Guido Lieder's Actros 1848 makes truckers' hearts pound faster

There are around 30 million trucks on Europe's roads. The majority of them look good and solid, but they're just normal. So whenever an out-of-the-ordinary vehicle comes around the corner, it's not just truck fans that start to get excited. And when Guido's Actros 1848 appears, it's difficult to look elsewhere.

The 49-year-old from southern Germany had various artists spend four months working on his Actros. As a result, on the cab and frame alone, around 20 litres of clearcoat were used. For the company logo on the doors, airbrush experts from Niedergesäß applied real silver leaf with perfection to the truck's surfaces. This detailed mod alone took one and a half weeks.

And things continue behind the horizon.

The idea behind the truck is that it should look like the sun always shines on it. "And it turned out very nicely, if you ask me," says Guido. The company logo with the letters "L" and "G" is painted with an energetic look on the cab doors. On the co-driver's side, a yacht can be seen sailing in the direction of the sunrise, while on the driver's side, it cruises in the direction of the sunset. "It makes for a great effect," says Guido proudly. It's as if the sea water is flowing down the sides of the cab.

"Even the metalworker at M-tech had his work cut out with us," explains Guido. The handyman made beautiful frame covers and added stainless steel piping on the lower edge of the truck. The piping was coated, primed and painted. At the front of the truck, the form of the fins on the radiator grille is replicated in the top section too.

Details to make you smile.

It took six attempts before the sun visor was exactly how it should be. Thanks to the special paint finish, the Actros shimmers either completely in black or in silver depending on how the sunlight catches it. And then there's another special little detail with which Guido is particularly pleased: the fuel filler flap of the Actros features a soft-touch mechanism.

Guido grew up in a haulage business. At the age of 10, he often went on truck tours together with his father. "We went to countries where others went on holiday. To England, France and Italy. It really impressed me as a kid and that enthusiasm has never left me."

Now Guido is particularly proud of his truck which he takes to various trucker meetings – initially only in the greater Stuttgart area but meanwhile also in neighbouring countries. "I really appreciate these meets as they allow me to come into contact with people and enjoy the company of like-minded people. At them, no-one looks at me as if I'm crazy because I spend hours polishing my truck or because I've spent so much money on it to literally make it shine like a piece of silver jewellery." He often takes his young sons along with him too. Even Guido's wife understands his big love of trucks.

For the past ten years he's been his own boss. He has 15 employees working in his haulage firm and driver training centre in Kirchheim unter Teck near Stuttgart. His fleet includes three new Actros trucks and a Setra bus. Guido has been a driving instructor for all classes of vehicle since 1999. He specialises in training and advanced training for commercial vehicles.

And maybe even a spot of vehicle design.

– Guido Lieder, truck fan with style

Photos: Guido Lieder, Silja Schriever