A trucker’s trip down memory lane

CLASSIC TRUCKS

Driver Paul reminisces about his retro Mercedes-Benz trucks and a career inspired by his father.

Paul Willis has been a driver for nearly 35 years and has driven Mercedes-Benz Trucks throughout most of his career. He’s shared some retro photos of his favourite models with RoadStars. Do you recognise any of these classics?


Trucking in the blood.

From as early as he can remember, Paul has wanted to be behind the wheel of a truck.  “My dad drove trucks all over Europe, until he retired. He worked for Hangartner and I used to spend my school holidays with him – we visited countries including Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia,” explained Paul.

So it was only natural that he would consider joining the industry as an adult, “It’s in my blood really, it’s something I loved doing and as soon as I was old enough I was on the road.”



Following in his father’s footsteps.

In 1986, at 18 years old, Paul took a job at Tony Little Transport in Kent and worked on the forklifts. It wasn’t long before he was moved on to driving trucks - his first vehicle was a new Mercedes-Benz 814 7.5 tonner. He drove this model all over the UK, delivering produce to fruit and vegetable markets.

A year later he joined the company his father worked for, Hangartner. In the years that followed Paul travelled all over Europe, including Switzerland, Ireland, Italy and Scandinavia. Although he and 11 other British drivers were based in Switzerland, the majority of the time they were able to travel home to the UK for the weekends.



“To go from a 1632 V10 to a 1633 G-cab was unbelievable…”

- Paul Willis


Trying out them all!

During his tenure with Hangartner, Paul drove a number of Mercedes-Benz trucks. Firstly, a 1632 V10, followed by a 1633 G-cab, a 1838 G-cab, an Actros 1844 and finally a brand new 2012 Actros with GigaSpace cab.

When asked which his favourite model is, Paul struggles to choose. “To go from a 1632 V10 to a 1633 G-cab was unbelievable – it was so much bigger. The Actros GigaSpace was absolutely brilliant to live in also, but my all-time favourite has to be the 1633 G-cab. Back then not many people had a G-cab and it was done out nicely, really plush, and it was a really nice truck to drive with a 16 speed ZF gearbox.”



Paul’s fondness for Mercedes-Benz trucks still remains.

Paul was made redundant from Hangartner in 2017 when it was taken over by another company. He now drives for a UK-based business in a truck from another manufacturer. “I loved working in Europe; being able to travel to different countries and places on a regular basis. However it’s nice being UK-based too, as I generally work Monday-Friday and my weekends are free to spend with my wife and labradoodle.”

He still harbours a love for the classic Mercedes-Benz vehicles that he was lucky enough to drive for many years and likes to visit the classic and retro truck shows in Gaydon when he can. It gives him the opportunity to admire the trucks and chat to fellow enthusiasts, who no doubt share similar stories to his own.



Did you drive a retro truck like Paul?

We’d love to see some photos of the Mercedes-Benz trucks you have driven during your career – share them in the comment section or via private message and let us know if you would like to feature in a future article.

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