just watched a short film about trucking in the eighties,showed a driver working for renwicks freight[might even be one of you fellas]driving a beat up IVECO,no seatbelts,portable radio on the dash,no air con[hot day]and the cab noise from the engine,unbelievable,it was a film by steve Higgins,point being how things have changed in 20 /30 years,quite fascinating to watch,the phone number on the cab even started with area code 01
Renwicks,the eager Beaver.Think they originated from Exeter?
Suedehead:
Renwicks,the eager Beaver.
Don’t encourage him.
My Dad was a driver in the 80’s. Came off the road after a major rta, lost his hgv rights as he lost an eye. Tells me all the time how they were proper drivers. Standing up to steer(lack of power steering), ridiculous gear boxes and no sat navigation ect.
He was still over the moon when I told him I passed my class 1 today 
twas the norm then, we used to do all sorts and get upto allsorts of tricks but job got done, no hi viz etc but seems less accidents cos we was “aware” of what we were doing not following guideline wrote by some office wallah . cabs were noisy,uncomfortable but they were the best we got. aircon was open window (if winder worked) , wing mirrors were from ladies compacts they were so small. cold (very) in winter an to hot in summer. digs if you could afford them was like a yankee bunkhouse and you lifted bed to put bed leg in each boot so they didnt get nicked. sheets (tarpaulins) were put on floor and driven a wheel onto so they didnt get nicked.more holes on cab floor for ventilation (rust really).
yep them were “the good old days”
I would be back there tomorrow, more driver camaraderie, more fun, more nights in pub with other drivers (you didnt know them till you said hi on lorry park).
MORE LORRY PARKS (most towns had a lorry park. roads were quieter,
In all todays trucks/working practices and conditions are way way better but the sense/joy of being on the open road fending for yourself has been lost. sad but true…drivers today are regulated to the hilt, cant even change a bulb let alone a starter motor etc.
its very boring and sad.
we are all steering wheel attendants, told what to do by some kid who has never seen inside a truck let alone drive one. we are told which route to take,where to have a break, and how long to check truck over.
sad sad day that is.
Glad i retire in 2 an 1/2 years cos the job is so so mundane now.
red7jase:
My Dad was a driver in the 80’s. Came off the road after a major rta, lost his hgv rights as he lost an eye. Tells me all the time how they were proper drivers. Standing up to steer(lack of power steering), ridiculous gear boxes and no sat navigation ect.
He was still over the moon when I told him I passed my class 1 today
congrats and hope you have a good of life on the road as i and many others have.
truckman020:
just watched a short film about trucking in the eighties,showed a driver working for renwicks freight[might even be one of you fellas]driving a beat up IVECO,no seatbelts,portable radio on the dash,no air con[hot day]and the cab noise from the engine,unbelievable,it was a film by steve Higgins,point being how things have changed in 20 /30 years,quite fascinating to watch,the phone number on the cab even started with area code 01
And …
Lots of us were there !
He often tells the story of when he was in a local pub and got in a fracas with local youths and other chaps heard about a driver was on a bit of strife and basically half the pub stood up and backed a fellow drive 
Not sure it would happen now they just ■■■■ and ■■■ in bush and hide in their cabs 
red7jase:
He often tells the story of when he was in a local pub and got in a fracas with local youths and other chaps heard about a driver was on a bit of strife and basically half the pub stood up and backed a fellow drive
Not sure it would happen now they just ■■■■ and ■■■ in bush and hide in their cabs
The biggest problem now would be being able to park near a pub and if you did you’d be unlikely to find another driver in the pub.
red7jase:
My Dad was a driver in the 80’s. Came off the road after a major rta, lost his hgv rights as he lost an eye. Tells me all the time how they were proper drivers. Standing up to steer(lack of power steering), ridiculous gear boxes and no sat navigation ect.
He was still over the moon when I told him I passed my class 1 today
It would have needed to be some real old junk by the 1980’s to not have power steering.It was a common/usual fit on most wagons built even during the 1970’s.Even the old P reg 70’s Clydesdale I drove on the council had it.The very few that didn’t being older 1950/60’s made or at least deigned heaps.While the choice then as now was generally just lighter faster to use constant mesh v inferior slower heavier to use synchro.It’s just that the EU has now removed the choice for you to try the difference.It would be fair to say that pre limiter mid 1980’s was the peak of the best trucks and was one of the,if not the,best times to be a driver.It’s just as shame that it still wasn’t log books and no tachos like the 1970’s.Which luckily as a council driver through much of the 1980’s I kept for a bit longer than most.
truckman020:
the phone number on the cab even started with area code 01
All of todays area codes start with an 01 
The-Snowman:
truckman020:
the phone number on the cab even started with area code 01All of todays area codes start with an 01
What about London?
I started in an old Bedford TK series in 1985. Night out on the parcel shelf!
N-reg Guy big J…no power steering. …great if you was going on a straight bit of road
red7jase:
My Dad was a driver in the 80’s. Came off the road after a major rta, lost his hgv rights as he lost an eye. Tells me all the time how they were proper drivers. Standing up to steer(lack of power steering), ridiculous gear boxes and no sat navigation ect.
He was still over the moon when I told him I passed my class 1 today
You aint that thick are you mate to believe all that 
Nah I aint having that, Gearboxes that weren’t auto? do you mean they had clutches like cars,…and ridiculous? So are you saying the gears didn’t just ‘go in’ like a car?
And NO SAT NAVS?? 
you what?..no… how did they find their way around then?
I think your Dad is having you on bud, everybody takes the ■■■■ out of us newbies, they think we believe anything.
Contraflow:
The-Snowman:
truckman020:
the phone number on the cab even started with area code 01All of todays area codes start with an 01
What about London?
Southampton?
I started in '75 and fair to say most if not all the vehicles I drove had power steering…no heater to speak of and no sleepers either.
But what I seem to remember is that considering the small engine sizes then, a 290 was a staggering bit of kit!
Many trucks running at 32 ton were fitted at most with a something like a 12 litre 220 ■■■■■■■■ today you see some 7½ tonners with 220 BHP! (but they aint 12 litres!)
Twoninety88:
I started in '75 and fair to say most if not all the vehicles I drove had power steering…no heater to speak of and no sleepers either.
But what I seem to remember is that considering the small engine sizes then, a 290 was a staggering bit of kit!Many trucks running at 32 ton were fitted at most with a something like a 12 litre 220 ■■■■■■■■ today you see some 7½ tonners with 220 BHP! (but they aint 12 litres!)
A mate of mine holidaying in the US in the 80s got talking to a trucker over there, and said his truck also had a ■■■■■■■ engine.
What size asked the Yank. A 250 said my mate.
He replied ‘Oh yeh 250, I have one of them in my reefer trailer’ 
True tale.
How big we’re the trailers in the 70/80s?
LASHHGV:
How big we’re the trailers in the 70/80s?
I pulled from 28’ tandem through to 40’ tandem in the 60’s, including a 30’ single axle that bounced about like mad when it was empty. The 28 footers disappeared as soon as you touched the wheel when you was reversing. 
Used to take them round the Borough Market… ■■■■■■■ nightmare.