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.
killsville:
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.
Onward was bought by BOC Distribution Services’ short-lived ambient network, BOC Interbrand. Interbrand had been formed by a buyout of Beecham Foods in-house distribution division, PDS (Products Distribution Services) and the idea was that this would form the basis of an ambient network to complement their existing BOC Transhield and G L Baker operations. The chilled side of the group also took on Spalding Haulage (with lots of stored-up legal grief!) around the same time.
Although non-Beecham traffic was added to the business (principally the former Onward traffic, I think - Haribo springs to mind as one customer) they then proceeded to lose the Beecham contract to Wincanton once the initial guaranteed period had expired, and that was the end of BOC Interbrand.
The evoultion of the BOC business is Gist, who still run out of the former Baylis depot at Thornbury (remember the Onward/Baylis link?) for M&S - this was previously used by BOC as the distribution centre for Beecham products from Coleford (Ribena), Maidenhead (OTC medicines) and Slough (Horlicks).
Finally, I seem to recall that Ian Storey, formerly a director of Onward, joined BOC Distribution Services as a director.
Sorry, I’ve just had to delete this. Senior moment 
Bewick:
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.
Hell I’d long forgotten about that. At one time it caused endless bother at our place, we all kept our “own” motors at that time, 4, 6, 8, wheelers and artics. Everybody on a different hourly rate 
It was before HGV licences, were were all doing the same job but with different size vehicles, we all could if required drive owt. Eventually the T&G negotiated a deal for us and we were all on the top hourly rate whatever we drove. Peace was restored.
altitude:
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.
What happened to A H Gores ?- used to run ERF 8 wheelers from down Poulton way didnt they ?
Suedehead:
What happened to A H Gores ?- used to run ERF 8 wheelers from down Poulton way didnt they ?
Mentioned very recently on the Bubblethread!
Suedehead:
altitude:
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.What happened to A H Gores ?- used to run ERF 8 wheelers from down Poulton way didnt they ?
Yeah your right they did run a lot of 8 wheeler ERF’s and they had a yard at Clutton. When I was there they got rid of all the 8 wheelers ( that were mostly on day work in Avonmouth Docks ) They sold the yard at Clutton and we moved to what is now the Hideaway truck stop by the M4 near Chippenham, after a few months there it all went ■■■’s up and that was the end of it.
Nice to see another former employee reply 240 gardner,I don,t remember any tie-up with
Smith of Madison, but I didn,t work for them until 1986 do you recall this happening?
kevmac47:
Nice to see another former employee reply 240 gardner,I don,t remember any tie-up with
Smith of Madison, but I didn,t work for them until 1986 do you recall this happening?
It was around 1986 when they bought part of Smith of Madison.
I defer to your greater knowledge but i dont remember this.
Could this be senility setting in? probably , but i can still
count 93 weeks to go!!!
We used to run in and out of the Ackworth depot when at Van Hee, late Eighties I think, memories going, Bumper might remember what we loaded, mostly tinned food stuffs comes to mind. Nice and friendly and never had any bother, good for a Saturday return run. ERF’s and Sed Aks I recall seeing and in tidy condition. Franky.
kevmac47:
Nice to see another former employee reply 240 gardner,I don,t remember any tie-up with
Smith of Madison, but I didn,t work for them until 1986 do you recall this happening?
Actually, I’m not a former employee, although I knew about it particularly (although it was all in the trade press anyway) because I was heavily involved with BOC at that time.
I don’t recall any tie-up with Smiths, though - that one must have passed me by.
kevmac47:
When I worked for Onward most of the artics were ERFs and the rigids were Daf
although our shunt unit at Birtley was a very dilapidated Crusader.
I started out with a day cab “B” series ERF with a 265 Rolls Royce, after about
9 months I was given a new E series ERF,I was like a dog with two tails!!!
I am still trying to sort out some photos from this era and when I do I shall
post them. My good friend Iain Wilkinson has a lot more photos than I do
so I hope he will respond to this prompt■■?
i worked at onward in the 80 90 at ackworth ist the yard then driving good times would not swap them times for anything some good lads pity it went ■■■■ up
a photo of one of their guy drawbars and my model scammell crusader
Carl:
a photo of one of their guy drawbars and my model scammell crusader
Magic model Carl,the paint job is first class. I wish our shunt tractor had looked like that.
240 Gardner:
killsville:
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.
Onward was bought by BOC Distribution Services’ short-lived ambient network, BOC Interbrand. Interbrand had been formed by a buyout of Beecham Foods in-house distribution division, PDS (Products Distribution Services) and the idea was that this would form the basis of an ambient network to complement their existing BOC Transhield and G L Baker operations. The chilled side of the group also took on Spalding Haulage (with lots of stored-up legal grief!) around the same time.
Although non-Beecham traffic was added to the business (principally the former Onward traffic, I think - Haribo springs to mind as one customer) they then proceeded to lose the Beecham contract to Wincanton once the initial guaranteed period had expired, and that was the end of BOC Interbrand.
The evoultion of the BOC business is Gist, who still run out of the former Baylis depot at Thornbury (remember the Onward/Baylis link?) for M&S - this was previously used by BOC as the distribution centre for Beecham products from Coleford (Ribena), Maidenhead (OTC medicines) and Slough (Horlicks).
Finally, I seem to recall that Ian Storey, formerly a director of Onward, joined BOC Distribution Services as a director.
Onward was bought by BOC interbrands and had nothing to do with non beecham traffic it was bought to get BOC into genral haulage and they failed Gist had nothing to do with it as well it was called transhield up to a few years ago long after interbrands flipped out i dont know where you have got your info from. BOC wanted to buy into a well known haulage firm they choose onward for its know how and the fact they had depots all over the uk which in fact didnt buy they rented. They took the units trailers and plant and the contracts losing the homepride and then the zeneka work was the last straw and they jumped ship turned a well known and resected firm and shut it down and ian storey never went to BOC because there is no ian storey so if you want to know anything else what went down at Onward transport let me know i only work ther for 12 years and my dad for 20
Carl:
a photo of one of their guy drawbars and my model scammell crusader
Nice pic mate that veh was turned into a unit when the contenental work finished and then we had it as a shunter in the yard at ackworth,the model is good a seem to remember corgi doing a model is that one if not fair play it the dogs
Sad to see all these old firm and drivers are fading away no more old lads with story about the good old days and tales off adventure
on the road more likly to step over you than give you hand now .
in the 25or so years in the industry things have change for the worst everybody chasing around and on the end of a phone wanting to know
when and where and it seems that every other driver in a uk lorry is a (overseas person).
Its agood job that flat trailers are only used for special work because the job would grind to a halt some drivers would drive over them has you where folding them
sorry if i sound down about this but it looks like ive got another 25 years to do.
kevmac47:
Sorry it took so long to find any pictures but here goes.The barrels outside the building are empties to go back to Stanlow, the sheeted load will probably be the aforementioned empties ready for shipping to Stanlow. The H &S brigade would have a fit if anyone tried to do this now as all the barrels are “on the roll” held in place by a back scotch with ropes attached. Kevmac47 PS the handsome brute is yours truly when I still had a little bit of hair left.10
Kevin,
The load of waste is probably from safeways for delivery to Radcliffe Paper mill.The sheeted load is a load of nortalc ex seaham/hartlepool which could be for East Peckham as it look like a 20.000kg load. The photo was taken the week Neil Storey was up at Birtley!
Will sort some more photos out from the happy days from Onward,Birtley of the Castrol motors/my motor the shunter.
Don’t think i have got any photos of the loads of waste electic oil ,(sheeted loads) which you liked so much!! ha ha happy days.