Out & About 2010 - July - December
Saturday 4th September 2010
60 on the Dock of the Bay - Well the new reg's (60's) arriving this week, but with little results being sighted, Patsy managed to get this photo from her normal spotting area on the A34 @ Newbury. I was told a few weeks ago that this was sitting in Bay Freights yard just waiting for the 1st of September to arrive and what a beauty she is. Definitely a flag ship vehicle. Photo is copyright to Patsy Rench.
Saturday 28th August 2010
Back in Business - After a repair to the lorry and a good day/nite sleep for me, the infamous duo was back in business. That being me and my Mercedes. Photo below shows me at Emerson Green (nr Bristol) unloading a load of crate's full of chinese granite. There was 11 loads coming here and to say the ground was just a little soft was an under statement. I did 2 loads over 2 days and my lorry got just a little dirty!!!!
New Livery for Pitter Bros - Recently Pitter Bros. of Southampton have taken delivery of 4 new Iveco Stralis's. They are sporting the new up to date livery and a higher engine rating. Pictured below is T222 PTR @ Cherwell Valley. These trucks replace's the 4x2 02 plated Iveco's what were taken out of service January (2009).
Friday 27th August 2010
I don't like Mondays!!!! - Originally a No 1 hit for the Boomtown Rats in 1979 (4 weeks July/August - Patsy). Written about a true story of a killing spree in a childrens playground in America earlier that year.
My story is not so sinister, but more a cry of 'WHY ME???' - I do not like starting on Monday mornings, I don't like starting early Monday mornings and have to go towards London.
So when I was given my job on the Friday before I was not impressed, but that's another story. Anyway off I trundle from the yard @ 5am Monday in the driving rain, yes I have a serious mood on (my PMT). Anyway I go to get fuel, first place closed!!! DAM!!! So off to the next where I get a soaking of rain whilst fuelling up and a little diesel splatter just because it can. I'm now thinking why me already. The next few hours were fine, I got to St Albans and got tipped no problem.
Go to get my paperwork, have to wait a while but I get it back after about 10 minute's. I walk back to my truck to be greeted by what only can be described as a mess - see photo below - What or who the bloody hell has done that?
A massive 3ft rip on a strap, with alot of curtain missing either on the floor further back or on the back of the trailer next to me. Yep you guessed it, the lorry next to me got intimate with my trailer. Well after speaking to the driver and exchanging some details and phoning my boss just to let him know, I made it safe.
I was redirected from my next job, straight to my collection point in Harlow, to get the trailer fixed. After arriving there at 10:10hrs, I managed to get it fixed at 14:25hrs, then I could load, which was completed by 17:00hrs with 60,000 empty beer bottle's destined for Dorset. Well I pulled out into the rush hour and trundled my way back up towards the M11 on the A414.
When all of a sudden the engine losses all boost and crawls to a halt. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - what now? Well with a quick check around the engine area I see nothing wrong, so try to move off again with no luck. So next step is to ring International Rescue (My Boss) to be greeted with "oh no what now!!!!!" Well Mercedes Breakdown soon arrived and checked things out, he then tells me " the problem is .....your Intercooler is split". The photo below shows the next step which was taken at 23:30hrs and that's a good 3hrs 30mins before I arrive back at base. In the end on Tuesday the Intercooler & Turbo was replaced, it was back on the road 6pm Tuesday evening!!!!
Saturday 14th August 2010
Nice Hannon - On a recent trip into Warwick Service's, Patsy managed to get this great photo of a Hannon Internatiomal from Northern Ireland. They seem to have twice as many trucks out on the road as they had this time last year. Still a nice truck livery to see and even harder to get a decent photo of one in Warwick Services.
Friday 6th August 2010
The New Ride - Well after just a mere 10hrs of polishing chrome & stainless steel, my new truck is looking the business. The photo was taken in Wombourne, nr Wolverhampton today. I think I may have a way to go to get her looking like this all the time, but only time will tell. She sure is a nice truck to drive.
Saturday 31st July 2010
Scotland Truckfest - This weekend see's the annual Scottish Truck Show nr Edingburgh. Usually we try to get there every other year but alas this year it was not to be. No loads going that way this week either, so am missing it. Not to worry though, at least we don't get to see some right Idiots & back stabbers like other years. So just to keep the site's Scottish spirits up here is one from earlier this year taken in Forres, Scotland.
Friday 30th July 2010
Do you know who ? - Stobart Group are running a competition where every month they put a 10 reg truck on the road without a name (just a massive question mark instead). All you have to do is be able to spot the vehicle, go on the site and fill in the relevant details they want and you are then entered in to the competition of 'naming that truck' for that month. We saw it twice in 2 hours this week, but were not telling YOU where. Photo copyright to Patsy Rench.
Saturday 25th July 2010
Bright Light - Pictured below is one of the Drawbar Units from the fleet of Dextra Lighting based at Gillingham, Dorset. Specialising in the distribution of their own product which is anything to do with electrical lighting. All their vehicles are named after Dorset Castle's. This one being called Lamberts Castle (an Iron Age Hill/Fort in Dorset). Photo copyright to Patsy Rench.
