Haulage company Eddie Stobart has auctioned off the chance to name one of its famous trucks to raise money for the injured veterans charity, British Racing Injured Troops.
The charity, known as BRIT, offers injured service men the opportunity to get involved in endurance motor racing. The idea is that the injured service personnel are able to compete in motor racing events with able-bodied drivers on a completely level playing field.
About the Auction
The auction, which concluded on 22 September, was hosted by fundraising site Givergy, and asked people to bid for a prize which included naming your own Stobart truck.
The lucky highest bidder will receive a canvas print of the truck with their chosen name on it and the ability to download the Stobart app in order to track where their truck is at any given time.
Jon Douglas, Givergy’s global director of business development, said: “The money raised will enable the charity to continue the wonderful job of helping injured veterans re-shape their thinking and rebuild their lives.”
Stobart has offered members of the public the chance to name its trucks in the past, and there is currently a four year waiting list to see the name of your choice written on the front of the cab of one of their trucks.
Raising Funds for BRIT
The charity, BRIT, is attempting to raise funds in order to put together a team for the famous Le Mans endurance race. It would be the first time a team of injured troops has taken part in the famous 24 hour race.
BRIT believes that sport has an important role to play in helping service personnel recover post-trauma and feels that motor racing offers the chance for these veterans to rebuild their confidence through competing and working together as a team.
It also aims to offer the team vocational training through the logistics and skills required to get the team to Le Mans, and of course, through the race itself.
Naming a Truck
In the past, truck drivers and non-driving professionals alike have all put their name down to have the chance to emblazon the name of their choice along the front of a Stobart truck.
The haulage company has offered the chance to name a truck as a competition prize in the past, with one lucky woman receiving the honour of a truck named after her as a valentine’s gift.
In previous auctions, a woman from Kingsthorpe discovered that her friends and family had clubbed together to bid on the prize to name a truck after her 10-year-old daughter who had died of a brain tumour.
The intensely personal reasons behind the names given to these trucks and the precious funds they raise for charities around the country can’t fail to make them very special to the truck drivers who drive them.
Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry. Haulage Exchange provides services for matching truck drivers with available haulage jobs. Over 4,000 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe 'wholesale' environment.