FOUND: Pigeon Perfect Atego

Posted on July 31, 2014 by truckbloguk

After months and months of trying to track it down and a couple of sightings last year, my old Atego has finally been seen and confirmed. I got the message last night from George Ward, who had spotted it back in April on the M6 at Sandbach, Cheshire. Looking at the truck it hasn’t changed much, it’s got a mouldy spot light, the alloy wheels have gone and the drivers side at least has a new rear mud wing. It’s definitely carrying birds and George said that there were a number of other pigeon trucks passing at the same time. The other truks were from Hambleton Blackpool and Croston Lancashire. Does anyone know these companies? Do they run the Atego??

Email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk
Thanks George, keep up the spotting.

Truckstar Festival 2014 by Jack Rigby

Posted on July 30, 2014 by truckbloguk

Truckstar Festival 2014, What an amazing show. It was mine and dads first time for visiting the show. What an atmosphere the show was, all of the people where there to have a good time, not just to show off their trucks, they were there to show off their speaker systems and to see who had the biggest swimming pool!!

In the main arena there was truck racing and motorbike stunts which made you cringe, but amazing how they did it. The trucks were outstanding, the amazing paint jobs and the inviting interiors were so mind blowing that you didn’t know how they came up with the ideas!!

The truck for me at the show was this Scania R520 highline, it just stood out, there was nothing shiny on the truck there was just a brilliant paint job and a new idea that know body else had thought of so it just stood out from the others (Agreed – TB).

Then the show ended 😟. So on Sunday afternoon we left to watch all of the trucks come out of show. We stood in the middle of the duel carriageway with two lanes of traffic coming by us to watch all of these trucks leaving for home. All the world (or so it seemed!) came out to watch with dec chairs and picnics, there was a coffee van and an ice cream van all out to see the leaving of these amazing trucks.

The Truckstar event i think is about having something different to anybody else, it is not about seeing how many light bars you can put on, it is about having something unique to you, something that you have thought of, like a special paint job, because you aren’t buying something off a shelf that somebody else has thought of and what somebody already has. The Hoogendoorn Scania below won the ultimate trophy, The Most Beautiful Truck in the Netherlands.

MAN in Black – Part Deux

Posted on July 20, 2014 by truckbloguk

I featured this little MAN TGL the other week after @steviebloke met him at Bestlogs yard in Chichester. The truck belongs to a German Bestlog subbie by the name of Patrick Pralat, so I emailed him to ask a few questions and I got just a few answers. Here’s his reply;

Danke for the compliment. Sorry, I’m not by twitter. Stevie can make more pictures if he want, I have no new pictures. Inside looks the MAN normal. Original Radio blaupunkt 2x 5w speaker is out. Now is a multi media Alpine inside, little office with internet, GPS, printer, scanner, laptop/tv and so on. The Alpine has 300w, 6 speaker, 1 woofer with bluetooth handsfree. Sorry for me bad english.

Best Regards
Patrick
PRALAT – CAR – PERFORMANCE.

Even though it’s a short answer it gives the idea that it isn’t just another run of the mill 12 tonner. I’m surprised none of the Photographers in Dover and the Kent area have spotted it yet, not that I’ve seen anyway. In MAN in Black I mentioned that Patrick can winch the trailer up inside the truck body when not required to save length and more importantly road tolls. This photo was taken by another Bestlog driver @patsmithf1. If you spot a Bestlog truck or the black one then please send me a photo to ben@truckblog.co.uk or tweet me @truckbloguk. There is more Bestlog action to come in the next week or so.

Centurions #8 #9 #14

Posted on July 13, 2014 by truckbloguk

Above are 2 very lucky owner drivers and no doubt very deserved too. On the left with the Olympic blue 143 500 is Maxi Mehrlich and on the right with the white 143 500 is Gorden Ardren. As you are probably all aware by now I’ve been trying to gain as much info on Scania’s original 100 special edition Centurion trucks as I can. This latest flurry of information comes from an excellent source, none other than Nagel Langdons own commercial director, Patrick Griffiths. This is what Patricks first email said;

A couple of corrections for your Centurion list.

J4 MJM was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Maxi Mehrlich hence the J4 MJM. Copy of the original sales invoice is attached. We dug out a copy of this only a few months ago for the current owner.

J2 GLA was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Gordon Ardren hence the J2 GLA.

J981BYA was purchased through Langdon Industries Ltd by owner driver Derek Champion. J981BYA it was a Scania R143 MA 4×2 R450 in white.

Myself or Patrick haven’t managed to find a photo of J981 BYA when it was new, so if any of you have then please email it me; ben@truckblog.co.uk – I did managed to find this photo of J981 but I don’t know whose photo it is or who owned the truck at the time, but I’m guessing it might be Plymouth owner driver Peter Orr. There is a slight question mark as to whether this was a 450hp or 500hp when new.

