About us

Small enough to care,
big enough to cover the country.

Kestrel Freight began in 2009 with one van and a lock-up in Wellington. Today we run ten depots across both islands, and we still answer our own phones.

Our story

Built around the Wellington hub

We started out doing same-day runs for local businesses around the capital. Customers kept asking whether we could get a parcel to Napier, then Nelson, then Auckland, so we built a linehaul network outward from Wellington.

Wellington sits in the middle of the country, so every parcel goes through our main hub and leaves on a direct run to its destination depot. Freight doesn't sit in a sorting queue for a day, and that's how our Overnight service reaches main centres by the next business day.

We're still privately owned and still based in Wellington. Most of our customers are small and medium businesses, from florists and roasters to joiners and auto parts suppliers.

What we care about

  • Being on time. We publish our on-time rate and report it every month.
  • Straight answers. When something goes wrong, you hear it from a person.
  • Fair pricing. Flat rate cards with no fuel-levy surprises.
  • Local jobs. All our drivers are employed directly, not subcontracted.
Milestones

Fifteen-plus years on the road

2009

First van and a single courier run around Wellington.

2013

Napier and Palmerston North depots open. Overnight service launches.

2018

South Island linehaul to Nelson, Christchurch and Dunedin.

2024

Freight service for pallets up to 1,000 kg. Queenstown depot opens.

Our people

The team behind the network

AT

Aroha Tane

Operations Manager

MB

Mike Brennan

Dispatch Lead

PN

Priya Nair

Dispatch & Business Accounts

Ready to send?

Check our rate card or get a quick estimate.

View rates