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It's hard to describe Truckfest without sounding like an advertising brochure. Quite simply, it's the best event of its kind on this side of the Atlantic.
The crowds, encouraged by a spring heatwave, were bigger than ever. There were plenty of displays to keep family visitors happy, but the heart of Truckfest lies in the owner-drivers and fleet operators who manage to make working trucks look like custom show exhibits.
The sheer quality of the trucks on show beggars belief; in the midst of anti-haulage propaganda in the newspapers and on TV, Truckfest serves as a morale booster for the industry, reflecting as it does the pride in their vehicles that make the cream of British hauliers as good as any in the world.
For this year's report CM has gone back to the event's roots by concentrating on the working wagons that pack the East of England Showground (many excellent vehicles were parked up outside the perimeter fence because the site was full).
Next year a reorganisation at the Peterborough site is scheduled to make room for 500 more vehicles. It can only make the best in the business better than ever.
Bt low, jar len: Myers Transport of Put:fleet Essex runs 24 Renaults; 23 of them urre on disphy at Truckfest The last two Magnums to arrive on the site turned up early on Sunday morning from Baty; they mere all bath at work by the day after the show Like many hauliers„Vlyers spent a lot of time schedulog work to get vehides to Peterborough As Tony Myers said. "It's been a bit of a job explaining to customers over the past two mks!" The company WO set up some 27 years ago by Toes brother Brian with a singk Guy; the _fleet peaked at 48 in 1989, dipped to 20 in the recession (which Tony Myers reckons hit bottom in 1991) and will be back up to 36 by the end ofhate, 77ie company onb, keeps its tractors for a year; dealer Arcade Motors of Dtfreki has a waiting fist of operators anxious to buy them The Magnums are returning an average of 9.6mpg on continental work; this year Myers will dispose of its last kecos and Renault Managers to establish what might well be the biggest allMagnum fleet in the LK They all run with 1„0004itre tanks to allow a direct run down to Italy; 6x2 :Upturns were felt to be too heaty so the fleet runs with a 2+3 configuration, A tve, Lisa 1.talkm (fight) aid Laura Roland lave both cam pet* at Tmcbtest for the .fillh dene Walker drims an ERR ECM for du' Petunia Group Ithilk rims 14 tractors out of Beirrley, York (a job she 11)(01 against competition from 14 other drivers). Holland has been an owner-driver for nine years and runs .1.700000 with of Volvo FH12 reefer out of East Lothian on continental um*. she drove to Peterborough straight off the Hui fem.. from Denmark Haulage remains a male-dmninated industry, but Wakr and Holland both reckon that male prdudice is &Yining: "It's getting better," says Waker. "The goodguys outdo the bad guys." ilbou-' fight: Louis Knight, pictured with his wife Sandy, is used to being the only British &law on the 1 qfday feny crossitw from tVlarseilles to Timis, and he also seemed used to wiseandes about his mg°. Ezm two xiAs Knight who dpiee for Brbtor Freight of Felixstowe, sets off for North Afiiect
with stripped-down knickers, To be exact, Minor has the contract to haul Gossard underwear
to Tunisia where the garments are stitched together and returned to the UK The bad moty raise a smile; the conditions do not French ferries are .fine, says Knight but as we! as cockroaches; a iyasvig on a Tunisian ferty has been enlivened by the sight of a chef Mang Ids toenails while attempt* to simultaneous12; pad Potatoes 'Punts can be dangerous: follouing attades some Brinor
hale in-cab safes for documents and cash But when temprmlures have reached 51°C it's not eary to sle4 with the cab windows dosed No tsonder Knight had no trouble coping with the
Tmcbfest heaticave. He lives just claw the road from the — site and has attended the event every year sato, the biOnning.