A MAN’s MAN

Posted on December 30, 2011 by truckbloguk

A few weeks back my bossman had to make a unexpected trip out to the continent in his car. Seeing as there was an overnight stay it would have been rude for him not to come back via the Dutch German border at Venlo to see what was lingering at the parking area. Among other things in the early morning light still yet to open it’s curtains was this flexible MAN. Wearing the colours of Gartner KG based in Lambach, Austria, this MAN was loaded with MEN or should that be MAN’s?!

I think what caught the boss’s eye was just how adjustable this truck is. Now seeing as I am writing this and we are not actually stood next to the truck, it’s very difficult to show you just how many parts of both the truck and trailer can be moved in order to accommodate what ever vehicles / load is required. The rear truck’s front axle is on a bed that extends in or out, it retracts back so the rear lights are almost flush with the red side skirt of the trailer, make sense? You can also see that all the wheel wells have small inserts to help raise or lower the vehicle. The rear axle of the front truck on the trailer is on a highly maneuverable ramp as you can see it can raise right up, sort of as it sits now or it will also fold right down and sit flat on the trailer. In turn the front axle of the front truck on the trailer is also sat on a hydraulic ramp that can be raised or lowered. Are you getting the all the raising and lowering!? Also not the slight spacing between the first and second axle, also for a wheel well. All in all with all that raising and lowering, I don’t think there will be many vehicles you can’t load.

You can see the front ramp on the trailer clearly in the above photo. Also note just for extra flexibility the wheel chocks that are secured into set of holes on the ramps depending on what is required. Now as for the rear of the truck, it looks like the rear section slides up and down to different heights and / or it tilts. There is also has retractable ramps either side of the marker board.

The truck and trailer have been expertly built by German company FVG Fahrzeugbau GmbH and you can actually see one of Gartners trucks in the gallery pages. I think it’s pretty damn clever how they manage to build a truck like this and fit everything in to such tight dimensions in order to maximise the load capability (that’s a bit technical for me – sorry!).

The other thing we were trying to work out is where he was taking his load of MEN. It looks like the truck is Polish registered and the trailer has Austria plates on so no real clues there. The trucks could have been made in Munich or Salzgitter in Germany, Krakow, Poland or a good guess would be Steyr in Austria as I think they make small trucks, such as the MAN TGL there, but I could be wrong. I can only think he would be taking them to a port such as Rotterdam or Zeebrugge to ship them to the UK as all 3 trucks on the load are Right Hand Drive. Any way that’s enough from me, smart truck, good photo’s and plenty to chat about amongst you techno-phobes!

All that is left to do is apologise on my bosses behalf to the driver for making him jump as he opened his curtains. The boss was busy taking photo’s and having a nose round thinking the driver was fast asleep, so when the driver drew his curtains he obviously thought, “I best be off!” so he hoped in his seat and buggered off down the road……..he must of stopped down the road to do his daily walkround checks!

Alcoa 17.5 Inch Rims

Posted on December 21, 2011 by truckbloguk

How on earth I have missed this I have no idea! It’s only thanks to my G’day Mate Julian from Australia sending me the Alcoa April 2011 Newsletter I found out. When I went to the IAA Show in Hanover at the end of 2010, I found (and fell in love with!!) a little white MAN TGL which had fitted a set of 17.5 Alcoa wheels. I hunted and hunted about and asked in my best German and could not get any answers. Please read the following short snippet from Alcoa’s April Newsletter;

From April 2011 onwards, the MAN TGL series can be ordered with Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. The 17.5” x 6.75” hub piloted 6 studs on 245 mm bolt circle wheel is available at MAN in two finishes: Brushed and Dura-Bright®. MAN is the first truck OEM offering this new Alcoa wheel for trucks of 6-12 tons GVW. The wheel can also be fitted on the MB Atego, but is not yet available at Mercedes-Benz. Retrofitting can be arranged via the Alcoa distributors. For mounting the wheel on 6-12 tons trucks from other brands, please seek the advice of the Alcoa Sales Managers or contact us on info.wheels@alcoa.com.

