Here’s Your New Truck

Posted on August 12, 2011 by truckbloguk

Recently I have been trying to work out how to use Facebook and more to the point get it working alongside the blog. So far I haven’t got a clue. It’s possible to put questions on the TB FB page, so I thought i’d give it a go to see what results I got, you know that modern word “interactive” thats me that is!

Here’s the question: Your new boss is offering you the following trucks brand new as your first truck, which do you choose?

– DAF 3300 ATI Spacecab

– Volvo F12 Globetrotter

– Scania 143

– Iveco Turbostar V8

– Mercedes Benz SK V8

A bit of a retro question as we all seem to prefer the old generation of trucks. All in all i ended up with 48 Votes (at the time of going to press!), not a bad turn out. Please feel free to add your vote below in the comments box below or head over to the Facebook page if your that way inclined.
Can you Guess the results?? I bet you can guess the bottom 2 anyway. Here are the results;

1st – Scania 143 with 48% of Votes
2nd – Volvo Globetrotter with 27% of Votes
3rd – DAF 3300 Spacecab with 21% of Votes
4th – Iveco Turbostar with 2% of Votes
4th – Mercedes SK with 2% of Votes

I think in all honesty I could have kept the vote down to just the top 3 options. The choice between Volvo and DAF was pretty close. I was slightly surprised by the smaller cabbed beating the 2 bigger cabbed trucks to 1st place. This must show that all you old romantics of the road must just prefer the better drive over the better cab for time off. If you took part then thank you and if you didn’t you better had next time!! If youare literate in facebook please click on the link above and click the like button. Also keep your eyes for further questions / votes.

Beresford Transport by Mick Darlington

Posted on August 7, 2011 by truckbloguk

Its funny how when you get talking to people you end up finding out more than you bargained for. I take regular deliveries of JCB’s that are destined for Russia, but come to me for checking and prepping before heading off to the docks. This means I have a lot of dealings with Brit European as I recieve 10 of there trucks every day. As you do you get chatting to the drives for a few minutes, one day i got chatting to a good old boy by the name of Mick Darlington, a true gent of the road. We got talking and as I said I ended up finding out more than bargained for. It turns out Mick has had a full career on the road as an employed driver and also as an Owner Driver. Mick’s career started at the well remembered Beresfords Transport from Stoke on Trent and 3 days after getting his license was at the helm of this old girl and about to set off for Italy with a load of whiskey!

It turns out that Mick has spent a good chunk of his career as a continental driver. Going from Beresfords, to Morcap, to Fret Francais, to Brit European as well as running his own trucks across the water as well.

I love the fact that back in the good old days there were so many British built trucks heading off to all foreign climbs. We all know the Guys, Scammells, Seddons, Leylands and ERF’s that used to even get as far as the Middle East, but then again that was a time when having something built in Britain was some thing to be proud of! Mr Darlington has plenty of experience of driving some of Cheshire’s finest on the wrong side of the road. This set of pics of a B series ERF on the snowy roads of Austria. You just cant beat photo’s like this and you won’t ever be able to recreate them, they are just classics. I almost got romantic there didn’t I!!

Any ideas who this driver is with Mick in Austria?

Beresfords were at the time well in at JCB and were one of the main hauliers doing the continental JCB work before Brit European took over and, from what I read, took the fun out of the job and made it not so lucrative as perhaps it once was. Beresford ran 2 x Seddon Atkinsons painted up in JCB colours to show there loyalty to the Staffordshire digger makers. Mick seen here some where across the water, but can you tell me where? It looks warm where ever it is.

There is more to come from Mick’s photo’s but I dont want to use them up all at once!! You’ll just have to keep checking the blog to see when I do the next installment. I need to do some more research about Fret Francais, so if you can tell me any thing send me an email; ben@truckblog.co.uk

Acitoinox Italian Made Truck Accessories

Posted on July 31, 2011 by truckbloguk

As you know I dont advertise or endorse anything inparticular, what ever takes my fancy really. Due to the beauty of Facebook (not really!) I came across this lot. I have no idea how but they appeared on my Facebook, so I had a look through and soon realised they are responsible for a lot of those crazy Italian trucks and their stainless steel accessories. I made friends with them, as you do. This led me to the Acitoinox website and me wasting a good hour or two (much to the wifes horror) looking through the amazing lists of accessories for all the major manufacturers. You can buy a piece of stainless steel for just about every part and position on your truck. Take a look at this R730 V8 Scania, that has clearly been given the Italian treatment, I suppose you could say its had an Italian job (ha ha i made a joke!).

