Although truck efficiency and performance are priorities for operators and drivers, their pride in their vehicles shows itself in the way that so many are customised and decorated. Ferdy De Martin & Xavier Stefaniak have selected 29 examples of currently working trucks whose decoration is an art form, ranging from the delicate and subtle to transport rococo - a phantasmagoria of images in bright colours. The imaginative designs, high standard of craftsmanship and superb finish create unique vehicles that are immediately recognisable and attract devoted followers. Over 250 fantastic photographs are accompanied by concise captions that are both enthusiastic and illuminating; the authors do full justice to the trucks. The text is in English with synopses in French, and each truck is presented with a number of photographs to show off both the overall designs as well as the details of exteriors and interiors. This is a truly international selection of machines, with eighteen of the twenty-nine trucks featured from Europe, eight from North America and three from the UK. Original manufacturers include Volvo, Scania, Mercedes and Peterbilt.
Around the World Some History Nog Harder Truckshow, Lopik, Netherlands
Peterbilt 351, Maggini & Son Trucking (USA) Volvo FH16 700, Dieppedalle
Transports (France) Scania R620, Nicolo' (Italy) International Lonestar, 'Bad
Habit' (USA) Volvo FH16 600, Ronny Ceusters Transport (Belgium) Scania R620,
Muller, Jo Siffert, Muller (Switzerland) Peterbilt 389, Farmers Oil Company
Inc. (USA) Scania T460 Longline, J. Peeters & Zn (Belgium) Volvo FH16 700,
'Bruce Springsteen', Van Dalen (Netherlands) Scania R560, P Bjarne Andersen
Transport (Denmark) Kenworth W900, Lanita Transport, Scott Diller (USA)
Scania R620 EXC 'Triple X', Michel Kramer (Netherlands) Peterbilt 379,
'Disorderly Conduct', Paul Voigt, CSM (USA) Volvo F1220 Globetrotter, Reto
Lendenmann (Switzerland) Mercedes MP4, 'Xtar', Kuljetus Auvinen Oy (Finland)
Scania R580 Topline, Fred Greenwood & Son (UK) Peterbilt 379, Jade Transport
Ltd (Canada) Scania R620, S-U-P-E-R (Switzerland) Peterbilt 379, L Ryans Feed
(USA) Scania 143, 'Transformers', LAR Keen & Son, Harry Price (UK) DAF XF 105
510, 'Prison Break', Weeda (Netherlands) Scania T580, Longthorne (UK) MAN TGA
Nightliner, Rubber Technology Weidmann GmbH & Co (Germany) Scania CR19,
'Warrior', Renax Stangsel AB (Sweden) Kenworth K100 Aerodyne, Gael Gaillard
Trucking (France) Scania Torpedo T164, 'I Live my Dream', Hakan Runnheden,
Runborgs Highway Star (Sweden) Volvo FM, 'Vietnam', Alain Marc (France)
Peterbilt 379, 'NorCal', Ken Drake (USA) Scania R620, 'Ferrari F1' Markus
Schumacher (Austria)
Swiss national Ferdy De Martin has been in the truck industry since 1980, including ten years experience as an international driver for relief agencies. He works as a diesel engine engineer, and runs www.TOPRUN.ch, one of the most popular internet truck sites. French photographer Xavier Stefaniak is a trucker and freelance journalist whose reports and photographs feature in several trucking magazines.
