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Ashford Truck Stop, at the

heart of the industry hot topic
of Kent. Pictured right, with
editor Dougie, is general
manager Darren Smith

COUNTY LINE

I’m writing these words in the middle of January, this being the first issue of T&D we are
putting together in 2019. On the one hand, the start of the new year is quite exciting, with
a number of shows and events announcing dates. Blue skies, long days and truck shows
will be here soon, and honestly we can’t wait. Hundreds of thousands of members of the
public will attend truck shows to admire our trucks.
Which you would find weird if you read a lot of social media, as nobody has anything
positive to say about trucks or transport. The tone of a lot of these enforcement accounts
is brutal at times. It wouldn’t be so bad if there were more posts telling the public at large
about the good, safe lorries they encounter.
Anyway, thanks to Brexit, the county of Kent is one of the hottest topics in the industry
and the country in general. Someone asked why we don’t report on Brexit in the
magazine, and the simple reason is I don’t think it’s possible in a four-weekly publication.
The news moves so fast, and updates and advice are published online immediately by
the likes of the gov.uk website, the FTA and RHA.
Kent itself, however, has gained a reputation as being very anti-truck. There’s a lot of
myth and misinformation to pick through online, so the only option is to go and see it for
ourselves and speak to the people at the sharp end; drivers, truckstops, local residents
and, hopefully, local councillors. I’ve decided to run a series of reports on the county and
the situation regarding truck parking.
To begin with I recently took a trip to Ashford Truck Stop,
where I met general manager Darren Smith. It was a really
enlightening visit and I learned a lot.
I hope you find the report – see page 78 – interesting.

@TrucknDriver
www.facebook.com/
TruckandDriver
TrucknDriver

Dougie Rankine
Editor, Truck & Driver

TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

3


This month in Britain’s only magazine for trucks and drivers

84
44 Quality in motion

66

Charles Russell may be known for his stunning Scania
1972 LB140; what about his spectacular 1977 LBS141?

52 Editor’s Choice
After you: Manners Transport breaks an enduring Daf
habit by choosing a Scania S730 as its new flagship

60 Lug log
A blow-by-blow account of a mighty move in Spalding

by Allelys using a pair of MAN TGX 41.680 XXL 8x4s

36
FEATURES
24 Nifty 750
A real test of Volvo’s FH16 750 6x2 at 44 tonnes over
three punishing days: editor Dougie hauls plant and
machinery around Scotland for operator C&R White

66 Bad blood
Paul Godby’s sobering but uplifting story of how a stroke
ruined his business but took his life on a different path

72 Border force
Investment in a high-spec Daf XF rigid with Moffett
forklift marks a diversification for Skeldons Transport

34 Super heavy

April
issue on sale

… and we follow up by winging off to Sweden and
putting to the test an I-Shift-equipped FH16 750 8x4
with an incredible gross weight of 140 tonnes

78 The Kent Reports, Part 1

DON’T MISS
OUT

36 Going Dutch

84 Volvo for sail

Staying on the heavy side, a report from the Netherlands
on 2018’s annual Special Transport & Mack Show

This Volvo F89 owned by Mike Philips has a colourful
history and hauls an 1894 sailboat all over Europe

26/2/19

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4 MARCH 2019 TRUCK & DRIVER

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Dougie kicks off a series of reports on the truck parking
situation in Kent. This month he visits Ashford Truck Stop

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Truck & Driver March 2019

52
Cover
story

44

60

78

14 The Law and You

50 Scenes from the Road

Two pages on all the latest changes to driver
employment law. This month: HMRC goes digital

Our regular series depicting terrific trucks
carrying out everyday life on the blacktop

16 Your Place

90 Compulsory Break
Win prizes in our regular four pages of puzzles

10 From the Sharp End

Sutherland stunner; High Performance health at
Chippenham Pit Stop; Shunter of the Month;
Truck of the Irish, part 2; plus Picture Post

On social media, why can’t drivers ask questions
without fear of reprisal, asks David Russell

31 Next Month!

REGULARS
6

News

Industry update on who’s got what, including
three Iveco Stralis X-Ways for Nixon Hire and 18
Mercedes Actros 2545s for Samworth Brothers

94 Classified

Our ad listings include training, parts, return
loads, accessories, services and insurance

A full-page rundown of what to look forward to

12 Letters
A reader calls for courtesy and respect; In
praise of Pete; More on the Winter of Discontent

98 The Blunt End
32 Food to Go
Top tips on cooking in your cab when on the road

This month’s tale of driving, daring and disaster:
a boss encounters a truly calamitous character

TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

5


Who’s got what? A T&D update on the latest new truck arrivals

Triple-X
for Nixon

Nixon Hire has expanded its 100% Iveco tanker
fleet by adding three 26-tonne Stralis X-Way 6×4
rigids – among the first vehicles of their type to be
delivered in the UK.

