the maoster:
. You got a puncture and lorries from random companies would pull up to offer assistance, you got to a delivery point and other drivers in the queue helped with folding your sheets up and you did the same for them. All in all it built a sense of cameraderie that is sadly lacking nowadays.
Correct.
About 15 years ago, I had a youngish lad on for me, around 30-35. There’s only about 5 companies in our sector and pulling out of a customer depot, he and the second driver came across one of our competitors trucks stranded, slid off the edge of the road and onto the sunken verge. Said driver went by laughing at them I’ve had drivers hit garage forecourt rooves, put the wrong fuel in tanks, but I’ve not given anyone down the banks as much as I gave him. Like as not, nothing he could do, but in my old school way, you stop and see if there is anything they need/you can do. Still makes me grumpy thinking about it.
I was a late starter to full time driving, 1983, and finished in 2002 so not a long career but anyone who worked out of Tilcons Ballidon Quarry in Derbyshire will know that we had a dispatch clerk who knew exactly where you were and what time you were expected back without any assistance from a tracker or mobile phone! Tom Wibberley knew to the minute when you should be back at the quarry, (woah betide you if your were late!) when every driver needed a break and how much driving time you had remaining so no point coming out with “I haven’t time to go there Tom” because it just didn’t wash with him! I did park up early one day, told him I was held up on a job, and just my luck that BBC TV were filming a news item near where I parked at the time and he saw me on the news! Another bollicking for Pete haha!
Personally I thought tachos were a good thing if used correctly, the driver could only do so much legally so it SHOULD have avoided the scenario; “Just nip over to ■■■ before you finish” as the card told you you couldn’t. One local lad who was on distance thought them great as he got more nights away from home with extra night out money so a bigger wage packet. Of course folk abused them, possibly still do, so something that should have been to the drivers advantage in that everything was done legally went right out of the window!
Regarding limiters, there were some runs that I couldn’t do when limiters came in without parking up and getting fetched back in by a fitter etc, my last truck was restricted to 52 mph which was just too slow on Motorways.
i remember my Uncle who was in Heavy Haulage parking his tractor unit on road at top of scheme. Seeing his bag get thrown out cab door followed by his good self unable to walk, having stopped for a drink on way home after a hard week.
Although I believe I am a generation too late to have enjoyed the golden era of the 80`s, I am glad certain aspects of this culture no longer exist
As mentioned sometimes I’d be away all week and not ring the office, as I was on own account work and didn’t backload.
Saying that finding somewhere to park and use a pay phone was a pain and the rows of pay phones on motorway services were always full of sales reps booking appointments [emoji3513]
DF40:
i remember my Uncle who was in Heavy Haulage parking his tractor unit on road at top of scheme. Seeing his bag get thrown out cab door followed by his good self unable to walk, having stopped for a drink on way home after a hard week.
Although I believe I am a generation too late to have enjoyed the golden era of the 80`s, I am glad certain aspects of this culture no longer exist
Not really something to shout about and I am afraid we still have morons like that now unfortunately.
DF40:
i remember my Uncle who was in Heavy Haulage parking his tractor unit on road at top of scheme. Seeing his bag get thrown out cab door followed by his good self unable to walk, having stopped for a drink on way home after a hard week.
Although I believe I am a generation too late to have enjoyed the golden era of the 80`s, I am glad certain aspects of this culture no longer exist
Not really something to shout about and I am afraid we still have morons like that now unfortunately.
if you read df40’s last sentence I dont think he is shouting about anything.
DF40:
i remember my Uncle who was in Heavy Haulage parking his tractor unit on road at top of scheme. Seeing his bag get thrown out cab door followed by his good self unable to walk, having stopped for a drink on way home after a hard week.
Although I believe I am a generation too late to have enjoyed the golden era of the 80`s, I am glad certain aspects of this culture no longer exist
Not really something to shout about and I am afraid we still have morons like that now unfortunately.
if you read df40’s last sentence I dont think he is shouting about anything.