All the accessories on one truck together I have to say is too much for my taste but you have to admit the trucks are just amazing, have a look through the Gallery page. I would be keen on buying a few bits and bobs, but if you feel inclined then go to the Catalogue page, select your truck and get browsing. There are 10 pages of just Scania bits, so you will have your will power put to the limi and your wallet for that matter!

One thing I do love about this truck and what sets off all the stainless is the gorgeous matt black paint work, genius! Not only is there a range of ready made accessories, but you can also have bespoke one of stuff made up, although i’m not sure where else you could put some stainless that the team at Acitoinox haven’t already thought of. Look closley at this rear view of the “Absolute” truck…………

……..yes you are seeing correctly the V8 logo has got pipes coming out of it. Now that is Italian styling and ingenuity at its best!! Not sure how practical it is but thats just me being English! You are also right, the side fairings on the air kit have also been cut out a little to make way for the pipes. I do wonder if all pipes are exhaust or for show, but seeing as it is Italian they must be using all 8 pipes to fire out the V8 tunes, it must sound pretty amazing and loud, especially if your standing on the kerb in the bus queue when it comes burbling past. I think i’ll have to get the bus next time!! As I said i’m not a fan of all the bits on my own truck but you do have to admire the Italian’s, they certainly stand out from the crowd. You always notice an Italian truck on the road. Paint jobs, stainless steel what more can you want?? Oh yea a V8 730hp Scania (in Matt Black). A trip to an Italian truck is in order I think…….

Just for info these pictures are all copyright to Acitoinox.

Activ Cars Spezialtransporte, Achim, Bremen

Posted on July 25, 2011 by truckbloguk

Right here we go again. Those who know me will know that i am not one to give up on some thing I want. Now for a good while I have been trying to get more photo’s and info about this lot as they don’t have a website. I did email them once and i did get a good reply with a couple of yard photo’s, but as you have guessed I want to get more of both! Activ Cars operate out of Achim, Bremen, Germany. They have a good looking fleet of Mercedes, mainly Atego’s. Perhaps my new friends at Mercedes Benz UK can even get in on the detective trail, surely there are some German colleagues you can contact?? Activ travel all over the continent and even regularly come to the UK. The main stay of there work seems to be for Airbus, delivering parts to manufacturing plants, such as Frankfurt, Toulouse and Broughton near Chester.

Now, I have done an appeal before for your spots as you go about your daily drives, and we did get a couple of spots, one at Killingholme Dock and another up the M6, possibly heading for Broughton. I am going to try my luck by emailing the email address I have and hope the staff at Activ Cars don’t ignore my email. Now this is where you lot come in, while i’ll do the emailing, I need you lot to keep your eyes peeled and send me any photos you manage to get of Activ Cars mini artics on the road. Ideally one of you will find an Activ truck parked up and you can ask the driver to email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk or via the Truckblog Facebook Page. In fact who ever send’s in the best NEW photo of one of these trucks, will win a www.truckblog.co.uk sticker. In my previous searches I even put a thread on trucknetuk.com and did get some response, but i have renewed this Mini German Artic thread in the hope it too might get some new feedback.

Just look at the backdoors, they have a lovely gap at the bottom for a nice new Navy Blue truckblog sticker! The detective work starts now, so best bi-nock-u-lars on and get detecting my loyal spotters. Hopefully now we have a load of new European friends reading the blog we may be able to spread the hunt further and wider than before and we may even get some results. Just imagine if an employee of Activ Cars got to hear about the search, they might email me direct!! Remember my email address is ben@truckblog.co.uk

New Mercedes Actros Should be Oscar Nominated!

Posted on July 17, 2011 by truckbloguk

Ged it, ged it??? Actros, actress……my comedic talents are wasted on you lot!
I have been in contact with Mercedes Benz Trucks UK and thought it only fair a do a bit more on this gorgeous new truck. Just look at it………….. that’s all i’ve got to say!!

