Its worth wasting 30 minutes of your life watching these 2 videos as most of us won’t actually get to The Truck Rodeo in Quebec in August to watch it in person. Who ever joked that life in Canada was dull!! Surely we can do this over here…..
Ages ago I found a photo of this little MAN and I just had to find out more. Its taken 2-3 years of searching without much luck, except repeatedly finding the same photo! Then on March 29th came a message on the TB Facebook page, from none other than Florian Zeltwanger…….yes the driver of said Custom MAN TGL LX of course.
Considering its 6.5 years old and has over 650,000km on the clock it is still in great shape. After a few messages this is what Herr Zeltwanger had to say about the MAN in his life:
“Beuchtung Lichtleisten und Innenausbau hab ich alles Selber gemacht. Der Rammbügel ist noch vom Vorgängerauto ein Atego und der Dachbügel von Jumbo-Fischer. Das Steinschlagschtzgitter hab ich selber gebaut. Im Innenraum ist alles selber Lackiert und bezogen, nur die Sitzbezüge und das Lenkrad hat ein bekannter von mir mit Leder bezogen. Das Airbrush machte ein Lackierer aus unserer nachbarschaft. gruß”
And if your like me and your English is still far better than your German then this is the straight up translation:
“I did everything myself Beuchtung Strip lights and interior design. The front bar is an Atego and the roof Temple of Jumbo-Fischer from the previous car. I myself built the Steinschlagschtzgitter (Stone guard?). Inside, everything is itself painted and covered, only a well known by me with leather has taken the seat covers and the steering wheel. A student from our neighborhood made the Airbrush.”
Like it or loath it, you have to agree the customisation is pretty awesome. The interior is great, all colour coded, although the green paintwork isn’t my colour but still the whole job is einfach toll! Is there another TGL like it any where else?? I did see an all red inside and out TGL LX tilt which I think was from Czech Republic. If you have seen it or you’ve seen Herr Zeltwangers wunderbare Deutsche deichsel any where then please email me photos, i’d love to see them. Vielen Dank to Florian and I hope you will show me more photos of your little truck. All photos are HERE.
Email me: ben@truckblog.co.uk
Hello guys. Three years ago I wrote a book called ‘NOT ALL SUNSHINE AND SAND’, a series of tales about my time in road transport including the Middle East run in the 70s. Most have been very complimentary about it. However all copies were sold out and a new publisher said they were very interested on re-publishing, this time in paperback. So on April 20th, next month, the book is being released by Old Pond Publishing at the exorbitant price of £7.95. !!!
Email. Info@oldpond.com
Phone. 01473 238200
If you decide to buy it then I hope you enjoy it. The stories are mostly humorous, but some are serious and some almost life and death.
By
Paul Rowlands
Recently at work we have been loading quite a few Spaniards back to Spain or back to Paris so they load from the french markets and then head back to Spain. Also recently I have scanned the next batch of 750ish photos from the David Scarff collection. What is the link I hear you ask?? The answer is that some of the haulage companies that Scarffy used to photograph back in the 1980’s are still the same firms that I am loading back to the continent. How many Spanish truck spotters can say the same for the British firms still running to the sun and back. Two Spanish firms that are still doing the run and providing our super markets with year round goodies such as Strawberries, Broccoli and of course those gorgeous Spanish oranges, are the names of Campillo Palmera and of course Transportes Caudete. I’ll start with Palmera.
The livery on the original Pegaso above has developed into the livery on the trailer behind the Magnum below. I think you can see how its developed. The Magnum has the trailer livery that I know and recognise as being Palmera, with the Palm Tree logo on the back doors. Where did the Palm tree come from?? Was it on the back doors of the Pegaso? I’m not sure.
