Side view of the 1959 International S172 ladder, Dutch registration TB-18-85. Photo taken at the 28e Oldtimerdag (28th Oldtimer day) Alphen aan de Rijn, the Netherlands in 2010.
The Netherlands was not the only country to paint a white band on their fire trucks in order to make them more distinctive. This was commonplace throughout the Soviet Bloc, including the DDR. There, it was referred to as the Bauchbinde, or "belly bandage". Not very elegant as descriptions go, but quite accurate!
Added by Rob Johnson on 29 July 2014.