The truck details are as follows;

#8 Scania 143 500 Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Maxi Mehrlich – now owned and fully restored by Dessie Mackin at Mackin International in Ireland. Above is the original invoice for the truck. I have cropped out the figures but I will tell you that it was between £60-£65,000 before VAT. I don’t know why but I was a little surprised that there is no mention of the edition number on the invoice. Before and after photos as follows;

#9 Scania 143 500 Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Gorden Ardren – the truck has in the last few years been fully restored by Ashley Pearce and is now living in Ireland under the ownership of Donnell & Ellis. I have to say I helped convince Ashley Pearce to repaint the truck in Scania’s 3 Series pro-mo colours of blue with pink strips after giving him some posters an brochures. What a claim to fame! See below for its current condition.

#14 Scania 143 450 (May have been a 500hp?) Topline Streamline 4×2 Tractor – new to Derek Champion – now owned by Shropshire Forrestry Contractors as far as I’m aware. The last photo I have of it was when it was with its last owner Neil Johnson. Again if you have a recent photo of it since Neil Johnson had it please email me a copy; ben@truckblog.co.uk

Thanks again to Patrick at Nagel Langdons for the info and photos. Hopefully it’ll lead to more info about more Centurions. I think it’s amazing that the 3 Langdon Owner Drivers trucks are all still on the road and we can trace there where about’s as I know how difficult it is proving to find out info about some of the others.

Doing a Double Dutch

Posted on July 9, 2014 by truckbloguk

In the last week I have been sent a couple of decent DAF photos. If you want to get technical DAF do have approximately a 16% market share of the European heavy vehicle market so it’s not surprising that you see one on two on your travels. The one above was a top spot it has to be said. Blog favourite Steve Marsh spotted this white DAF in Dublin port, nothing unusual about a white DAF in Dublin I hear you say. The reason it’s a top spot is that the Space Cabbed XF105 is over 3200KM from its base in Casablanca. I have no idea what he was loaded with coming to Dublin from North Africa but I’m guessing it was clothing, well why not?! What I’d love is for it to have reloaded is a full load of Guiness bound for warmer climbs. Marshy was driving in Dublin port and spotted something different about the truck, on further inspection it turns out it is from some where different. I’m fairly confident there have not been many trucks from Casablanca to Ireland although I guess it could be a regular run?? With a lack of photos on the social media sites I think it could be more of a one off trip.

Next up from not so far away, is another blog favourite, Transam Trucking. This one was spotted on the M25 in Essex near the QE2 bridge by Dodgy Dave. Nothing too out of the ordinary in a big black Transam Trucking DAF truck I know but have another look…….this one is the little short one axle trailer. This makes it almost a mini artic I guess, so top spotting Dodgy!

Spotted something a bit different from the rest?? Then why not share it on the blog. You can email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk or you can post your photos on the TB Facebook page, just search for http://www.truckblog.co.uk in the Facebook search bar.

Wilson Wednesday – Geoff Special

Posted on July 2, 2014 by truckbloguk

He’s back!! (For one week only?? Who knows) Geoff and Daisy DAF have taken a break from there holidays and this week they are putting in a shift or two. Not to over do it HC Wilson gave Geoff a steady export that was just over length. At 1.5 metres over length from the North West out to the Netherlands dear Daisy and her ever-tanned pilot should have a nice little run out to the land of Cloggs and Cheese.

MAN in Black

Posted on June 28, 2014 by truckbloguk

Trying to think of a title with the words “black” and “M.A.N.” In the title was no easy task I can tell you. In the end I’ve gone for the song title option courtesy of Johnny Cash.

These photos how ever are courtesy of @steviebloke on Twitter. Mr Bloke is a professional driver working for Bestlog UK delivering vehicles across the UK and Europe in his little green MAN TGL. There is also a Bestlog GMBH, the German parent company if you like. As you’d imagine between the 2 companies there are a fleet of top specced trucks and on the German side there is also a subbie or 2. Now as it stands I can’t tell you anything about this German subbie that Steviebloke saw in Bestlog UK’s yard this week but really what else do you need to know?? A picture tells a 1000 words and all that.

Just look at the shine on the bodywork. The truck is a Euro 5 MAN TGL LX 12.250. It must be Euro 5 as it’s not got the Euro 6 grill. So for a truck that is a year or 2 old to have such a shiny paint job is fairly impressive. The truck has an internal ramp that can lift a car enabling a second car to be put on the lower deck, or even his trailer can be put on the ramp to avoid paying road tolls on 4 axles. Even with painted wheels it makes for a truck that delivers the kind of impact and professionalism you’d want the driver to have when delivering supercars. Hopefully we will see or even hear from this truck/driver again in the near future but in the mean time I’ll thank @steviebloke again for the photos.

Wilson Wednesday

Posted on June 25, 2014 by truckbloguk

A quick return this week for red Wednesday. HC Wilson Transport’s famous fleet pounding the roads of the UK and Europe once again. Above we have Terry Alderton and below we have Doris DAF and Slim, both trucks on locals today a little run round to Middlesex with 2 loads of machinery.