But you can see the livery on the Magnum has moved on a bit and as an outfit the truck and trailer show the earlier livery and the newer livery. These days the new Campillo Palmera trucks still have the Palm tree on the side but the overall livery is much more of a European logistics company rather than a classic Spanish haulier. This doesn’t mean they don’t still look good! The new black cabs are smart and I guess these days with air conditioning, climate control and roof top coolers, the cabs no longer need to be white to reflect the sun and keep the heat down in the cab. Even so it’s still good to see the company are still going and are still coming to the UK for our enjoyment in all respects!
Now as for Transportes Caudete, they still have a fairly traditional livery that is very close to how its always been. Red tractor units and white Spanish looking frigo trailers. Much the same as British hauliers the Spanish used to favour using their own trucks, like the Pegaso, the Spanish Seddon Atkinson. But now due to the demise of these small manufacturers, the Spanish, like the rest of Europe, use the same as everyone else. Although Renault and Iveco seem to be the favourites for these 2 hauliers, we have had a couple of new Volvos come in for Palmera.
Most of the Caudete fleet nowadays are Iveco with a few MAN. This Iveco was only a week or 2 old as the tyres were still immaculate and had that look of brand new tyre about them (good description huh!). The driver was quite happy with it.
As you can see the Caudete trailers have remained very much the same. Old and new just having what they need to have on them, the company name and what they do. The older trailers do look more continental but again this is down to the improvements in modern trucks I think. There is no longer a great need to keep water and food on the side of the trailers as a modern truck cab has plenty of room for storage inside. I do still like the idea of a water tank on the truck some where, there’s nothing like a cold wash to cool you down or wake you up!
The one thing that is missing on the modern trucks is the 2 light up sign boards on the top of the cab. The yellow square one and the yellow triangle with the blue background. As I understand it these used to be some thing to do with the ferries, but I need one of you lot to tell me more please? Email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave a message below.
Hopefully more Then & Nows to come, thanks to David Scarff’s collection of photos. It’s possible to find photos of everything, so a big thank you to Mr Scarff and I look forward to the next batch to be scanned (the wife’s not so keen on the idea!). For those whho didn’t get it, the blog title is “Spanish Trucking – Then & Now.”
Straight from Volvo’s excellent Press Department:
The Volvo FM is next in line in the rapid renewal of Volvo Trucks’ product range – with the groundbreaking innovation Volvo Dynamic Steering as one of its prominent features. The truck will be launched in Europe on March 19, but it can already be spotted on public roads as part of a competition to be the first to see the new FM. The Volvo FM will be equipped with Volvo Dynamic Steering, which combines a conventional hydraulic power steering system with an electronically regulated electric motor fitted to the steering gear. The system gives the driver effortless steering at low speeds as well as unbeatable directional stability on the open road.
On-line “Paparazzi” competition
The official launch of the Volvo FM is on March 19, but Volvo Trucks is already giving the public the opportunity to catch a glimpse of it. Starting today, two unmasked trucks will embark on an extensive two-week tour across Europe. The sharpest-eyed “paparazzi” along the route will be rewarded by the Swedish truck maker.
“We want the public to send us the first snapshots of the new truck. The images will be published on a dedicated website and the winners will be invited to an exclusive test drive of the new truck in Gothenburg,” says Jeff Bird, Director Press tests at Volvo Trucks and the project leader of the competition. Each of the trucks is following a separate route throughout Europe. The two trucks have distinctive stripes to make them stand out from the surrounding traffic. To take part in the competition or to see the first images of the new Volvo FM truck, please go to the competition site.
So if you want to be like Joan Garriga, who took this photo above to be a winner, keep your eyes peeled as Volvo Trucks UK have been given the ‘nod’ that one of the trucks is destined for the UK and is due to land in the UK on Thursday morning (Mar 7).
It will drive via the M20/M25 to Cobham Services (clockwise) for a lunch break around 11am and then on to Warwick for around 4pm, where it will then ‘overnight’. Next day the vehicle will then travel via the M6/A14 to Cambridge Services (11am) – for a break – before going on via the M11/M25/M20 back to the channel coast and its next destination overseas.
