Trucker Jenko and his new Actros Edition 1

Keep on trucking!

Seasoned driver Martyn Jenkins has 23 years of experience under his belt. Known as ‘Trucker Jenko’ to many, mainly due to his successful social media presence as part of the trucker blogging group, ‘Road Legends’, Martyn has taken on all kinds of haulage.

Be it containers, flatbeds, curtainsiders, tankers or steel he’s pretty much covered it all. Now a driver for family-run business, Ferryman Ltd, based in Blackwood, Wales, he spends his days transporting medical supplies and building materials across the UK, with the majority of his work taking him to the North/North East of England and Scotland.

In fact, Martyn has spent his whole career on the road, having previously worked on buses and as a taxi driver, he explained, “Years ago when I was a taxi driver, I was parked up on a break talking to a friend and a truck pulled up next to us. I said “I’m going to drive one of those one day and a year later I got my licence and I did. I haven’t looked back since.”

- Martyn Jenkins, Driver, Ferryman Ltd

A show-stopping truck.

It was definitely the right decision for Martyn as he still enjoys being a trucker, 23 years later, “I love it. You’re pretty much your own boss – the company trusts you to get the job done and make the decisions that need to be made, they leave you to it.”

Martyn joined Ferryman back in September 2020 and was recently given the keys to his most impressive truck to date, a new Actros Edition 1 2563 MP5 GigaSpace. The truck, one of only 35 available in the UK and 400 produced worldwide, is very special indeed and was purchased to mark an important occasion for the business – their 30^th anniversary. A sleek, eye-catching trailer was also commissioned and together, the pair grabs the attention of many admirers.

Lots of love for the Edition 1.

The truck itself has certainly wowed its driver, “I absolutely love it! It’s a completely different ball game to everything I have driven before…I’ve never had so much power under foot. I’ll have 40 tonnes on the back and it feels like I’m transporting cereal – it’s got so much pulling power, it’s brilliant!”

Along with a powerful 15.7 litre engine, offering 625 horsepower, the truck also benefits from the latest safety technology including Active Brake Assist 5 (ABA5), Proximity Control Assist and the innovative MirrorCam system, which replaces traditional wing mirrors for increased all-round visibility.

Martyn had previously used MirrorCam in another Mercedes-Benz vehicle and was already a fan, “I love MirrorCam – it definitely makes a difference - blindside reversing is a thing of the past. The cameras follow the back of the trailer so you know exactly where you’re putting it, the angles are just so much better,” he said.

Additionally the vehicle looks the part too, with its ‘Edition 1’ status printed across the front of the cab, a gloss black grille and a sun visor with four extra LED main-beam headlamps.

- Martyn Jenkins, Driver, Ferryman Ltd

Three cheers for the three-pointed star.

In terms of comfort, Martyn couldn’t ask for more, “You’ve got everything you need; it’s a home from home.”

The cab offers plenty of space to move around, two generously sized bunk beds, leather seats, built-in microwave, eight colours of ambient lighting, a stylish black-leather trimmed interior with contrasting top stitching, a polished and brushed aluminium dashboard badge stating the model is ‘One of 400’ plus the advanced Multimedia Cockpit, interactive system with Bluetooth, allowing the driver to make calls and access personal music though a mobile phone device.

All this luxury has convinced Martyn that the three-pointed star is the brand he’d like to stick with in future.

“I’d love to drive another Mercedes; I think they’re brilliant trucks. They’re comfortable to drive, I never get an aching back like I have with other truck brands and you can adjust the driving seat which makes all the difference,” he enthused.

A happy trucker supporting the industry.

Working for Ferryman Ltd ensures this driver can continue his fulfilling trucking career in style, “I can’t thank the bosses enough for everything they’ve done for me in the short space of time I’ve been here. They’re 100% behind me and my blogging, treat me as a person and not just a number plate and have given me a fantastic truck to drive. They’re a cracking company to work for.”

Martyn’s alias as Trucker Jenko keeps his spirits high too, as he shares his wealth of experience in trucking with the younger generation. He met the other four members of ‘Road Legends’ by chance online when he, himself was searching for some trucking advice a couple of years ago.

Since then Martyn has become an official member of the online social media group and produces video blogs regularly about the trucking industry, as he explained, “I started doing it to help others understand what life on the road is like, especially the younger generation who may not know much about it. It’s great when I get a message like ‘if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have considered joining the industry’; it’s wonderful to know you’ve helped.”

He continued, “I try to show the positive side of the job and how it should be done, in a calm manner whilst keeping your cool.”

It seems that Martyn has struck the right balance in making his job and his life enjoyable; we wish this happy trucker all the best on his future journeys!

Do you drive a special edition Actros?

Or perhaps you drive another Mercedes-Benz truck which is considered a show-stopper? Share some photos and info with us below and it may be the star of a future RoadStars article.