Ackworth / Onward Transport

Iain its good to see you on this thread, now get your finger out and post some pictures. Lets face it you took plenty as you had little else to do at the time!!!

That was how i found out about those special hitch’s which you loved on a full load of double stacked barrels!

ERF64cu1:
That was how i found out about those special hitch’s which you loved on a full load of double stacked barrels!

Still no pics Iain can’t you deal with the technology or do you need instructing similar to the discussions we had on your early attempts ha ha at sheeting and roping?

BIG AW:

240 Gardner:

killsville:

rich12:
i can remember seeing a few of their motors ready to be sold off in bocs yard at barnsley in the mid 90s,i think boc had bought them out then disposed of the trucks.

I think you’re right.

The ERF I bought showed BOC as the previous owner on the log book. I bought fleet no. 383 from a dealer in Coventry in 1996.

Onward was bought by BOC Distribution Services’ short-lived ambient network, BOC Interbrand. Interbrand had been formed by a buyout of Beecham Foods in-house distribution division, PDS (Products Distribution Services) and the idea was that this would form the basis of an ambient network to complement their existing BOC Transhield and G L Baker operations. The chilled side of the group also took on Spalding Haulage (with lots of stored-up legal grief!) around the same time.

Although non-Beecham traffic was added to the business (principally the former Onward traffic, I think - Haribo springs to mind as one customer) they then proceeded to lose the Beecham contract to Wincanton once the initial guaranteed period had expired, and that was the end of BOC Interbrand.

The evoultion of the BOC business is Gist, who still run out of the former Baylis depot at Thornbury (remember the Onward/Baylis link?) for M&S - this was previously used by BOC as the distribution centre for Beecham products from Coleford (Ribena), Maidenhead (OTC medicines) and Slough (Horlicks).

Finally, I seem to recall that Ian Storey, formerly a director of Onward, joined BOC Distribution Services as a director.

Onward was bought by BOC interbrands and had nothing to do with non beecham traffic it was bought to get BOC into genral haulage and they failed Gist had nothing to do with it as well it was called transhield up to a few years ago long after interbrands flipped out i dont know where you have got your info from. BOC wanted to buy into a well known haulage firm they choose onward for its know how and the fact they had depots all over the uk which in fact didnt buy they rented. They took the units trailers and plant and the contracts losing the homepride and then the zeneka work was the last straw and they jumped ship turned a well known and resected firm and shut it down and ian storey never went to BOC because there is no ian storey so if you want to know anything else what went down at Onward transport let me know i only work ther for 12 years and my dad for 20

Was there a bloke in management at BOC Transhield called Charles Robinson?

kevmac47:

ERF64cu1:
That was how i found out about those special hitch’s which you loved on a full load of double stacked barrels!

Still no pics Iain can’t you deal with the technology or do you need instructing similar to the discussions we had on your early attempts ha ha at sheeting and roping?

Kevin
Do you think my roping and sheeting skills would have got me a job at Bewick Transport!!

BIG AW:

240 Gardner:

killsville:

rich12:
i can remember seeing a few of their motors ready to be sold off in bocs yard at barnsley in the mid 90s,i think boc had bought them out then disposed of the trucks.

I think you’re right.

The ERF I bought showed BOC as the previous owner on the log book. I bought fleet no. 383 from a dealer in Coventry in 1996.

Onward was bought by BOC Distribution Services’ short-lived ambient network, BOC Interbrand. Interbrand had been formed by a buyout of Beecham Foods in-house distribution division, PDS (Products Distribution Services) and the idea was that this would form the basis of an ambient network to complement their existing BOC Transhield and G L Baker operations. The chilled side of the group also took on Spalding Haulage (with lots of stored-up legal grief!) around the same time.

Although non-Beecham traffic was added to the business (principally the former Onward traffic, I think - Haribo springs to mind as one customer) they then proceeded to lose the Beecham contract to Wincanton once the initial guaranteed period had expired, and that was the end of BOC Interbrand.

