Ryan Sutherland doesn’t believe in doing things by halves.
The father of three boys, all under the age of eight, Ryan started his heavy haulage piloting business, RMJ Transport Services Ltd, three years ago, expanded the business last month, and supported his wife to start her own business this year.
“It’s not a risk if you know it’s going to work,” he says.
With a background as a heavy transport and pilot driver, Ryan says he wanted to build a business for his three sons, to create a legacy to pass on. The boys are already riding with Ryan on jobs, although their boredom threshold means trips are kept close to home for now.
In April, Ryan expanded from his existing pilot vehicle to taking delivery of a new Shogun FS3140 crane truck fitted with a mid-range Hiab 298.
The rig is already in high demand.
“It can shift everything in a five-ton range,” Ryan says. Currently, the greatest demand is shifting sleepouts and tiny homes. “That’s big at the moment,” he says, but the Hiab is in demand for a range of jobs, from moving septic tanks to lifting machinery and installing wine tanks at North Canterbury’s wineries.
“I saw a gap in the market and I wanted to support the local community as a local business.”
Always with his eye on the future, a new trailer is already in the pipeline — and new, bigger Hiabs are included in the long-term plans.
“Every day is interesting because every day is different,” Ryan says.
