More and more often, you see them standing by the roadside with their cameras: the truck spotters. Word has now gotten around that these people aren’t out to catch traffic offenders. On the contrary: there are truly talented truck spotters whose photos drivers are happy to see, especially when they appear on social media. Christoph Büch is one such person. He’s not interested in just taking any truck pics, but rather high-quality shots where the atmosphere is right, the background fits, and the vehicle is shown to its best advantage. That’s the perspective from which you should view his photos. For this post, he was out on the roads of his home region, the German Sauerland, and has provided us with a report.
In April of this year, I spent a few days in my old home region, the area around Arnsberg in the Sauerland. Two of my siblings live there, and I wanted to see them again, since I’ve been living in Berlin for years. Of course, I also planned to take a few photos.
The area around Hamm, Werl, Arnsberg, and Brilon is only partially served by freeways. There are gaps – for example, where the A 2 transitions to the A 46 – where all heavy traffic must use the two-lane B 63. The stretch between Hamm and Werl is probably one of the most interesting routes for truck spotters. The sheer number and variety of trucks passing by is impressive (much to the chagrin of residents in the affected towns). You can see long-haul trucks, tanker trucks, agricultural transport vehicles, and – fortunately – many tipper semi-trucks (my favorites). There are also quite a few Dutch and Polish vehicles on the road. I’ve stopped several times along the B 63 in particular, as there are a number of good spots there for taking photos. Further along, many trucks switch to the A 46 heading east toward the High Sauerland region. There are several rest areas along the freeway that are ideal for photography.
The A 46 ends near Brilon. Once again, all trucks must switch to two-lane federal highways. The B 7 toward Brilon is particularly interesting. The city has several industrial areas and is home to the major wood processing company “Holz-Egger.” That’s why, in addition to long-haul and tipper semi-trucks, you’ll also see numerous timber transport trucks and vehicles with push-floor bodies for wood byproducts. In addition, the High Sauerland region features several uphill stretches set in beautiful countryside. The sheer number of trucks rolling by is definitely a treat for truck spotters.
Near Arnsberg, in the Herdringen area, there are several quarries along a small, mountainous country road. Here, you have the opportunity to photograph tipper semi-trucks against a picturesque backdrop. I contacted the quarry management, informed them of my plans, and left a few business cards. I did this so that the drivers wouldn’t get nervous when they saw me with my camera. In fact, word seemed to spread quickly that I was just a harmless truck enthusiast. I was often greeted warmly and was even able to pass some photos directly to the drivers of the trucks I’d photographed. In general, most drivers seemed to react positively to my camera. Only one driver, who was from another country, was so unsettled that he pulled over and asked me why I’d photographed him. Fortunately, I was able to reassure him.
The following photo gallery shows some of the shots I took on my trips through the Sauerland region. If you enjoy my photos, feel free to send me an email. By the way, you can also book me as a truck photographer. Here’s my email address: christoph@truckinfocus.com
The impressive MAN TGX was traveling on the B 480 not far from Brilon when I took this photo.All in yellow and moderately decked out: a Mercedes Actros L from the fleet of Mönig Spedition, based in Meschede-Enste in the Sauerland region, on the B 7 near Brilon.Time and again, I came across the attractively painted Iveco S-Way tipper semi-trucks belonging to Transportbeton A.Potthoff from Rosendahl-Osterwick in the High Sauerland region, here on the B 63.Also on the B 63: a MAN TGX long-combinationl truck from the Scharf trucking company in Ostercappeln in the Osnabrück region.“Janke Construction Materials and Transport“ from Steinheim in Westphalia with a DAF XD tipper semi-trailer truck on the B 7 east of Brilon.Featuring particularly elaborate wrapping: a Mercedes Actros ProCabin on the B 63. It belongs to the fleet of Bekker Transports & Logistics from Emmerich on the Lower Rhine, near the Dutch border./image-archive/man-tgx-from-2020-6151From the Stuttgart region came the MAN TGX silo truck belonging to Hörz, a trucking company based in Erkenbrechtsweiler. I encountered it on the A 46 heading east.Gradually becoming a classic: The Mercedes SK 1844 4x4, in its final model variant, was manufactured until 1997. I took this photo in Brilon.A MAN TGS dump semi-trailer on the A 46 heading east near Neheim-Hüsten. Neuhaus, a specialized waste management company from Hagen – one of the gateways to the Sauerland – handles construction-related transport.Also becoming a rarity: a third-generation Mercedes Actros from 2009 on the B 63.The trucking company Hermann Beiermann junior (HBF) is based in Bad Wünnenberg-Fürstenberg on the northeastern edge of the Sauerland. I came across this MAN TGX tank semi-trailer truck in rainy weather on the B 7 east of Brilon.An Iveco S-Way from the freight forwarder M. Maulhardt GmbH in Leinefelde-Worbis, northern Thuringia, on the B 7 near Brilon.Another third-generation Mercedes Actros, this time a dump truck with a center-axle trailer on the B 7 east of