The Greatest British Haulier

[Rikki-UK]

We want to know which company should be crowned Greatest British Haulier Of All Time – and we need your help to do it. And to thank you for giving us your nominations we’ll enter everyone into a draw to win the Corgi Hauliers of Renown models shown on this page.

So what makes the Greatest British Haulier? Well, that’s entirely up to you. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for a firm that is still in business or one that shut its doors decades ago.

You might want to draw upon personal experience and choose a haulier you work(ed) for, but this certainly isn’t necessary.

Think about the types of trucks operated, cargoes carried, destinations travelled to and how the firm treat(ed) drivers. What about those who run/ran the companies and the image they portrayed? Has your winner helped raise public awareness for the industry? Does it have a livery that promotes a particular region?

Ultimately the decision is yours.

Competition page here

[3300John]

Hiya...I,ve drove for some good bosses with average motors and bad bosses with good motors and have good memories.
The last couple of weeks i,ve read all the obituries on the Bob Paul thread and been onto the Astran site many times.
i don,t know if i ever sat at a cafe table with this man and maybe out paths crossed but when it comes to the great
british haulier Bob Paul (Astran)must be on the top...How many people will agree with me out there.
John

[jimti]

I was just about to say Astrans as well! They were pioneers for UK international haulage and surely must be top contenders IMHO

[205]

hes got to be in there

[welshboyinspain]

hes got to be in there

might not be considered great by hundreds of drivers and many O/D's who he put out of business over the years
I think maybe BRS or Pickfords for their pioneering when steam trucks were a lad and some of the heavy stuff they somehow managed

[Bewick]

I think I would have to say Alf Sutton in the large haulier class and in the smaller class Curly Cargill of D&M Cargill of Penrith.I know I have named two but I couldn't split them!!! Bewick.

[bob-lad]

what about stan robson , gordon plant , donald malcolm or sam anderson

[Dave the Renegade]

Pollock (Scotrans) Limited, have been going since 1935 and with a very distinctive livery with the tartan band around the cab.
Cheers Dave.

[harry_gill]

hiya,
I've driven for over three dozen hauliers in my time can't remember the names of some of them but for me the creme de la creme has to be the old red and rust namely the BRS, but you knew that I was going to say that did'nt you??.
thanks harry long retired.

[STEVE THE RED]

SHORE PORTERS never worked for them but going since 1498
i think they need to be on the list .

[Buycrider]

You are some guy you Harry. 36 employers in 50 years.?? You certainly weren,t hanging about for your long service Medal. The 2 longest ones would be The Royal Standbacks, when you did your National Service. & BRS . I can,t wait for your old mucker Stormin Norman to pile in with his work history

Anyway, back to the thread. And not to be too serious. My vote,--( being aware as I am,that as in politics, my vote does not count )-- goes to Burnholme Transport of Penrith. If they don,t get the vote for "Best of British", then they definitely deserve it as "Best in Penrith".( I couldn,t care less what Bewick has to say about that).

[Sid Swifty]

Don't know about being the "greatest british haulier" but i always remember being impressed by Kendricks fleet of eight wheeler Fodens when i was a kid,they were based in Walsall,they used to travel between Walsall and the South Wales coalfields,bringing coal for walsall power station.

[harry_gill]

You are some guy you Harry. 36 employers in 50 years.?? You certainly weren,t hanging about for your long service Medal. The 2 longest ones would be The Royal Standbacks, when you did your National Service. & BRS . I can,t wait for your old mucker Stormin Norman to pile in with his work history

Anyway, back to the thread. And not to be too serious. My vote,--( being aware as I am,that as in politics, my vote does not count )-- goes to Burnholme Transport of Penrith. If they don,t get the vote for "Best of British", then they definitely deserve it as "Best in Penrith".( I couldn,t care less what Bewick has to say about that).

hiya,
You'd better believe it good buddy on a couple of occasions i've worked for a couple of firms in one day at one time lasted an hour and wrapped the grease gun round his neck he was under the impression my licence covered vehicle serviceing i had other ideas, got another job less than two miles away within a few minutes of jacking, i was single at that time and jobs was plentiful, several firms i worked for twice some i did the odd trip for a lot of jobs was cash in hand, did stick the BRS though actually had my cards in three times reason for leaving was redundancy had the job continued so would I that was BRS Blackburn twice and BRS Consett my last tramping employer, you are aware what they say about change being equal to a rest, still voting for the BRS does that count as two votes??
thanks harry long retired.

[Bewick]

what about stan robson , gordon plant , donald malcolm or sam anderson

Your dead right there Bob certainly Gordon Plant would run my choices close!!! Cheers Bewick.

[Bewick]

You are some guy you Harry. 36 employers in 50 years.?? You certainly weren,t hanging about for your long service Medal. The 2 longest ones would be The Royal Standbacks, when you did your National Service. & BRS . I can,t wait for your old mucker Stormin Norman to pile in with his work history

Anyway, back to the thread. And not to be too serious. My vote,--( being aware as I am,that as in politics, my vote does not count )-- goes to Burnholme Transport of Penrith. If they don,t get the vote for "Best of British", then they definitely deserve it as "Best in Penrith".( I couldn,t care less what Bewick has to say about that).