Axel Dubois Thermo Transit – Belgium

Posted on December 17, 2011 by truckbloguk

A few weeks back while I was traipsing through the undergrowth of the Internet at endless truck photo’s I came across what I can only describe as an almost perfect truck. you know how in your head you have a picture of what your perfect truck would be, the colours, the truck, the wheels and accessories, if you had your own truck you know how you make it look. Having had my own trucks before, I have a rough idea of what I like. Blues and whites for colours, with a few accessories but nothing over the top. I have owned an airbrushed truck before and in all honesty I don’t think I would do it again. I’d rather have a simple but affective paint job. I also like painted accessories rather than stainless steel ones, things such as light bars and I even tend to favour a painted wheel at the moment over a shiny set of Alcoa’s. Having said all this you will now have a better idea of why this truck seems to be almost my perfect truck.

As you can see it has everything I like. Even better that it’s on a V8 Scania! The truck belongs to a small Belgian haulier who goe’s by the name of Axel Dubois Thermo Transit. Where to start??! The simple but stunning paint job, the painted light bars, cab steps, grill and wheels, the few spot lights, grill lights, the light box on the headboard and the aftermarket sun-visor. All in all I don’t think I can say much more other than it is virtually perfect. Even coupled to it’s plain-ish white fridge trailer it still looks good. I guess some of you prefer a painted trailer rather than the white. I can’t say I disagree, but in some case’s such as this I think the plain trailer makes the tractor unit stand out more. On the other hand if you painted the trailer the same scheme as the cab it would look very very impressive, but would it be too much?? They do say you can have too much of a good thing! The truck runs all over Europe pulling it’s fridge trailer mainly, but I have seen photo’s of it pulling a Euro-liner as well.

The other thing I really like about the paint job is the big star on the side and the smaller stars dotted about on the midnight blue part of the cab. When I had my airbrushed Mercedes Atego I had stars and planets painted in the background and I think it looks good. It breaks up the big expanse of one colour. Also note the little Polar Bear and the painted A-frame holding the air lines. The painted wheels look great, although I do wonder if Mr Dubois had as much trouble making his white nut covers as I did when I was making white ones for my old Scania 141. At this point I would like to thank Patrick Pawluk from www.padborg-express.com for allowing me to use the above 2 photo’s. They are both Patrick’s own. To see more of his handy camera work go to Padborg-express.com when you have finished reading this. I don’t know who’s the next 3 photo’s are, so apologies for not crediting you if they are yours!

The trailer is also simple but effective. Lots of marker lights but not they are not over the top, the LED rear burger lights are great and oh so red when you see them in the dark. In these 2 photo’s the truck has a set of ally wheels, I wonder which came first the painted or the shiny? Did / does the trailer have painted wheels? One of you must know the answer? Leave a comment or email me: ben@truckblog.co.uk

All in all I think i’d be hard pressed to find a truck better suited to my requirements, unless of course I ever get round to owning my own truck again. I just hope Mr Dubois isn’t one to keep adding little bits to the truck. When you find drivers who keep adding bits to their truck, eventually it becomes to much and it starts to look too busy and over the top. If it stays like it is, then perfect! I best get pally with Axel Dubois so I can copy the paint job!! Would it suit my little 12 ton MAN TGL LX?? I’d be happy to try and find out that’s for sure………..As it goes I have sent Mr Dubois a friend request on Facebook, but had no acceptance yet, then again can you blame him??!!

