This unit was on the C.R.T.S and was then put on uk work my dad had this unit in the 70/80 at some time this was taken in the top yard at ack the warehouse in the background was to service the then ICI contract
This is taken at senior greens at caldervale road in wakefield the man on the right is Tony Thorpe he showed me this photo a few years ago he was trailer mate for the other in the pic is name is Deal cant remember is first name is son also work at Ackworth i think Bob Deal he was a fitter and was as mad as box of frogs last time i heard he was working for Hill Hire at Euroway Bradford.
As it turns out the buildings in the background were rented to Ack/Onward in the 80s for warehouseing small world.
These have been borrowed from the Onward Holdings web site the driver of wagon being waved off is i think a old hand called Cyril Key iam told he was one off the first to go over the water i dont know if he is still kicking about i worked with Cyril when i first started at the firm he was a nice bloke.
He once told me that years ago one of the other drivers was messing about and left the handbrake off another unit and it ran into his putting a dent in the front panel, then when i found this pic there is the dint the other driver was a bloke called Kenny Beckett another old hand that was a pioneer of this industry funny tho he was potty as well 
This was my old girl, we bought it in 1990 from warner of wingate ex Onward. It was immaculate and faultless when we bought her, an original flatbed, i operated and drove her for 10.5 years all over the uk. i put a piston in and a new water pump and that was about it, then after 6 year i put a 2700ati engine in her and she was a flyer. Just after we bought her my father phoned Ackworth and asked if they minded if we kept the colours and they no problem and even gave us the paint code,Happy memories,Steve.
Some good pics there Andy, lots of them were before my time but they still bring back memories of a great job. Ps Steviedug I do remember your
motor. regards Kev.
stevie dug:
This was my old girl, we bought it in 1990 from warner of wingate ex Onward. It was immaculate and faultless when we bought her, an original flatbed, i operated and drove her for 10.5 years all over the uk. i put a piston in and a new water pump and that was about it, then after 6 year i put a 2700ati engine in her and she was a flyer. Just after we bought her my father phoned Ackworth and asked if they minded if we kept the colours and they no problem and even gave us the paint code,Happy memories,Steve.
Aye up steve mate that Daf was driven by a lad called ron harrison he kept it tip top and in all the time i knew him i never saw him dirty not that he was idle far from it but he had a flat on full time so he was always ropeing n sheeting
Hello Big AW, aye she was perfect when we got her, after i sold her i had another 2100 same spec which i had for 3 yr never let me down, then a big 4000 foden six wheel flat and now a Scania six wheel flat, all were and are lovely motors but i must admit the ex Onward ( Lady A) was my favourite, you could have the bunks set up as two bunks and was great for stowing the weeks gear. As i said i drove her for 10.5 yr and always got back home, no abs etc and as she had been so well maintained by Onwards she lasted to the grand old age of 17. another thing was the body was ali and wood and was perfect in everyway very well built. As i said very happy days.
BIG AW:
stevie dug:
This was my old girl, we bought it in 1990 from warner of wingate ex Onward. It was immaculate and faultless when we bought her, an original flatbed, i operated and drove her for 10.5 years all over the uk. i put a piston in and a new water pump and that was about it, then after 6 year i put a 2700ati engine in her and she was a flyer. Just after we bought her my father phoned Ackworth and asked if they minded if we kept the colours and they no problem and even gave us the paint code,Happy memories,Steve.Aye up steve mate that Daf was driven by a lad called ron harrison he kept it tip top and in all the time i knew him i never saw him dirty not that he was idle far from it but he had a flat on full time so he was always ropeing n sheeting
Hi,Did you know a driver Geoff Tallant I think he drove for Ackworths.My dad used to work for A.One and see him no and again,I used to knock about with him in our schooldays,a long while ago lol.Last I heard of Geoff he was operating a fishing boat out of Bridlington.
jeffrey ellener:
BIG AW:
stevie dug:
This was my old girl, we bought it in 1990 from warner of wingate ex Onward. It was immaculate and faultless when we bought her, an original flatbed, i operated and drove her for 10.5 years all over the uk. i put a piston in and a new water pump and that was about it, then after 6 year i put a 2700ati engine in her and she was a flyer. Just after we bought her my father phoned Ackworth and asked if they minded if we kept the colours and they no problem and even gave us the paint code,Happy memories,Steve.Aye up steve mate that Daf was driven by a lad called ron harrison he kept it tip top and in all the time i knew him i never saw him dirty not that he was idle far from it but he had a flat on full time so he was always ropeing n sheeting
Hi,Did you know a driver Geoff Tallant I think he drove for Ackworths.My dad used to work for A.One and see him no and again,I used to knock about with him in our schooldays,a long while ago lol.Last I heard of Geoff he was operating a fishing boat out of Bridlington.