If you are interested in being at one of these venues, please check social media, Twitter/Facebook search “Volvo Trucks UK”, for up-to-date timings and route locations.
As some of you know I am slowly scanning many of David Scarffs photos and let me tell you there are 1000’s! Quickly flicking through the latest batch, this Scania 111 stuck out like a sore thumb. Taken as it was approaching the bottom of Jubilee Way, Dover heading for a boat. What i’d love to know, like many other photos in Scarffies collection, is who’s was it and what happened to such a good old girl. Surely it was an Owner Driver? FOO 146T, a Scania 111, 6×2?, and what a paint job, very smart for its day. A roof rack full of kit and some super smart “Bus” trims on the wheels. A very clean and tidy frigo box behind, actually you could be forgiven in saying that both truck and trailer look fairly freshly painted. Unfortunately I can’t quite make out the drivers face, so it’s down to your expert knowledge. Leave your comments below or send me a quick email: ben@truckblog.co.uk and hopefully we can name who ever was in charge of such a good looking girl. According to the DVLA the truck ran out of tax back in 1990, so another lost to the big scrapyard in the sky. T reg vehicles were launched on the road in 1978 and the reg FOO was originally registerd in Chelmsford, Essex………..Over to you……….
Every now and then I send out a Tweet to see where my Twitter followers are. Usually the replies come from Canada and the USA. Once again an all American trucker made contact. Mr Jeff Watret, a.k.a. @BluePeteGuy69 from Franklin, Illinois. As you can see above, Jeff drives a day cabbed Peterbilt 379 of 2007 vintage. He pulls a 40ft tandem axle tin plate grain hopper, although I think he’ll put anything that fits in the back not just the grain! Having only ever driven big Pete’s, Pat is more than happy with his current daily ride. Not a bad view either, with the big bonnet stretching out in front.
If you still think that American truckers get away with more than their European counterparts, don’t believe it. The American authorities are not just fair weather workers, Jeff was pulled over by the Illinois state Police the other morning, as you can see by the dazzling lights in the mirror and it was only 17’F or -8’c (depending which you prefer). A full log book check, axle and gross weight checks with mobile weigh pads, probably just trying to keep themselves warm! A let of with a warning and it was back to the Highway.
A more typical start to the morning above. Loading a full load of Soya beans from a farm in Jacksonville, Illinois. Hopefully Jeff will keep sending us pics. Nice to have regular updates from far and wide. Even I get bored with my own stuff on the blog, so it makes a good change to have something different to put up. If your on Twitter then how about following Jeff? his name is: @BluePeteGuy69 then you can keep up with blue Peterbilt and its daily travels.
You can follow truckblog on Twitter: @truckbloguk – If you are a tweeter you’ll get tweets each time I put something on the blog – at my current rate, thats once a week if yoru lucky!!
Hi remember me??? I’m back the blogs are mounting but I just can’t get them on here ;-( just not enough hours in the day, so i’m sorry. I don’t think i’ll be getting my MBE for services to blogging just yet. This Wednesday parts of the UK were treated to a decent enough scattering of snow to send the Countries roads into total chaos once again. Much like Christmas it seems to be an annual event. Luckily enough for me it led to a few un-asked for and a few asked for HC Wilson photos. For those of you who are new to the blog I used to work for HC Wilson and since I’ve left I still often get sent photos from the drivers. As a bit of a tribute I often get photos of Wednesday loads. Why Wednesdays?? Coz it sounds good – Wilson Wednesday. First up above is the “spare” Classic Scania V8, N200 HCW. Driven this Wednesday by office junior and Truckblogs show reporter, James Cartwright. James is often allowed out on a Wednesday and this week did a little shunt from Felixstowe to St Ives near Cambridge to deliver another load of next years Balers. Balers in the snow, only in the UK!
