Excellent pictures Robert it looks as if they have a good infrastructure for a African country and commerce.lots of loads to be had ?i wonder if they have there own cowboy hauliers , i would think it would be a slight off putting if you were driving at night even in a land cruiser with the weight and length of those lorries ,thundering down the tarmac… the camel on Taseco thread was probably a new VOSA outfit…
V8Lenny:
In the desert I saw mostly Hinos and a couple of Scanias and Volvo, those crappy chinese trucks stay mostly on tarmac. Those Ivecos are equipped like those Hinos I saw, maybe they are also made for desert driving ?
In the brief time I spent on commercial routes I noticed a lot of Chinese trucks, mostly Howo. There were quite a lot of Hinos too. And one International. I also noticed: DAF 2800s, 85s, 95s and 95XFs; Iveco Eurostars, Eurotrakkers, Eurotechs and Stralises; Mercedes LPSs, bonneted 1924s, NGs, SKs, and Actroses; Renault R-series and Premiums; MAN F8s, F90s, F2000s and TGAs; Scania 1-series, 2-series, 3-series and 4-series; Volvos F12s and FH12s; Steyr 31s; and lots of the old-shape Kamaz 6x4s.
The double-bottomed outfits were pulled by 4x2s, 6x4s and 8x4s. By and large, the two-trailer tankers were pulled by 8x4s. Robert 
deckboypeggy:
Excellent pictures Robert it looks as if they have a good infrastructure for a African country and commerce.lots of loads to be had ?i wonder if they have there own cowboy hauliers , i would think it would be a slight off putting if you were driving at night even in a land cruiser with the weight and length of those lorries ,thundering down the tarmac… the camel on Taseco thread was probably a new VOSA outfit…
The road surfaces were very good but 2-way, like our old A-roads. On the Port Sudan to Khartoum route the road surface was knackered by heavy goods traffic. Overtaking was hazardous but not suicidal because, astonishingly, the standard of driving and road-courtesy was WAY higher than in other North African countries. Driving in Khartoum was so different from driving in Cairo (in the country next door) that you might be on a different planet! Just an observation. Robert
Hi Robert.
That blue and yellow Daf 95 looks as though it is ex ROBERT BURNS. And I noticed on the side of one of the white IVECO six wheelers there is a small hessian sack tied on what would be in that ? keeping drinks cool perhaps. Eddie.
erfguy:
Hi Robert.
That blue and yellow Daf 95 looks as though it is ex ROBERT BURNS. And I noticed on the side of one of the white IVECO six wheelers there is a small hessian sack tied on what would be in that ? keeping drinks cool perhaps. Eddie.
Well, perhaps it is ex-Robert Burns; after all, when I toured Libya I found the DAF 95 I used to drive regularly to Morocco and back! As for the hessian sack: it could be anything. Those drawbar Ivecos had come from Darfur region, which is a long-haul from Shendi where I took the picture. Although I did get a brief opportunity to chat with drivers in Arabic if I had been travelling entirely independently I could have asked an awful lot more questions. Robert
I’ve posted all the pictures I took of Sudanese lorries. I would just comment that I saw a number of artics with those big yellow Saudi transit plates, so clearly lorries are entering Port Sudan that have crossed the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf states.
I looked online for more relevant pics of lorries in northern Sudan and found these: enjoy! Robert
Woops! forgot this one…
There ought to be an ERF on this thread somewhere! And here it is: it’s thought to be in Sudan but it’s RHD and I saw only LHD vehicles there - but who knows…
I notice that the trailer is made by CIMC, which is a Chinese manufacturer specialising in trailer bodies, tankers and ISO shipping containers. Robert
robert1952:
I’ve just spent eight days in Sudan (not South Sudan). What a wonderful place! Marvellous, friendly, welcoming people. I was mostly travelling among tribes in the desert and visiting ancient pyramid sites, but of course, me being me, I made sure I knew what the trucking scene was doing.Most of the pics here were taken on the Port Sudan to Khartoum road. Nearly all the big lorries were double-bottomed artics (artic and trailer with dolly).