The evoultion of the BOC business is Gist, who still run out of the former Baylis depot at Thornbury (remember the Onward/Baylis link?) for M&S - this was previously used by BOC as the distribution centre for Beecham products from Coleford (Ribena), Maidenhead (OTC medicines) and Slough (Horlicks).

Finally, I seem to recall that Ian Storey, formerly a director of Onward, joined BOC Distribution Services as a director.

Onward was bought by BOC interbrands and had nothing to do with non beecham traffic it was bought to get BOC into genral haulage and they failed Gist had nothing to do with it as well it was called transhield up to a few years ago long after interbrands flipped out i dont know where you have got your info from. BOC wanted to buy into a well known haulage firm they choose onward for its know how and the fact they had depots all over the uk which in fact didnt buy they rented. They took the units trailers and plant and the contracts losing the homepride and then the zeneka work was the last straw and they jumped ship turned a well known and resected firm and shut it down and ian storey never went to BOC because there is no ian storey so if you want to know anything else what went down at Onward transport let me know i only work ther for 12 years and my dad for 20

If you read what I wrote, you will see that I said that BOC bought Onward to broaden their ambient business beyond the Beecham business. They already had the basis of a national depot network, acquired from what was then SmithKline Beecham (SB). The Onward business was intended to complement what they already had, and I neither stated nor implied that Onward were associated with Beecham traffic.

Some time after BOC Interbrand was wrapped up, BOC Transhield, BOC Baker, Spalding Haulage, etc., became known simply as BOC Distribution Services, and which was later re-branded as Gist Limited. Interbrand & Transhield were both divisions of BOC Distribution. Gist still have some older equipment carrying the BOCDS logo, and continue to operate an ambient depot at Hemel under the name of G L Baker. Thus, you will see that Gist is a direct evolution of BOCDS, exactly as I said. Less well-known, perhaps, than their M&S business, Gist do actually have some ambient business today.

My information came directly from the senior management of Beecham PDS & BOCDS, with whom my colleagues and I were heavily involved at the time. Along with one other regional operator, we pioneered the outsourcing of their regional distribution, enabling BOC to close most of the former PDS depots, such as Widnes, Leeds and Airdrie. Thus it was that I had knowledge of some of the former Onward traffic, as it formed a part of the portfolio we handled.

Finally, dredging the depths of my memory (please note I inferred that I was unsure of the recollection), I think that the man who joined BOC may have been Ian Ramsay. I was not acquainted with him, hence the less clear recollection of his name.

Whilst the loss of Onward contracts was undoubtedly contributory to the general decline, it was the loss of the SB business to Wincanton that sounded the death knell for BOC Interbrand, and thus for BOC’s ambition to develop an ambient shared-user network to complement their chilled operations.

The sale of the transport interests to BOC was not the end of Onward, of course: onwardholdings.com/index.php?opt … &Itemid=74 You can read there about the Onward Baylis JV to which I referred earlier.

Clearly, BOC/Gist have not been entirely deterred by previous experiences of acquisition, as they bought G&S earlier this year.

Hope this helps untangle your knickers.

Bewick:
Was there a bloke in management at BOC Transhield called Charles Robinson?

Sorry Dennis, I’ve no idea - we were working with BOC only on ambient business.

ERF64cu1:

kevmac47:

ERF64cu1:
That was how i found out about those special hitch’s which you loved on a full load of double stacked barrels!

Still no pics Iain can’t you deal with the technology or do you need instructing similar to the discussions we had on your early attempts ha ha at sheeting and roping?

Kevin
Do you think my roping and sheeting skills would have got me a job at Bewick Transport!!

I don’t think the word skill could have been used in it’s true meaning then Iain, I will admit you have improved since.