Local dealer North East Truck & Van (NETV)
secured the order thanks to the proven reliability of
the Iveco heavy truck range and the payload
advantage offered by the new Stralis X-Way.
The vehicles complement three Trakker rigid
tankers already in service and will supply clean water
to customers across a range of sectors.
Graham Wood, group logistics manager at Nixon
Hire, says: “We know how reliable Iveco trucks are
because we’ve been using them for years. But the
Stralis X-Way adds another dimension to our fleet,
giving us a bigger payload and even better
performance for our long-distance work.”

What a lot of Daf XFs!
Hegelmann Transporte Group is expanding its fleet with no fewer
than 540 Daf XFs. The 480 Super Space Cab tractor units will be
supplied to the south German company on a programmed delivery
throughout 2019 and 2020.

6 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER

Hegelmann Transporte was established in 1998 and has
specialised in just-in-time transport for the car, heavy and food
industry. Hegelmann’s 4000 employees, 2000 trucks and 2000
trailers operate from the Algarve to the Chinese border.
The company’s headquarters are located in Karlsdorf-Neuthard,
north- west of Stuttgart.

In the news this month

8 Samworth opts for Actros, Ocado goes for gas

SK chooses FH

Jumbo electric
This may look like a normal Daf
CF but it is in fact the first fullyelectric model to enter service.
CF Electric has been
developed in a joint venture
between Daf and VDL and will
be used by Dutch supermarket
Jumbo to supply its shops in the
south of the Netherlands.
With a 100km range,
30-minute quick-charge and
90-minute full-charge time, the
truck is the perfect solution for
zero-emissions delivery into
cities, especially those with ultra
low emission zones.

The horsepower is a modest
280 but that doesn’t tell the whole
story as there’s 2000Nm of
torque available from a standstill.
We here at T&D like it.
Transport in the next few years is
going to change a lot. An electric

truck like this won’t replace your
XF Super Space 530; electric,
hybrid and gas trucks are going
to be used increasingly for urban
distribution instead of diesel.
The Electric CF is cool
because it’s a proper lorry. From
the driver seat it’s as conventional
as a normal CF and we like that.

SK Distribution of Buxton, a Palletways network member and
express pallet delivery specialist, gained a new owner late last year –
and with a new broom has now come new metal as well, in the form
of a new Volvo FH500 6x2 tractor unit.
“I came into the business as general manager about a year ago and
I’ve worked with Volvo throughout my career,” says Vic Smith, now
MD of the Derbyshire-based haulier. “I’ve had my own trucks before
and ran Volvo because they’ve always been spot-on for me.”
Supplied by Mark Lingard, customer solutions manager at Thomas
Hardie Commercials Ltd, the new Volvo FH tractor is fitted with a
Globetrotter cab and D13K engine rated at 500hp.

eMAN has the power
Porsche has put a full electric MAN eTGM, the first vehicle of its
kind in Germany, to work at its Stuttgart factory. The 32-tonne
360hp truck uses Li-ion batteries, has a range of 130km and can
be fast-charged in
45 minutes.
“With the MAN
eTGM, electric

commercial vehicles
have taken a big
step towards
maturity and can
now reliably play on
their strengths in
day-to-day
operations,” says a
Porsche
spokesperson. “The findings gained together with Porsche in
regular plant logistics will then feed into a first small series, which
we would like to offer as early as this year.”
The vehicle is used in delivery traffic on the nearly 19km-long
route between Freiberg at the Neckar operation site of logistics
partner LGI Logistics Group International GmbH and the Porsche
plant in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. In total, the use of the eTruck
avoids more than 30,000kg of CO2 annually.

TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

7


IN THE NEWS

Actros galore for
Samworth Brothers
Leicester-based Samworth did some careful
evaluation of Actros demo units before
placing an order for 18 new tractor units,

supplied by East Midlands dealer Mertrux
Truck & Van. All are Actros 2545 models

with flat-floored StreamSpace cabs, Safety
Packs and optional, fuel-saving Predictive
Powertrain Control (PPC) systems.
Samworth Brothers trialled 450hp and
480hp versions of the second-generation OM
471 12.8-litre straight-six. Both performed
well, returning in excess of 10mpg when
pulling single-deck trailers, and only
marginally less with twin-deck trailers.

