Middle East trucking memories from Biglorryblog and Van Hee. Plus Biketrucks, the adventure motorbike company! What more do you need?

When Billy Ward, from Whitley Bay, wanted to change his life by changing careers, he turned to the legendary Tyne and Wear company Van Hee for help...and what a spectacular change it turned out to be.

Billy, once a highly-paid executive in the electronics and IT industry, was approaching 49 and felt it was time to follow his heart, and that meant biking---for his passion is motorbikes. But not just riding bikes, or even racing bikes, his dream was "adventure biking." And in particular Billy was interested in how adventure biking could be made more accessible.

So in June 2007 he took voluntary redundancy and set up biketruck.com. Apparently Billy looks after the 'boring' bit of adventure biking tours in North Africa and Eastern Europe, by first delivering motorbikes to the start of the tour, leaving the riders to fly in and start the adventure all rested and refreshed.

“To made this idea work I needed to understand the trucking business,” Billy says “and who better to learn from than Van Hee Training. They've been in the transport business for forty years and were one of the first UK companies to handle deliveries into the Middle East, so they had plenty to teach me.” And THAT'S why there was a picture of a Volvo F88 [Andy has ince told me it's an F89 so sorry for that howler] to go with the press release...now do you see?

Anyway Van Hee MD John Charlton tells me: “We train our candidates on modern, top weight vehicles, identical to those they'll drive on the road for a living. So there are no surprises for our trainees when they go to work out.They get one-to-one instruction from experienced and qualified instructors and have a series of specialist theory classes. Billy was the fastest trainee we have ever had, in more ways than one. He was very motivated to get going and complete his training!”

Biketruck’s trips have been exciting, but the biggest adventure by far, for Billy, will be competing in the forthcoming Heroes Legend Paris – Dakar Rally. Starting on 8th March in France, Billy will race his Desert KTM bike through France, Spain, and then across to North Africa ending in Dakar, the capital of Senegal. Biketruck will be running a truck to this event and Billy explains that without the training and firsthand support from Van Hee, he couldn’t have managed the logistics required. “To be successful in logistics, especially internationally, you need quality training, information and support, and that’s exactly what Van Hee have supplied” he tells BLB.

And according to Van Hee instructor, Jack Wilkin Billy's training was more than just 'comprehensive': “Billy’s second course was one of the intensive courses we run. As well as obtaining his licence to drive 44 tonne trucks, he also achieved his ADR* licence for the carriage of dangerous goods. Billy also trained for the International CPC course(Certificate of Professional Competence). The course is for individuals working across Europe who need to understand the industry outsde of the UK and have an objective to attain a fleet Operators license. Biketruck’s adventures through Europe and beyond certainly require this level of professional training.”

“I’m really enjoying running my own business” concludes Billy. “Van Hee’s training and support has opened up an exciting new world for me. Motorbikes, trucks and exotic travel, what more could I ask for!” Well possibly a Middle-East spec Volvo F88....?