Every now and again one of those trucks pops up in the Million Mile Club that is just a little bit special. With this month being our 40th anniversary issue, we feel privileged to induct this worthy contender into the club.

Blue Moon as it is affectionately known within the Dynes Transport fleet, is no stranger to the pages of New Zealand Trucking. In near-new condition, Blue Moon featured on the cover of the April 1985 issue of the magazine, as well as being that month’s poster child. At the time, David Shand was the skipper at the helm of the distinctive metallic two-tone blue Kenworth. David commented then how it was a good weapon and a good reliable truck. Testament to this is how, 40 years on, Blue Moon remains a one-owner truck, still residing in West Otago within the Tapanui-based fleet.

Built as a chip-liner at the time, Blue Moon was double-shifted, running product to both Bluff and Dunedin from the local sawmills. In 1990, with near 800,000km on the clock, Blue Moon was brought into the workshops at Tapanui, the chip bins were removed, and it was redeployed as a logger. Fitted out with a new four-axle trailer and set up as a shorts unit, it was into the blue mountains pulling five to six loads a day out of the bush to local mills.

Roll around to 2005, Blue Moon was tired and looking a little shabby with some cab damage, so Dynes Transport’s mechanical maestro, Mark Chalmers, wheeled it into the workshop and commenced a considerable strip-down and rebuild.

“We gave the big-cam 400 Cummins an in-frame, and also removed the six-rod suspension and fitted Kenworth eight-bag air suspension. The six rod was okay, but because we were converting it to a tractor unit, the air suspension just makes it smoother and easier on the back,” Mark explains.

“We cleaned, prepped and repainted as we rebuilt it, and added a few shiny bits. While on the job, we came across the sleeper for sale, so it was purchased and fitted complete with the walk-through. It is a bit small, the bigger 63in would be better, but it is still useful and looks the part on the long frame rails.” We couldn’t agree more, it definitely completes the package.

Blue Moon has an easier life these days. Based out of the yard at Tapanui, it finds itself in front of a transporter trailer as well as assisting with workshop operations; some might say semi-retirement. However, rest assured that Blue Moon, now with approximately 2,500,000km on its clock, is still an extremely well-specced, capable tractor unit, making it a well-qualified inductee into the New Zealand Trucking Million Mile Club for March 2025.