Holidays are Coming!! Well Coles T-cab is…

Posted on December 13, 2011 by truckbloguk

I had a tip off this week that a Coca Cola Christmas truck would be making an appearence today at my local Sainsburys in Colchester. The store is about 500 yards from my house so I thought i’d pop along and get a snap afterwork only to be reminded by Mrs Blogger that I am out this eveing and won’t be coming home til after the truck has left. The photo above is one of 2 trucks on the Coca Cola Christmas truck tour. For full details of what stops are left on the tour, click HERE to go to the tour map. I would just like to say I do not know the people in the photo, they must have been next tin line to have their photo taken with the truck.

Yesterday I saw a photo on Facebook of the 2 trucks parked together and being an eagle eyed truck spotter I noticed the 2 registration numbers; V8 GNC and BU03 ZVC. To some of you they might not mean a lot but i recognised them to be Coles & Sons of Banbury’s, 2 Scania T-cabs. So after a little insider knowledge (thanks to a certain ex T-cab driver) he confirmed my suspictions.

Crikey! Can you imagine it, 2 of the best know airbrushed trucks in the country, V8 GNC being the one covered in artwork from the film Convoy. How Gary Coles plucked up the courage to have cab wrap applied to his pride and joy i’ll never know (but I have a rough idea!). I think more importantly put yourself in the shoes of the poor chap who’s task it will be to “un-wrap” the trucks at the end of the tour…..Good luck and a steady hand required me thinks!! Any way the trucks are covered head to toe in lights, just like the Americn trucks on the now legendary TV advert. I have to say they look quite good and judging by Mrs Bloggers comments, there were plenty of happy kids at Sainsburys this evening.

Because Mrs Blogger has had such a bad day, yet she still managed to get a photo for her beloved husband, I must put it on here as a form of Christmas dedication to my long suffering wife. So here it is and please bear in mind it was blowing a gale, she had our son in one hand and was carrying shopping and still managed to get this quick snap, thanks Wife x

For those of you who are even sadder than me, just to confirm that the trucks are Coles & Sons and have only been cab wrapped and not resprayed the only evidence I can supply is this rear view of the cab. If you look carefully, the panel between the stacks and the cab looks like a temporary arrangement and also you can still see the lovely blue of Coles trucks on the side air deflector. I guess it’s just to much faff to try and cover the honeycombed back of the Scania side deflector, fair play. The truck looks great and is fairly certainly bringing plenty of Christmas cheer to Supermarkets all over, just another treat / way to wind your kidies up before Christmas. Once again spare a thought for the un-wrapping man, i guess how well he does will depend if the trucks do the same again next year!!

Below is the same truck in it’s non Coca Cola guise. Have you seen these trucks this year? If so why not email me the evidence; ben@truckblog.co.uk

Deutrans Volvo F88

Posted on December 2, 2011 by truckbloguk

Back in September 2010 I popped off to Hanover for the day to the IAA Show. A good day a out Hanover’s equivalent of the NEC. One of the halls had a load of old classics in, so as you can expect I had a wonder round and came across a Deutrans Volvo F88. I had only ever seen models and photos of a Deutrans truck, so seeing one in the flesh was fairly impressive, with the bright orange paint work. It was only recently that Neil Jarrold from www.euro-wheels said; “I’ve got an original just like that” So here it is;

Not knowing a lot about the company I have just been on the Deutrans Website, which give’s a lot of info and some good photos too. This little statement is from Wikipedia, so is free for you all to find;

“After the Second World War, the Soviet military administration in urgent need of a shipping company that took care of reparations and the removal of all foreign trade shipments between the Soviet occupation zone in Germany, later, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Soviet Union safe. Therefore, the “Derutra” on
26 March 1946 in East Berlin re-established. She acted initially as a carrier, ie they vermakelte freight orders to the now established state-owned road transport companies. The vehicles had to be satisfied with what had been left intact the machinery of war or give up what the Soviets from their military stocks were
prepared. By 1950, the VVB (combination of state-owned enterprises) established German shipping. Her were under the VEB (state-owned enterprise) German shipping in the various districts, which in turn has its own fleet. The German shipping was responsible above all, the inter-zone traffic and the handling of shipments into the so-called non-socialist countries. But in all activities, the problem of obtaining suitable truck. The commercial vehicle industry in the GDR was still in its infancy, and until 1952 was the first with the IFA H6 serious truck on the market. But in
1959 the Schwerlastwagenbau in the GDR was completely suspended. So there was only the import, and if possible from the “brother countries”. But besides the Skoda from Czechoslovakia and the rest of the Eastern bloc could offer no useful first
truck.

