Notes from a German truckstop
While Big Lorry Blog takes it easy for a week, his old friend Clutchslip has wrestled the password from him to help take the load.
In the course of two days based at a truckstop in south-eastern Germany while carrying out the latest 1000 Point Test, coming to a Commercial Motor near you soon, plenty of interesting vehicles passed in front of my lens. Here's a selection.
Like its driver, the air suspension on this heavy haulage MAN TGA 41-530 is taking a well earned rest.
Also with his feet up and head down, we avoided bothering the driver of this smartly turned-out JA Coles Actros to discuss the price of diesel.
Not sure if was related to the two MANs above, but this heavy transport VW Transporter escort van is a nice bit of coachwork.
As befits a race car transporter from such a high-powered team, Ludwig Racing's Scania 143 500 really sounded like a V8 should.
Another impressive looking Actros, this time more local.
If you don't want people to know you're the American military, just paint your Freightliner Business Class blue - no one will guess, unless of course they look at the trailer! Sadly his mate with the equally inconspicuous white low-roof day-cabbed Actros was too fast for me.
No, it's not the world's first wind-powered Foden, but if any Scottish council is missing an old Sandbach tipper, complete with snow-plough frame, I can tell you where it's been for the past week.
Who says Germans don't have a sense of humour? The countdown to the end of these roadworks come complete with appropriate smiley (or not) faces.
And apparently, this road safety poster reckons that reckless drivers have such tiny..... minds! And in case you were wondering how this squares with unlimited speed, Germans can still tell the difference between fast and dangerous.
Vivaro spotted in Trier operated by an interesting company. "Are batteries included?" pondered Volvo's exiled Scottish road test supremo Jeff Bird.
"Crazy British" said my Continental colleagues after this Land Rover managed to negotiate a network of internal roads in Hochwald services before driving 10km westward on the east-bound A62. However closer examination reveals a registration from Potsdam in eastern Germany.
Showing rather more Land Rover skill were this Reading couple returning from an Italian tour in their impressive 110 V8.