Trevor Woolston
Trevor Woolston was born into trucking, his extended family having a lifelong involvement in the New Zealand trucking scene. By 18 he was being paid to drive. However, as a young man Trevor went into the insurance industry and there met Sue, the woman who was to become his wife.
In 1975 Trevor started working for Mitchell Transport based in Ohaupo. When the hay season finished he got a job with General Foods, delivering frozen foods to retail outlets. In 1977 Trevor purchased the family milk run.
In 1982 an opportunity arose to purchase a 1974 Mack R Model from Dibble Brothers in Te Awamutu. Trevor, along with Barry Stamp, Alf Quaife, Derek Smith and Geoff Dibble, formed the co-op Dibble Independent Transport. At this time, Trevor was introduced to the Road Transport Association, becoming a member and serving on the regional committee.
Trevor enjoyed the Australian Truckin’ Life magazine but became frustrated by the lack of New Zealand content until Sue suggested he start his own magazine. In March 1985, the first issue of New Zealand Trucking hit the shelves.
In 1989, Trevor ran the first-ever national road transport exhibition at
Mystery Creek, with more than 23,000 visitors from across the country. The shows ran every two years, moving to Hopuhopu in North Waikato in 1999.
Also in 1989, Trevor started truck racing in New Zealand with the Caltex New Zealand Truck Grand Prix held at Pukekohe Raceway in April. More than 25,000 people jammed the venue, with thousands more watching on TV. Truck racing in New Zealand carried on under Trevor’s management until 1994.
In 1995, Independent Newspapers
Ltd purchased New Zealand Trucking. Trevor was made the manager of the industry-based magazines division but left within a year to focus on transport shows and truck racing. Over the next few years, he added a truck show at
Penrith, Australia, and a contracting expo at the Stevenson Drury Quarry.
In 1999, Tony Freidlander, CEO of the Road Transport Forum, asked Trevor to take over running its monthly newsletter. Trevor pitched an idea of starting an official magazine of the RTF and New Zealand Truck & Driver was born. Trevor and Sue have run Allied Publications since then, including Equipment Guide, Truck Body & Trailer and New Zealand Logger magazines.
Trevor has always contributed to the RTF and the industry as a whole; his donations and sponsorships too many to list. In 2017, Trevor received the RTF’s Supreme Contribution Award to the Industry for his dedication over the years.
Trevor has four children: Elizabeth, Olivia, Todd, and Hayden. He played premier rugby until he was 40 and coached his sons’ rugby teams, also serving as president of the Ngaruawahia Rugby Club.
Trevor has a strong passion for fishing and has served as club president of the Bay of Islands Sports Fishing club, the oldest saltwater fishing club in New Zealand. He has also run the Southpac Trucker & Loggers Fishing competition out of their Paihia clubrooms for the past 15 years.