Morning all,
The sheer frustration of poor internet access drives me to absolute despair…and the total lack of interest by my ISP, plus that most un client focussed operation, Openreach leads me to the conclusion that I would be better using a Carrier Pigeon!..oh, we have tried a dongle as well…and our farm would appear to be off limits for that technology as well!..Yet the bills still find us!
So I will be brief, (as I will probably be unable to get this post to “go”…given my lack of success over the last couple of days…
Some interesting operators there Mark, that broken DAF, from SAVAM, ( Henri Grossetete abbreviated his 1960s founded operation," Soissonnaise dachat, et dvente dematerial",) to a more easily remembered SAVAM, and ran arguably France`s largest volume haulier in the 60s and 70s, from its base in Soissons, Aisne. Here they also had the DAF concession, as well as warehousing, and the volume transport operations.
The company was floated on the Bourse, and came to the attention of the UKs United Transport Industries, who took over control. The fleet was totally DAF, 1600/2005/1621/2105, until the 90s when a few Volvo F12s entered service. The drawbars started out @90 cu metres, then grew to 120/125 cu metres…slow old things, even with light loads!
SAVAN then passed into the control of Rentokil Initiall Group,…and thence into Norberts operation, which became France`s largest volume transport operator.
The VIT, (Valenton International Transport SM300s with the encased mobile homes on their Trailor Tilts were actually operated by VITs sub contractor Don Jose Collona of Paris, and were the first artics to be used by VIT. The mobile units were supplied to both Mossul in Iraq, as well as into Kurdistan, as school buildings. NMM shot shows two of Collonas drivers with their female companions, (it was company policy with VIT, that you could take your spouse with you on long trips, or if the spouse was left at home, then any domestic problem, she called VIT for help…it was all about maintaining concentration on the job in hand.
VITs main fleet was comprised of Burg swop bodies on SM 300 V8 Saviems, but their subcontractors numbered over 30 operations, (how else could they complete on average 1000 movements each year into Iraq)? Collana`s operation passed into the direct control of the Amand brothers VIT on the tragic suicide of Collona.
Transports Bernis, another Moyen Orient operator, and a superb company. They were also Saviem Agents, and perhaps I should write a little more about them,
But I’m off to the fields, and just hope that this post goes!
Cheerio for now.