The 450hp unit was slightly ahead on
consumption, however, so it is this engine
that powers the operator’s new fleet.
The Mercedes-Benz Safety Pack bundles
together the ground-breaking Active Brake
Assist 4 emergency braking system – which
incorporates a world first in the shape of
pedestrian recognition – as well as Proximity
Control Assist and a driver’s airbag.

Ocado opens gassing station
Online supermarket Ocado has opened its first natural gas
refuelling station at its Hatfield Customer Fulfilment Centre.
Ocado is the first UK retailer to self-fund the purchase of an
onsite grid-connected station outright.
The site launched with 29 trucks powered by blended
biomethane, a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Replacing

existing diesel vehicles, this represents 20% of the online
retailer’s HGV fleet, an industry-leading figure.
Environmental benefits of switching to gas include 99% less
particulates emissions and 70% less nitrogen oxide than the
latest diesel standard. The new vehicles will reduce the Ocado
HGV fleet’s CO2 emissions by 29% annually and are on average
50% quieter than diesel trucks. Ocado’s gas refuelling station
has been designed and built by Gasrec.

New Scanias for Spiers & Hartwell
A dozen new Scania S500s are set for Spiers & Hartwell. Since taking
delivery of the New Generation S500s in 2018, S&H has experienced
improved fuel efficiency, up by an average of 12% across the fleet.
Adrian Lake, S&H operations manager, says: “We achieve 9.5mpg
with the new vehicles; we were getting 8.0-8.5mpg with the previous
generation. With a fleet of 50 trucks, this can quickly add up.
“We have a long-term partnership with Scania. Some companies
may think that using one company for everything – vehicles,
telematics, driver training, repair and maintenance – is a risk, but for
us it’s a comfort knowing that everything is being taken care of by
Scania and it makes it simpler for us.”

8 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER


ｔｈｅ ｎｅｗ ｃｆ ｐｕｒｅ ｅｘｃｅｌｌｅｎｃｅ

ｓｴ･ｰ ｩｮｴｯ
ｬｵｸｵｲｹ

ｔｨ･ ｎ･ｷ ｃｆ ｴ｡ｫ･ｳ ､ｲｩｶ･ｲ ｣ｯｭｦｯｲｴ ｴｯ ｮ･ｷ ｬ･ｶ･ｬｳ ｯｦ ･ｸ｣･ｬｬ･ｮ｣･Ｎ ｔｨ･ ｮ･ｷＬ ｳｰ｡｣ｩｯｵｳ ｩｮｴ･ｲｩｯｲ ｷ･ｬ｣ｯｭ･ｳ ｹｯｵ ｷｩｴｨ ｢･ｳｴＭ
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ｰ･ｲｦｯｲｭ｡ｮ｣･Ｎ ａｮ､ ｢･｣｡ｵｳ･ ｴｨ･ｹ ｯｰ･ｲ｡ｴ･ ｡ｴ ｶ･ｲｹ ｬｯｷ ｲ･ｶｳＬ ･ｮｧｩｮ･ ｮｯｩｳ･ ｩｳ ｲ･､ｵ｣･､ ｴｯ ｬ･ｶ･ｬｳ ｵｮｭ｡ｴ｣ｨ･､ ｩｮ ｴｨ･
ｩｮ､ｵｳｴｲｹＡ ｔｨ･ ｎ･ｷ ｃｆＺ ｡ｮ ｡ｬｬＭｲｯｵｮ､･ｲ ｷｩｴｨ ｴｨ･ ｰ･ｲｦ･｣ｴ ｣ｯｭ｢ｩｮ｡ｴｩｯｮ ｯｦ ｳｵｰ･ｲｩｯｲ ｣ｯｭｦｯｲｴ ｡ｮ､ ｬｵｸｵｲｹ ｦｯｲ ｴｨ･ ､ｲｩｶ･ｲ ｡ｮ､
ｭ｡ｸｩｭｵｭ ｶ･ｨｩ｣ｬ･ ･ｦｦｩ｣ｩ･ｮ｣ｹ ｦｯｲ ｴｨ･ ｯｰ･ｲ｡ｴｯｲＮ ｎｯ ｷｯｮ､･ｲ ･ｸｰ･ｲｴｳ ｡ｷ｡ｲ､･､ ｩｴ ｉｮｴ･ｲｮ｡ｴｩｯｮ｡ｬ ｔｲｵ｣ｫ ｯｦ ｴｨ･ ｙ･｡ｲ ＲＰＱＸＮ

A PACCAR COMPANY DRIVEN BY QUALITY


FROM THE SHARP END

KINDNESS
COSTS
NOTHING

Social media can be an unforgiving
place. David Russell reckons it’s
important for drivers to be able to ask
questions without fear of reprisal

O

ften attributed to Voltaire is the quotation: “I
disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it.” Free speech is a luxury we
all take for granted these days. Speaking plainly is all very
well but there is no need for it to be put over in an
aggressive or insulting manner. Good manners and civility
cost nothing. If you can’t say anything nice, it’s sometimes
better not to say anything at all.

