> David Miller:
> Probably so but whats the fun in doing it straight? David
That was probably one of the few straight parts - the enjoyable part for me was creating documents and their presentation
I was once even complemented by a German Customs officer who said: "Beautiful Paperwork Englischman"
I often thought that if you got the presentation right the Germans weren’t bothered if it was genuine or not.
Mein Gott Smitty, you would of been a great asset to the chaps in Stalag Luft 3 in 1943. 
I never actually tried making a German permit with a piece of green cardboard and a potato but which of you had access to a John Bull junior printing outfit. 
I thought that there might of been somebody still alive who had bought a Continental quilt from another driver for use in their cab so I am a bit reluctant to mention about the Italian guy with the Fiat car and the Italian registration plate who used to stop on Keele Services selling “genuine” Italian style suede jackets for less than half the price. He told me that he was on his way back to Italy after going to a international fashion show at Belle Vue in Manchester and that he had to sell them cheap or declare them at Dover where the customs men would charge him a fortune to export them. The funny thing was when I pulled onto Keele about three weeks later he was still there. 
Regards Steve.
Useful permit trick was to source suitcase traffic
So if you had 20 tons of 1 commodity it was one line on the TIR carnet
5 suitcases or similar was 5 lines on the carnet
If you hid the 20 tons between the suitcases on the list & if your paperwork was well presented you could then run on a Removals Permit (The same as an own account permit)
This is the only one I have left, you got them from the FTA & filled them in yourself - simple & easy
jmc jnr:
Hello All. At the time of the fuel shortages I was driving a diesel Transit for Baxter laboratories, Thetford (Travenol).Coming down the M6 My next drop was the children’s hospital in Coventry but the “Lady” on the pumps at Corley wouldn’t serve me because the MINIMUM quantity on your card was 25 gallons (If I remember correctly). No ammount of pleading about the hospitals running out would change the battle-axes mind, but I found a sympathetic garage owner in Coventry. Later our boss, Martin Podmore got us all a letter from the home office with a phone number to guarantee getting served.
At the same time there were numerous electrical stoppages nation-wide. A garage up in the Brecons were driving their pumps with a Minivan off one of the front wheels with a belt. Must have made a fortune. Jim.
I worked for Baxters ( Travenol ) in the early 80,s and Podmore,s did all the transport with Light blue DAF 2800 , what happen to the drivers Terry Sealy ? Jimmy Kerney and 2 others Pat and can,t remember his name
Boatchaser:
jmc jnr:
Hello All. At the time of the fuel shortages I was driving a diesel Transit for Baxter laboratories, Thetford (Travenol).Coming down the M6 My next drop was the children’s hospital in Coventry but the “Lady” on the pumps at Corley wouldn’t serve me because the MINIMUM quantity on your card was 25 gallons (If I remember correctly). No ammount of pleading about the hospitals running out would change the battle-axes mind, but I found a sympathetic garage owner in Coventry. Later our boss, Martin Podmore got us all a letter from the home office with a phone number to guarantee getting served.
At the same time there were numerous electrical stoppages nation-wide. A garage up in the Brecons were driving their pumps with a Minivan off one of the front wheels with a belt. Must have made a fortune. Jim.I worked for Baxters ( Travenol ) in the early 80,s and Podmore,s did all the transport with Light blue DAF 2800 , what happen to the drivers Terry Sealy ? Jimmy Kerney and 2 others Pat and can,t remember his name
Hello Boatchaser. I would think that the driver you are thinking of was Pat Pearce. “Poddy” bought a new Volvo 290 and fridge trailer just before I left which Pat drove. John Garnham (ex Fridged Freight TM) was brought in to find it work, but no idea of the outcome. Long afterwards I was a fabricator at Simon Gala Engineering in Fison Way Thetford and occasionally saw Pat driving a blue DAF.
I have heard that Pat has passed away. RIP. if so, we went round Italy together when we both were at Wyatts. Terry - the last I saw him he was on for Bacton Transport. Jimmy I have no idea, but his lady friend lived Bristol way, so good chance that’s where he ended up. I did have photos, but the first marriage went ■■■■■ up and they went in the bin. I did very occassionally deliver Burtonwood so we might have met, but thinking it through, it was before your time. Keep well my friend. Jim.
I should have added that the fourth driver was probably David Bailey. Jim.
jmc jnr:
I should have added that the fourth driver was probably David Bailey. Jim.
jmc jnr . Spot on with the 4 drivers. They were pulling blue tilt,I joined late 79 and they were based in Risley then moved to the Grange Ind Est next to the building with a funny shaped roof ( Barclays Bank ) and stayed with Baxters till late 89. I have some photos of my dads tanker parked in the yard and the Merc we ran between Warr and Nelson .Dad truck is on the Tanker thread a BET tanker
Just watching the weather - sudden heavy rain after a dry period.
Back in about 1974, we had a long, hot, dry spell. I was on the M1 heading for ‘the smoke’ when the heavens opened. It was that section where the three lane changed to two, around St Albans IIRC, others will have a better memory of exactly where.
