National Lorry Week kicks off with a focus on families

The first ever National Lorry Week kicked off yesterday supported by hundreds of haulage companies across the UK.

Participants aim to use the week to get the British public to “Love The Lorry” by showcasing the important role the haulage industry plays in their lives.

Companies are taking advantage of the school holidays to target families in a variety of locations. Maritime, Eddie Stobart and Pentalver have joined forces with Midland Expressway, owner of the M6 Toll Road and Roadchef motorway services, to display their trucks and allow the public meet their drivers at Norton Canes services.

Rhys Williams, RHA area manager, told Commercialmotor.com: “All three companies are bringing their trucks on different days this week with the aim of reaching out to the public, many of which will be families travelling with their children during half term. We want to help people understand our industry better and to have a better understanding of what we do for them.”

RHA members Grundon (pictured below), J Godfrey and Son, AC Services and Mor Cross also targeted families, organising a display of trucks at Kassam Stadium, home of Oxford United Football Club, on the first day of National Lorry Week.

Williams said: “It was a great day. Despite the weather we got a great response from the public and a good turn out particularly as it was a home match that day. So it was a good opportunity for them to see the trucks up close and to chat to the drivers who are very passionate about the industry. It was very well received and many of them were amazed at how big the lorries are. They also found it interesting to  see how things look from the lorry driver’s perspective.”

Family haulage company W’s Transport is also targeting families with a family fun day in partnership with its client Kettle Chips. The Norfolk based company will display a Volvo FH13 and a newly refurbished potato bulker.

The event, dubbed Field to Fork, will take visitors through the process of harvesting potatoes, processing and packaging them and delivering the final product to the supermarket. There’s also goody bags and hands-on events for children.

Transport manager Helena Wright said the aim of the event was to show a more personal side of the industry.  “We are a family firm which goes back generations and we want to get that over to the public – that this industry is very much about family. We want to put a human face on the industry.”