28/08/2026
A shout-out where it’s deserved 👍
This week I jumped in with some of the GJ Sole crew to carry out in-cab driver assessments for access to a forestry site, and I have to give these guys some credit.
The standard of driving was top notch. But what stood out just as much was the attention to detail around the trucks and equipment,particularly loading, load security and restraints.
Logging trucks and their drivers can sometimes get a pretty hard time in the media, but what I saw this week was professionalism at its best.
There were many, many millions of kilometres of experience between the drivers I assessed, and it showed. Smooth, considered driving, good decision-making, excellent equipment knowledge and a real understanding of the responsibility that comes with operating heavy vehicles in the forestry environment.
These drivers are an asset to GJ Sole and to the wider forestry and transport industry.
It was also a great reminder of why I enjoy getting back in the cab and doing this type of work. There’s a lot you can learn about a driver — and an operation — from sitting alongside them for a few hours.
Well done to the GJ Sole team.
DriverSafety Taranaki
