The image of a typical truckie is one that is often surrounded by many cliches.
But one transport firm is going a long way to changing those perceptions with their support of the Duffy Books in Homes programme.
Mainfreight is a long-time supporter of the programme and, through their sponsorship of numerous Duffy schools around the country, has been able to give the gift of reading to thousands of children.
Mainfreight's support is not just limited to school sponsorship. Each year the firm sponsors an end of year prize for each of the 556 schools involved in the programme. This includes a cup, a certificate signed by executive chairman Bruce Plested and a high quality reference book.


The DK Complete Atlas of the World, The Definitive View of the Earth. The book is part of Mainfreight's Duffy Books in Homes sponsorship package.

This year's book prize is The DK Complete Atlas of the World, The Definitive View of the Earth.
The book was created with state-of-the-art digital mapping software and satellite data to present high-definition maps, in a modern design, for every region of the world.
Together with the cup and certificate, the atlas makes up the Mainfreight Award for Excellence in Attitude, which is presented to a senior student at each Duffy school who has shown outstanding attitude in all areas of school life.
Representatives from Mainfreight and its associated companies are invited to visit schools and help present the award.
Linda Vagana, former Silver Fern netballer and general manager of Duffy Books in Homes believes the importance of this award to schools cannot be underestimated.
'We regularly receive comments from our schools that this award is the most important one of the school year,” she says.
Duffy schools are selected from areas where the children are less likely to have the opportunity to own their own books.
The Ministry of Education allocates schools a decile rating of between one and ten, according to the socio-economic status of the community in which a school is based.
To enter the programme schools must have a decile rating of between one and three.
Since the official launch of Duffy Books in Homes in 1995 research has shown improvements in reading scores of up to 35 per cent for schools joining the programme.
Since 1995 over six million books have been given away to hundreds of thousands of students from low income homes. The programme has now grown to encompass 556 schools and over 100,000 students throughout New Zealand.