Ackworth / Onward Transport

Onward took over part of Smith of Maddison and for a while their logo displayed “Onward for service”.

At one time Onward had the Thames Board contract with Robsons so they used to base a lot of lorries at Workington.

georgeking:
Onward took over part of Smith of Maddison and for a while their logo displayed “Onward for service”.

At one time Onward had the Thames Board contract with Robsons so they used to base a lot of lorries at Workington.

Right “George” guess who had the contract at The East Lancashire Paper Mill Co Ltd. in 1990 and got kicked out? and guess who took the contract over and knocked it into shape? Photo’s to follow!! Anon.

Remember seeing Onwards leyland buffalos regularly parked up at the old Grays lorry park… remember that? on London rd in the 70s

Bewick:

georgeking:
Onward took over part of Smith of Maddison and for a while their logo displayed “Onward for service”.

At one time Onward had the Thames Board contract with Robsons so they used to base a lot of lorries at Workington.

Right “George” guess who had the contract at The East Lancashire Paper Mill Co Ltd. in 1990 and got kicked out? and guess who took the contract over and knocked it into shape? Photo’s to follow!! Anon.

rich12:
i can remember seeing a few of their motors ready to be sold off in bocs yard at barnsley in the mid 90s,i think boc had bought them out then disposed of the trucks.

I think you’re right.

The ERF I bought showed BOC as the previous owner on the log book. I bought fleet no. 383 from a dealer in Coventry in 1996.

hiya,
Was’nt there another name in the group from way back same colours one word name, Yorkshire outfit plenty of motors can see them now the old grey matter won’t let me remember the name used to dig in the Caledonian Rd with one of their drivers and had a few bevvies with the lad think he was called Ray but not sure but it was the early 60s.
thanks harry long retired.

Great old firm with the traditional livery to match… More pics please, remember them very well, especially the B-series ERFs with the livery like the one on the Ackwortth GUY. I always used to think to myself how lucky i was when i used to see one of Onwards with a double-stacked sheeted load. When did they finish the transport…?

harry_gill:
hiya,
Was’nt there another name in the group from way back same colours one word name, Yorkshire outfit plenty of motors can see them now the old grey matter won’t let me remember the name used to dig in the Caledonian Rd with one of their drivers and had a few bevvies with the lad think he was called Ray but not sure but it was the early 60s.
thanks harry long retired.

hiya,
The other company which was an aquasition of the Ackworth/Onward group which ran in their colours but carried the name “Wheeler” pleased about that my brain was starting to hurt.
thanks harry long retired.

harry_gill:

harry_gill:
hiya,
Was’nt there another name in the group from way back same colours one word name, Yorkshire outfit plenty of motors can see them now the old grey matter won’t let me remember the name used to dig in the Caledonian Rd with one of their drivers and had a few bevvies with the lad think he was called Ray but not sure but it was the early 60s.
thanks harry long retired.

hiya,
The other company which was an aquasition of the Ackworth/Onward group which ran in their colours but carried the name “Wheeler” pleased about that my brain was starting to hurt.
thanks harry long retired.

hi harry that would be wheeler rd-sheffield-------------alan

steptoe:
Not sure were this picture is from but its one of Akworths continental trucks.

Why didnt they re route the air intake and bung a bit of storage on that cab?
Quality pic though.

Suedehead:

steptoe:
Not sure were this picture is from but its one of Akworths continental trucks.

Why didnt they re route the air intake and bung a bit of storage on that cab?
Quality pic though.

Could this motor be the “Missing Link” ? Was it fitted with an 8LXB by any chance? The intrigue is that thick over the thread you could cut it with a knife!!!Someone must know ■■■■ it!!! I can here the chains rattling down in the SOM dungeon already, there’ll be a riot shortly I just know it!!! Bewick.

hiya,
Yes Dennis and if you look a little further back along this thread it mentions that Ackworth had a tie-in with SOM at one point,and that chicken nesting box nailed over the breather could be hiding those elusive two extra pots and if thats the case he’ll always have a warm bum at bedtime.
thanks harry long retired.