No spotty pointy-shoed traffic planner phoning to ask why you have gone off route/ are running late (answer, I’m going to/ have been to Madame Trixi’s house of ill repute)
No camera filming you talking to yourself, picking your nose or scratching your ■■■■■■■■.
Load security required decided by person who carries load week in, week out, not by civil servant who has never driven anything larger than a Ford Mondeo.
No spending five days in classroom being terminally bored every five years,
That’ll do for now, I’m sure I will think of more later.
You had to be able to double de-clutch, which only a few elite driving gods could do.
There was a chance that the truck you were driving - was made in Britain from actual metal.
Your truck had gears, which made the public think “Gee how complicated!” and show us a bit of respect when going up and down the 3-way splitter gearbox of a seddon…
A roll of carpet - was a perfectly respectable way to transport a young female…
I was on over there in the 60’s and 70’s, and as the maoster said, we didn’t have all this rushing about and jit crap. All right, the motors didn’t have a/c, blue tooth, raspberry, prat nav etc, but we got the job done and most of didn’t go round trying to demolish bridges. Kipping on the engine cover of an Ergo Leyland or across the ERF, Foden etc wasn’t the best, but you could always find digs if you wanted. If I wasn’t so old and decrepit I’d go back to that way of life tomorrow, and this ain’t rose tinted spec’s I’m wearing.
As Albion said about stopping to see if all was well its still expected of you out in the sticks in rural Canada and it doesn’t matter car truck you slow down or stop …most times its a wave on but odd occasion its “have you got >>>>” or ■■■■ things died any chance o a lift to farm/village.jumpstart. reputation is all out here and drivers being drivers talk!,my running buddy didn’t stop to help a competitor one day wintertime (think minus 20c) ,I stopped and he was frozen stiff ,the truck had blew a rad hose and he had ice on his eyebrows no joke,so I waited till his mechanic came out to let him thaw out. I got back to yard late and was told the other company boss had phoned up and offered to pay “my time I had sat with his driver” to my boss. jimmy
Was even better through the 60s Harry, didnt need transport as most bosses let you take home..nick a parafin lamp from the roadworks, and hook it on the back..ha ha ..all what you said was spot on too harry, great when the boss always said..see ya when ya get back ` hands you an envelope that contained …paperwork, permits, running sheet and of course running money, and night out money too, great days,great memories.
No spotty pointy-shoed traffic planner phoning to ask why you have gone off route/ are running late (answer, I’m going to/ have been to Madame Trixi’s house of ill repute)
No camera filming you talking to yourself, picking your nose or scratching your ■■■■■■■■.
Load security required decided by person who carries load week in, week out, not by civil servant who has never driven anything larger than a Ford Mondeo.
No spending five days in classroom being terminally bored every five years,
That’ll do for now, I’m sure I will think of more later.
If one could turn the clock back to a period or yr where traffic and rules were less than today what yr would it be and would you wish to drive the lorries of said period having driven lorries of today ?
Punchy Dan:
If one could turn the clock back to a period or yr where traffic and rules were less than today what yr would it be and would you wish to drive the lorries of said period having driven lorries of today ?
1984, 3300 DAF at 38 tonne, we had cab phones no one dare ring more than once a day, night heaters were becoming a standard fitting and keyfuels were a sensible fuel solution
Punchy Dan:
If one could turn the clock back to a period or yr where traffic and rules were less than today what yr would it be and would you wish to drive the lorries of said period having driven lorries of today ?
Mid nineties.
Super Space Cab DAF. Night heater and manual box standard. Fridges available.
Paper tacho, with a bit of lee-way on enforcement. A few minutes here or there not even noticed, but nothing silly allowed.
TIR parks and T-forms finished. SatNav and tracker not in common use.
I did park up early one day, told him I was held up on a job, and just my luck that BBC TV were filming a news item near where I parked at the time and he saw me on the news! Another bollicking for Pete haha!
jimmy