CHARITY fundraiser, truck driver and now editor of a second book on his favourite subject, Michael Wallace is back on the road again with Trucks of Northern Ireland (Volume II).
Launched at the Causeway Coast Truck Fest, Portstewart, in August, this second glossy instalment is another labour of love for the Banbridge man who drives for the family firm, Wallace Bros Haulage Ltd, and is intent on raising more funds for two worthy charities in Northern Ireland.
The big-hearted trucker is again helping the Cancer Fund for Children NI which supported his young cousin, Emily, during her battle with leukaemia, and also this year, the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust in Newry. He hopes to equal or surpass the amount raised from sales of the first 'Trucks of Northern Ireland' published in 2018 and presented to the cancer charity's Daisy Lodge therapeutic centre in Newcastle earlier in the year.
"We had such a fantastic reaction to the book last year that I'm hoping people will be even more interested in seeing what the second Trucks of Northern Ireland book has to offer," he says. "It's all brand new material – absolutely no repeats – and features some new stars of the trucking world, including Action Cancer's Big Bus.
"The problem was including all the companies in the first book and we could hardly get them all into this second volume either. There are over 1,000 new photographs and some of the firms this year actually went to the bother of getting photo shoots done of their lorries, so that adds to the quality of the book.
"With 10 more truck photographers helping out this year, we were able to form a committee and get things organised quite smoothly. It was great that so many people came on board to help, because I was looking at lorries all day on the roads and then looking at them all night on the computer screen as well."
Trucking in Northern Ireland continues to attract massive support, with this year's biggest bash, the Causeway Coast Truck Fest, raising £50,000 for Air Ambulance NI and other truck shows and charity truck runs becoming a popular and growing fixture in Northern Ireland's social calendar.
It is a fiercely tight community and, for many, represents more a way of life than a job. "The trucking community is like a great big family; that's the way it feels," says Michael, who has been driving for four years and enjoys the "peace" of his own company and the open road ahead.
"It is a tough job at times and the hours are long – some truckers spend more time in their cab than in their home – and some people will say truck drivers need to be careful with their mental health, but others will say we are living the dream," he says. "It's a very personal thing, but without us 'steering wheel attendants', this country simply wouldn't function."
CB radio is no longer a "thing" but drivers amuse themselves on long trips by listening to country music (a few choice songs of which are featured in the new book, along with individual stories, facts, poems and 'Truckers' Sayings'), and the obligatory hooting of horns and flashing of lights when they clock each other out on the road.
Not everyone loves them, of course, and I wonder if the trucker's public image has softened somewhat, given the recent rise of high profile charity events.
"I'm not sure if the image has improved," Michael muses. "We're known as professional drivers, but if anything happens, it's often assumed to be the truck driver's fault. We do have a huge responsibility, driving 44-tonne-plus vehicles, but sometimes people don't realise that it takes us much longer to stop. When cars pull out in front of us on slipways, for instance, we can't stop as quickly; the load pushes you on up the road a bit. Generally, though, people do realise this and give us a bit of grace."
And truckers also appear to be a tidy lot as, when it comes to keeping house, Michael points out that most are extremely fussy about the appearance of their trusty home-on-wheels.
"Trucks are an undoubted source of pride and joy to truckers and we like keep the paintwork clean and polished," he adds. "A stone came off the back of a lorry in front of me recently and chipped the paintwork which was really annoying. We all have a sense of pride in our trucks that might surprise some members of the public."
:: Trucks of Northern Ireland: Through the Lens, Volume II can be purchased through the N.I. Truck Book Facebook page.
