Clinical Warde

This is quite probably the world’s cleanest MAN TGX – and it’s three years old! In fact, Newry’s entire Warde Groupage fleet is immaculate. Let’s take a closer look.

- Dougie Rankine

There were so many amazing trucks at Ireland’s Full of the Pipe show in June. As you would expect, most were Swedish, but there was a great mix from Germany, France and Italy too. One truck in particular caught our attention. Even from a distance, this white-and-blue MAN TGX looked immaculate. The MAN model range on the whole maybe doesn’t get the love it deserves, but it has been on quite a journey from those early days at Euro 5 when most of them were plain fleet fodder. MAN has continually improved the truck over the years, to the point where, today, a TGX can hold its own in any fleet, against any comparable opposition.

Industrious Liam

The proud driver of the truck is Liam Magee, and we spoke to him at the show about his truck – how does he keep the 2016 TGX XXL 480 so immaculate? – and the passion he has for the job. The truck is operated by Warde Groupage, a family-run firm from Northern Ireland that celebrates its 50th anniversary in February 2020. Liam has been on the truck since it was new and he keeps it astonishingly, amazingly, unfeasibly clean. Even the engine is spotless. Photographer Tom, who sees a lot of trucks, commented after the shoot that it’s one of the cleanest trucks he’s seen.

We are met at Warde’s premises in Newry by not only Liam’s truck but six of Warde’s fleet – and all of them are stunning. There’s another MAN, this time an XLX cab, a pair of Scania R-series V8s in 580 and 520 form, and a next-gen S580 too. Standing out in the line-up is a solitary six-cylinder Scania, a metallic-grey S500, driven by David Henning, who had recently started working for the firm. An ex-demonstrator (hence the paint), the S500 is believed to be one of the very first S-series to arrive in Ireland. David is as dedicated to keeping his truck clean as is Liam, and the pair are good friends.

Starting out