150 trucks passed through West Friesland in a long ribbon. The Truckrun, as the event is called, aims to give people with a mental or physical disability a great day. And it certainly worked. The smiles did not disappear from the faces of the participants, as well as the organization and the truck drivers.
After two years of absence due to corona, the event is back. And the enthusiasm is great. Likewise with Aaron. From the outside you don’t immediately see what is wrong with the boy. “Because I had a tumor in my leg, I can come.”
‘I’m almost cured’
It’s the second time he’s had cancer. Walking still causes problems, but luckily things are going in the right direction for him. “I’m almost cured, but I’m not allowed to do anything for a long time.” In front of us he poses for a moment in the cabin with his hands on the wheel. That’s how he sees his future. “I want to be a truck driver when I grow up,” Aaron explains.
It is stories like this that make truck drivers all too happy to participate in the Truckrun. “These people really deserve a super fun day out. The fact that you can do this as a company is the best thing there is,” says driver Dena. Her colleague Dominique adds: “All together in a row, people on the side, that’s fantastic.”
Lots of arrangements
The organization is also happy that the Truckrun can be held again. It takes quite a bit of work to have 150 trucks drive through West Friesland. “You have to arrange permits from municipalities, find sponsors, traffic controllers”, Randy van Akkeren sums up only a part of all the activities.
“But it gives a feeling of satisfaction. It’s nice to see people enjoying themselves. That’s what you do it for. I live in Zeeland, but I come here because it’s great.”
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The meeting point is the parking lot at IJsbaan de Westfries in Hoorn. The participants can choose which truck they want to sit in. Jurre has been looking forward to it for weeks. And he already knows what he wants: a red truck, his favorite color. He climbs into the cabin with a big smile. Why does he like it so much? “I don’t know,” he says with a laugh.
No honking
And what do the participants want most on the road? Well, honk. But in the parking lot hangs a banner that makes it clear that there is a horn ban. But it soon turns out to be temporary. As soon as the first trucks drive away, a hurricane of all kinds of bells follows. Spectators along the side regularly close their ears. But through the windows of the trucks you mainly see very happy faces and that is of course what it is all about.