New Truck for ME!!!! - Just been up to work to put my gear in a new truck. The vehicle is an 06 reg 2546 Actros Mega Space. What a truck it is as well with loads of storage space and Air Con. Whatever next. Will give me alot of pleasure polishing those tanks,wheels & light bars. Photo is copyright to Patsy Rench.
Thursday 22nd July 2010
Nice 105 - I am a keen lover of 105's and don't miss a photo op. if there is one available. Below is a 105 of David Murray from Carnoustie. A very well turned out fleet with very good livery. Up until recent years all of the livery was hand painted/sign written, but is now all vinyl graphics. It still looks a very well turned out truck though. Photo taken @ M74 Lesmahagow.
Monday 19th July 2010
A.L.E. - Patsy managed to get this photo of one of the latest editions to A.L.E. Fleet. This MAN TGX spec is impressive in itself. A MAN TG-X 41.680 8x4. The photo was taken in Cherwell Valley Services. With half of the fleet working in other countries including South Africa this is the second one to be in the this area in just a few days.
Saturday 17th July 2010
2nd D Steven Volvo - Managed to get a photo of the 2nd D Steven & Son 10 reg Volvo (SK10 BXH). The photo was taken at dusk last Sunday at M74 J10 (Lesmahagow). In the coming week this photo and others will feature on the Scotland Sightings database
Nobuts - Renault Magnum - Took this photo of a Norbert Dentressangle Renault Magnum in Cherwell Valley on Thursday of this week. Apart from the Lampost (Lamp Standard - depending how old you are :-) it is a very good photo. Would not class it as being crap though! I'm not vain! Just always room for improvemnets.
Stobart Group - A few weeks ago I said that I was going to open a Stobart Section on this site. After further consultation with Patsy we have decided that we are not going to implement this section. The main reason is because we have got alot going on on this site and also that some good friend's of our's is going to put a Stobart Section on there site. We are 100% behind this latest venture what they are doing and you will see Lorryspotteruk Stobart photo's on their site shortly. Barry & Julie, I think I speak from Patsy and I when I wish you all the luck in the world with the Stobart Section and there will be photo's on there from me soon. For the moment you will just have to enjoy this one below taken last Sunday in Abington, Scotland.
New Transporters on the block - Spotted these Transporters from Italy around the UK in the last few weeks. Generally carrying Iveco Vehicles. They also have a base in Slovakia and are part of the Arcese Group, Italy. I have seen them as far up as Scotland and on the A34 in Berkshire. Nice looking vehicles and always seen in 2's or 3's.
Saturday 10th July 2010
Formula 1 - It is the British Grand Prix @ Silverstone (Northamptonshire) this weekend, so both Patsy & I were keeping an eye out for the Team's Lorries, but alas we did not see any what we could photo. There was a Ferrari Iveco T/U in Chieveley on Wednesday but I was fuelling up at the time. So we had to make do with second best this year. The Tyre Suppliers. Yes Patsy went in to Cherwell Valley and got a handful of Bridgestone Motorsports Mercedes. The Photo's below show's Patsy Quartet and my solo efforts.
Sunday 4th July 2010
Saudi Runner - Whilst parked in Lesmahagow Truckstop on Tuesday Evening I spotted the lorry below. It come's from Larissa, Greece. What made it stand out to me though was the Saudi Transit Board on the front of the cab (yellow plate what says 'Transit'). I am very interested in the Middle East running then & now, so was happy to take the picture of it for my collection. Also just how big is that satelite dome on top.
Saturday 3rd July 2010
4 Scottish Trips in 10 days - Just returned from 2 weeks away at work driving my Mercedes truck up and down between Southampton & Scotland. Got some cracking photo's from many different locations including these 2 D Steven & Son. The first was from Lesmahagow and the Second was nr Ecclefechan. One of my favourite fleets they proved very elusive over the 2 weeks with only 6 different one's being noted.
Also spotted on one of my trips was the company of McFadyens Transport from Campbeltown, Argyll. This photo is taken from a bridge over the M74 nr Lesmahagow and was 1 of 2 heading north in convoy.
A trio from Kinlochbervie - I am only going to write a couple of things here, because anybody who knows me will understand the sheer 'euphoria' i felt when I saw this truck pictured below. An absolute god send and the first time I managed to get a decent picture of one.
Also to get 2 from the fleet of Norscot International is another mile stone for me. Another wonderful livery, so simple but yet so effective. The first was taken on the M74 nr Abington and the second one nr Lesmahagow.
Willi Betz in Scotland - Spotted this Austrian Willi Betz (15000 - W 6391 GT) on the M74 nr Abington. It is the first time I have seen a Willi Betz in Scotland, and the first for our sightings list as well. Although the vehicle had already been spotted before by me it already held the record of the furthest north Betz to be sighted, which was the A1 @ Durham.
.
News Item page change - As of the 1st July 2010 we have renamed the News Item Page to 'Out & About'. This is because we feel what goes on these page's is not news but more interesting snippets with photo's. I will leave the previous pages named as 'News Items' and they will stay listed as such in the sub heading menu. This site will be update again in the coming hours.