The doubles were limited to 80 kph maximum at 70 tonnes gross. Artics were permitted only 35 tonnes. Much of it was container traffic.
I stuck to Landcruiser or camel (see pic below). Robert
10
So Mr Robert
What did you know about S. Jones/Trans Arabia plans for the Sudan operations in 1980.
Kenb:
robert1952:
I’ve just spent eight days in Sudan (not South Sudan). What a wonderful place! Marvellous, friendly, welcoming people. I was mostly travelling among tribes in the desert and visiting ancient pyramid sites, but of course, me being me, I made sure I knew what the trucking scene was doing.Most of the pics here were taken on the Port Sudan to Khartoum road. Nearly all the big lorries were double-bottomed artics (artic and trailer with dolly).
The doubles were limited to 80 kph maximum at 70 tonnes gross. Artics were permitted only 35 tonnes. Much of it was container traffic.
I stuck to Landcruiser or camel (see pic below). Robert
10
So Mr Robert
What did you know about S. Jones/Trans Arabia plans for the Sudan operations in 1980.
Ah-ha! Nothing! I didn’t know they were that ambitious. Presumably, they would have had to operate from Port Sudan as there was no cross-border road link with Egypt as far as I know, apart from the ‘forty days road’ camel trail. Incidentally, they are just about to open a proper road for transport from Wadi Halfa to Aswan, and not before time! Do you know of any plans by Trans Arabia to go Sudanese? Robert
Great stuff there Uncle Bob, they certainly seem to like their Iveco’s. Are most of them European imports or do they special build for the Sudan.
Is there a cross border traffic thing going on ( Chad, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia etc ) or are they only operating in Sudan… Must be a couple of days up and down
I thought the only Egyptian crossing as up the Aswan dam on a 2 day ferry…
Photos are good but you need more words…
Jeff…
Jelliot:
Great stuff there Uncle Bob, they certainly seem to like their Iveco’s. Are most of them European imports or do they special build for the Sudan.Is there a cross border traffic thing going on ( Chad, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia etc ) or are they only operating in Sudan… Must be a couple of days up and down
I thought the only Egyptian crossing as up the Aswan dam on a 2 day ferry…
Photos are good but you need more words…
Jeff…
Sorry the info is a scanty Jeff, but frankly I was on an tour that focused on archeological sites of the ‘black pharoahs’ and explorations of the Bayuda desert and its nomads. My exposure to the truck-scene was confined to the short time I spent on the Port Sudan to Khartoum road. It’s a miracle that I found out as much as I did, and that was partly because I ran over and chatted in Arabic with some drivers while our vehicle was being refuelled. The rest of my info was simply observation.
You are right about the Lake Nasser ferry, but as I stated, there is now a brand new road link bypassing the lake. I think it is on the verge of being opened.
Sudan is a great country so I may revisit it one day and do the bits that I missed. Robert 
robert1952:
Kenb:
robert1952:
I’ve just spent eight days in Sudan (not South Sudan). What a wonderful place! Marvellous, friendly, welcoming people. I was mostly travelling among tribes in the desert and visiting ancient pyramid sites, but of course, me being me, I made sure I knew what the trucking scene was doing.Most of the pics here were taken on the Port Sudan to Khartoum road. Nearly all the big lorries were double-bottomed artics (artic and trailer with dolly).
The doubles were limited to 80 kph maximum at 70 tonnes gross. Artics were permitted only 35 tonnes. Much of it was container traffic.
