Customs Check

Want a truck accessory? The chances are, Kuda UK has it – or can get it for you – but keeping up to date with the latest customisation trends takes a lot of work

- Dan Parton

Look around any of the myriad truck festivals held each summer and you will see a host of trucks that have been customised by their owners.

Some are spectacular beasts adorned with airbrushing, custom light bars, side-skirts and the like that have cost tens of thousands of pounds; others will have had more modest sums spent on them but are nonetheless their drivers’ pride and joy.

The truck customisation scene has enjoyed considerable growth in recent years and this shows no sign of abating any time soon as drivers seek new ways to make their wagon stand out from the crowd.

But, of course, to stand out requires something new or different – and often drivers look to Europe for inspiration, especially the Dutch or Scandinavian customising scenes.

“They are really the guys that push it and set the trends and those filter down [to other countries],” says Tim Vincent, head of product market development at truck aerodynamics and accessories manufacturer and supplier Kuda UK.

And with the advent of the internet, drivers are quick to pick up on new trends and are keen to get the latest accessories on their truck as soon as possible – so for companies such as Kuda UK, sourcing such items is a constant process.

Latest products

To this end, Suffolk-based Kuda UK is part of a Europe-wide group of five companies – called TruckDepot – that shares information on the latest accessories on the market and on emerging trends.

“If a product arrives in Sweden our guys there will tell us straight away, so we [Kuda UK] are always at the forefront,” says Vincent. “We are always sharing information because we have our own closed markets that don’t interfere with each other.”