As you have probably already read else where this is a completey new range of trucks. Chassis, driveline, engines and cabs are all new. Mercedes are bringing in the new range under the premise “Trucks you can trust”. The basis of this is the amount of testing that has been done, supposedly more than any other all new truck. The new Actros has undergone 2600 hours of fine-tuning in the wind tunnel, 50 million kilometres of engine testing on test rigs and in real-life operation, and 20 million kilometres on the road. The foundations for development were laid as far back as ten years ago, and Mercedes-Benz has spent five years testing the components and the complete vehicle. During this time, the new Actros clocked up around 20 million kilometres on the road, including intensive customer driving tests. On top of this, there were extremely rigorous tests on test rigs, torture-track tests and a series of other extreme examinations. The real-life road tests covered all climatic conditions as well as extreme road conditions and gradients, ranging from an Arctic winter to an extremely hot desert climate. Real-life testing also included customer driving tests in the new Mercedes-Benz Actros.

I do love those test trucks. They are like a Hollywood superstar who doesn’t want to be noticed, so they wear a big hat, massive sunglasses and stand out like a sore thumb. They may as well just sign write the thing with new truck on test, ssssshhhhhhhhhh! Who is going to be the first to have this black and white eye night mare as a company livery?? Brilliant.

I sorry to say i’m not going to go into detail on the mechanical stuff, as I have never claimed to be mechanical in any way. Best to ask your friendly salesman as they will talk to you as if they know what they are talking about where as i won’t.
So onto the interior. Although you could claim that the interior does resemble the current Actros range, it is all new. I did hear that the trucks are using components and parts from the MB car range. There will be 7 new cabs in the range of which 5, yes 5, will have a completely flat floor, pretty impressive. Now as an ex Actros Megaspace owner, I can vouch for the comfort and space in the big cabs. The storage space was never more apparant than when the day came to empty the cab, it took me 2 car loads to clear all my gubbins out.

The seven cabs for the new Actros in detail are:
– The long ClassicSpace cab with a standard roof. 2.3 m wide, engine tunnel 170 mm. Headroom on the engine tunnel 1.46 m, in front of the co-driver’s seat 1.59 m.
– The long ClassicSpace cab with a standard roof. 2.3 m wide with a flat floor. Headroom on the engine tunnel 1.64 m.
– The long StreamSpace cab. 2.3 m wide, engine tunnel 170 mm. Headroom on the engine tunnel 1.79 m, in front of the co-driver’s seat 1.84 m.
– The long StreamSpace cab. 2.3 m wide with a flat floor. Headroom 1.97 m.
– The long StreamSpace cab. 2.5 m wide with a flat floor. Headroom throughout 1.97 m.
– The long BigSpace cab. 2.5 m wide with a flat floor. Headroom throughout 1.99 m.
– The long GigaSpace cab. 2.5 m wide with a flat floor. Headroom 2.13 m.

As i predicted on the blog a while ago there is going to be a GigaSpace cab, with a mind boggling volume of 11.6 cubic metres, a flat floor, 2.13 metres of headroom and more than 900 litres of stowage space. All that means to me and you is you will have more than enough room to swing the proverbial German cat! Mercedes say;

“At the heart of the interior is a concept which visually separates the easy-to-use cockpit from the comfortable living area using colour and geometric form. The functional area of the cockpit is finished in practical anthracite whilst the rear, ceiling and area around the co driver’s seat are appointed in a light almond beige colour.”

Along with all the other things you would imagine a new truck to have, including a top of the range, Mercedes Benz developed seat that is wider than the standard and incorporates a massage function……ooo-eerr!! In terms of height, the only thing that limits the new Actros is legislation: the previous MegaSpace cab is replaced by the spectacular GigaSpace cab, which opens up a new dimension in space. It is all but four metres high and, when it comes to spaciousness, trumps its predecessor by some 920 litres – almost a whole cubic metre. This extra space is reflected in a headroom of 2.13 metres throughout and a noticeably larger stowage capacity. The total volume of 11.6 cubic metres is a record for a European truck cab.

