Fitzy’s Patch: Livestock Miles, Long Roads and a Whole Lot of Heart
Words and Photography by Rod Simmonds.
There are parts of New Zealand where the land doesn’t just roll – it breathes. Long, slow rises, deep green valleys and ridgelines that seem to drift off into cloud. The Northern Wairarapa is one of those places. It’s farming country through and through, stitched together by narrow highways, backroads that know the weight of stock trucks, and communities where everyone knows whose truck just went past by the sound alone.
Nestled into this landscape is Mangatainoka – a name that rolls off the tongue almost as nicely as the countryside rolls beneath a set of well-loaded livestock crates. And if you’ve spent any time around livestock transport in the lower North Island, chances are you’ll know the Fitzgerald name.
Dean and Jane Fitzgerald – “Fitzy” to pretty much everyone – have been independent operators for close to 30 years. That’s three decades of early mornings, late nights, wet boots, dusty dashboards and livestock miles. But in truth, Fitzy’s connection to the industry goes back a lifetime. Livestock trucking isn’t something he does – it’s something he is.
Today, the Fitzgerald operation is a sharp, immaculately presented four-truck livestock fleet working six days a week into the lower North Island’s processing plants. It’s a serious operation, run with pride, precision and just enough personality to remind you that trucking, at its best, is still about people.
Country That Tests the Gear – and the Driver
For those unfamiliar with the area, this is not flat, forgiving ground. The Wairarapa throws everything at a truck: tight rural roads, rolling hills that keep you honest, gusty winds funnelled through valleys, and weather that can change its mind between smoko stops. One minute, it’s postcard-perfect green paddocks and blue skies; the next, low cloud and drizzle cling to the hills like a stubborn passenger.
It’s proper working country. Sheep, cattle, dairy conversions, and farms that stretch up and over hills where the view is spectacular – if you ever get time to look at it.
Fitzy’s routes take him across approved H-unit corridors, hauling livestock into major processing plants throughout the lower North Island. Two of the fleet’s stars are Volvo FH16-700s running as H units – 23 metres overall length and tipping the scales at 58 tonnes gross on approved routes. That’s not a casual Sunday drive. That’s big-league livestock transport, day in, day out.
From Foden Grit to Swedish Muscle
Like many good operators, Fitzy didn’t start with shiny new gear. The early days were spent behind the wheel of a hard-working Foden – the sort of truck that built character, patience and forearm strength in equal measure. For many years after that, the fleet was all Isuzu – dependable, honest trucks that got the job done without fuss.
But trucking changes. Routes get longer, weights creep up, compliance tightens, and expectations rise. When heavier loads and longer distances became the norm, the answer came in the form of Volvo’s 700-horsepower heavy hitters.
Today’s fleet comprises a new FH16-700 Globetrotter, a standard-cab FH16-700, and two 530-horsepower Isuzus that still earn their keep. It’s a balanced line-up – horses for courses – and it works.
One of the smart decisions behind the fleet is its geographic focus. Being close to Palmerston North means dealer support for both Volvo and Isuzu is right on the doorstep. Less downtime, quicker servicing, and no mucking around when there’s work to be done. In livestock transport, time lost is money lost – and Fitzy doesn’t lose much time.
Built Local, Built Right
The trailers are where things get particularly interesting – and particularly local. Fitzy’s livestock trailers are purpose-built to his own specifications by Jackson Enterprises in nearby Pahiatua. At the same time, the four-deck sheep and two-deck cattle crates are manufactured by Total – also just down the road.
It’s a tight regional network, and one Fitzy is fiercely loyal to. He supports locals, and they support him right back. It’s a simple equation, but one that still matters enormously in rural New Zealand.
The result is gear that’s practical, innovative and clearly designed by people who understand livestock transport because they live it. Nothing flashy for the sake of it – just well-thought-out, hard-wearing kit that does the job properly.
Bright Paint, Big Personality
You don’t miss Fitzy’s trucks when they roll by. The bright colour scheme stands out against the green hills and grey roads, much like Fitzy himself stands out in a crowd. There’s pride in presentation here – trucks that are kept clean, straight and sharp because that’s how they should be.
And just like the fleet, Fitzy is precisely what you hope for in a stock operator: switched on, experienced, generous with his time, and – in the finest tradition of the industry – a genuinely good bugger.
In an era of big fleets, corporate logos and anonymous operators, Dean and Jane Fitzgerald remind us why independent trucking still matters. It’s about knowing your patch, backing your locals, choosing the right gear for the job, and turning up every day ready to work.
Thirty years on, Fitzy is still doing what he loves, in a part of the world that demands respect from both man and machine. And if you find yourself winding through the Northern Wairarapa and spot a brightly coloured FH16-700 cresting a hill with a complete set of decks behind it, chances are you’re looking at one of the best operators in the business – right at home on his patch.
