Truck-Tok: A new wave of influencers inspiring the next generation of drivers

National Lorry Week has bought to light a new social media sensation - ‘Truck-Tok’.

Since trainspotter Francis Bourgeois rose to TikTok fame and changed the influencer landscape through his passion for the rail industry, a new wave of specialist influencers has been uncovered – specifically in the road transport and logistics industry.

Trucker Tim is just one of many whose social media channels are dedicated to showcasing the road transport industry. With a following of more than one million users across TikTok and YouTube, HGV Driver Tim Carter, from Cambridgeshire, aims to inspire young people to take up an interest in logistics through videos of his daily roles and responsibilities which receive views into the millions.

Throughout October, Tim and a number of other ‘Truck-Tokers’ including Hiab Princess, Egghead Trucker, Little Pete, Captain Jack Spanners and Jem Warren, have come together to celebrate National Lorry Week, an annual campaign by the RHA that highlights the road transport industry and promotes the wide range of career opportunities that it offers.

The RHA estimates a current shortage of around 50,000 HGV drivers in the UK. Truckers play a vital role in supplying everything that we rely on in our lives – from food and drink to clothing and medicine – so the industry is under tremendous pressure to recruit and attract new talent. Truck-Tok is helping to showcase the diversity of roles available in the sector and is encouraging more people to join.

Lorry spotting is a long-established activity too. Similarly, to trainspotters, truck-spotting is a serious business within the spotting community, made up of people who are passionate about the world of haulage. For instance, the Eddie Stobart Fan Club alone has more than 25,000 members, including celebrities such as Jools Holland and Ronan Keating.

David Mackay, 27, has also joined National Lorry Week celebrations. He joined the Stobart Club when he was a child and now spends his spare time capturing photos of trucks, posting them on social media under the name ‘The Autistic Lorry Photographer’. Diagnosed with autism when he was younger, David uses his platform to showcase his love for unique lorry finds and to raise awareness around autism.

Commenting, Trucker Tim said: “I get a lot of messages from people saying how much I’ve inspired them which is the best thing. I like younger people saying, ‘when I get older, I want to do lorry driving now because of you’ and ‘I’ve never been into trucks until I found your channel and now, I want to be a lorry driver’.

“People message me to say they’re going to do their HGV training, and then a few weeks later they’ll send me a picture of them holding their pass certificate in front of a truck, just to think I’ve done that is amazing really.”

To find out more about National Lorry Week and careers in road transport, visit: www.nationallorryweek.co.uk