Elliotts Transport Ltd - Elliotts Transport Ltd shed 3/20 Darragh Road

In 1919, after serving in World War I, Joseph (Joe) Elliott bought a horse and cart and started doing deliveries around Palmerston North. He would cart anything and everything. He built the family home on Shamrock Street and operated from there.

Pic 1 (The white fence can be seen in the picture of the horse and cart parked outside.)

One of the jobs Joe had was delivering coal to the hospital. He continued doing this throughout the Great Depression and he was known to make a point of giving a day’s work – shovelling coal – to any man in the street.

As the years passed Joe was able to replace the horse and cart with trucks.

Pic 2 (Joe in the driving seat with son Cliff as a child trying to crank start the truck)

Joe and Margaret had two sons and a daughter. The eldest, Cliff, went to work with his father and eventually took over the business.

As World War II rolled around the New Zealand government requisitioned all of the Elliott’s Transport trucks for the war effort and Cliff signed up to serve in the war. He saw action in Italy and also was part of J Force in Japan. Without trucks and with Cliff away, Elliott’s Transport was unable to operate.

Cliff returned from the war and found work with Dalgety’s in Rangitikei Street. In 1951 he successfully secured a rehabilitation loan to purchase a truck and breathe new life into Elliott’s Transport. He built the company up and became a well-known sight in the region delivering general freight.

In the early 1970’s Cliff’s son, Ridley, began doing deliveries for his father after school before working for his father full time.

Pic 3 (Ridley’s Bedford flatdeck did regular runs around Palmerston North and to and from Feilding for many years.)

In 1984 Ridley bought the business; continuing to grow and diversify. In addition to the general freight service there were dedicated furniture removal trucks specialising in moving grand pianos.

In 2011 Elliott’s Transport moved to Feilding from Palmerston North where it had been based since inception.

In 2015 Ridley brought his cousin, Faye, in to learn the business. Faye’s father, Marshall (Bub) was Cliff’s younger brother. Faye has worked in the transport industry for over 20 years; she brings a wealth of experience to the company.