There’s a truck zipping around Taranaki right now dedicated to road transport stalwart and Move Logistics founder shareholder Jim Ramsay who is retiring after more than 50 years in the industry.
The tribute vehicle has been put on the road in Ramsay’s hometown, emblazoned with key milestones to celebrate the business he helped build.
His departure from Move’s board of directors was acknowledged at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on November 23 and marks the end of his distinguished career in freight and logistics.
Speaking to TransportTalk, he says he looks forward to putting up his feet and visiting family overseas when he can.
Asked if there’s any other plans, he says: “I don’t play golf so I might have to tidy up the basement or something”.
Born and bred in Taranaki, Ramsay left school at the age of 15 and undertook a variety of jobs including a shipping cadet, storeman, driver, knife hand, bricklayer, waterside worker and even a spell in the NZ Army.
But soon enough he was working for New Plymouth-based trucking firm Hookers in 1968 and this was the beginning of his 53-year association with the New Zealand road transport industry.
He started off at the company as a shipping clerk before moving into the despatch office.
Over the next 15 years, he extended his experience and in 1983 was appointed general manager of Hookers Bros.
However, five years later the company was in danger of closure following a change of ownership.
It was at this point that Ramsay brought together six individuals to form a partnership, buying the business which at the time consisted of 30 trucks (10 not running) and 40 staff.
Transport Investments Ltd was later purchased in 1993, bringing together several other transport businesses operating as subsidiaries of TIL Group and growing into one of New Zealand’s largest freight and logistics companies.
Companies within the group included Hooker Pacific, Actus Transport, TNL Freighting and Roadstar Transport as well as several associated customs and shipping agency operations in both New Zealand and Australia.
A reverse listing saw the firm added to the New Zealand stock exchange in December 2017.
By this stage the business had a network of sites extending from Whangarei to Invercargill with more than 1400 employees and annual sales of around $350 million.
Ramsay oversaw the growth of the company, firstly as chief executive, then as chairman, and then as a director on the board.
He says there have been “hundreds of memories and achievements” over the years and is really proud of the company’s growth and the secure employment it has given to many people.
Going from a private company to a publicly listed one “was definitely a highlight”, he says.
“It was something completely different and I wouldn’t call the experience the most fun … it was the most work I’ve ever had to do, it was absolutely gruelling with the legal work, the publicity, the amazing amount of requirements and regulations to be met.”
In July this year, the company was rebranded to Move Logistics and Ramsay spoke about the journey the firm had been on.
On the near collapse of Hookers Bros, he says hard work prevailed in the end.
“The partnership worked. We were told that it wouldn’t, but it’s wonderful what open minds, open dialogue and a few open bottles can do.
“We were younger guys and apart from working hard we certainly had a good time too.
“We were operating as a private company and trying to expand and grow both organically and by acquisition.
“None of these things were unpleasant challenges, they were great challenges, we did it because we wanted to and enjoyed it,” he says.
Another significant highlight of his career was taking part in the deregulation of New Zealand’s trucking industry from the 1980s onwards which he describes as “a very exciting time” to be involved in the industry.
It finally allowed long-distance trucking and led to much growth and a lot of consolidation with small local carriers joining forces which is “still ongoing” to this day, he says.
Other milestones include the development and refinement of heavy equipment technology, along with increased truck combination weights, which led to many “efficiency and environmental gains”.
Ramsay is a big supporter on the future adoption of zero emission vehicles but also pays tribute to the diesel engine which he reckons was “just getting perfected”.
“There’s one thing I don’t think I’ll ever see though and that will be driverless trucks. You’ll still need someone in there,” he says.
There have been plenty of challenges, but some have had positive outcomes.
“A shortage of staff has been a problem, but on the upside is the growing number of women in the industry and they are very, very welcome and respected and they’re going to help with the driver shortage.
“The industry is a huge employer of people; it’s very people driven and orientated and if you want to be successful you need to have the people on side.”
Asked what else is needed to operate a successful business, Ramsay says he always had “one golden rule”.
“The rule was we always had to spend a little bit less than we earned and you’ve got to be able to adapt.”
For transport and logistics operations today, there is an “increasing move to intermodal” which means adopting rail and coastal shipping along with road transport, he says.
“The emphasis is on total logistics rather than just trucking from A to B. There must be greater integration of the supply chain and businesses need to get more sophisticated.”
Ramsay says today’s customers within the trucking industry are “hugely sophisticated” organisations and they expect the same level of professionalism in return.
It’s not like the old days where “calculations were made on the back of cigarette packets and stuff was kept in the boss’ head”.
Ramsay has now sold a large chunk of his shareholding in the business and is “quite happy to be retired”.
He’s also “relaxed” with the new board at Move Logistics and reckons the senior management is “the most experienced team of logistics experts I’ve ever seen together”.
“I’m really confident with how they will carry on, there’s a great team there.”
Ramsay was honoured for his contribution to the industry in 2013 when he was inducted into the NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame.
He’s also served many years as executive for his local Road Transport Association NZ branch (Western Central Districts RTA) including several terms as president. The branch honoured him with a life membership in 2009.
In 2011, he was awarded the Supreme Mayoral Award for Business Excellence by his hometown of New Plymouth and was also made a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport the same year.
Fellow industry stalwart and NZ Road Transport Hall of Fame inductee Neil Reid has known Ramsay for over 40 years and describes him in just a few words: “A real good bugger”.
“Jim’s honesty and integrity was totally 100% … he is a man that sticks by his word no matter what, and that’s how he was able to grow a very substantial business.
“The other couple of points I would make is he has an extremely good sense of humour and has the ability to bring humour into difficult circumstances … he’s also a perfectionist.
“I’ve really enjoyed his company over many years and he never went home if there was a social function on,” Reid says.
Move Logistics board chair Lorraine Witten paid tribute to Ramsay at the company’s annual meeting and says his “passion for the industry, his dedication to the business, down to earth personality and can-do attitude have been essential ingredients in Move’s success today”.
“On behalf of all staff, past and present, directors, shareholders and members of the road transport industry, we acknowledge Jim’s contributions to making Move a leader in the logistics sector,” Witten says.
