Somethi for everyone!
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• by Robin Meczes
If you're interested in commercial vehicles, old or new, large or small, fun or fancy, then Truckfest is the place to be. And Britain's premier truck showcase this year offers more than ever before.
More than a thousand trucks will be competing for the top prize in the many Truckfest competition categories, which cover everything from Best Vintage and Restored CV through to Best Kept Working Truck. And this year there's even a new light CV category as well. As well as this host of vehicles, there will be many familiar faces at the event. Among the best-known vehicle operators that will be in Peterborough this year are: • Eddie Stobart, making a return to Truckfest with a huge display of some of the more unusual trucks in the fleet, and with Edward Stobart himself in attendance; • James Ham, with about a dozen vehicles including the "Jimmy Truck" used so commendably to raise money for the fight against cancer:
Stan Robinson, Motor Transport Haulier of the Year with at least 20 of his vehicles; • Pulleyn, celebrating 25 years in haulage at this year's event, with more than two dozen trucks and a daily appearance in the main arena.
EuroShell will be announcing its third Lifetime Achievement Award within the road haulage industry at the show, and will present the award to the winning haulier over the weekend.
Truckfest isn't just about hauliers, of course—it's also a prime showcase for CV manufacturers to show off their wares, and this year is no exception, with all the major vehicle makers represented.
MAN, for instance, will be showing its brand new TO-A topend tractive unit in its UK public debut. And among the other manufacturers present, Ivaco Ford will be showing off the new Daily; Renault will be showcas rsg, its new middleweight Midlum; and the recently revitalised Mercedes Sprinter range, which includes its hugely powerful 154hp 316CDI, will also be on display.
If you're looking to buy a vehicle while you're there, there's a wide variety of used truck displays by manufacturers including MAN and Scania.
Then there's Emergency Truckfest, the special section of the show dedicated to the brave teams behind fire, police and ambulance services nationwide. Sponsored by Volvo, which this year is celebrating 25 years of Globetrotter and its Truck Nation drivers' club, Emergency Truckfest will feature the largest ever services display to be seen in the UK, with vehicles from more than a dozen emergency services. Co-ordinated by the Humberside Fire Brigade, by kind permission of Chief Fire Officer Williamson, the highlight of the display will be a simulation to demonstrate how the emergency services deal with a bad dose of motorway mayhem. Took out for the explosions!
Meanwhile, if you want to brush up on your driving skills to make their services redundant, make sure you visit the RTITB stand, where details of its brand new Master Driver Certificate of Competence qualification are being revealed.