Next up is Doris, Daisy, Geoff and Slim not quite John, Paul, George and Ringo but pretty close. Loaded in the middle of Germany and on their way to Rotterdam for the boat to Felixstowe and onward delivery to St Ives. Daisy and Doris are a fine pair of top of the range Dutch ladies. I think i’m right in saying they are both DAF XF105’s with 510hp. Also some of you may not know they are both 6×2’s, they have the little FTP lift axle behind the side skirt in front of drive axle, just to help with a little extra weight (Usually Geoffs lunch box!). Daisy and Doris are also the first trucks in the Wilson fleet not to have a name starting with “European…..” a rarity in the Wilson fleet.
Above is blog regular Geordie driving R60 HCW, his beloved Scania R480. Here with what looks likes some sort of dish end. Loaded in Massbracht, Netherlands on Tuesday, shipped into Harwich and delivered to Yate near Bristol, UK on Wednesday. Looks like it was getting on for being 4 metres wide. European Star and its grill lights shining on through the dull, grey snowy skies, helped with marker boards and an escort van piloted by Dodgy Dave.
Such a clear photo taken by X400 HCW’s driver Matt Lamb. One of Wilsons low height 6×2 Scania R480’s. Also managing to find some snow in Weimar, Germany. I’m sure Matt had no troubling loading his pair of dumpers looking at those tyres!!
Last but not least was full time Wilson subbie Mike Tasker and his gorgeous (but dirty!) Scania R560. Tasker had loaded from Bradford with a specialised gas tanker destined for Australia. I’m sure Mike would have been only to happy to take it all the way himself, but unfortunately he only took it as far as Southampton Docks. I’m not going to say to much more other than, keep your eyes peeled for a little blog all about this one on its own. Thanks once again to all participating drivers for letting us all keep an eye on what they are upto.
Just over a week ago on a wet and windy evening I landed back at Stansted Airport, complete with 5 blisters and a Bratwurst in my pocket. Last Monday I spent the whole day at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, well it should have been 9-5 but the German bus driver side swiped a car on the Autobahn on the way, so we were a whole 45 minutes later than planned! This therefore put me onto the Volvo stand 45 minutes after everyone else, so by the time I found it the Swedish stand was already heaving with people gathering to see the ugly but intriguing new Volvo FH. I for one sat and watched the launch of said new FH on the Internet the other week and have to say I was part of the large amount of you who think it is as ugly as the front end of a bus. But when the new Mercedes Actros arrived I was also very sceptical until I saw it in the flesh.
Having sat up high overlooking the Volvo stand for quite a while I did come to the very simple conclusion that the reason it is “ugly” is only due to the grill, the actual shape is very tidy. We are so used to the badges of trucks being on the grill, is it just the case that it’s different, that is the cause of the visual unlikenment! I’m sure you have seen the photo shopped pictures of the new FH with the Volvo badge mounted on the grill and I think it looks so much better. I think there will soon be an after market pack to change the front of your new Volvo if you so wish.
Other than the grill issue, the shape of the new Volvo on the outside is rather nice and it seems different. Amazing how designers can make a shed on wheels constantly seem so different from manufacturer to manufacturer! As for the interior, well it is rather comfy. Gone is that old FH feeling of the front of the truck closing in on you. It feels huge inside (a whole extra cubic metre of space), with big lockers above the windscreen along with a rather nice sunroof panel (actually a real escape hatch!), a swivel passenger seat, a table, the list goes on and what ever I write on here won’t really do it justice. It is a Volvo and the quality is Volvo. Designed with you in mind, its super practical but also can be super comfortable if required. My overall opinion of the New FH has been changed. I like it….a lot. Ugly or not, it’s a Volvo, it’s practical, it will earn you money and keep your drivers happy.
On with the show… The Iveco stand with it’s new crown of Truck of The Year, was amazing orange. The crazy Italians have gone a little colour crazy, but I will say zis once, the Iveco stable gets more appealing!! There you go SW I really did say it, the new Hi-Way Stralis is ok.
