Pulleyn Atego Fleet

Posted on May 13, 2011 by truckbloguk

Now if there is one fleet i would love to have some input on and from is Pulleyn Transport from Reading, especially the few Mercedes Benz Atego fridges they run on Pharmaceuticals. I think they currently run 4 x 04 reg Atego’s and 2 x 06 reg 1022 Atego’s. They are all kept busy on pharmaceutical work across the UK & Europe. Now with a history of little lorries, and one particular Atego in my portfolio i do rather like the top of the range tonka toys. I don’t see many Pulleyn trucks on my daily commute from Colchester to Stowmarket along the A12 and A14, so when i saw one up a head i thought i better try and get a photo. I can see space on that there tail lift for a truckblog sticker!

As you can see the trucks are well equipped and well turned out. The trucks themselves are fitted with 2 fridge motors, one for main use and one as a backup in case the main one breaks down, to avoid any damage or knock on affects to their usually highly valuable cargo’s. This particular truck was heading for Stenaline at Harwich for the night boat to Holland. Also more interestingly this truck was double manned. As you might get the impression i really want to know more about what the truck was doing. I followed said truck along the A14 and onto the A12, then as i said the truck beared left and down the A120 towards Harwich and i carried on home (although i was very tempted to follow it all the way to Harwich!). I did get ahead of it at one point and grabbed a front view but only just, i’m sorry bit it’s not a good pic.

Now this is where my intrepid readers come in. I really want to get through to a driver of one of these trucks as i want them to contribute to the blog now and again. I know they do high profile work, but even so I’m sure sending me pics of an Atego around Europe isn’t going to cause to many problems (although me taking pics seems too!). If you know a driver at Pulleyn can you please pass on my request and suggest to the Atego drivers that fame and fortune, well fame awaits them if they want to contribute to what your reading. Email me or get them to email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk. I think i will try emailing Pulleyn direct and see if i get any response. In the mean time if you have anymore info also feel free to email me, pictures and info please…….

Who’s Truck Is This???

Posted on May 6, 2011 by truckbloguk

Right readers i need your help as i cant read the web address on the side of this truck. The excellent roving reporter sent me this photo. Taken on the A46 near Bath this afternoon, obviously he wasn’t driving when he took it!! Amazingly he managed to take the pic with a gap in the oncoming traffic and got a totally clear picture. The little MAN looks fairly new, its in good condition, clean and has the new grill. Can you work out the web address? do you recognise the logo?? Do you drive this truck??? If you know anything, please please email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk . I want to find out who owns and runs said truck…. with your help of course.

Railway MAN

Posted on May 4, 2011 by truckbloguk

A few weeks back Steve Marsh Express was called upon to transport some train parts from Leeds to South West Wroclaw, Poland. A nice little trip of of 1,016 miles before delivering to a back end train depot in old industailised Polska. Now if there is one man who could teach you a thing or 3 about taking a picture in a good location it’s our man Marshy. Can my Photographer type friends please leave you feed back for Mr Marsh to encourage him to make more pictures!! I don’t know why but trucks and industrial building / venues do seem to compliment each other. Look at these pictures and see for youself……….

After arriving at the listed delivery point to the North East of Wroclaw at Olesnica, Mr Marsh and the little MAN were told to re-direct to unload at this old, still used, railway yard. At some point i think Marshy must have wondered if this place was one of those old places in films you see the bad guys hiding in. Queue tense music and dim lights to create an earrye atmosphere. Perhaps the 1750 kgs of train motors were just a cover for some thing much more sinister! (sorry getting carried away with the movie location thing!).

Look a strange object in the bottom picture it must be a movie set………. oh no its Marshy’s finger! After seeing the Marsh at the weekend he did say that he did quite like some of these Polish pics. I think one of the best is this one inside the shed.

I said to Steve that i liked the way he had put the truck to the back of photo and got the trains in the foreground, quite a bit of Photographic talent in that pic, although Marshy’s reply was that he hadn’t meant to do it as he had tried to get the truck in the centre of the photo and missed!! Typical.