But first, 1954, the DEUTRANS – International Freight
Forwarding was founded. This acted as a pure forwarder and instructed the
state-owned road transport companies, the German Reichsbahn, but also shipping
with the transport execution. They tried to handle the bulk of the shipments by rail.
In the 1960s, but also had to recognize the GDR leadership, that you do not follow the
international trend to road transport could be closed longer. The procurement of
appropriate vehicles proved to be a serious problem in terms of foreign exchange
for the chronically strapped East Germany. That each invested would pay more
than market value, could anyone seriously imagine that time. First they tried to conduct
business on the basis of compensation. The East German industry would
actively trade relations with Sweden. What could be better than to swap
machines for Swedish Volvo Truck?”

That was all translated from German I think, so apologies for the slightly dodgy grammer! No different to my normal standard!! Hopefully this may spark a few response’s to Deutrans, if you have any thing to add please email me ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave your comments here. Another good photo from Neil Jarrold, head over to www.euro-wheels.com to see many many more!!

Top 3 Astran Liveried Trucks – NVW 484P

Posted on November 20, 2011 by truckbloguk

Right through this little trio of my Top 3 Astran liveried trucks of all time, I have stated that the 3 were in no particular order, but as it’s my rules I can change them when I like. In my opinion this is the greatest Astran liveried truck of all time….NVW 484P, Scania 140 V8 6×4. You can’t get a better looking truck than this…….can you??

WARNING I WILL BE GETTING ALL ROMANTIC SHORTLY!! This photo comes to me care of the one and only author of “The Long Haul Pioneers“, Sir Ashley Coghill, but the photo it’s self is taken by Destination Doha assistant director Simon Normanton, what a truly great photo. Would a clear modern day digital photo give quite as much atmosphere as this?? I think not.

Where to start with my reasonings behind this being my 3rd choice in my top 3 Astran trucks of all time. As in Part One and Part Two of my choices, I can’t do much more than to ask you to take a good hard look at the photo, it’s all there. I guess really my choice of NVW 484P is pretty well based on it pulling this trailer in Destination Doha (where did this trailer end up?). Its got every thing that it should have (ready??); it’s dirty, roughed up wheels and mud flaps, roof rack and air con box, leaking fuel cap, TIR and GB on the bumper, dust pouring from the wheels, legendary driver and I know I can’t put it on here but I can just hear Dave Poulton talking away in the cab in DD and being able to hear the V8 just purring away as they head ever East. Being an ex owner of a Scania 141, for all you Scania fans who haven’t driven a 140 or a 141, you just have too. The shear joy of pressing the starter button and getting that first growl of the day, is just amazing! I think what ever the previous day had thrown at me in the depths of the desert, pressing that button the morning after a crap day must be so so reassuring. By the way right now I am wishing I had done the ME in this truck, just purrrrfect! Look out for the first time in blog history I’m going to use the same photo twice!

This photo was taken during the filming of Destination Doha. Ashley Coghill says;

“Dave Poulton at the wheel thundering across Jordan’s infamous H4 desert route to Saudi Arabia. Simon Normanton was assistant director for the BBC film Destination Doha and took many stills during the making of the film. This image has to be THE best and most iconic shot of a Scania 140 in full flight!”