Just keep your grubby mits off those beige areas. Lovely as they are, i’m still not convinced they are a good idea in a working truck. As an owner driver i would and Mrs Truckblog would make sure it was kept clean. Saying that, all the area’s you are likely to be touching and standing in,all look to be black / grey coloured. Just not sure how the fleet trucks will fair after a few years on the road. But i have to say it does make for a lovely living area. You would struggle to haul yourself out of such a cab to go into oour crappy motorway services. Now here’s an idea, perhaps if your lucky enough to get one of these new cabs, you should park up and charge other drivers to come and enjoy your lovely new cab!! or better still perhaps Mercedes should take the new trucks to the plonkers who run our Motorway Services Area’s to show them what our drivers need to relax.
One new option you can spec is the “SoloStar Concept”. This gives a sort of corner sofa in the passenger side set back against the rear wall. Also as you can see below, there is what looks like a fold up/out table for you to sit and try to read up on the ever complicating drivers hours rules or some such!

Finally i’ll leave you with a cracking photo of this new truck. I hope that this wont be the last you here about it on the blog, as i’m hoping to have some more feedbck from Mercedes Benz them selves and you never know i may even get a test drive, well thats what i hope!! Good truck, sorry GREAT Truck, my predication and a fairly obvious one, this will be a clear winner in the Truck of the Year competition next time around.

Where is This Truck Now??

Posted on July 17, 2011 by truckbloguk

What a cutie! This little DAF with its B I G Hatcher cab conversion is a real head turner, especially with its bright livery. These will now be rare photo’s due to Edwin Shirley being taken over by the equally beautiful black trucks of Transam Trucking. Now i wonder if this little gem is still on the joint fleet some where?? I know a couple of chaps by the name of Ireland who should be able to shed some light on the detective hunt. I would quite like a “where is it now?” type updtae if poss please. Also Nick, i think this is one of yours, thanks, can you email me a few more, perhaps along what ever trip you did with her??. Can you add any thing to the hunt? Leave your comments below or email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk

What is it About Dock Scenes??

Posted on July 13, 2011 by truckbloguk

I’ll keep it short as it’s getting late and her lady ship will be moaning at me for being on “that bloody computer” all evening. What is it about dock scene photo’s that i find so fascinating?? Just look at this……..

How much is there going on?? you just can’t take it all in. Each picture has a different story to tell and something different happening. Even ones taken from the cab, just look at this picture of Mick Darlington’s

A Martintrux truck with the cab up (Volvo perhaps?!), Morgan Freight Transcontinental and i’m fairly sure a Cadwallader trailer too! Then again you can’t see an old pic of Dover and not see a Cadwallader truck. Another of Mick D’s pics taken as he was driving down Jubilee Way (thats the reason for the blur, not my computer incompetance!), you can still see a Cadwallader motor.

Come on we all know i am a true trucking pervert, but i can’t be the only one who finds these freeze frames in time fascinating?? I know our good friend Neil Jarrold of www.euro-wheels.com fame has a few in his collection and they are all are just an eye full of transport history. The beauty of the older ones is the amount of British trucks heading for the continent and the distinct lack of eastern europeans clogging up the lens! Take this next photo, i’m not sure who’s it is or actually where i got it from, but never mind just look at who is in it………

With my basic spotting skills i can see a lovely old Norbert Dressingtable tilt, with what looks like a DAF subbie on the front. Curries of Dumfries Scania waiting to clear the customs shed. Not forgetting the 2 classic B series ERF’s, one belonging to S Jones of Aldridge and the other being a Brit European glass carrier with Carmens livery……..
I’m going to have to go to bed it’s all just to much!! Please feel free to comment below with your findings or email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk with more dock scenes and i will put them on here for all to relish.

Transam Trucking & Truckblog Rock

Posted on June 27, 2011 by truckbloguk

Another contributer hopefully signed up to Truckblog on the Move. The one and only Transam Trucking is now sporting the rare truckblog mark! Driver Mat Ireland is the named driver who doesn’t realise what he’s got himself into….sorry i mean is the lucky driver who is now part of the truckblog family. I’m hoping over the next few months we will get some interesting pics of this particular sticker enjoying its new rock n roll lifestyle!

I did actually hand Mat 2 stickers so you never know we might get another driver from Transam signed up aswell. Can you imagine, we might even get a passing pop/rock starlet passing the sticker while on tour……..In fact i’m not sure who the sticker is currently on tour with, Mat can you fill us in??
I was also quietly pleased that the sticker joins other famous stickers on the back doors of Mats trailer, Superfast Ferries and Minoan Lines, aswell as what i think is a PB Tank Cleaning sticker, yes another sad fact that i seem to know my truck stickers!!