After uloading it was time to head West out of Poland all the way back to Aachen, Germany to reload for the UK. Taking in the gorgeous roadside views of lovely Poland on the way!! Just wanted to include the pic, no idea what i’m talking about now!! (Note to Admin: Put

Big Truck Little Truck

Posted on April 20, 2011 by truckbloguk

How did those stickers get there?! Sorry it’s another TGL post i know!

If this is your first time reading the blog you will not know that i seem to favour an MAN TGL. No real idea why other than i ran my own 7.5 tonners for 8 years. I have often wondered about the mini artics you see foreigners running about with, such as Activ Cars from Germany. This company run mini Mercedes Atego artics on Airbus parts work all over Europe.

Now i haven’t been able to find out much about them in various Internet searches, so i gave up looking. At the weekend i did another search for the first time since last year, when i went to the Hanover IAA Show. This time with a tiny bit of success. The main part being it seems the mini MAN tractor unit is called an MAN TGL BLS, BLS being the key words (Big Lorry Secret? Bloomin Little Sod?? Bens Lorry Soon???). The one thing i am keen to find out is how much you can carry with one of those and what the Gross Vehicle Weight is likely to be. Both the Mercedes Atego version and the MAN version are badged as normal 7.5 or 12 tonners. But i’m sure the gross weight must be more other wise it makes it a little pointless and will leave a tiny payload. Any input on this would be much appreciated, any MAN/Mercedes employee’s reading?? email me; ben@truckblog.co.uk

On a Dutch website called bedrijfsauto.com , it says that a 12 ton MAN TGL 12.250 BLS can have a gross vehicle weight of 32,000 kg. This equates to a max towing capacity for the tractor of 20,000 kg (i.e. Trailer + Load). On another MAN dealership website, there is an MAN TGL 8.250, This states the truck “has a GCW of 18,750 kg.”

This says to me, the tractor unit can pull a trailer up to 20 Tons. This makes more sense and must relate to the train weight of the unit, not the 7.5 or 12 ton specified in the model name. Come on more help/info please……

Mallorcan Marsh

Posted on April 16, 2011 by truckbloguk

He is a boy i tell you, living the life of Riley as my Gran would probably say! Gadding about Europe like an international Playboy. A trip a few weeks back landed him on the road to Mallorca, terrible! The call came in for a load of gym equipment to go to a English owned residence some where near Palma, so Mr Marsh packed his favourite speedo’s, bucket and spade and headed off for Barcelona and a ferry to Mallorca.

On arrival he had been told to head for a parking area where he would be met and taken to the house. While waiting at the parking area what should turn up? yep another MAN 12 tonner, this time a German one.

After being collected and taken to the new house it was then time to unload and as it was the weekend Steve decided to help unload and hang around to help as the boat back to Barcelona wasn’t until Monday, so what else are you supposed to do on a mediterranean island for the weekend??! What a place for the weekend…..

After a weekend of cycling around Palma and being taken out for dinner by the customer steve decided enough was enough and couldn’t wait to get back to Warrington! This one taken back at Palma waiting for the ferry. I do wonder why i had to give up driving some time’s, my desk just doesn’t get around as much!!

More Marsh to come, a trip to a dodgy Polish train yard is in the pipeline.

European Transport Services – Dagenham-ish??

Posted on March 11, 2011 by truckbloguk

Right more of your expert knowledge required please dear readers. This little MAN was part of a small fleet based some where near Dagenham i think. They did a lot of clothing work and some of you have already told me they used to go to Romania quite regularly and also subbed for Prima. I am after more info and of course more pictures. I remember them also being in one of the truck magazines back in the 90’s, has anyone got a copy or can anyone tell me which month it was published in so i can get a back copy. I seem to remember it being a husband and wife team that ended up in Switzerland i think. This picture was provided by the transport photo library that is www.euro-wheels.com, thanks to Neil Jarrold. If you have any photo’s of ETS trucks email me at ben@truckblog.co.uk or leave a comment below. Come on you know more than i do……

