‘Seriously … are you okay?’ That is the question Scotty Harvey asks of anyone approaching his distinctive, fully sign-written Mitsubishi Canter motorhome. His wish is for more truckies to approach and chat.

A qualified social worker, Scotty Harvey is determined to help people who don’t have access to, or can’t afford, mental health help in times of need. It’s also about just having a chat with those who need it at that moment.

“It’s about not having to wait for people to get into crisis … it’s all about the preventative stuff,” says Scotty.

Scotty’s mission began during the pandemic. “The government told us we couldn’t talk to each other face-to-face, but I’m a social worker and I need to talk,” he explains. “I said to my 12-year-old son, ‘Let’s go paint the car.’ So, we grabbed some paint brushes and went out to the car and painted ‘UOK BRO’ on it. We painted the wheels and the bonnet … everything.

“I would go to the supermarket, and if people were laughing at the car, I would think ‘you’re okay’ because they were smiling. The ones that didn’t laugh, I would stop and get out of my car and say, ‘Are you okay?’ They might say they were a bit worried or something. So, I would park the car, and we would each stand on either side of the bonnet and talk. It just grew from there. The goal was to make people laugh and think, ‘What is this guy on’ and ‘You’re a nut’ … Absolutely, but you might need help, and I’m a registered social worker,” Scotty continues.

Scotty would park up on SH2 near Te Puna, and up to seven people would stop each day, including truckies. “They wouldn’t jump out, but would always acknowledge me, which was cool.”

Cars driving by would toot to Scotty as he spoke to people. “It was lovely, but it ended up being a distraction while I was trying to talk to people. I decided to sit by the Wairoa Bridge instead. It’s safer for me there, and they do good coffee there, too!”

Scotty spent his weekends in the car, parking at different spots in and around Tauranga, ready to chat to whoever needed his help. During the week, he worked in Tauranga at Te Tuinga Whānau. “I was there for three years as a community social worker. Then they went through some restructuring, and I wasn’t totally comfortable with it all, so I decided to leave to pursue my dream … and I’ve been on the road ever since.

“I formed a charitable trust in August 2023, and by December, I was on the road full-time with the car. In October 2024, I upgraded to my motorhome.”

Truck drivers need to open up

It’s important for Scotty to reach as many people in need as possible, including truck drivers.

“I want more truckies to stop,” says Scotty, “I don’t know why they don’t. I think they need to be told it’s okay. I would like more companies to get behind their drivers and tell them it’s okay to stop; that way, they are more likely to. The main thing, though, is they need the time to stop.

“They can take their half-hour break, but at times, it can take us more than half an hour. Maybe one less delivery that day might give the driver time to stop and chat with me and get the help they need. That would benefit the company in the long run because if a driver is having issues that I can help with, it can avoid them taking a couple of mental health days off work, where they just might sit around all day with no help. Or they might not need time off to see a doctor to go through the process of getting a referral to a counsellor or psychologist … and who knows how long that would take. If they can stop and talk with me during their work day, they could possibly avoid any further time off work,” Scotty says.

“These drivers are behind the wheel of a lethal weapon, and at times, the company is putting profit before the welfare of their drivers. I’m sure they would rather their driver stop for an hour and have a chat with me than run that million-dollar asset off the road.”

Scotty continues, “Truckies find it hard to open up … they’re stubborn buggers! They may not directly engage with me, but you can almost see them think, ‘Am I okay?’. Seeing my vehicle gets them thinking, ‘Actually, I might stop next time,’ or it might help them go home to their partners and talk. The signage alone makes people think,” Scotty says.

Success stories

“I had a guy pull over one day who said, G’day, I’m okay, but I just wanted to tell you, I was driving past in my van one day and had my young worker with me. We were talking about your truck as we passed it. The young fella beside me started opening up and telling me about his mental health issues. Thanks to that conversation, I’m now supporting him once a week at home, making sure he’s okay … and that’s all because of your truck.’”

Scotty’s success stories continue. “Another day, a truckie pulled up and asked if he could have lunch with me. He was visibly upset, and he told mehe wanted to die. Once I knew that, I couldn’t let him leave; he was a danger to himself and the community. He told me he had family issues at home that were troubling him. I kept him chatting with me, and when he wanted to leave because of time constraints with his work, I told him I had to keep him safe and would park my car in front of his truck if that’s what it would take.

“We talked some more, and I gave him some solutions. By the end of it, he felt a lot better and assured me he didn’t want to harm himself anymore. After he left, I rang him every hour to check on him and rang him the next day as well. About five weeks later, he rang me and said, ‘My life is sweet now … I’ve taken control, used my strategies and sorted everything out.’ It was after that guy I realised I need to connect with more truckies,” Scotty says.

Parking up on the side of the road can be a discreet way for truckies to have a chat. It may appear they are just having a half-hour break, but they can be having a chat to Scotty as well. There shouldn’t be any stigma involved; however, some guys still feel there is. Scotty tells us, “I often try to park where truckies can pull up. For example, on Takitimu Drive in Pyes Pā, I stop between the BP and Kennedy Road roundabouts. There’s room there for trucks to stop. I try to find other good spots to stop for them as well.”

Scotty has a knack for getting people to open up. He explains, “Some guys ask if they can come and eat their lunch with me. We start to chat, and I ask them to tell me a bit about themselves … then I sit back, let them talk, and listen. Next minute, they realise just how much they do really need to talk.”

Scotty’s patch, and who pays?

Scotty is hoping trucking companies will get on board with his concept. He would love to liaise with management and arrange to talk with drivers in a staff meeting scenario to explain what he does. If the company were willing, he would stay a couple of days in their car park, to be available for one-on-one chats with drivers as they finish their working day.

“The companies need to realise, if their guys or girls are stopping to chat with me, they are talking to a professional. And if companies choose to not use this tool (me), then do they really give a shit about their employees? Why would you not allow your guys and girls to get support?” he says.

“There are people who sometimes need more than I can provide, so I have the ability to refer them on to others who can help. The other interesting thing is, it’s not just ‘bros’ who need to chat, it’s ‘broesses’ as well. About 46% of people who stop are women.”

Scotty is based in the Bay of Plenty but will travel anywhere. If he heads off around the country, he will park up on the way or at his destination. “I recently went to Wellington for my father’s unveiling, so I was able to park up down there for a week,” he tells us.

“Before my dad died, he told me to ‘go get your dream’, so I’m using my inheritance from him to fund my work. I have his name, ‘Harv’, painted on the side of my motorhome in his memory.”

Scotty’s chats are all free. However, he does not receive a wage from anyone and relies heavily on donations. “Businesses support me,” explains Scotty, “they ask me into their workplace for a toolbox meeting and then give a donation.”

If you’re out and about and spot his unique motorhome, please stop and say G’day to Scotty – he’s a really great guy, doing some really important work!