Ford & Slater DAF dealership apprentices from Saddlebow, King's Lynn, attempt heavyweight truck pull fundraiser

Apprentices from DAF dealership Ford and Slater on Saddlebow Industrial Estate will be putting their backs into a heavyweight fundraiser towing trucks by hand.

Kai Maynard and Dainotas Grigonis, both from the Maple Road site, will be part of a team of 20 apprentices who between them will be hauling two of DAF Truck’s flagship XF vehicles.

Their challenge is to haul the trucks 1.5 miles along the runway at Bruntingthorpe Airfield on September 1.

Last year 14 apprentices from across the Ford and Slater Group put their strength to the test, pulling two 7.5T DAF CF trucks the length of the airfield.

Split into two teams of seven, they pulled for the full 1.5miles in just under 20 minutes, with the help of apprentice coordinator Lee Sursham and company joint managing director, Tim Strevens.

This year even more apprentices are set to take part, with two teams racing towards the finish line in a battle of strength, stamina and teamwork – this time with the XF trucks.

Lee said: “Last year’s truck pull was a huge success, with many people coming out to cheer on our apprentices and, though very tough, our two teams passed the finish line in record time. This year we wanted to mix it up a little, pitting our apprentices against the heavier DAF XF."

This will be the third year that Ford & Slater apprentices have raised money on behalf of Teenage Cancer Trust – a not-for-profit charitable organisation dedicated to providing care and support for young people living with cancer.

In 2017, six technical apprentices succeeded in raising £2,000 after completing a gruelling 31-mile hike across the Peak District.

“Our apprentices are undoubtedly a strong team; it’s going to be a tense event and we can’t wait to see what happens,” said Lee.

To support the apprentices visit the just giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/truckpull2019. You can also follow the event via their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Running for over 22 years, the DAF Apprentice Programme is consistently recognised as one of the best in the UK.

Named DAF Trucks’ Technical Training Dealer of the Year 2018, Ford & Slater currently train over 50 apprentices across their 11 locations in the East Midlands and East Anglia, with over 15 recruits joining the group each year.