New Year SnowMAN

Posted on March 8, 2011 by truckbloguk

As promised at the beginning of the year, here are a few pictures of Steve Marsh’s New Years trip to Sweden. While i was enjoying a few drinks in Port Solent gazing out across the marina and looking out to sea, Mr Marsh and the little MAN were busy crossing the high sea’s from Kiel, Germany to Gothenburg, Sweden. It might all be party poppers and champagne to some of us dull old office boys but for Marshy the work never stops, i forget how hard you have to work to keep the wheels rolling but as an Owner Driver work is work and best to make hay while the sun shines and all that. Any way it’s not a bad old life when your in Malta the week before Christmas and then in snowy Sweden for New Year. As you can see there is a fair temperature change from the week before to week after. Plenty of snow and ice in Gothenburg, although the Swedish port seems capable of coping with the snow they get, you can guarantee if that was a UK port it’d be shut with all that snow!!

After New Years Eve my sunrise on New Years day was not like this, in fact i don’t remember seeing sunrise on New Years Day! Although that ice might have cooled my head off a touch.

The little MAN easily made it through the snowy realms of Sweden up to Vasteras, where Marshy had to sit it out til Monday before he could tip. This left plenty of time for snow man building and picture taking, doesn’t she look great?? I think this one qualifies for the Steve Marsh Express Christmas card this year, it’d certainly make a better card than some of the one’s i sampled here on the blog.

As i write this Steve Marsh is on his way back from Malorca, so hopefully some more great pics to come, as long as he makes it passed those French pancake sellers!

The Latest in Italian Truck Fashion

Posted on February 6, 2011 by truckbloguk

Our good friend the Roving Reporter has been hard at it again, sitting in the sun with a Peroni, truck spotting in the truck heaven that is Fontana Liri. Where?? i hear you cry, Fontana Liri, its a small village between Rome and Napoli. Fontana Liri is the birth place of Mrs Roving Reporter, hence the reason for sitting at a cafe with a beer.
Whilst sitting enjoying the Italian home brew, this amazing piece of Italian fashion appeared across the square, delivering groceries.

With all the flair of your typical Italian this little tilt has all the Italian style you could need. The rear doors with all the stickers and warnings of its transcontinental big brother.

Stainless steel tool box, water tank and tap and also a pair of straight through side pipes, which actually sounded surprisingly good!

Horse power stickers, air horns and an uprated front axle for all those stacked up veggies!

Stainless steel grill and enough guff on the dash to get a GV9!

Even after all that it is still a cracker! Only in Italy would so much love care and attention be lavished on an Iveco!

Tidy Men

Posted on February 1, 2011 by truckbloguk

This is my final piece of evidence for Tonka Toys being as smart as a big old 18 wheeler. I have a long been a fan on the Tonka’s as all you regular readers know and frankly are probably getting bored of it, but never mind i write this not you!! Having owned 3 of my own and also having owned an artic i still have to say having a smart little rigid is better. Perhaps its because they are a rarer beast? Top quality smart artics are becoming increasingly popular so perhaps the sight of a smart little rigid is a nice change. I don’t know what I’m on about or why I’m trying to justify it. My name is Ben and I’m a Tonka-holic!!

First up is this cracking MAN from Sweden. Picture courtesy of Last Bils Foton, excellent website, full of quality Swedish porn (truck variety!).

Next up we have a nice plain but smart Dutch frigo. I’d be interested to know how noisy it is of a night out with that fridge motor right on the cab, surely got to be noisier than having the trailer mounted fridge??? Still nice little truck and probably works just as hard as its bigger counterparts.
Case proven i win.

Mini Artics

Posted on January 19, 2011 by truckbloguk

Now you know i have a little affection for a mini artic, over the last few weeks and months a have been sent a few and found a few on the www. Not had many spots from my trusty spotters, although Steve Marsh saw an Activ Cars at Frechen last week but wasn’t quick enough with his camera, shocking! Any way in case you are like me here are a few for you to perv over.

How about this one used by Bickers Actionfor filming those in car scenes you see on all you fave TV programmes. The car goes on the flat and the cameras go on the neck, then the truck drives about and makes it look as though the car being filmed is actually on the road.

And of course, who can forget the Tom-Car MAN. I wonder if its still for sale??

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