Guys

Onward had a depot in Stockport as well, Stakehill Industrial Estate If my memory serves me. Mainly Buffaloes and Crusaders based there.

In the mid 70s they used to store raw materials for Kelloggs in Trafford Park, and when working for JB Carriers we used to load there regularly for the short trip, mainly palletised saxks of bran, sugar, gluten etc.

Another job to there was to load 20t handball bran from either RHM or Spillers in Trafford Park on the old Atki, and unload at Onward passing the sacks down forthe lads to palletise for transit to Kelloggs. Kept us fit!

Happy days

Bob

harry_gill:
hiya,
Yes Dennis and if you look a little further back along this thread it mentions that Ackworth had a tie-in with SOM at one point,and that chicken nesting box nailed over the breather could be hiding those elusive two extra pots and if thats the case he’ll always have a warm bum at bedtime.
thanks harry long retired.

Hiya “H” I think this Guy 4 wheeler would have had a ■■■■■■■ 205/220 engine(or may-be a RR) I very much doubt that it had an 8 potter Gardner as I think the 8LXB had only come out in about '72 I think.I only suggested it might have had the 8 pot in to see if there was any abuse (or otherwise) from the SOM brigade but nothing doing there “H” Cheers Dennis.

harry_gill:

harry_gill:
hiya,
Was’nt there another name in the group from way back same colours one word name, Yorkshire outfit plenty of motors can see them now the old grey matter won’t let me remember the name used to dig in the Caledonian Rd with one of their drivers and had a few bevvies with the lad think he was called Ray but not sure but it was the early 60s.
thanks harry long retired.

hiya,
The other company which was an aquasition of the Ackworth/Onward group which ran in their colours but carried the name “Wheeler” pleased about that my brain was starting to hurt.
thanks harry long retired.

Harry "Wheeler Road Transport " Cantley Road Sheffield had a few 4 wheelers mostly “Dodges” and they used to go to Liverpool Docks every morning leaving 0500 so were very good for a lift to the pool docks I got to know the drivers very well in the 60s as it was a regular lift for me :laughing:

Is,nt it amazing! the few times ive posted about the Onward group some pontificating jodrell from the west has stuck his oar in to comment about how much better his company did the job. Who gives a flying ****? This site is about nostalgia and the rose coloured specs should be bringing us together not causing conflict.

The aforementioned gent also talks about drivers being “promoted” as they (in his opinion) learn the correct way to do the job.
Well if you crave “promotion through the ranks” I would suggest joining the forces. As most of us who drove lorries for a living in the
“good old days” haha know, a shiny new sleeper cab could be not quite the the “promotion” you expected, as many a “guvnor” would
use the ploy “if you wont do it I will have to take vehicle off you and give your trusty old A series ERF again”.

kevmac47:
Is,nt it amazing! the few times ive posted about the Onward group some pontificating jodrell from the west has stuck his oar in to comment about how much better his company did the job. Who gives a flying ****? This site is about nostalgia and the rose coloured specs should be bringing us together not causing conflict.

The aforementioned gent also talks about drivers being “promoted” as they (in his opinion) learn the correct way to do the job.
Well if you crave “promotion through the ranks” I would suggest joining the forces. As most of us who drove lorries for a living in the
“good old days” haha know, a shiny new sleeper cab could be not quite the the “promotion” you expected, as many a “guvnor” would
use the ploy “if you wont do it I will have to take vehicle off you and give your trusty old A series ERF again”.

