Bowse(r) That!!

A couple more interesting shots of fuel Bowsers from the Roving Reporter. You’d never have guessed there are so many different bowsers about. These 2 are both different again.

This first one is of a very well loaded Mercedes SK looks old and the tyres look flat at the bottom! Perhaps they have just been slashed by local rioters. Picture taken in Cairo, Eqypt.
Fuel Bowser's
This second one is taken in Marakesh. It looks like one of those old bonnetted Renaults, but i can’t be certain. Any ideas what it is?? Email me, ben@tuckblog.co.uk or leave a comment below.
Fuel Bowser's
……………just a thought is it an Iveco???????

Model Polizei

As all of you international drivers know the German Polizei are very keen to introduce themselves to you. Even in small scale it seems lorry drivers have no escape from the Polizei. These pics were taken by the Roving Reporter whilst working hard in Germany last week (well that’s what he told his lovely wife!). During a few hours off he made the trip to Miniatur-Wunderland in Hamburg. The place is the world’s largest HO Scale / 1/87 scale Layout in the world. From railways, to waterways to carnivals and roadways there is a bit of every thing to look at. Most interestingly are the road scenes obviously.
Some of the trucks actually move around the layout as you can see in the pics. The Wagon & Drag in the top pic is well loaded heading up the hill as you can see, only to get to the top of the hill and come to a standstill where 2 of the German fuzz have pulled over a car transporter, probably just to look at the cars on the load!! Typical but oh so realistic. Like i say its not all trucks but if your ever in Hamburg with a spare couple of hours its surely worth a visit, i want to go! So many models doing all sorts of things, lots of Wiking and Herpa models were used and all to great effect. Lets just hope some where there are some Coppers pulling over an Eastern European with a dodgy truck and no tacho records!!
Roving Reporter!
Roving Reporter!
Roving Reporter!

Roving Reporter is Back

My good friend the Roving Reporter has been away for a while, out about gather stuff for the blog no doubt. A recent trip to  Tampere, Finland found this out old girl ready and waiting to refill the Roving Reporter’s trusty winged steed. This is a cracking old Volvo N10 Turbo, a rare beast in itself, let alone being a plane refueler. I guess Scandinavia is the one place you would find a rare Volvo! Looks in good nick and as with all these refuelers its probably only done a hand full of miles. Note the Michelin Man on the sun visor. Hopefully the Roving reporter will be back again soon with some more well kept trucks from the airport’s of Europe.
Roving Reporter!
Roving Reporter!
And how about this cracking old Mercedes that can be found in Arricefe, Lanzarote. I think we have had a picture of it before but it is well worth seeing again, it really is mint!! Looks like another terrible day, every day is a sunny day for a pilot!
Roving Reporter!
Roving Reporter!

Super Swede’s

The ever moving Steve Marsh, has been to Norway twice in the last 2 weeks and returned home via Sweden and Germany. I think the size of the Swedish trucks has caught his eye. I think I’m right in saying Swedish combinations can be a max of 25.25m long, so as Marshy’s MAN is only about 9m long you can imagine the size difference. This first picture was of a Scania that pulled into a service station while Steve was on a break. Looks like a tipper or the like. The second picture is a Volvo that he managed to get along side, this shows how the little MAN is dwarfed by the big truck and trailer combo’s.

Swedish Overlength Truck
Swedish Size Difference

Volvo Restoration Project Anyone??

For all you Volvo fans there is a bit of Volvo stuff coming your way in the next few weeks. To start with is any one looking for a decent restoration project? These 2 old girls are sitting slowing disappearing at a yard near Poole. One is a 4×2 and the other a 6×4. They may be available for restoration for a price, if your interested then email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk and I’ll try and put you in touch with the right man. Do you know any thing else about these 2? new pictures? history? email it all through to the above. Thanks to Roving Reporter for sending these through. If only they had been kept under cover!!!

Couple of dead F88/89s
Couple of dead F88/89s

Another Mini Merc!

