Tankerman:
When the 38 tons came in I remember Harrison extended the chassis on one long nose Scammel and putting a 3rd axle under it and running at 38ton. I had a long nose Scammel on tanker work and though I had won the pools when I got a Handyman. The long nose Scammels used to lose the bonnet sides now and again so you would get into the yard early and nick one off another.
Nearly true - a handful were done, I think, but the chassis were all long wheelbase models, so there was room for the extra “pusher” axle without stretching them.
They weren’t ever 38 tonners, as they were too old to be plated over 32T (pre-'73) and also had the 6LXB in them. However, the gain was in cheap road tax, after the axle-based tax came in.
I take it you worked for Gilly’s?