Now then “kevmac” don’t get your "underwear twisted"one thing we never did was threaten anyone with either promotion onto,or de-motion from “shiny new sleeper cabs”.Nor did we turn a “wet behind the ears lad” loose with a top of the range motor.When I’ve mentioned the word ranks it was nothing to do with dealing with our staff like the armed forces.The fact of the matter was we always had a very low turnover of drivers so anyone we did start had to accept that we had a loyal set of lads and they had to move through the “workforce” and they could not expect to be slotted in among those that had been with us for years.To be fair of course a quality driver soon found himself being favoured no differen’t to anyone else that drove for us.Also all our drivers were paid the same hourly(per T&G agreement) 1 1/2 after 8 hrs and Sat.and double time on Sundays(minimum 8hrs.=16hrs pay).The night men were paid shift pay in excess of T&G rates.Subsistance was at the recognised level also.We paid a daily lunch allowance as well.Holiday entitlement was 3 weeks up to 3 years service and then 4 weeks from the 4th year onwards.We also had a company wide Accident insurance which was activated after 2 weeks off and then paid out for 104 weeks the average net pay calculated over the 10weeks prior to the accident.I can tell you that quite a number of our drivers/shunters had good reason to be thankful for this part of their terms and coditions as they were of quite a while but didn’t suffer financially.We didn’t have a sickness benefit as this could be abused but an accident at work —no problem----I wouldn’t see anyone in our employ suffer financally after injuring himself at work Death in service insurance was 1 years gross wage.With regard to the East Lancs paper mill contract I was just stating a fact that the job prior to us starting was an utter shambles.We streamlined it and gave the mill 100% service levels,we didn’t know any other way so I don’t see how you can "knock that"and here’s the punch line believe it or not—we charged more! But then I suppose you get what you pay for.So don’t take it personal “Kev” it wasn’t meant to be!Cheers Bewick.

sammyopisite:

harry_gill:

harry_gill:
hiya,
Was’nt there another name in the group from way back same colours one word name, Yorkshire outfit plenty of motors can see them now the old grey matter won’t let me remember the name used to dig in the Caledonian Rd with one of their drivers and had a few bevvies with the lad think he was called Ray but not sure but it was the early 60s.
thanks harry long retired.

hiya,
The other company which was an aquasition of the Ackworth/Onward group which ran in their colours but carried the name “Wheeler” pleased about that my brain was starting to hurt.
thanks harry long retired.

Harry "Wheeler Road Transport " Cantley Road Sheffield had a few 4 wheelers mostly “Dodges” and they used to go to Liverpool Docks every morning leaving 0500 so were very good for a lift to the pool docks I got to know the drivers very well in the 60s as it was a regular lift for me :laughing:

:laughing:
Aye,Tate and Lyle were regular pick-ups for Wheeler Road.I never had a lift over Woodhead with 'em though as 0500 was too late for me,liked to be back in t’wagon at Hyde or Stockport by then,so the Lincs/Norfolk market men were my choice from Sheffield.Of course Pickfords drivers had plenty of time to fiddle back to their motors,not like the private sector. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Over to Sammie… :grimacing:

Hello folks I can tell you a fair bit about the Onward group because I worked for them. 1st for the Selby depot for a short time in 1960 then I started with Onward Castleford in 1964. It was the formative years of my life, where I learned about hard work and long hours. By far most of the traffic was United Glass, we new it as John Lumb & co Castleford. Rockware knottingley was never a big customer allthough some traffic did come Onward/Ackworths way from there.

Nobody I mean nobody roped sheeted and corner boarded tidier loads out of there than we did late into the evening then it would be 5.00am start for Kilmarnock or all destinations countrywide. Bill Pennington was the yard foreman and shunter in United Glass and a legend in his own lifetime. Put the fear of god into greenhorn drivers including me but you could earn his respect. I,ve seen big stong lads afraid to come down off the top of the load because they had incurred Bills wrath through letting a corner board fall or mishandling ropes. he did’nt suffer fools gladly. I had a massive respect for him, I expect he’s long gone now.

In 1970 I became an owner driver and did a lot of sub-contract work out of Ackworth depot. They were allways a smart fleet, with a high level of maintenance.
I hope this may be of interest to some folks…Dan

Used them for back loads to Bristol years ago on A. H. Gores, always had load back for us but a bit of a pain, odd pallets here and there to mini markets all around the centre. A load could be anything up to 15/16 drops all handball, but we were paid by the hour so who cares.Nothing was said if it took 2 days to do it.