A Truck Straight from the Movies 11.08.2016 Customer stories Marko Hirvonen Who are you and what do you drive? I’m Mikko Hirvonen, a third generation logging truck business owner from Outokumpu. I now drive my fifth own truck, a 2015 model Volvo FH16, which carries timber for UPM and Metsähallitus in Eastern Finland. How have you customised your logging truck? My truck is painted with pearl shades all over from the chassis to the timber bunks. I’ve had yellow timber bunks since my first truck and that’s what I wanted on this one too. I also sketched the unique chrome parts myself, such as the bullbar and the bird grille. Their details and shape were designed to match the cab’s motif paintings. What was your inspiration for the paintings? I happened to watch the fantasy film Eragon on TV one day and it hit me that I could use it as the theme for my truck. I discussed my ideas with a painter and we honed them further, and the job was done in 14 days. I love fantasy films because they give you a chance to break loose from the real world for a bit. Not many people are familiar with Eragon, but if you watch it you’ll understand what the paintings on my truck are all about. Why do you think truck customising is a good idea? I wouldn’t recommend doing it unless you have some great ideas. For me, the highlights of the process are the design phase and the moment you finally see the end result. When you have great partners to work with, trucks are great fun to work on. I hope that my customised truck will make my everyday job even more enjoyable. I love seeing people’s expressions when they see my truck. Many of them look captivated and impressed!
