Juddian:
Had to have a bit of nous, and brawn, those old wagons self regulated who could or who would want to drive one.
Bit different now, select D and press the loud pedal, don’t even need to release the switch masquerading as a park brake, one finger steering.Could you imagine the reaction in a typical yard if an old boneshaker with a gearbox from hell no powersteering complete with flatbed trailer requiring handball loading then roping and sheeting turned up.
Whether or not others would like to admit it, that Juddian in my opinion is exactly why the haulage industry is where it is today. Flats were parked because new drivers couldn’t / wouldn’t rope and sheet so along came the curtainsider and if it went in and the curtains pulled then it was grand - nobody knew there was 25 tons of concrete sitting on the floor with nothing holding it down . Now even with reinforced curtains and ratchet straps they still can’t manage to keep a load on from A to B but the old chestnut "ropes aern’t safe / up to enxxxx standard "is the excuse you hear when the simple fact is they can’t drive , a good few of them out there aern’t fit to be trusted with anything bigger than a shopping trolley and even at that when you see the state of cars in a supermarket carpark you would have to wonder if a shopping trolley is to much for them .