If you drive the highways and byways of our Great Land or even Europe and beyond, email the blog and pledge your case and I may just send you a truckblog sticker too, if you have a worthy place for it that is. Below is an example of “Truckblog on The Move” on the back of an Astran trailer departing Kent for the Middle East. Also the same truck in the desert on it’s way. Unfortunately the rear view with the sticker in seemd to get lost in translation during the trip! Still you get the idea of “truckblog on the move”.

Aston Clinton Haulage – Early 1970’s

Posted on June 19, 2011 by truckbloguk

Seeing as its father day……… Back in the early 1970’s before i was a twinkle in my parents eye, my dear Dad worked for Aston Clinton Haulage or ACH as they were known. Based in Aston Clinton Village, long before they moved to Aylesbury. I have often wondered who else knows any thing else about ACH at this time. When i put these on www.trucknetuk.com the photo’s which most people put on were all later liveried trucks, some were F88’s but again they were in a slightly later livery.

Cracking old ERF, i think the old man used to take her out on the road now again. Also note the lifting frame for loading. It seems in the early 1970’s not many people remember or were working at ACH, as i haven’t managed to get hold of or find anyone else who was there!! The only chap i know was there with my dad was Brian Soames, pictured below obviously in high spirits, perhaps it’s the snazzy coloured trailer!! I did manage to find out Brian was last seen working at Norbert Dentressangle in Leighton Buzzard. If you know of Mr Soames please ask her to get in touch. I do love this picture below. I can just see it now heading out of Calais, sleeper cabbed Scania, little GB box trailer full of Britains finest manufacturing, now that is the romance of the road! Is that one of those old Bedford vans in the background, or a Transit.

Now as you can tell from the pics New Holland were a big customer. Combines and balers were regular cargo for ACH and that is were my old man comes in. As far as i understand it, he was chief loader and warehouse man. Eventually my Dad came up with the idea of a frame to put on the flat trailers to enable the smaller balers to be double stacked, obviously after the below photo was talking. The balers don’t way anything so doubling the amount on a trailer wasn’t a problem, it just needed the initiative…………..it’s a pity it doesn’t seem to run in the family!!

I also remember dad saying that a regular Italian reload was washing machines. The chap that used to drive the Volvo below (no name I’m afraid), used to be one of those old legends, who liked to be home for his Friday night pint. Most weeks he’d head off to the continent with what ever the export cargo was, plenty of fags and cash for the Polizei, reload a full hand ball load of washing machines and be back in the yard in time for his pint. Oh The good old days!!

Lovely day cab 110 Scania, that was no doubt a European regular. Hopefully you lot may be able to give me some more ACH info, in my opinion the earlier the better. Please comment below or email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk

Gareth Jackson European

Posted on June 15, 2011 by truckbloguk

Sat in the office at 5pm this afternoon, the day is nearly done, when into the yard rolls this clean and tidy 51 plate Volvo. Looking out the window the cab was shinning in the late afternoon sun, ally wheels, TIR boards, LHD and all the other gentle signs of a hard working European truck. The paint work was immaculate, even a black painted grill, giving the truck a very impressive “plain & simple” look that even got the non-truck perv in the office put of his chair to have a look (he ended up taking the photo’s!). I do like a truck that is understated. I’m not saying that all the show and shine doesn’t work, as you know i had an airbrushed trucked and earned a lot of money out of it because of its appearence, but i still think having operated trucks with both approaches, i still prefer the understated approach. This Volvo was a little ray of international sunshine. I think Mr S Wilson summed it up about right, “It looks like it could have come out of one of those pervy films driving to Qatar!” that is a back handed compliment i think.

I’m hoping that Mr Jackson’s daughter will be emailing over some pictures of this old girl on her trips across Europe. Gareth told me his regular destinations used to be Greece, Turkey and Cyprus amongst others, so there should be some good ones. This is one truck that doesn’t just have that European look it can claim the fame as well……………………..Jackson European is ringing bells in my head but i can’t think why, I’m picturing a DAF, any ideas??? leave your comments below or email me ben@truckblog.co.uk

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