Tipper Driving

Let’s have memories and photos here;
Who worked for the stereotypical operators who thought Hell Drivers was a documentary? Who saw a firm they loved swallowed up into one of the big players like Ameys or Tarmac?

…Or is there anyone else like me who went to work for an infamous operator and found the stories and rumours a world away from the truth (in my case for the better)?

Mr S C Ferneyhough for one and a K P Parnell for another and then M Neild, which was one of the best jobs I’ve had and a nicer man you could meet, the other two, well all experience along life’s long road {:wink:

Yates ,Allsop ,mountains ,mellors,and more I can’t remember now all had drivers that stood up at wheel


The Gore Quarry late 1960’s with my old mate Clem Davies RIP driving the Aveling-Barford loading shovel for Mann-Abell loading the their Albion Clydesdale tippers with chippings.


Doug Dawe’s AEC eight legger being loaded at the Gore Quarry with chippings in the late 1960’s which were bound for Moreton Valence airfield near Gloucester to feed a tarmac plant for the M5 motorway section being built.

Fast forward to 2010 with one of Bayliss Bothers Scania artics being loaded with chippings at the Gore Quarry with a payload in the region of 30 ton.

I was perhaps lucky in that I worked for Tilcon who knew how to look after their employees, getting a driving job for them meant going on a waiting list and I was already working as a fitter for them so jumped the queue! I bet Dave’s mates wish that they were still working for them, the maintenance was ‘spot on’ and no expense was spared on repairs (in fact some haulier’s used to raid our scrap bin for parts for their Fodens :wink: ) and the pay was good as well. You had to work mind you but nothing like some of the other haulier’s (mentioned by Dan for example) expected from their lads. Then Tilcon sold the transport off and things slowly declined until Tarmc came along and things REALLY got bad! :unamused:
I then worked for a local firm for five years (Gough Transport Ltd) and again everything was good, the two Fodens were well looked after and the gaffer didn’t work Saturdays so never forced me to, though I did do some if it suited me. So I cannot complain at all really, I was just sad when the work declined and I was made redundant but that was partly expected anyway as Tarm
c only wanted contract hauliers. Now there are few quarries left around here, in the 11 years since I finished at least 5 have gone and some of the other’s are on borrowed time. :cry:

Pete.

Chris Loughton liked his money’s worth pete,he was a nice bloke under all that gob,I used to go with him in the f88 breakdown ,full bore past Masson mill at night to the tune of rod Stewart ,my job while I could stick it was to remove the half shafts.

Dan Punchard:
Chris Loughton liked his money’s worth pete,he was a nice bloke under all that gob,I used to go with him in the f88 breakdown ,full bore past Masson mill at night to the tune of rod Stewart ,my job while I could stick it was to remove the half shafts.

Yes Chris was a decent guy, though he did sell a lorry complete with load and the driver found (on arriving for work on the Monday) that he was now working for a different company haha! :slight_smile: A shame that he died young. You know as well as I do that some operator’s had convenient office fire’s at certain times of the year to ‘accidently’ destroy tacho disc etc, and some drivers were stranger’s in their own homes due to the virtually non stop travelling. I listen to some of the stories that an ex driver of one local company (still operating) tells me and it would be tough to do in two days what he did daily back in the ‘good old days’ before tachograph’s! :open_mouth:

I was fortunate as I said, right place at the right time! :wink:

Pete.


One of The Old Radnor Trading Company Dodge four wheelers loading tarmac at the Gore Quarry in 1964,just before Mann-Abell bought the Gore and Dolyhir Quarries off them.


Sleeper cabs are getting more commonplace where I work.

One of our jobs in Ponteland Working for H.R.Atkinson Ltd in the earley 80s Regards Larry.

Loading at North Tyne Roadstone Mootlaw Quarry in the 70s, Sad that this Quarry is now closed, Regards Larry.

Muckaway:
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Sleeper cabs are getting more commonplace where I work.

All of ours have sleeper cabs, except one of the sweepers. They seem to be getting more popular even with the Tarmac, Bardons and the lke


First day under the tar plant in 1964 for this Dodge .

Loading at Harden Red Stone Quarry in 1989, & Im pleased to say this Quarry is still in action to-day Regards Larry.

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Dan Punchard:
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I’ve always wanted to drive and ERF. Shame they’ve all but gone now down here. That’s a tidy looking lorry.

Great photo Dan of a supurb ERF, Regards Larry.

Loading sea sand at Cresswell Beach in the earley 80s, Not permitted now of course owing to the people concerned getting greedy and spoiling it, Regards Larry.