As someone who embraced social media from its
faltering start, I am increasingly adopting a policy of not
commenting on posts owing to the predictable level of
vitriol poured on people for having the audacity to have an
opinion which differs in any way from that of the poster or
his/her acolytes. Drivers of my generation learned our trade
by talking to each other, face to face. There was a hierarchy.
The newer drivers asked their slightly older workmates.
The old salts were generally grumpy sods (not me, guv!)
but would generally keep you right rather than let you make
too much of a fool of yourself. If you didn’t know
something, you asked. There was often mild ribbing but
you got the help needed then went ahead and did the job.

A thing of the past
David Russell

Retired truck
driver

Fast-forward to the present day. Drivers have fewer
opportunities to actually talk, other than in supermarket
DC drivers’ rooms. Most people there are so engrossed in
their own world with their mobile devices that normal
conversations are often a thing of the past.
Drivers’ groups on Facebook can be very toxic places
with some very entrenched opinions. Every self-important
know-it-all with extreme views seems to inhabit cyberspace.
Drivers seem to miss the irony of filming on their mobile
some perceived indiscretion by another driver then setting

up that driver for ridicule by posting the clip. A simple bit
of help or guidance might have averted the problem in the
first place. The people criticising a poorly-executed

10 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER

reversing manoeuvre by a newbie have short memories.
A driver innocently asks a perfectly sensible question and
promptly has his/her self-confidence destroyed following
the acerbic response. The guys (and girls) providing the
‘witty’ replies probably have their tongues firmly in their
cheeks, but humour is a very subjective thing that is tricky
to convey in print.
I recently saw a post by a Portuguese lad who had asked
for advice on how to write a basic covering letter to the
DVLA to exchange his CPC card for a UK one, as his
English skills weren’t quite up to the job. He was called all
sorts of unprintable names by guys whose English skills
were quite plainly questionable. I suspect that, with the
roles reversed, they might struggle to write to the
authorities in Lisbon to do the same thing. A simple PM
from me offering to help was too late. He’d gone. He’s
going to feel very welcome in perfidious Albion.

There is no such thing
as a daft question if you
don’t know the answer
After retiring in 2016, I quickly got bored and did some
training and assessment work for a former employer. He
gave (and still gives) newly-qualified drivers a start. I

always told them: “There is no such thing as a daft
question if you don’t know the answer.” Far better to get
the answer that way than be the perpetrator of some lifechanging catastrophic event.

Changing the subject…
The contempt with which many drivers seem to regard the
enforcement authorities never fails to amaze me. Never
happy to be subjected to their attentions themselves, many
seek to deflect by asking why they are not pulling in ‘Johnny
Foreigner’. They do, all the time!
When I started out HGV driving, there was an unwritten
rule. Don’t draw attention to yourself. If you went about
your business quietly you were left in peace. Traffic cops
and the DVSA like a quiet life; if you wind them up there is
only ever going to be one winner. And it’s not you. It’s all
about ticking boxes. Be polite and helpful and, magically,
you are soon on your way (most of the time, anyway).
Finally, the Driver Standards Agency and the Vehicle and
Operator Services Agency were amalgamated on 28
November 2013. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
was created. Five years later, why are so many still calling it
Vosa? I stopped calling them The Ministry and the Wheel
Tappers last millennium. Time to move on. l


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LETTERS

The Letter of the Month sender will receive £10, in the form of a high

LETTER OF

THE MONTH

street voucher that can be exchanged anywhere. Email your letters to
dougie.rankine@road transport.com NOTE: We reserve the right to
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wish but if we are not told your details we will not publish your letter.