It’s a brave man who will disagree with Ashley. I think of top of it being the best photo of a Scania 140 in full flight I think it also sums up the whole Middle East run. Hard trucks, hard men doing a hard job. We can all get a bit blase these days looking at the great romance of it all, but please please dont forget it wasn’t all glory. As the very proud owner of the late great Dick Snow’s diary (luckily for me he was a relation of mine), as used in Ashley’s book, you get a feel that some of the daily entries were written with great feeling.The endless days sat in a scorching hot desert at a customs post, having run out of food. Driving up a solid ice road, in the pitch dark up a mountain in darkest Turkey. These trucks were made for the job and hopefully to make it that much easier for all those legendary men who did one of the toughest jobs in the world at the time. In all honesty if we were to still use the same roads today, can you honestly say for what ever reason that a modern Scania V8 R730, would be able to cope with the Ice clad mountains and roadless deserts?? Again I think not. The computers wouldn’t keep up and there would be no chance of doing day to day running repairs and as for all the dust getting in every sensor imaginable, need I go on? The old 140’s or 141’s can also push on at 60mph if required and have no didgtach that are going to beep at you left right and centre.

This is photo is credited to the man himself Dave Poulton, but not from Destination Doha! Even in this pic you can see “the look”, the 6×4 always looks more trucky than a 4×2. Seen here pulling a tilt through Turkey. Note the lack of bumper spots and the sand shovel in the cab ladder. Case closed, Best Astran Liveried truck ever!! (In my opinion anyway!)

Speaking of which while I was at it, I asked Ashley Coghill for his top 3. You will need to refer to your copy of his book “The Long Haul Pioneers“. His choices are;

3) JLL 686K – Scania 140 Roadtrain
2) 10 RMY – GUY Warrior
1) NVW 484P – Scania 140 6×4

Again an excellent top 3, glad we agree on one truck at least! It would be great if you all wanted to leave your top 3 as comments on this one, come on if you haven’t before then leave a comment now, you have got this far after all!! If not you can email me, ben@truckblog.co.uk

The Truck That Guy Built (sort of!)

Posted on November 11, 2011 by truckbloguk

Sorry Mick, I couldn’t resist the title! Surely eveyone one knows of Moody International? Smart European fridge operator from Grimsby and now top 2nd hand truck dealer as well. After a recent bit of contact, Mr Mick Moody told me of a very smart Scania 143 500 LHD Streamline he is now restoring. The truck is ex Wittwer Transport from Switzerland.

Although the truck was already in pretty good shape, it has been stripped right down to it’s bear bones and touched up and resprayed back into what I remember as original Moody International livery. Hopefully Mick will send me some more photo’s as the project nears completion. So far it’s been expertly rebuilt by the one and only Guy Martin, you know “The Boat That Guy Built” on TV? hence the dodgy blog title. Anyway it certainly looks good so far, looking forward to the finished result. The only I don’t know is if it’s just for show or if it will be back on the road paying for it’s restoration.

Manton European Freezer Freight Part 7

Posted on November 10, 2011 by truckbloguk

Just a quick one, I thought it was about time we got to part 7. Can you guess who sent me yet another great photo from deep in his trucking archives?? Yes you probably guessed right, Neil Jarrold from www.euro-wheels.com snapped this one on it’s way to or from the continent. Were you the driver of this Manton’s Scania? Did this little 3 series ever make it down the golden egg road to Moscow?? Has anyone got part 8 to the longest running thread on the blog? Email me any thing more you have on Manton’s, ben@truckblog.co.uk and it could be appearing here. A certain Dave Manton has contributed to these threads before, but not recently, so perhaps you’ll beat him to Part 8?!