DAF also went with orange, but it kind of suits the new childlike, cartoon front end of the XF, only problem being is that it’s not a kids toy. The DAF XF is one of the most popular trucks in Europe but i’m afraid DAF haven’t impressed many people with the new look, I for one am not keen. Are they old Mercedes Actros headlights?! Perhaps some slightly older adolescence should be offered the sweet bag when the next update is due.
The Renault stand gave me the feeling that they were trying to divert your attention away from the fact their centre piece was a 22 year old French piece of art. Although the Magnum is still different to the rest, the fact that Renault had the most beautiful girls to attract you in, the trucks were the same as when I went to Hanover in 2010. I’m not sure how they can or will replace the Magnum, but I think a breath of fresh air is required in Renault land.
Hide it, talk it down, do what you like, what ever you do the R730 Scania is still a beautiful thing in my eyes. On show in a nearly white, silver it is still an awesome piece of kit. If you have not driven the current generation of Scania trucks, then before you slate them, take one for a drive. I still feel there is no truck with a better, more confident ride, backed up with the legendary V8, all its needs is a little something on the inside, but i’m not sure what.
The Daimler hall was so impressive it was untrue. The size of a couple of football pitches. From the small vans right up to the new Actros, buses and Unimogs, all models were available for you to get your sticky paws on.
The new Actros in all it’s guises is highly impressive and I have to say that it is still in my top 3. Lovely looking truck. They had a nice little Atego on the stand, but it has to be said that it does need it’s new cab, which will bring it in line with the new range and the new look. More to come on my thoughts of the Atego replacement.
This just leaves the MAN hall. There was tons of other stuff to tell you about at the show and I will get round to it, but I thought you’d be happy with a general sum up of all the major players. MAN, like their German rivals had a large display, with loads of trucks and lots of buses, as well as the South American Volkswagen trucks. The normal trucks on the stand were popular and each truck has a couple of MAN employees to help guide you round each truck and answer your questions. There was a big special TGS 40.540 tractor unit designed for off road heavy haul use, and I wish i’d taken a few more snaps of the chassis and springs as it was a monster.
Also, much to my delight and also my annoyance, the gorgeous little TGL 12.250 was one of the most popular trucks on the stand. For my older readers you know I love a TGL and in Germany they are super popular. This particular one is the new Euro 6 model that will be available from January 2013. A new interior along with the new look grill and bumper, will surely mean that this little Tonka continues to be a huge hit. I just wish I could buy one to join the club! …….Dear Father Christmas………
The whole show was knackering. There is so much to see, but despite the bus drivers best efforts I just about had enough time to see it all and go back and see my favourite bits a second time. Probably a good year to go too, what with the new Merc’s, the new Iveco, new look DAF and of course the completely new Volvo, it was a good day out despite the blisters. I have loads more pics, yes I do, click HERE to see them. Also I will put more stuff I saw at the show on the blog over the next few months. As well as the normal trucks, there are stands of trailers, vans, parts, etc etc etc. In 2014, treat yourself and go. You might even see a full size Lego truck!
Hot off the newspress desk yesterday is this interesting little announcement from Volvo;
Volvo Trucks is to sell the first series-manufactured new Volvo FH to the highest bidder on eBay. The truck is a unique one-off collector’s item and all the proceeds will go to charity with bids starting at €1 (81p).
Starting on September 19th, the auction will be open for ten days to bidders from all over Europe, including Russia, Turkey and Israel. Volvo Trucks will donate all the proceeds to Star for Life, a South African non-profit organisation that aims to reduce the number of HIV-positive high school students. Then, in the spring of 2013, the winner will be invited to hand over the money in person at a ceremony in South Africa.
“Our aim with this auction is to raise as much money as possible for the ‘Star for Life’ programme,” says Claes Nilsson, President Volvo Trucks EMEA Sales & Global Brand.
The new Volvo FH to be auctioned is a visibly unique and high-spec special edition truck with an exclusive ‘number one’ emblem on the windscreen.
Visit the auction here: http://auction.volvotrucks.com/
A video interview with Claes Nilsson is also available at : http://www.youtube.com/VolvoTrucks
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