Anti-social media

You can’t
beat Pete
I enjoyed the feature on Peter
Davies (above) in the February
issue of Truck & Driver. The
man’s a legend in the trucking
industry, with decades-worth of
great photos. Many thanks!
John Connor, via email

• On page 60 you can read an
article by Peter on a heavy-haul
move! – Dougie

Striking out
I read the article ‘The Longest
Winter’ in January’s issue and

am amazed that so much can be
concluded from so few
informants! On TruckNet.UK
there were a total of six
contributors, while the article
itself seems confused as to which
year it refers to.
I submit, for your
consideration, another point of
view of that winter for
publication. I appreciate the
feature is not short – the
responses would not fit into the
From the Sharp End page – but
I offer it to provide balance.
Alex Saville, via email

12 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER

It’s great to see how you’re
settling into your role as T&D
editor, Dougie. The tongue-incheek social media posts are
great and hopefully they’ll
continue without people
getting too serious.
In reference to your
February issue editorial
column, yes, the news on
social media is pretty grim,
but before the industry can be

taken seriously there needs to
be a lot of growing up from
ourselves, the drivers.
Every social media post
where an HGV driver is
involved receives a battering
of ‘if you’ve got it, a truck
brought it’ or ‘car driver’s fault
for dithering’. How, exactly,
does that excuse bad driving
from those in HGVs? It’s no
wonder we’re stereotyped.
The state we treat each
other is shocking nowadays
too, holding each other out,
tailgating… We’re meant to be
above the level of Joe Public
and their lack of awareness.
I know it’s difficult not to
react, but how do you think it
looks to the other people
around? Another angry trucker
having a tantrum; bit pathetic,
I’d say. These are the people
who work at factories or live
near industrial estates who

don’t want us anywhere
nearby, and it’s no wonder.
Until we treat each other

and the public with respect,
there is no chance of stopping
the hatred of trucks. I’m no
saint and don’t claim to be
any better than anyone else,
but I do try to keep my ‘road
rage’ to myself.
A thank-you wave when a
car waits/lets you out, or a
“sorry” when your auto
gearbox has launched you in
front of someone on a
roundabout, would probably
start to alter opinions.
Anyway, good luck with the

campaigns. Maybe taking
trucks into schools as T&D
has done in the past would be
worth a revisit? After all, if
children take the info on
board, they’re bound to pass
it on to their parents as they
curse the Co-op lorry slowing
the school run.
Name & address supplied

• Very interesting points there.
It’s a bit of a vicious circle with
regard to the public’s

relationship with trucks.
People just aren’t nice to each
other a lot of the time. Maybe
we should write a guide to
being a courteous trucker/car/
van driver and see if we can
make it go viral! – Dougie

• Alex has sent us a hugely
interesting piece regarding the
industrial action in the 1970s in
response to the feature
published in January. It arrived
too late to squeeze into this
issue, but look out for it next
month – Dougie


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PERFORMANCE ENGINEERING LTD

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THE LAW AND YOU

B
DIGITALLY

TAXED
A big change is afoot for businesses
– and it’s a potential headache that
has nothing to do with Brexit. It’s all
about digitising the UK tax system

14 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER

arely three days after Brexit, businesses will be
facing what many consider to be the biggest change
for years in how they deal with HMRC – and none
of this has anything to do with leaving the EU. The
changes, which apply to every transaction a business
records, come from what HMRC calls Making Tax Digital
– MTD. And, as might be expected, the impact is going to
be felt most by the smallest of hauliers.
Jason Piper, senior manager for tax and business law at
the ACCA, a professional accounting body, says: “The
underlying goal of Making Tax Digital is to transform the

whole UK tax system, both HMRC’s internal IT
infrastructure and the way that taxpayers engage with it.”
But the rollout has been slowed by the snap 2017
election and the Brexit referendum. Initial plans to force
virtually all businesses to keep their records for profits taxes
digitally from 2018 were abandoned; now only the
minimum is being put in place.

The impact on firms
In essence, from April 2019, MTD will apply to VAT for
all businesses above the compulsory registration threshold
of £85,000. Income and Corporation Tax will follow at
some point. The costs of fuel and units alone mean that no
haulier will be outside the regime.


HMRC / Making Tax Digital

Words: Adam Bernstein / Main image: Shutterstock
MTD won’t apply to businesses not (yet) registered for
VAT because, as Piper notes, “even if these businesses do
subsequently register for VAT, they’ll be outside of the
regime until 2020”. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily
mean they can relax.
Firms need to prepare because MTD alters how the
online filing process works and makes a huge change to
how their VAT submissions are made. HMRC’s existing
web portal will close for MTD filers; they’ll need to use
specialist software to create and submit their return.

