From icy puns to winter-themed ideas, we’re asking children across the county to get creative and come up with some clever names for the vehicles. Each child who enters will be in with the chance of having their chosen name proudly displayed on one of the gritters in time for the winter.
To give some inspirations, previous Kent gritters have had names such as Grittersaurus Rex, Spready Mercury, Ice Ice Baby, Margrit and David Plowie.
The new lorries, delivered through our contractor Ringway, will join the county's winter fleet ahead of the colder months and have been designed with enhanced safety features.
Children at Tiger Clubs at Westcourt Primary School in Gravesend have been taking part in the competition
Youngsters at summer clubs across the county have already been taking part in the competition by learning about the important role gritters play in keeping Kent's roads safe while coming up with imaginative names.
Children at Archbishop Courtenay School painted a giant cardboard gritter lorry bright yellow
Children at Tiger Clubs at Westcourt Primary and Nursery School in Gravesend, got messy in the garden by using trays of flour to mimic snow and used miniature gritter lorries to clear it away. This helped them understand how the vehicles operate while providing a fun way to learn about keeping the roads safe.
Meanwhile, youngsters attending Stones in the Community summer club at Leigh Academy Tree Tops, put their recycling skills to good use by building their own gritter lorries from materials including plastic fruit boxes, coffee cups and tinfoil trays.
Also at Stones in the Community, children at Archbishop Courtenay School worked together to build a giant cardboard gritter lorry, which they then painted bright yellow before adding the finishing touches.
“Our gritters play a crucial role in keeping Kent moving safely during the winter months, so it's been fantastic to see so many children learning about the work they do while having fun and getting creative.”
Peter Osborne, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "Our gritters play a crucial role in keeping Kent moving safely during the winter months, so it's been fantastic to see so many children learning about the work they do while having fun and getting creative. The naming competition has generated some brilliant ideas and we can't wait to reveal the winning names when our new fleet takes to the roads later this year."
Patrick Connolly, Contract Director at Ringway, said: “Winter service delivery is a critical element of the highway contract with our gritter fleet playing an essential role in helping to keep Kent moving during challenging weather conditions. This competition is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the valuable work carried out behind the scenes while encouraging creativity and engagement from young people across Kent and we look forward to seeing the winning names proudly displayed on our gritters this winter.”
62 new gritters with enhanced safety features will join the fleet this winter. Picture: Econ Engineering
The vehicles will replace the former fleet which will return to our previous contractor Amey.
The competition is only open to children under the age of 16 who live in Kent.
The winning 62 names will be announced before the new gritters begin operating this winter. The competition closes at midday on Wednesday 30 September 2026.
To take part in the competition, visit: www.kent.gov.uk/nameagritter