Brilon. The family-owned company Bernhard Mühlenbein from Brilon has been delivering limestone products from the Sauerland region since 1951.On the road on the B 7 with an eye-catching paint job: a MAN TGX dump semi-truck from the company Holger Heisiph in Brilon.A Mercedes Arocs on the B 7 east of Brilon. The tipper is operated by TS-Bau; the license plate suggests it’s from the High Sauerland district. If you know more, please contact us via email …A symbol of working life: an Iveco Stralis tipper semi-trailer from Pegamax-Mineral Service on the B 480 near Brilon. The company is headquartered in Anröchte in the southeastern part of the Soest district. Due to its location, this town is also often referred to as the gateway to the Sauerland.After a bit of a learning curve, the Mercedes Actros ProCabin has now become a familiar sight on the roads. Complaints about its alleged resemblance to washing machines are gradually dying down, as people are getting used to the aerodynamic design. Prüstel Spedition, based in Callenberg in the Zwickau district of Saxony, operates Volvo electric trucks in addition to several eActros. The photo was taken on the B 63.On the B 63, you frequently encounter truck-trailer combinations from the nearby Benelux countries. One example is this beautifully painted Volvo FH Aero from Luxembourg. It belongs to the fleet of the logistics and transportation company Weyma from Weiswampach.Of course, many Dutch trucking companies are also on the road in the Sauerland region. The photo shows a 2017-generation DAF XF from the fleet of Sipma Transport from Marwijksoord on the B 63.The well-maintained Mercedes Arocs tipper semi-trailer truck from the transport and building materials company Rudolf Döbber in Warstein (Belecke district) came toward me on the B 7.The 2013-model MAN TGS dump truck was heading toward its destination on Stiepeler Street. It belongs to the fleet of Meinolf Driller GmbH, whose areas of expertise range from demolition and recycling to gardening and landscaping, as well as road construction and civil engineering.Tipper semi-trucks from Mimberg are a common sight in many parts of Germany. On Stiepeler Street above Herdringen, this Astros tipper semi-truck came into view, picturesquely set against a backdrop of a blooming rapeseed field.Amid heavy traffic on the B 63, this 2020-model-year Volvo FH was on the road. It belongs to the fleet of Schöttler GmbH from Bocholt, whose areas of expertise include demolition, earthmoving, recycling, hazardous waste remediation, and transportation.It’s a good thing I was sometimes able to take photos in the rain, because among my favorite subjects are trucks that kick up clouds of dust or, when it’s wet, create wonderful sprays of mist. That’s exactly what this Mercedes Actros with a silo trailer from Wübken GmbH & Co. KG did – a company that deals in animal feed for agriculture. The photo was taken on the B 7 east of Brilon.C. Habrock Baustoffhandel & Transporte GmbH is based in Warendorf in the Münsterland region. I was able to photograph the 2016-model MAN TGX on the access road to a quarry above Herdringen, spray mist and all.The 2024 Ford F-Line, designed for distribution transport, is rare in Germany, unlike the F-Max, which is now a common sight. The Huckschlag trucking company is based in Fröndenberg, in the district of Unna, another “gateway to the Sauerland.” The company advertises its services as “Logistics, Shipping & Fulfillment.” I took this photo on the B 63.The second-generation Mercedes Actros from 2002 is a rare sight these days. That’s why I was all the more pleased to see this well-maintained dump truck from the Neufeld construction company, which I encountered on the B 480. The company is based in Willebadessen, between Kassel and Paderborn.The Iveco “New Stralis TCO2 Champion” was released in 2016. It stood out from the Stralis not only because of its eye-catching special paint job but also because it was advertised as having lower operating costs and improved emissions. You don’t see it very often, so I was delighted to spot this one on the B 7 near the on-ramp to the A 46 freeway.Mooij Forwarding & Logistics B.V., based in Werder, Netherlands, also operates in Germany and Poland. I came across this extravagantly styled Scania Next Gen with Polish registration on the B 7.Werl, the headquarters of Werneke Logistic, is located at the junction of the Sauerland, Münsterland, and Ruhr regions. The Mercedes Actros ProCabin was traveling on the B 63 when it drove into my lens.LTB stands for Lippstädter Transportbeton. Based in Lippstadt in the northern Sauerland, the company promotes its fleet of concrete mixers and dump trucks – totaling more than 30 vehicles – as well as its concrete pumps. The MAN TGS was traveling on the B 7 east of Brilon when I photographed it.Teunhof GmbH specializes in road rehabilitation, milling, and leveling road surfaces. The semi-trailer, towed by a Mercedes Actros, is transporting a cold milling machine capable of removing asphalt, concrete, or gravel layers of various thicknesses. I took this photo on the B 63.This 2020-model-year Volvo FH was also traveling on the B 63 when I was there. It’s operated by Frachtenvermittlung Mainfranken (FLM) from Dettelbach in the state of Bavaria.Just as this post began, so it ends – with a semi-trailer truck from Beton Potthoff, except this time there’s no dump truck in sight, but a hopper-bottom dry bulk trailer in which the cement load is discharged downward from the center. The tractor unit is an IVECO S-Way, and the photo was taken on the B 63.