Loss of control
“But the biggest, unprecedented, change,” explains Piper,
“is in how much control HMRC’s processes will have over
how you run your business. At present, you submit your
VAT return to HMRC in their prescribed digital format so
it’s easy for them to process. But you’re in control of how
the records that help you work out the nine numbers you
need for the return are kept.
“Under MTD, it’s not just how the nine figures reach
HMRC that’s legally regulated; it’s how they’re calculated,
and the format of the records that support it which is laid
down in law.”
Piper explains that every transaction will need to be
recorded digitally (on a spreadsheet or in accounting
software) and those records have to automatically drive the
return calculation. Hauliers will need to be online-aware or
have a very accommodating accountant.
There are some exemptions to the scheme, but the bar to
clear is very high. These include being a (serious) member
of a religious order that shuns technology, being ‘digitally
excluded’ with no or poor internet coverage, or where the
change would have a hugely disproportionate negative
financial effect on the business.

Action to take now
Piper says that the first step is to establish if the accounts
software package used supports MTD filing and record
keeping – it might not. Some suppliers are asking
customers to move from desktop licences to cloud
subscription services, which will be far more expensive in

the long run. But for firms not using any digital tools, then
as Piper says: “You’ll need to start, and quickly do your
own research to find a suitable product.”
He reckons that there will be an official HMRC tool, but
businesses might do better to search out resources that
accountants use – accountingweb.co.uk may help.
Luckily, spreadsheets can still be used for basic record
keeping. But here Piper says that firms will need a filing
package as well, known as ‘bridging software’.
“In a variation on the current practice of phoning your
accountant every time with the nine figures, you could post
them a USB stick or email a spreadsheet with all your
records (in the right format) once a quarter.
“Their software could do the rest, but it’s likely to cost
more than the current equivalent.”
Of course, doing this means that there’s scope for things
to go wrong, and it will mean accountants doing more –
which will be reflected in their bill.

The view of the Road
Haulage Association

Colin Snape, deputy policy director at the Road Haulage Association,
says the road transport sector is likely to be adversely affected by the
implementation of Making Tax Digital (MTD).
“Our sector is made up of SMEs [Small to Medium Enterprises], mostly
micro-sized firms. There are 80,000 Operator Licences and 50,000 of them
belong to firms that are very small, probably fewer than 10 staff. And 28,000
of the 50,000 belong to owner-drivers – one-man bands.”
Of course, firms that are larger will, as Snape says, “have a reasonable

admin set-up, will be aware of this, and will all do their best to comply”. But as
he is also aware, the very small operators “are normally driving their lorries
and have little time for admin unless they use an accountant”.
He is firmly of the view that many SMEs are not even aware of MTD – his
feeling is that the level of preparedness in the haulage sector is similar to
other industries, “which pretty much sums up HMRC’s communications”.
Snape is in no doubt that “any additional administrative burden will no doubt
force more small hauliers to throw in the towel”.
The RHA is planning to notify its members of the change and point them to
the relevant information. But the problem is that the RHA struggles “to
communicate with the really small guys and there are many operators who
are not members”. They’re going to miss out.

Summary
Making Tax Digital is not going away and it will disrupt
how a business copes with, and reports, its VAT. Those that
don’t prepare will find themselves sitting on a cliff edge
once the present online portal closes next April. The
answer is to prepare now.
● Under MTD the present online portal for reporting VAT
will close from April 2019.
● Check if your current accounts package supports MTD.
● Spreadsheets are fine, but you will need ‘bridging
software’ to send VAT data to HMRC.
● See if you can apply for an exemption from MTD on the
basis of cost (or lack of decent internet access).
● More detail can be read by searching for ‘VAT Notice
700/22’ – it will be found on the gov.uk website. ●
Adam Bernstein is
a freelance

business writer
who covers a
variety of subjects
that include law,
finance and
management

TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

15


Y0UR PLACE
Welcome to our section devoted exclusively to your contributions. This is the place if you have any
pictures you want to share. Anything from weddings to funerals, children to dogs, truck shows to
road runs, amusing or serious, we would love to see them. If it’s your favourite shunter or your
child’s drawing, send them in. The only rule is that they should be truck related. Please email your
contributions to or post them to Your Place, Truck & Driver,
DVV Media International, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1JB

Sutherland stunner
Sean Mackay sent us some incredible
photographs of his Scania at work in
Sutherland in the north of Scotland. We’ve
included a few here, but look out for more of
these in an upcoming issue soon. Wow, Sean,
just wow. Top work there.
“I’m an employee for Mackenzie Scourie,
a small operator running three artics and a
couple of eight-wheelers, also various plant.