Toprun = Top Photos

Posted on November 2, 2011 by truckbloguk

When you think of top trucking photo’s there really are only 2 sites worth looking at. First up is of course www.euro-wheels.com thousands and thousands of Neil Jarrolds own photo’s and a few guest galleries, not alot you can’t find on euro-wheels. Second up is Ferdy De Martins’s website www.toprun.ch with endless galleries from people of all over the place as well as Ferdy’s own excellent photographic work. I first started looking at www.toprun.ch years ago and have kept it in my favourites list ever since and I strongly suggest you do the same, so you don’t miss out on trucks like this;

These photo’s are Ferdy’s own. This absolutely stunning Swiss Volvo F1220 is now owned by Reto Lendenmann. Reto had driven the truck for 16 years at work, but now he has bought the truck and restored it to a like new condition, to enjoy on the show circuit. I am definately more of a Scania man than Volvo, but anyone has to admit this truck is just, delightful? gorgeous? stunning? what ever word you like it is all of them! To see the truck from inside and out, top to bottom, click HERE to go to the toprun gallery.

The tank trailer was borrwed from a friend for the photo shoot, but I have to say I think it’s almost the ideal trailer for the blue Volvo. So if you are stuck for some thing to do, set aside a few hours and type, www.toprun.ch into your address bar and enjoy the seemingly endless galleries on offer, you will be amazed!!

BJS – Stick That in Your Pipe….

Posted on October 31, 2011 by truckbloguk

There I was Tuesday afternoon and I get the call to say that there would be no more trailer work that week, so what do you do as an Owner Driver?? Yep you ring around and find some thing to fill the gap. Luckily for me it was some thing a little more interesting.

An old contact and a then good friend used to do some work for Williams Transport from Huntingdon. Williams have a contract with a plastic pipe manufacturer and deliver all shapes, colours and sizes all over the UK. At the time there were endless loads of 60ft pipes to go up to Evanton, just north of Inverness. There were to be used to make up 1km long lengths of pipe for the offshore industry. So did I take up the challenge……..of course I did. I’d never pulled any thing overlength before so taking a 60ft extended trailer all the way up the A9 to Evanton sounded like good fun, especially with the slightly odd twin axle trailer I was to pull. Now I know it’s not in the same league as what the drivers of my now employers HC Wilson regularly do, but none the less it was still a challenge, which I sucessfully completed. I think the only kerb I clipped was when I first left Wyton Airfield near St Ives, heading for the A14 on Wednesday.

This was the view out of my mirror, as you can see a normal length trailer seems quite short compared to mine. Again I know its not silly big, but trying to get it parked in the busy Penrith Truckstop was interesting. Any way after a good nights sleep I was to meet Pornstar Pete at Carlisle and he would follow me up to Evanton as he had been doing a couple of trips a week so knew the score. The other bonus of being paired up with Pete was, he (in a former life) was a tour bus driver so I was treated to a running commentary all the way up, which I thoroughly enjoyed!!

On arrival in a sunny Evanton mid morning on Thurday, I was confronted with a yard full of pipe, an amazing kilometer long stretch of reclaimed land out into the Cromarty Firth filled with already made pipes and a crane to lift off my 2 lifts. If you look on any satelite map you will see the Old Airfield at Evanton has been turned into the pipe works and you’ll see the the man made pipeway out into the water, where the ships back onto and get loaded.

Lift one….

Lift Two….

Once empty Thursday lunchtime, Pete and I closed up the trailers and headed south. Pete was to run back empty so he could get another load loaded on Friday to head back to Evanton the following Monday. I was to reload from Liverpool or Runcorn some where like that with a load of ladders asap on Friday for 3 drops Friday afternoon to Kimbolton, Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds, no mean feat I tell you. Collect trailer from St Ives, Cambs Wednesday Morning, Tip Evanton Thursday AM, reload Merseyside Friday asap, 3 drops East Anglia Friday PM………..Mission accomplished, thanks to Claudia my trusty Actros. Purely because I didn’t have time, I have no photo of the ladder load and I also can’t remember where exactly I loaded them from. They were all orange in colour and I’m sure it was Merseyside, can you tell me where it was??? email ben@truckblog.co.uk and jog my memory!

For the record, this is Pornstar Pete The Tour Guide’s DAF, with Williams Transport owned ex CPL trailer!

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