I stuck to Landcruiser or camel (see pic below). Robert
10
So Mr Robert
What did you know about S. Jones/Trans Arabia plans for the Sudan operations in 1980.Ah-ha! Nothing! I didn’t know they were that ambitious. Presumably, they would have had to operate from Port Sudan as there was no cross-border road link with Egypt as far as I know, apart from the ‘forty days road’ camel trail. Incidentally, they are just about to open a proper road for transport from Wadi Halfa to Aswan, and not before time! Do you know of any plans by Trans Arabia to go Sudanese? Robert
Oh yes. The company was to be called. “Trans Sudan or Sudan Roadways”. I worked on the project for 18months - getting a decent partner was the issue - the contract was for United Mollases taking bulk molasas From Kenana 200km St of Khartoum to Port Sudan and fuel oils from Port Sudan to Nile Delta - Khartoum area - the refinery had good tank cleaning facilities - it was a very interesting experience - i had contacts in Port Sudan from Jeddah with a local shipping agent and the family who used to rent me a car to travel to Khartoum and Kennana with full fuel for round trip about 2500miles - nice people the Sudanese
The Kenworths and tank trailers and dolleys for road train operation were nearly ordered a couple of our best Brit drivers were going to lead with some Philipino driver whilst doing we sussed out the locals also we were going to run road trains - and then there was a financial hick up!!!
Binzager stepped in late in the day - but not sure what finally happened
We were also offered the contract in the Yemen - that Camel/ Cunard did - Al Hudaydah to Senna
There were lot of major issues with Camel as I heard and lots of drivers got killed on the mountain road - it was just like the Taif mountain road in height but not such goo surface - but with local drivers high at kites on “ghat” it was a killer - glad we backed off that one straight away
Surprised there has been nothing said about it
Kenb:
robert1952:
Kenb:
robert1952:
I’ve just spent eight days in Sudan (not South Sudan). What a wonderful place! Marvellous, friendly, welcoming people. I was mostly travelling among tribes in the desert and visiting ancient pyramid sites, but of course, me being me, I made sure I knew what the trucking scene was doing.Most of the pics here were taken on the Port Sudan to Khartoum road. Nearly all the big lorries were double-bottomed artics (artic and trailer with dolly).
The doubles were limited to 80 kph maximum at 70 tonnes gross. Artics were permitted only 35 tonnes. Much of it was container traffic.
I stuck to Landcruiser or camel (see pic below). Robert
10
So Mr Robert
What did you know about S. Jones/Trans Arabia plans for the Sudan operations in 1980.Ah-ha! Nothing! I didn’t know they were that ambitious. Presumably, they would have had to operate from Port Sudan as there was no cross-border road link with Egypt as far as I know, apart from the ‘forty days road’ camel trail. Incidentally, they are just about to open a proper road for transport from Wadi Halfa to Aswan, and not before time! Do you know of any plans by Trans Arabia to go Sudanese? Robert
Oh yes. The company was to be called. “Trans Sudan or Sudan Roadways”. I worked on the project for 18months - getting a decent partner was the issue - the contract was for United Mollases taking bulk molasas From Kenana 200km St of Khartoum to Port Sudan and fuel oils from Port Sudan to Nile Delta - Khartoum area - the refinery had good tank cleaning facilities - it was a very interesting experience - i had contacts in Port Sudan from Jeddah with a local shipping agent and the family who used to rent me a car to travel to Khartoum and Kennana with full fuel for round trip about 2500miles - nice people the Sudanese
The Kenworths and tank trailers and dolleys for road train operation were nearly ordered a couple of our best Brit drivers were going to lead with some Philipino driver whilst doing we sussed out the locals also we were going to run road trains - and then there was a financial hick up!!!
Binzager stepped in late in the day - but not sure what finally happenedWe were also offered the contract in the Yemen - that Camel/ Cunard did - Al Hudaydah to Senna
There were lot of major issues with Camel as I heard and lots of drivers got killed on the mountain road - it was just like the Taif mountain road in height but not such goo surface - but with local drivers high at kites on “ghat” it was a killer - glad we backed off that one straight awaySurprised there has been nothing said about it
Blimey! That’s a whole chunk of astonishing transport history floating about in the ether - or to be more precise, in your memory. Glad you shared it. Kenana is on the White Nile, as you say 200km south of Khartoum. I’m surprised that in those days they didn’t plan to sail it down the Nile to Khartoum. Getting it from there to Port Sudan wouldn’t have been that easy either, if your chronology precedes Osama Bin Laden’s finance and construction of the sealed road to Shendi and eventually onward to Port Sudan in the '80s.
