Fergie47:
Buzzer:
One of Pitters with a load of fruit, I did some loads for them out of 105 berth back in the day, BuzzerHi John, if memory serves, 1250 cases ? either apples or oranges, on a 40 ft at 32 ton.
I’ve loaded 3 trailers in a day, roped and sheeted, 102 / 103 berth back to Totton when I was shunting at S.of M. for night trunk to Scotland.
Fit as the proverbial butchers dog in those days, doubt I could climb up on the trailer now…
Dave, Your comments remind me of my 3 years with Robert Baillie & Co Ltd from early 1970 at their Wigan depot.
For 9 months of the year, the majority of our work was Guernsey Tomatoes, loaded at Portsmouth and sent up to
Baillies Wigan and Doncaster depots on night trunk, driven by Horndean based drivers. The tomatoes were packed
in wooden trays, strapped in bundles of 3, so the regular total was 3000 trays/ 1000 bundles. The delivery of them
to wholesale fruit & veg markets was all handball, with the exception of Belfast, Glasgow, and Liverpool.
The tomatoes for these 3 markets were all on steel pallets of the Guernsey Tomato Marketing Board.
You had to be careful when unloading, because there were about 8 different sizes and grades of tomatoes, and up
to 8 wholesalers at the market, e.g. the old wholesale market in Swan Street, Manchester. Our working day started
anytime between midnight and 4am. We didnt know wether we were classed as day workers or night workers. 
Cheers, Ray Smyth.