Their ever immaculate trucks and premises are the epitome of 21st century transport, a long way indeed from when Walter Hattrick Malcolm started delivering coal by horse and cart in the Brookfield area back in the 1920s.

From the early 1930s until his death in 2003, Walter's only son, Donald, was at the helm of this firm and over his time in charge, he continually developed, shaped and honed his business into a truly national concern of excellent repute.

The recently published book; Donald Malcolm - The Driving Force, by Bob Tuck, is a celebration of this man's achievements in all parts of his life and shows just what can be done with hard work and unfaltering dedication.

The striking, iconic front cover picture features probably the best known photograph of Donald with a telephone at each ear! This one shot sums up perfectly the hectic pace of his transport operations, one that few rivals could ever equal.

The A4 sized 130 page, detailed volume takes the reader through Donald John Malcolm's life, from the age of 13 when he left school to start in the home business, shortly after his father's untimely death and then on through over seven industrious decades until his death in May 2003.

Author Bob Tuck has obviously worked closely with the Malcolm family on the production, as this biography offers a personal insight into what made Donald tick in and away from the office, as well as covering his many successes in the various fields of his firm's operating sphere.

The book is well illustrated with a wide variety of black and white/colour images from the Malcolm family and group archives, with even the oldest pictures being superbly reproduced. The fairly large sized text is well written and keeps the reader interested and entertained.

Donald Malcolm - The Driving Force, ISBN: 0952193876 is available by post from: the Malcolm Group, Burnbrae Drive, Linwood, Renfrewshire PA3 3BU. Tel: 01505 324321. The cost is £24.99, post and packaging is charged at an extra £2.70. Enquiries should be addressed for the attention of Alan Linklater.