The Mastiff had balanced braking and I’d never felt worried about jacknifing. Suddenly, I felt it twitch. I touched the brakes and felt very uncomfortable as the back of the tractor skittered. Took my foot off the brake and slowed and eased onto the hard shoulder in the pouring rain, just using the brakes for the final stop.
I climbed down from the cab to find every tyre on the tractor completely smooth. I was horrified. Tyres were a major expense and I suddenly needed six of them! Then I looked at the trailer - surely not!
Realising that it made no sense I took a penknife to where the tread should be and started to dig sticky rubber out.
The long weeks of sunshine had put layers of rubber on the road and the sudden heavy rain had glued it into the tread. It took me quite a while to dig it all out, but at least I wasn’t among the many crashes that day when drivers suddenly realised that they were on ‘bald’ tyres.
I guess the tyre compounds are different nowadays.
John
Just had a look at this thread I started a few years back. I asked was the job better back in the seventies when I started driving, I also said I would be retiring lol well I did retire for a week or two and then the company I was working for called to see if I could help out. I agreed to do a couple of runs to help out and as of May 2018 I am still working on the fuel. Just to show how the job has changed, I ran back to Grangemouth, fuelled motor up and drove to allocated parking area reversed in and when I went to remove my card it clicked on 9hours 1 min so I’ve used one of my 10s years ago no one would have cared obout being 1 min over but now it’s a hanging offence lol. So I still say the the old days were better. My son inherited his driving ambitions from me and is driving fuel tankers in New Zealand,
matt watson:
Just had a look at this thread I started a few years back. I asked was the job better back in the seventies when I started driving, I also said I would be retiring lol well I did retire for a week or two and then the company I was working for called to see if I could help out. I agreed to do a couple of runs to help out and as of May 2018 I am still working on the fuel. Just to show how the job has changed, I ran back to Grangemouth, fuelled motor up and drove to allocated parking area reversed in and when I went to remove my card it clicked on 9hours 1 min so I’ve used one of my 10s years ago no one would have cared obout being 1 min over but now it’s a hanging offence lol. So I still say the the old days were better. My son inherited his driving ambitions from me and is driving fuel tankers in New Zealand,
Hi Matt,
Dead right, it was better back then.
Driving to day is all about time management with the bl**dy tacho and for the life of me I can not get my head arround it.
I honestly think we as a country will be very short of drivers in a few years time, I dont see many youngsters wanting to get involved and I cant blabe them.
Rant over. But we had fun …eh !!! Harvey
That has shocked me…1 minute over 9 hours and there’s big trouble ■■? 
What an absolute disaster the driving job is in todays conditions, I certainly couldn’t/wouldn’t go back and here’s a man who got huge job satisfaction from his life ‘on the road’
1 bloody minute ■■ 
When I first started we had a weekly log sheet, usually completed on the last day of the working week (we did our best, we TRIED to remember what we did last Monday). 
mushroomman:
Mein Gott Smitty, you would of been a great asset to the chaps in Stalag Luft 3 in 1943.
I never actually tried making a German permit with a piece of green cardboard and a potato but which of you had access to a John Bull junior printing outfit.
I thought that there might of been somebody still alive who had bought a Continental quilt from another driver for use in their cab so I am a bit reluctant to mention about the Italian guy with the Fiat car and the Italian registration plate who used to stop on Keele Services selling “genuine” Italian style suede jackets for less than half the price. He told me that he was on his way back to Italy after going to a international fashion show at Belle Vue in Manchester and that he had to sell them cheap or declare them at Dover where the customs men would charge him a fortune to export them. The funny thing was when I pulled onto Keele about three weeks later he was still there.Regards Steve.
Yep,got suckered into the suedette coat too Steve,that’s a long time ago!!
David
And the ‘‘gold’’ rings and ‘‘Rolex’’.That must have been a good earner for the Mafia
Just like the ''pots&pans and cutlery men in Germany and Holland.
5thwheel:
mushroomman:
Mein Gott Smitty, you would of been a great asset to the chaps in Stalag Luft 3 in 1943.
I never actually tried making a German permit with a piece of green cardboard and a potato but which of you had access to a John Bull junior printing outfit.
I thought that there might of been somebody still alive who had bought a Continental quilt from another driver for use in their cab so I am a bit reluctant to mention about the Italian guy with the Fiat car and the Italian registration plate who used to stop on Keele Services selling “genuine” Italian style suede jackets for less than half the price. He told me that he was on his way back to Italy after going to a international fashion show at Belle Vue in Manchester and that he had to sell them cheap or declare them at Dover where the customs men would charge him a fortune to export them. The funny thing was when I pulled onto Keele about three weeks later he was still there.Regards Steve.
Yep,got suckered into the suedette coat too Steve,that’s a long time ago!!
HA,HA me too bought four as i thought they were a good deal but soon found out when we had a down poor and when it dried out it were like a sheet of marine ply, had to avoid the others i sold on too for ages, cheers Buzzer.
David