As for Yemen - would love to go there, and will eventually - I understand from extensive reading that what you say is true: qat-chewing drivers in the mountains are not natural adherents to HMSO’s Highway Code! I knew that CAMEL did Yemen on the shipping container front but I had no idea that they did road-transport ‘internals’ as well. Indeed, I didn’t know that anyone did ‘internals’ in Yemen. This is revealing stuff, Ken.
Cheers! Robert
I’ve been rummaging through my old cuttings and have found this article from Supertrucks magazine 1985, about a UK lorry sent out to do aid-runs internally in Sudan. I remember buying and reading this at the time and writing to Roadrunner to offer my services as a driver. Never got an answer of course. Nonetheless it makes interesting reading. They were clearly careful and thorough in their preparations. Robert
Hi Robert,
some grand pictures there mate, you got anymore
cheers
gaz
robert1952:
I’ve been rummaging through my old cuttings and have found this article from Supertrucks magazine 1985, about a UK lorry sent out to do aid-runs internally in Sudan. I remember buying and reading this at the time and writing to Roadrunner to offer my services as a driver. Never got an answer of course. Nonetheless it makes interesting reading. They were clearly careful and thorough in their preparations. Robert3210[/quote
Robert
Interesting - I wonder what happened yo them and what they actually did in the end.One of my first memories in Port Sudan was observing about 20 brand new Japanses 6 wheelers fully loaded with aid food - they were in the hands of a dealer - the goods were being sold and the trucks also for cash !!! So that proved to me what really happens to Aid money - so never put in any since.
I really liked Sudan and the people never had problem traveling. Is was also interesting to have direct acces to government minister - you could see that the basic government admin was British - they kept saying to me " why won’t your government come back and help us get the system working again properly!!!
Cheers.
Ken b
Kenb:
robert1952:
I’ve been rummaging through my old cuttings and have found this article from Supertrucks magazine 1985, about a UK lorry sent out to do aid-runs internally in Sudan. I remember buying and reading this at the time and writing to Roadrunner to offer my services as a driver. Never got an answer of course. Nonetheless it makes interesting reading. They were clearly careful and thorough in their preparations. Robert[/quote
Robert
Interesting - I wonder what happened yo them and what they actually did in the end.One of my first memories in Port Sudan was observing about 20 brand new Japanses 6 wheelers fully loaded with aid food - they were in the hands of a dealer - the goods were being sold and the trucks also for cash !!! So that proved to me what really happens to Aid money - so never put in any since.
I really liked Sudan and the people never had problem traveling. Is was also interesting to have direct acces to government minister - you could see that the basic government admin was British - they kept saying to me " why won’t your government come back and help us get the system working again properly!!!
Cheers.
Ken b
Apart from bumping off the Mahdi and thousands of locals, the Brits did leave them with quite a good railway. I visited the Railway Museum at Ataba to find out more… Robert
Hey Robert, no mention of the box, if it was a Fuller, details about engine uprade en drive axle changes.
By the way did today about 500km in Belgium and saw only a few Brits en a 1000 Easterns 
Eric,
tiptop495:
Hey Robert, no mention of the box, if it was a Fuller,
By the way did today about 500km in Belgium and saw only a few Brits en a 1000 EasternsEric,
I miss driving in Belgium. There’s a Douane official I should have a drink with! Back in '96 he fined me for not having a Vignette in my window on a Saturday when you couldn’t buy them at the border. He conducted my case in his van, in perfect English, then made me fill in the official form explaining why I hadn’t paid. When I filled in the form in Flemmish Dutch, he laughed his head off and said, ‘Next time we meet, we must go for a drink together!’ Here’s a pic of the lorry I was driving at the time. Robert 
