Adrian Scott, a truck driver of over 20 years, is no stranger to difficult driving conditions and hasn’t let the extreme weather conditions stop him from delivering groceries to Northland communities. The cyclone conditions were, however, nothing he had ever experienced before, and he had to take extra precautions on the road.
“I’ve been driving between Foodstuffs North Island’s distribution centre in Mangere up to New World Kaikohe and New World Kerikeri in Northland. The conditions have been atrocious with flooding, slips and trees down on the road. The conditions going up Tuesday night were just horrific. I was driving through flood water right up to the truck’s windows for a long way. Other drivers and I needed to get out of our trucks and help move trees and slips out of the way just to clear a path,” explained Scott.
Adrian Scott
The harsh conditions meant many main roads were blocked, and it wasn’t safe to drive with trailers. Foodstuffs drivers had to be more cautious on route but were also able to go down narrow roads they normally wouldn’t use.
“The dedication and commitment shown by Adrian and all of our drivers is just amazing, the culture we have here at Foodies is second to none. When customers go to their local Four Square, New World or PAK’nSAVE, they don’t necessarily think about the people working hard behind the scenes to get essential grocery items onto shelves. Full credit to Adrian and our team of hard-working and talented drivers,” said Johnathan Box, General Manager Supply Chain for Foodstuffs.
