Big Lorry Blog

Mental ill health is still largely a taboo subject among truck drivers – but it shouldn’t be. By keeping it all in, thousands of drivers could not be accessing help for their conditions – and suffering unnecessarily as a result, says T&D’s editor, Dan Parton. Recent statistics from mental health charity Mind showed that 30% of self-reported work-related illness in …

The annual Heavy Equipment Model Show will be held at Turf Moor, home of Burnley Football Club, on Sunday, 22 October. The show isn’t just a celebration of heavy haulage, plant and crane models though – every year, a larger and larger contingent of full-sized vehicles are displayed next to the venue. This will be second show to be held …

Facebook is fast becoming the CB of the 21st century, with drivers keeping their peers up-to-date on their whereabouts, traffic, weather conditions – and, of course, what they had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. But how many are unwittingly letting people know too much? I have it on good authority that in France, the ministry uses Facebook to gather information …

This impressive bit of moving took place in Gothenburg harbour in Sweden recently – the gigantic steel structure measured 24m long and 34m wide and weighed about 95 tonnes. Swedish company Tabergs Åkeri AB, specialists in heavy and special transportation, took on the challenge and attached their 10 CombiMAX axle lines with Add-On-beam extension to their Volvo FH16 750. A …

This photocopy of a magazine or newspaper advert for Bedford comes from the archive of Norfolk-based builders and contractors R G Carter. Now the company is trying to track down an original copy, and thought that Biglorryblog readers might be able to help. The advert is believed to date from the 1950s but there is no record of which transport …

Want to learn to drive a truck? At Convoy in the Park you can sample one of the hardest parts of the driving test: the reverse manoeuvre. Here’s how George Barrow got on with his C licence training, courtesy of Scania. You need to get the London out of you,” said my Scania driving instructor Eddie O’Brien. And therein lay …

We like to include the weird and wonderful from the world of trucks on BLB, and this one, from regular correspondent Tim Cotton, certainly fits the bill. It is made by Still, which primarily manufactures forklifts. “This is how they get goods around Dubrovnik in Croatia,” he writes. “I was lucky enough to visit this beautiful city for several hours …

Change drivers’ working conditions and then recruitment will become easier, says T&D’s editor-in-chief, Will Shiers. I’m getting bored with people saying that in order to attract fresh blood into this industry, all we need to do is shout about how fantastic it is. Well I’ve got news for you – it isn’t! At least not at the coal face anyway. …

Donington Park plays host to the fifth round of the 2017 British Truck Racing Championship on July 22-23, as well as Convoy in the Park. Ahead of the season T&D spoke to 10-time British Truck Tracing Champion Stuart Oliver about his hopes for the coming season Stuart Oliver might be in the autumn of his racing career, but as he …

Scania GB will attempt to set a world record at Convoy in the Park on 22-23 July, and it needs drivers to get involved to achieve it. Truck manufacturer Scania is planning to set a new record for the largest gathering of a single make of truck in one place, and has chosen the Donington Park infield during Convoy in …