Arve’s Car

The next description and photo’s are about Arve (Arabern) Almerud’s Truck.

This was a Volvo FH12 combination with Bussbygg loading platforms. At first sight, it looked an regular truck just like the other FH12’s, but because Arve liked to put his own mark on trucks, it changed a little.

At the front of the cabin came in big letters: Volvo, these letters were red and white. On the side of the cabin came his name and his nickname “Arabern”. He got that nickname, because he drove at the middle-east, to Dubai. At that time, Arve drove for Johan Evensen of the Bandar Abbas express. On the side of his cabin also came another flag with the name STIES on it.

So, the truck of Arve had changed a little now, but the biggest change was yet to come. But Arve and his crewmate needed to think of something to make this possible.

The Sties trucks had the most spare time when they left Norway. So, on board of the ferry the wheels of the truck were painted blue and white. They ordered food by telephone and when they were asked which hut, they answered: “On the cargo deck”, they never had seen something like this. That Arve was a well know person aboard, came clear that way.

Once arrived in Kiel, other colleagues looked surprised and thought: “How had he done that so quickly?”

Later this truck was converted to Nor-Cargo. Arve didn’t like this, but there was no going back. Stie had sold the company and there was made an appointment that the name STIES would last for another ten years on the trucks.

When these years had passed, it was decided that that the name “Sties” was removed from all the trucks and replaced by a Nor-Cargo logo.

Arve told me that he was glad that the trucks still remained blue with white.

In the years that followed, a Scania got restored by Morten Gran: Betsy. Morten needed logo’s for the truck and these were ordered in Holland. Because Arve most of the time took care of the transport to and from Norway, an appointment was made with him.

So, on a hot summer day, I needed to bring a box to Arve, which our little girl began to yell that she wanted to come with me. It was very hot that day, but I said: “Ok, you can come if you stop crying.” And it was silent.

When a blue with white truck passed, she said: Sties truck daddy!” And this was pretty fun when Arve arrived and she said: Beautiful Sties truck daddy!” Especially in that beautiful she was right.

Again some pictures were taken, some catch up talk, shook hands and wishing a good trip. Which Arve pointed again at the sticker on the back of my car and said: “Sties, the most beautiful name in the world.” Thinking back to this, I know Arve and I had the same feeling about Sties.

-By Gerrit de Heus