The company is based in Scourie, Sutherland,
in the north-west Highlands of Scotland.
“The lorry is a 2017-registered R580 used
for general haulage but the majority of the
time the main contract is transporting
harvested salmon in tankers from Sutherland
and the Western Isles to the factory for
processing. All photos are taken either in
Sutherland or on the Isle of Skye.”

Specced-up Mercs
Mike Wigfield’s employer, Tewkesbury-based Hydro Building
Systems, has just replaced its fleet of six vehicles, staying with
Mercedes-Benz for the third time in a row.
“The vehicles are all 2536 rigids with BigSpace cabs featuring
fridges and microwaves, flat floors, active cruise control and PPC.
All the chassis have rear steer and two of the chassis have drawbar
couplings fitted. The bodies are maximum legal length with racking
at the rear to enable pallets to be carried double height.”
Always good to see rigids specced to the same level as tractors!

16 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER


In Your Place this month
18 Shunter of the Month 20 Truck of the Irish part 2

All-singing,
all-dancing

610hp FH16

“I’m a lucky boy,” writes Steven Johnston.
“I’ve been driving for 22 years doing various
things, including the Continent for five years.
This is my third truck at Forsyth, having
previously had an MAN and a Scania.
“The Volvo has a TV, microwave, fridge/
freezer, full leather kit, custom storage lockers
and Dura-Bright wheels,” he adds.
“It has an 85-tonne crane with six
extensions and, I was told by the builder of
the vehicle, it is the first one in Scotland.”

Healthy new food at
Chippenham Pit Stop
A major £250,000 kitchen extension at the
award-winning Chippenham Pit Stop is
being celebrated by the introduction of more
lower-calorie ‘High Performance’ meals.
Truckers from across the UK and Europe
and diners from neighbouring villages have
already given the thumbs-up to the Pit Stop’s
High Performance Breakfast, which costs

£4.95 and weighs in at under 500 calories.
Chippenham Pit Stop’s health campaigns
coordinator, Lisa Hatherell, says: “The trick
has been to produce a breakfast – including
poached eggs, bacon, toast and tomato, with

a veggie option – that is tasty and sets people
up for a day’s work yet will not put on those
extra pounds.”

OBITUARY
John Williamson
(1937-2018)
T&D reader John Williamson was taken on
his final journey in Walsall by the 1950
Leyland Beaver of Vintage Lorry Funerals.
John’s career started with BRS and he
went on to work for 17 companies in the
Midlands; the most memorable jobs were
runs to the Middle East delivering beds to
Saudi Arabia and returning with melons
from Yugoslavia.
On his last trip to Saudi in 1977, his
truck broke down and, unable to get any
funds from the company, John worked
locally for eight weeks on building sites to
generate enough cash to get home. John
even sold parts from his stranded truck. He
flew home on Concorde and gave the
balance of the money to the company that
had sent him to Saudi. At the time there
were public executions in Saudi Arabia and
John vowed that he would never go back.
John is deeply missed by his wife Jean,
their children Steven and Jeanette, eight
grandchildren –especially Jack and

Jemma, who John saw the most –and two
great-grandchildren.
Our condolences from all at T&D.
For more information about the activities
of the Leyland Beaver, call 01225 865346
or visit vintagelorryfunerals.co.uk

TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

17


Y0UR PLACE

SHUNTER
OF THE MONTH

Here’s a weather-worn but still very tidy
Volvo FH12 V1 shunter. Aren’t these V1s
starting to go up in value a bit? Niall
Barker sent us the picture. “It’s a 1997
model with a 4-over-4 box. It’s done 1.4
million kilometres (which is less than some
of the roadgoing units in the fleet) and it
used to work for Bibby distribution; you can
still see the sticker outline.
“It used to haul steel for Hendersons of
Selby but once the London LEZ came in it
usually moves trailers between the two
yards and goes out on the road when

trailers need to go for MoT. It even has leaf
springs on the rear. This was my favourite
truck to use when I worked in the yard!”

Devon Truck Show
Devon Truck Show organiser Mike Quartley
got in touch to tell us about this year’s event at
Smeatharpe Stadium near Honiton in Devon,
taking place on 11/12 May. The show supports
and raises funds for the United Truckers
Children’s Convoy and baby loss awareness
charity Single Yellow Rose.
Mike tells us: “So far we’ve had over 300
trucks book in at what is becoming a hugely
popular show.
“For drivers we offer an on-site truck wash
provided by UK Truck Clean Taunton, a secure
weekend trailer park with 24-hour security, late
bar and disco on Friday night, live band disco
and a late bar Saturday night.
“There’s also a full funfair, a truck driver
banger racing challenge on track, a stunt show,
regular truck parades around the racetrack,
and most of all a bloody good atmosphere!”