Com'on "Buycrider" you are just on the wind-up because whatever axe you have to grind against me(and I hope its a small one) there is no way that Burnholm could be considered for the nomination they weren't in the same leauge as the great Curly surely!!Anyway after our last go to work I thought you had deserted the site? But it seems like the proverbial "Wasp round the jam pot" or in a Gadgy's case "A fly round a cows a**e" you can't keep away!!!! Good on you son the site needs contributors of your calibre so get stuck in my son!!!! Regards Bewick.

[Rikki-UK]

Lets keep it nice chaps

My two penny worth..


BRS has to be the iconic British General Haulier, in the days of A,B and C, operators licences they virtually supplied the UK PLC road haulage, everything else came after them...

In terms of age the Aberdeen Shore Porters Society has to be the oldest surviving transport company

In terms of modern day image, no company has caught the general publics imagination Like Stobarts.

In terms of expertise - Sunter Brothers and Wynns get the medal as far as I am concerned

In terms of using modern techniques, computers and technology TDG would be hard to beat

Trail blazing it has to be ASTRAN

Luckily I cant enter the competition so dont have to narrow down my choices

[Stanfield]

What about Robsons of Carlisle.Smith of Maddison.and Mckelvies.
And I know a lot of lads dont like Stobarts but they keep a lot of lads in work these days

[Johnny aka Little John]

Sentimentally it would be Prestons of Potto. Being from a younger generation than you guys.
But i,m afraid i gotta go down the Stobart vote. Just purely on the image and publicity he has brought to our industry. And the fact he is trying to take on mr dressingtable.

[Trubrit]

Welch's Transport, Stapleford, Cambridge.

[mushroomman]

I think that this will a tough one to call but Wynns would get my vote and Hanson, if you look at their history and present day operations should in I.M.H.O. be somewhere on the top list.

http://www.hanson-logistics.com/History.aspx

Regards Steve.

[Ferryman]

My vote is for

Robert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
Mon

Started in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.

Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.

They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.

[brit pete]

i have a few favourites, Eric Vick,Astran, tom&jerry,s,peterblake, norman lewis,
kent line,ale,wynns, this list is endless as all did their part, in making Britsh Transport
well known,

[harry_gill]

My vote is for

Robert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
Mon

Started in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.

Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.

They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.

hiya,
i know this isn't the thread for arguments but what was the speed limit in 1931?? even if you could maintain 20mph Cardiff to London return would take 15 hours driving and remembering the roads although quiet would take a good man at least 20 hours to do do the trip in one hit provided he took breaks,I drove a 1939 motor in 1957 for a very short while and no way could i average 20mph, the mileage on present day roads for that trip is over 300 miles, was there two drivers and a sleeper cab??.
thanks harry long retired,

[DAF95XF]

. And the fact he is trying to take on mr dressingtable.

He wont win against old Nobby
I'd have to say BRS (did work experience when I was at school in the workshop at Basingstoke pre Exel Logistics take over), and seem to be have been around forever!!!!!!
Pickfords, for the same reason as BRS, theyve been around forever and I think didnt they takeover the BRS heavy haulage side?

[Ferryman]

My vote is for

Robert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
Mon

Started in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.

Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.

They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.

hiya,
i know this isn't the thread for arguments but what was the speed limit in 1931?? even if you could maintain 20mph Cardiff to London return would take 15 hours driving and remembering the roads although quiet would take a good man at least 20 hours to do do the trip in one hit provided he took breaks,I drove a 1939 motor in 1957 for a very short while and no way could i average 20mph, the mileage on present day roads for that trip is over 300 miles, was there two drivers and a sleeper cab??.
thanks harry long retired,

Hi Harry,

Wynns operated several vehicles on this service.

On page 21 of the book ‘The Wynns Fleet’ there is picture of 2 new Scammell Super Six 6 wheelers, reg DW 7652 and DW7653*and pages 19,20 and 21 of ‘Wynns the First 100 Years’ which were purchased new and in the overnight livery.

On page 29 is a photograph of one of the Scammells stuck in the snow in the Cotswolds, in the winter of 1947. A timber tractor and gang was dispatched to recover it.

Like you say to ask for one of these vehicles to get to and from South Wales to London and back overnight, to unload and reload is not going to happen. Remember No M4, No Seven Bridge in these days, you would have to go up to Gloucester and across.

I understand that one vehicle at any one time would be in Newport and the other in London. They both would leave early evening, pass half way and be in the other depot by morning. Like you say each trip would be like setting out on an adventure.

There are several good books dedicated to the history of Wynns.

Wynns The First 100 Years
Wynns The last 20 Years
Wynns Overseas
The Wynns Fleet

*DW7653 was exhibited on the Scammell Stand at the Earls Court Commercial Motor Show in 1931.

Harry Enjoy your retirement.

[toxic gas man]

Hi all I would have to agree with Bewick on this one ,Alf Sutton still going after all these years,i remember watching Alf trunkers leaving at night when i was about 9 years old,i only lived up the road from his depot,90% were Atki 8leggers.Second i think would be BRS cheers Ted have a good holiday Harry.

[switchlogic]

I nominate SMS from Kent

[harry_gill]

hiya,
My vote for a haulier from the private sector long established and good to work for is W H Bowker very fair and always paid well still going strong and growing all the time.Thanks for the kind wishes Ted.
thanks harry long retired.

[Andy smg]

BRS.
First truck I ever sat in was a Leyland Beaver in the red and white livery.
The old man was a tramper out of Lister street in Glasgow in the late 60s early 70s.

[keith 2]

must have to have A ONE TRANSPORT LEEDS LTD in the top 5 in the 80s when jack Robinson owned them