wood livery succinctly: “Bold and beautiful,” he said. Road Transport Forum technical manager Kerry Arnold gave it a 10 out of 10, commenting: “Very dramatic colours, with great flowing characteristics.” NZ Truck & Driver publisher Trevor Woolston said it has “outstanding colours” and is very recognisable, while PPG’s Mark Brearley felt it is “a very modern, sleek look.” And editor Wayne Munro rated it “a standout livery that shows exactly how powerful a good-looking colour scheme can be.” Neil and Joanne Wood say they’re “chuffed” with the PPG Award, which carries with it a commemorative trophy and a $2500 travel prize: “We’re very honoured. Very proud.” Before the LoneStar and the standout livery, N&J Wood was barely noticeable on the Auckland trucking scene, he concedes: “We just sneaked around I guess….we just left them in white, and put a touch of colour on them. “It’s just that LoneStar….it just stood out like crazy! And everybody thought that colour was awesome.” If not for the change, six years later, he reckons that still, “no-one would know who we are.” The original striping work for the livery was done by Truck Signs’ Cliff Mannington, then (with Mannington’s blessing)
for subsequent trucks Joanne’s brother Ron van Dam – an Auckland airbrush artist and signwriter – extended the design to the bins. Transvisual Spraypainters painted the next few company trucks, but most recently the paint has either been factoryapplied or done by Independent Truck Sprays in Auckland. Ron van Dam has modified the striping to suit each new body shape and style and has also done airbrushed murals for most of them. There has been one recent deviation from the supersuccessful N&J Wood livery – in the form of the salmon pink and black branding of good customer Rock and Rubble on the bins of a new Volvo FM unit. Since buying the LoneStar and adopting its colour scheme, says Neil Wood, the business has been on “a very interesting ride, if you want to call it that.” He reckons that, until six years ago, he never would have believed the reaction that good-looking trucks would have on the public – and on business: “And it’s still going. We just keep adding and keep adding.” The Woods will, for instance, have another new truck (he’s not saying what it is) on the road in time for the Bombay Truck Show on February 1 next year. It’s the Woods’ local show and it’ll have six trucks there…including the mystery newcomer. T&D
Bottom photos & poster: Gerald Shacklock Other photos: Joanne Wood
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