Canadian Kenworth
Ian Sloan has one cool Kenworth. He’s sent us a picture
of the truck in Edmonton (not the one located in north
London – Dougie).
Ian says: “T&D did two stories about myself in Canada.

One was about moving from Scotland to Canada, the
other was a road trip I did here with George Bennett.
“My T680 has a 510hp Paccar MX in it with an
automatic 18-speed Eaton transmission. Keep up the
good work, I enjoy getting my T&D every month here!”

18 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER


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Y0UR PLACE

Truck of the Irish part 2

Mark Speers and Barbara Philips from Mad4Power Multimedia sent us some more Irish truck pics from last summer.

Above: Two Scania R560s and one R500 owned by Multicrete
Precast Ltd. Taken at the Mid Ulster Truck Festival 2018
Above: Taken at Trucking for Dad 2018, this is the
stunning T730 belonging to A & M Commercials
Left: Captured
at the
Causeway
Coast Truck
Fest – James
Donnelly’s
Scania R620

Right: Scania
S580 owned by
David Jameson
at the Keep Er
Lit For Ellen
Show 2018

Turkish
rarity
Regular contributor Alex Saville spotted
this unusual Turkish BMC at the Shows
on Tarbert Pier, Argyll, last summer.

20 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER

PICTURE POST
Send us your photos!

Send T&D your photos of interesting trucks and we’ll pay £10*
per pic for each picture published – and £30* for the Star Photo
*In the form of a high street voucher, exchangeable anywhere
For digital images, set your camera to its highest-quality setting and email them to
only and not to any of our other email addresses. If you send prints (we
would rather you didn’t) and want them returned, add your name & address to the back of each one. Please
don’t send prints taken from digital images. Send your prints to: Dougie Rankine, Picture Post, T&D, DVV Media
International, Sixth Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1JB.

STAR
H
PHOTO

Each month the
sender of the ‘star’
picture will also receive a superb
1:76-scale modern truck model,
from Oxford Diecast, that retails at
around £18.95. See the full range
of models on the website
oxforddiecast.co.uk

NOTE: The photographer owns the copyright to his or her submission. All material submitted to Your Place/
Picture Post is on the understanding that T&D retains the right to use it again, possibly in other formats, in the
future. Also, T&D cannot be responsible for material mislaid or lost in the post.

DARREN FARRELLY: Scania S580 V8. “Operated by Boles Hire,
this truck is pictured in Dublin with two new Manitou
telehandlers, having been delivered from London”

GARY WATERFIELD: This rare-spec MAN TGS looks in fabulous
nick for a 56-plate. Gary tells us: “Our MAN tipper grab,
here about to leave for show duties, is used every day!”

JIM KING: Scania P250 belonging to the Felinfoel Brewery of
Llanelli. Pictured at the Esplanade, Tenby, Pembrokeshire

OWAIN WILLIAMS: Volvo FM11 450 Globetrotter and For
Farmers non-tipping trailer, which is run out of Carmarthen

22 MARCH 2019 TRUCK& DRIVER


Picture Post

The best of this month’s readers’ snaps

DEREK O’TOOLE Volvo FH V3. “The blades were taken from
Galway to Tipperary on conventional extended trailers and
each blade was then mounted on the blade lift trailer”

PETER SUTHERLAND: Volvo FH13 Globetrotter. Alex Campbell
of Nigg, a village in the Scottish Highlands, has just taken
delivery of this new tag-axle timber-hauler

STAR

H
PHOTO
£30 WINNER

BEN BROOKSBY: Scania R450 Highline of W H Richardson & Son. “My truck, taken on Hull docks, waiting to load,” says Ben
TRUCK & DRIVER MARCH 2019

23


NIFTY
750
TRUCK IN SERVICE

T&D hits the road
with the mighty
Volvo FH750,
hauling plant
and machinery
around Scotland
for C&R White

V

olvo’s FH16 is an absolute
beast. No point in messing
about with clever opening
sentences. We hook it into a
low-loader and spend three days
hauling plant equipment around

Scotland and even at 44 tonnes you
barely even know it’s loaded.
The truck is of course designed to
operate at much greater weights, but
running under standard C&U
regulations in this country it’s so
awesomely effortless that it’s clear to
see why so many people have bought
them, as well as the previous
generations such as the 700.
Volvo had arranged for me to use its


Volvo FH16 750, C&R White

Words & images by Dougie Rankine