Volvo’s beauty much more than just skin-deep

"Stunning good looks" and "an uncannily efficient gearbox" are just two of the positive aspects recorded by driver Gary Bearn when describing his new Volvo FH, which was supplied by Wales and West Truck and Bus of Avonmouth.

A driver for Devon-based ‘HorseHage’ horse feed producer Mark Westaway and Son, Gary admits to being somewhat fussy about the appearance of the vehicle he drives. He is also quick to point out that not all trucks are easy to keep in tip-top condition. But his new Volvo FH 6x2 Globetrotter XL ticks all the boxes as far as he is concerned.

The business of Mark Westaway and Son produces specialist home-grown dust-free horse feed which is processed and bagged at the company’s farm and distributed by a fleet of company-owned articulated vehicles.

The company won the prestigious and highly acclaimed Royal Warrant in 1983 after the Queen’s horse, Burmese, was fed one of the Westaway products when suffering from a respiratory disease. Today regular deliveries of Westaway products are made to the Queen’s stables at both Buckingham Palace and Windsor.

All company vehicles carry the ‘By Appointment’ Royal warrant insignia on the cab.

The Westaway operation is controlled with precision by working partners Mark Westaway and Chris Tar. Chris, a former Officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, finds his background and experience ideal for the role of assisting Mark in overseeing all aspects of production and distribution.

Driver Gary Bearn is also ex-military and is proud to be part of a team that performs what he sees as ‘an exciting and distinguished’ function: “The good looks of the Volvo FH caught my eye straight away,” he said. ”The truck is perfect for this job. With Volvo the beauty is much more than just skin deep!” he concluded.