McDouall said manufacturers would be able to better connect with customers and believed it was only getting easier to get products to the main freight routes.
And the General Manager of McCarthy Transport, Steve Browne, thinks the same.
"It will help make our destination timelines easier to manage," Browne said.
"It gives us a much better chance of making a reasonable day with hopefully less traffic delay."
Overall, the first impressions of Transmission Gully from Browne and the drivers at McCarthy Transport were "pretty good", with mproved traffic flow and savings in fuel due to a more constant speed while on the new highway.
Whanganui & Partners chief executive Hannah Middleton said any improvement to the district's ability to trade was positive.
"We recognise the significance of this development at a time when supply-chain challenges and petrol costs are putting pressure on local businesses," Middleton said.
In McDouall's view, the next step for lower North Island roads was the completion of the Ōtaki Expressway - due to be completed in late 2022 - and the Ōtaki to North of Levin Expressway. which is due to begin construction in 2025.
McDouall said he had been advocating a lot for this.
"I can clearly see that the closer the journey is between Wellington and Whanganui, the more attractive Whanganui becomes."
Middleton said it complimented the Whanganui Te Pūwaha Port revitalisation project.
"As the port revitalisation project progresses, it is important to have efficient lower North Island logistical routes supporting the development's potential," Middleton said.
Having driven the new highway himself, McDouall said the road was wide and safe and made the journey home from Wellington disorientingly fast.
"It was unbelievable.
"You don't have to spend 15 minutes crawling through Pukerua Bay. I'll always miss that beautiful stretch of highway by the coast, but you can still do that," he said.
Although McDouall hasn't driven the new highway from north to south, he said the incline at the very beginning when doing so must be quite a ride.
"That bit was quite steep, but apart from that, it's just amazing."
Browne said this six per cent gradient incline was steep but their professional drivers had managed it with no problem at all, and that so far there hadn't been any noticeable problems with the road.
"Although there have been no big issues so far, the real pressure will come when there's an incident on the highway and how that affects the roading," Browne said.