BIG AW:

kevmac47:
When I worked for Onward most of the artics were ERFs and the rigids were Daf
although our shunt unit at Birtley was a very dilapidated Crusader.
I started out with a day cab “B” series ERF with a 265 Rolls Royce, after about
9 months I was given a new E series ERF,I was like a dog with two tails!!!
I am still trying to sort out some photos from this era and when I do I shall
post them. My good friend Iain Wilkinson has a lot more photos than I do
so I hope he will respond to this prompt■■?

i worked at onward in the 80 90 at ackworth ist the yard then driving good times would not swap them times for anything some good lads pity it went ■■■■ up

Big AW.Ive sent you a PM with my phone no. Have you any photo’s to post? Kevmac47.

Kevin,
Just sorted some photos out to keep you happy from those days at Onward,Birtley.

Kevin your pride and joy 324. The ERF E series which you got new in April 87 with ■■■■■■■■ L10 290 after its mid life repaint at Ackworth. A handsome you at the wheel!!

Ian could you not have got them to give Kevin a mid life refit AS WELL ? the motor looks ok even if it is
a E.R.F. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Nice to see a proper ■■■■■■■ badge on the grill even though its not a true 14 ltr monster behind it. :frowning: :laughing:

8LXBV8BRIAN:
Kevin your pride and joy 324. The ERF E series which you got new in April 87 with ■■■■■■■■ L10 290 after its mid life repaint at Ackworth. A handsome you at the wheel!!

Ian could you not have got them to give Kevin a mid life refit AS WELL ? the motor looks ok even if it is
a E.R.F. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Nice to see a proper ■■■■■■■ badge on the grill even though its not a true 14 ltr monster behind it. :frowning: :laughing:

I’m about due for that refit now Brian I think I’ve got “atki” knees from jumping out of the cab all those years.

PS. still waiting for pics of my old 1418 if you (as the official camera pest at Waugh’s) have any.

ERF64cu1:
Kevin,
Just sorted some photos out to keep you happy from those days at Onward,Birtley.[/quote

Great shot of me at the wheel Iain thank heaven for large wing mirrors.

Sorry Kevin stopped taking photos when the 1418 mercs started to arrive, didn’t take any
pictures of the BEST EVER V8 engine mercs either was well P— OFF when they sold
HJR 451L :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: never got over it , still in trauma to this day. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

kevmac47:

ERF64cu1:
Kevin,
Just sorted some photos out to keep you happy from those days at Onward,Birtley.
[/quote

Great shot of me at the wheel Iain thank heaven for large wing mirrors.

Just as well ERF fitted big mirrors!! No offence Kevin. Just a good chance to get you back! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

BIG AW:
Sad to see all these old firm and drivers are fading away no more old lads with story about the good old days and tales off adventure
on the road more likly to step over you than give you hand now .
in the 25or so years in the industry things have change for the worst everybody chasing around and on the end of a phone wanting to know
when and where and it seems that every other driver in a uk lorry is a (overseas person).
Its agood job that flat trailers are only used for special work because the job would grind to a halt some drivers would drive over them has you where folding them
sorry if i sound down about this but it looks like ive got another 25 years to do.

Andy heres a shot of the little merc I bought from Onward when they closed Birtley Depot. I think you may have driven it when you were a boy before you took your HGV test.
regards Kevin. (Taken by Iain)
img028.jpg

Kevin did John yendle ? start at onward around the same time as you .

8LXBV8BRIAN:
Kevin did John yendle ? start at onward around the same time as you .

About 18 months after me, last time I saw John he had moved to Consett and he had given up his HGV licence due to illness.
That was about 3 years ago, havn’t heard anything since.

I used to see John quite a bit in Safeway’s rdc and the Stockton rdc picking up waste paper
and another bloke i saw in Stockton that didn’t recognise me :laughing: :laughing: John always had a big
smile on his face and such a pleasant guy.

8LXBV8BRIAN:
I used to see John quite a bit in Safeway’s rdc and the Stockton rdc picking up waste paper
and another bloke i saw in Stockton that didn’t recognise me :laughing: :laughing: John always had a big
smile on his face and such a pleasant guy.

Can’t think of anyone who could forget that striking profile Brian, unless he still remembered it when it still had hair. sorry!!!