Retired Old ■■■■:
I’m sure I could see the letters “BRS” just visible through the proofing. 
I feel sure ROF,you were making reference to BRS as Bewick Road Services !!!
David
Hi Dennis as a regular sub contractor to BRS hauling Quaker Oats to BRS depots at Leeds, Middlesborough and Team Valley I can assure you that any wet damage sustained the bill was picked up by the haulier and claims were frequent BUT NOT GENUINE The zbs on the loading banks at these depots had a scam going where any signs of dampmess on a carton was a claim but they kept the carton just great for feeding a family for a month at a time. The trouble was that it was not rain damage but dampness caused by the cartons sweating by still retaining heat from the milling process. All the regular sub contractors got wise to this as generally the loads were never exposed to rain in the summer with not a drop to be found anywhere but they still had a wet damage claim. However we all started to bring the so called damaged cartons back home, OK part fed the family but there were plenty of local grocers who were more than happy to take the cartons from us at a reduced purchase rate thus when a claim was made we paid up happily being quids in. One well known West ■■■■■■■■ haulier had quite a large claim at one time and his the family had porridge for breakfast, dinner, tea and supper for quite a while. I believe one of his sons was so fit he took up caber tossing at various Highland Games in Scotland just as described on the packet . OK I know this was the claim of Scotts Porridge Oats but it worked for Quaker Oats as well.!! Incidently there as a guy in Wigton who drove an old bow front Atkinson 6 wheeler for Scotts Porridge Oats for quite a few years.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
PS Team Valley were the worst culprits.
Aye Gerald I know what you are saying as we had a few “set twos” over the years which I always investigated myself in order to clear our good name and when I was satisfied there was credible reason i.e. not our fault I just told our Insurer’s the reasons and for them to resist a claim. Like you said about the goods been warm and creating condensation we had a similar case of loads of core board ex Reeds Tovil mill in Kent to Bowaters Barrow which in winter time one year when the loads were unsheeted at Barrow the wrappers on the reels were damp ( the core board paper was OK) but Bowies insisted on clausing the signature. So after a few loads Reed Transport said " We’'ll prove that we can deliver a dry load if we couldn’t! So they loaded one of their own motors using a brand new set of sheets, and guess what when they unsheeted at Bowies their load was wringing damp and Bowies refused the load IIRC 
Reeds finally realised that they were loading the reels more-or-less straight after production as they had no stock in the warehouse at that time so they had to allow the reels to cool down in stock for a while, well during winter anyway! End of problem Bewicks reputation still in tact eh! We had another experience with Nestles when they stopped making rice pud at Milnthorpe. They had about 100ton of bagged rice left so they wanted it shipped to their factory at Tutbury, well to Littleover Transport who were storing it for them. Well they gave us 3 loads and Nestles own transport did one. So after we delivered two of our loads and they had delivered their one we gets a call from Nestles to say one of ours was wet so it was a “claim” and we had the last one ready to go next day which was being delivered by Eric Atkinson one of our, then, top Lads, so I primed him to see what he could find out ! When he got to Littleover he had a word with the warehouse lad who couldn’t keep his face straight ! He said the only wet load was Neatles own motor and he was quite prepared to state that if required ! So I went back to Nestles and said go ahead with your claim as there is a reliable witness who will confirm that none of our three loads were wet, plus we had three clear signatures !! End of claim ! Another one that comes to mind was the problems we used to have at the Tilbury Pulp terminals when they wouldn’t let our lads clause their signatures “dirty bales” “torn wrappers” etc ! Well it all came to a head when we brought into the Mill at Beetham a shipment of American pulp which our lads had been brow beaten into giving clear signatures ! Now some of this consignment had been in “water” but when the Mill Buyer tackled the Pulp supplier they said “tough” we have clear signatures ! So the Mill knew it wasn’t our fault so they analysed some of the pulp in the Lab and got back to the supplier and told them in no uncertain terms that unless Bewicks motors had driven through deep sea water on the M1 or M6 this consignment must have been stood in sea water in the hold of the ship ! IIRC we shipped it out to another Mill who could use it so it turned out a good job for us in the end eh! We didn’t have much trouble at the dock after that but we were collecting directly for the Mill and weren’t “subbies” to 44 or 46 berth who could be intimidated into giving a clear signature then having to pick up a claim afterwards ! Happy Days Cheers Dennis.
Never had a wet damage claim - after about 6 months on flats, I moved onto vans. I liked Crane Fruehauf. The roof was one sheet of Aluminium. The joint riveting was outside the walls. They didn’t leak! York may have been as good, but I didn’t have dealings with them. Apart from my own, Pritchett Bros., from whom I sometimes subcontracted, had Crane Fruehauf too.
The only claim I remember that I had against me was a load of ‘petal’ from Northfleet. It was ‘Spar’ labelled and back to Barrow. Boxes at the time, not the later shrink wrapped trays. Shrink wrapped trays tended to keep their shape, but I had been perhaps over enthusiastic on tightening the ropes! As the boxes were unloaded the clamp truck driver kept mumbling about distorted cases. Eventually Jim Lamb was called. He was in a grumpy mood and rejected about 30 cases IIRC. If you were a driver you would just leave them, to go back to pulp, but as I was paying for them I reloaded them and took them home.
I sold 20 of the cases to the local Spar shop at cost ( he was delighted) and gave the rest to my mum and Dad, who had a guest house at the time.
Happy days!
John
5thwheel:
Retired Old ■■■■:
I’m sure I could see the letters “BRS” just visible through the proofing.
I feel sure ROF,you were making reference to BRS as Bewick Road Services !!!
David
Of course, David. What else?!?! 
As Shakespeare said, “Methinks thou dost protest too much”.
Belated Birthday wishes to one of the “Star men” of TNUK ! Mr “H” 81 and not out ! 
But then only the Good die young eh! not someone as tough as old clogs like our “H” ! Anyway “H” all the best mate and many more of 'em. Kind Regards Dennis.
Happy birthday Harry, I have just wished you well & toasted your good health with a Glenmorangie, Take care my friend, Regards Larry.
Happy birthday Harry , I would have thought that some of our more prosperous members might have bought you a bottle of the good stuff , I know what it’s like to be a poor pensioner . Dave
Happy birthday Harry, I hope that the fire brigade were standing by when Mrs G lit all those candles. 
Regards Steve.
Happy Birthday Harry, I hope you had an enjoyable day.
Cheers, Leyland 600
mushroomman:
Happy birthday Harry, I hope that the fire brigade were standing by when Mrs G lit all those candles.
Regards Steve.
Hiya,
No fire brigade Mushroomman but I do admit to turning the smoke alarms off.
thanks harry. long retired.
Leyland600:
Happy Birthday Harry, I hope you had an enjoyable day.
Cheers, Leyland 600
Hiya
Well, “Leyland600"”, most of the day was spent at the local hospital
whilst my missus had a full body scan, first the injection and then
it was the wait while the radioactive dye went round the body
system before the body scan could be done, everything came back
clear so I thought the sitting about was well worth the waiting
about, and I did manage to administer two or three very nice single
malts before it was time to tackle the wooden hill, Thanks Mate.
thanks harry, long retired.
Thats good news Harry, it is a worrying time when a loved one is in the radio therapy system however we have been down that road ending with good results finally. Think positive and keep smiling.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
I had more respect for my “Goods in Transit” insurance premium than to use the third rate equipment that BRS used ! 
( No names no pack drill of course) but then again if the “Cap fits” !!! Anon 1.