I put a few long distance diary threads up over the last couple of weeks,and some members have asked for more.
Therefore have decided to start this thread just for long distance diaries from Philip Llwellin and other authors.
Please remember some of these magazines are 40 years old.
“REMEMBER TO CLICK ON EACH PAGE TWICE AS IT MAKES THE FOCUS MUCH BETTER TO READ”
1.American dairy from 1977 (part 1)
Part 2
Brilliant m8 thanks,my dad used to buy truck every month when i was a kid,LDD was always the best bit 
Brilliant, that article on Poole Truck Lines, inspired me to write to them for a job out there, to which I ended up with 5 other guys at a house in Rawtenstall, Lancs, for an interview , we were told the jobs were ours but we had to get our own permits, I often wondered if any of the other guys ended up out there working for Poole, family commitments stopped me from following it up any further.
Glad you enjoyed that Seth,Parkroyal and Ramone should be along shortly !
Heres another one from 1979 off to Portugal. Part 1.
REMEMBER TO CLICK ON EACH PAGE FOR BETTER FOCUS !
PART 2
Onya Dean 
If you’ve got the time to find the articles, scan them and upload them, I’ll gladly read 'em.
Hi DEAN! Love reading this LLDs,we never have had somthing like that here in Sweden. So keep them coming mate 
Danne
opps doubble post 
This is a great one from a mate of mine called Noel Minchew who is one of lifes real characters and has a
unique way with words,that always cracks me up ! One of the funniest men i have ever met in my life and
25 years ago used to regularly have me crying with laughter ! Apart from being a gem of a bloke he also has
a wealth of knowledge about the transport industry and when he is being serious you can learn alot from
him,not that he is often very serious mind you !! Hope you enjoy it us much as i did when re reading it.
Part 1.
Hauling to Portugal in the good company of Maggot (Raymond Brown) and Keith Marshall another
couple of good lads.
REMEMBER TO CLICK ON EACH PAGE AS IMPROVES FOCUS TO READ CLEARLY
Part 2.
An unusual and amusing tale. Does Noel know that Magirus drawbar prime-movers weren’t actually designed to pull willies of chocolate mice! Robert 
Thanks to everyone for reposting LDDs on here, your stuff is fascinating Robert. Was going to make a comment on how young you looked in the nineties, but I think I’ll leave it!
Was interested to see that the exhaust brake on the 290 Volvo was useless. Certainly the one on the 240 did exactly the same, made a lovely throaty sound, but didn’t actually slow you down!
Earlier, Eddie Heaton commented that the one on the 1418 Merc was ‘as much use as ■■■■ on a boar!’
As I remember, the Scania was slightly better. I never drove a truck with a Jake brake, but from the comments on here, particularly from Ron 'Awkins, that was the only really useful retarder?
John
John the jake brake could do amazing things like going through a residential area in the early hours if you dropped a cog and took your foot off the go pedal if would come in and it could switch most of the lights on in the houses allegedly.
They were excellent but you did not use them in wet or slippery conditions as they would lock your drive axle . there was 3 positions and I am sure it was 2, 4 and 6 cylinders and when you had it switched on it would come in when you dipped the clutch or took your foot off of the throttle.
cheers Johnnie
P S great thread Dean apologies for going off subject 
Evening all, Apologies, Im following Johnnie, and going way off thread…but how about the Telma…wonderful device,but yank that little "clicky"lever more than two notches…and brother you could really have problems!!!
Me…(the expert Alpine driver…four years in the mountains… no one knew more…ah the folly of youth)!!! So Im sent by my new Boss in Lyon on a" Mountain Pass driving course"…the ignomy…do they not appreciate that I can cross any terrain, as I have done, for years past, in a trusty Foden!!!
My tutor did not help…typical Southern French…start at 05.30…at 06.15…he consumes two straight Pernods…and a Café Lait…then off we go, me driving…him asleep!
So we find the Alps…but not the bits I know…oh no…bits where the road is still gravel…and the edges unmarked…suddenly I see bits I know…but they are a kilometre away across a valley so steep that it could be light years away…
Remember the overhangs up to Mont Blanc before the road on stilts…well this happy Henri knew of passes with even more worse bits, where the overhang threatened even the big Berliet cab…and the locals were still speeding down…
My gut said change down…Henri`s stick…(for he carried a long thin piece of wood, that he would lay gently across your hand if he did not want you to change gear…and if you did …“thwack” down it came), …so I did not, and the TR combination rolled up the gradient with no drama…
But going down…loose gravel, hairpins that made the steps seem docile…and that drop, oh that drop…that is where I learned not…oh never …not ever…grab a reassuring handful of M Telmas clicky little lever…for if you did…a parachute would be of little comfort!!!
Eight long days I endured Henri`s 06.15 Pernods… but boy did I really learn a lot…No mountain pass could ever hold any fear for me, however overloaded, or underbraked the lorry, however steep the ascent, or descent. Henri, had learned his trade from thirty years driving for Lait Mont Blanc…(and those of you who know this company, and its ability to collect dairy milk from the Alpine farmers by using passes that are strictly “haut catergorie”) know what skill their drivers posses.
It was a master class, and still today I appreciate the skill that I was taught…and auxillary braking, be it Jake, or Telma, or any derivative of either…treat it with respect, and observe the conditions around you…for tears are not a hand grasp away!!!
But to come back to the thread…I once suggested to Pat, that a really interesting LDD would be to send Phill along to Lait Mont Blanc for a few days…but it never happened…sad really.
Cheerio for now.
Always a good read,Willie Evans as I have said on here before one of the funniest men you could meet !
Click on each page to read for better focus.
Part 1
Part 2
Im moving house and having a clear out and ive a copy of phils book the road to muckle flugga which contains some LDD’s inc the first trip to the middle east.if theres any intrest PM me
This man doesnt hang around doing between 70 and 80mph and being overtaken by other trucks !!!
Quote " Hes got a 600 ■■■■■■■ in that beauty and can stroll along at 112mph "
DEANB:
This man doesnt hang around doing between 70 and 80mph and being overtaken by other trucks !!!Quote " Hes got a 600 ■■■■■■■ in that beauty and can stroll along at 112mph "
Thanks for posting that.It was another memorable one from the day that gave a great impression of the general speed regime on US roads in the day.All that under a supposed blanket 55 mph ‘limit’. 
As for the KTA that figure would be more or less spot on which then just left something with a CAT 3408 or Detroit 12V71 with a chance of catching it.