This is becoming quite a habit, posting pictures of Atego artic’s. Do you think there are any mini MAN artic’s out there?? In fact the next person who sends me a picture of a Mini Merc or MAN artic will win a www.truckblog.co.uk white vinyl sticker. Send your pictures in to ben@truckblog.co.uk. This latest addition to the collection is from The Pilot. Last week he popped down to Italy to pick up his latest toy, a LHD Mk 2 Transit and saw this little Merc on the way. Good spot i say. Although i think the trailer is almost short enough that you caould have just bought a rigid!

Atego Artic by The Pilot 1

Roving Reporter: The Pilot is Back – Fiat’s and Fuel

…………..and what a come back it is! More than 1 post’s worth of gumpf in one day and more to come.

How about this absolute beauty for starters! We all the Pilot has a fetish for things with out wings, with most of his hard earned cash going on wing-less toys (well the cash left after the wife has been at it no doubt!). After a recent flight to the Italian town of  Treviso, his plane needed a drink. Along comes this immaculate, brand new looking Fiat. I think its a Fiat 682 but I’ll wait to be corrected by you lot. As you can see the truck is clean as a whistle and has rather a neat bone on the front. This must relate to what the Roving Reporter was told by the operator, “She’s a good one, she gets  stuck in like the dog with the bone when running around the airport overweight.” Brilliant. I wonder what the mileage is and how old she is?? Get to it reporter, ask Ryan for another flight to Treviso.

Fiat 682 Fuel Tanker
Fiat 682 Fuel Tanker
Fiat 682 Fuel Tanker

Bus Mans Holiday

Drivers are a funny old bunch, we spend all year tramping about Europe, then have a 2 week holiday driving a hire car around the grand old US of A. My roving reporter on this trip is the Geoff Tarbun. He managed to spot this lovely Wilson red Peterbilt parked up near Lake Powell, Arizona. The truck looks like its registered in Michigan which is only 7 states away and just over 1900 miles, surely its only a local by USA standards! Have you got a bus man’s lorry drivers holiday picture or story to share, then email them across; ben@truckblog.co.uk – Great pictures Geoffrey!

Lake Powell, Arizona
Lake Powell, Arizona

Atego Road Trip

Once again the international Nick Garlick has been tramping around Europe for the last 2 weeks. I have to say he has clocked up an impressive list of delivery and collection points on this trip. He shiped out of Harwich on Sunday 19/09/10 and is now getting toward the end of his trip. Heres the route; Ship Harwich to Holland – 9 Deliveries & Collections Germany – Strasbourg (F) – Ulm (D) – Brenner Pass – Bologna (I) – Milan (I) – Turin (I) – Montpellier (F) – Carmarg (F) – Perpignan (F) – Zaragoza (E) – 2 x Valencia (E) – Seville (E) – Moncao (North Portugal) – Angers (F) – Ship Caen to Portsmouth – Home. A tough old job that European Driving lark!!
If you can beat Nick’s round trip then send me an email to; ben@truckblog.co.uk and tell me all about it.  The picture is the little Atego having a well earned wash, due to technical problems i haven’t been able to receive any other pictures as yet, hopefully some thing will work through the technological barrier!!

NLG Atego.jpg

Great Day at the IAA, Hanover

As a few of you may have remembered i went to the IAA show at Hanover yesterday. Great day. There is so much to see it’s incredible. I actually woke up this morning thinking i had walked a marathon yesterday! Hall after hall of Trucks, Buses, Vans, Trailers and parts, just amazing how much was there really. Of course the most popular stands were the Scania stand with the very impressive and beautiful R730 4×2 Topline, pretty stunning even though its just the power rating badge that was different to the R500 next to it, but no one was queueing to sit in that!! The MAN stand (Hall) was mobbed all day, but you had to know your German to understand why there were alot of people crowding round the stage listening to some Herbert with the microphone. There are loads of pictures and as you may have guessed a certain 12 ton truck features quite heavily so just skip through those! Click here for all 160 pictures.
Here are just a few pics to get you started, there will be plenty more to follow in the next few days and weeks.

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