Next is driver Geordie and European Charger. Having started the week with a run to Wick, Scotland and reload from Muir of Ord back to Wilson’s Elmswell yard in Suffolk. The Charger is now heading off mainland Europe to load 3 trailers in Stromberg, Germany. Check that route out on your Google map!

Above is part time driver and part time office waller James Cartwright. Called into action this afternoon to load some military vehicles in Norfolk for delivery to Wiltshire tomorrow.

Wilson fans favourite European Dream really living its name today with 24 metre long steel rails loaded from Luxembourg back to the UK. She looks well.

Mick “Snug” Farrow today on a little reach stacker move from Doncaster down to Maidenhead. Micks big Scania, European Colossus no doubt making easy work of the big load.

Husband and wife team Dave and Sue Ramm in N5HCW also on a UK job today. Loaded with some 23 metre long beams heading down to Harwich, Essex.

Just when your thinking it’s all go go go with Wilsons trucks and trailers today, we head to Germany where top Subbie Mike Tasker and Wilson driver Mark Gladwell have been waiting all day to load storage vessels back to the UK. A warm day sat in the German sun, trying to get some sleep isn’t a great day by my reckoning especially when you’ve got a night move out of Germany back to Rotterdam. Oh don’t forget the 17metre long tank in the well of the low loader too! Thanks for all the photos.

And the morning after the first night move……

One MAN & Someone Else’s Dog

Posted on June 23, 2014 by truckbloguk

What were you upto yesterday? Nice day at home with the family? Sunday afternoon BBQ? Trip to church to have tea with the vicar? No not our MAN and pilot Steve Marsh. The majority of us were taking it steady and quite a few of you were still sleeping after a heavy night at various truck shows around the country when Marshy was already down in Birmingham loading Aircraft parts for same day delivery to Belfast. A crate over 5 metres in length required Marshy’s talents although being aircraft parts weight wasn’t an issue. Anyway the nature of express is express so Marshy was drafted in and of course the tight time scales were met dispite the best efforts of the Cairnryan sniffer dog!

“Bloomin drugs dog in Cairnryan… They asked did I mind it in the cab, I said I’d rather not… They put it in anyway. Done my delivery and back at the boat thinking its a bit warm in Belfast… Came back to my truck after a cheeky wazz and thought which nobhead had got the nightheater on. Turns out I’m the nob coz the bloody dogs trod on all my switches and turned IT on and the my frigo off…. It didn’t find anything but had a good rummage through my bin and scattered what it didn’t lick…. Woof!! 🐶”

The dog might have nicked his Hovis and tried its best to over heat him but no matter what the job is, Steve Marsh Express gets the job done……..yes that is a shameless cheesy plug!

Broadbent: Family Connection to Transport Genius

Posted on June 9, 2014 by truckbloguk

Thought you might appreciate a nice feature for your Blog! As I have told you before, I have a long heritage with the industry in which we work and have done every aspect from loading on a forklift, to fully qualified HGV mechanic to European and at times Middle East driver. Above is a brand new Big J that my grandfather purchased along with the trailer for the construction of what locals call the D road, otherwise known as the A500 between junctions 15 and 16 on the M6. I started off working for my Grandfather who was actually one of the first hauliers in the UK to send trucks to Europe. After his death I kept one truck and worked for myself mainly taking animal skins out to Italy and after a wash out, bringing finished leather goods back to the UK. I then moved on to Spanish work taking Michelin tyres from Stoke out and bringing fruit back for the markets. This was in the pre-speed limiter days and when you only changed a tacho if it was full. Sleeping was done either on ferries or when parked up for 24 hours by the predecessors to VOSA. After finishing with European haulage due to ever decreasing rates I moved on to a flatbed carrying portacabins and construction equipment for the then Leonard Fairclough (swallowed up by Amec).

Eventually I decided enough was enough and decided to go and work for someone else. I did a bit of round timber haulage and discovered what graft actually was. I then moved on to a few months on a brick crane which was possibly the most thankless job I have ever done. After getting involved in UK-IE traffic I landed a role with a well known European trailer operator looking after the eastbound flow between the UK and Benelux. This was succeeded after a contract takeover to promotion to contract manager of all export requirements from both the UK and IE. I have attached a copy of a feature from this weeks Commercial Motor. I’m not sure if you are allowed to use it or if its covered under copyright law but you will see where my heritage comes from. Gerald Broadbent was my grandfathers youngest brother and I have memories of him as a very astute man who we weren’t allowed to ‘play up’ in front of. As I got older and worked for my grandfather we used to quite often go into Boalloy and move trailers around on site and even go and pick up prototype trailers to load for Europe to take on week long test drives. Not sure if this was a dodgy family way of getting a free trailer for a week as we were short or if it was genuine but it worked.

By Shaun Broadbent

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