Yes he did mate if you look back through this tread i replied to your last post
Found a few more pics
This unit and trl was painted for a at the time new company New york seltzer it was going to be the next big thing but never was it was driven by Mick Barker one of the most genuine blokes you could meet went to work at BOC Transhield when they took us over i think he as retired now.
This one was taken at South Kirkby depot for a newsletter i think because they never loaded flats there it was at the old United Transport Distribution depot that Onward Transport took over in thre late 80.s
The two ERFs are i think were the first one that ackworth trans bought and at the time the newest and i seem to remember it was the hundreth bought i was told the driver that had it from new Des smith that he got all the best back loads out of Scotland so the lorry could make money.
BIG AW:
jeffrey ellener:
BIG AW:
stevie dug:
This was my old girl, we bought it in 1990 from warner of wingate ex Onward. It was immaculate and faultless when we bought her, an original flatbed, i operated and drove her for 10.5 years all over the uk. i put a piston in and a new water pump and that was about it, then after 6 year i put a 2700ati engine in her and she was a flyer. Just after we bought her my father phoned Ackworth and asked if they minded if we kept the colours and they no problem and even gave us the paint code,Happy memories,Steve.Aye up steve mate that Daf was driven by a lad called ron harrison he kept it tip top and in all the time i knew him i never saw him dirty not that he was idle far from it but he had a flat on full time so he was always ropeing n sheeting
Hi,Did you know a driver Geoff Tallant I think he drove for Ackworths.My dad used to work for A.One and see him no and again,I used to knock about with him in our schooldays,a long while ago lol.Last I heard of Geoff he was operating a fishing boat out of Bridlington.
Yes he did mate if you look back through this tread i replied to your last post
Thanks for that big AW he must live where his grandma lived it was a cottage just as you got into Barmston,we used to go there in the school hols.I worked at Simpsons for 3 months didnt like it so left I had an old 3 serise scania that used to crab up the road it had an old volvo seat that was loose mechanic said there was nowght wrong with it.i told peter one night when i was up there he had it sorted that night
I worked for simpsons when i left onward or BOC IN 96 till 98 he was a funny old stick but he was always down the line with me to be fair if you had a problem with owt you went to him and not to the gonks in the office he was a proud company man and must be turned to see the firm now.
BIG AW
There’s some great stories on here about, what I think was one of Yorkshires most respected hauliers (does anyone remember that Onward motor in the tv series starring Dennis Waterman where he was supposed to be picked up as a hitch hiker by, ahem an over friendly hgv driver?) Some very interesting quotes have been made here as regards the take over of the business by the BOC group. At the time, I was employed by GL Baker (well, BOC Baker as they became) and the company that was created from this aquisition (Interbrand) went on (in my opinion anyway) to do further damage within the BOC group. The arm of the company that I was employed in saw a number of prosperous and quite lucrative customers syphoned from it to prop up the loss making element and, needless to say after a couple or three years, the Baker side of the operation started to become unprofitable - but not before one or two of (only a personal opinion mind) failed I’brand managers had secured themselves decent positions elsewhere within the group (apparently, some remain today) It would seem to me that they didn’t just perhaps, end your business but maybe played a part in the demise of their own. At least we have some good memories, and pics (keep em coming please!)
Very true mate they took over the firm with a lot of promise to do this and that and they failed to deliver
the family sold it to BOC thinking it was the best move for all involved but wasnt in the time i worked for BOC at ackworth every man asnd is dog was running it they must have been 4 genaral managers in a short space of time coming with another bright idea how to run things and to be frank they werent up to it, the last man in charge was ascot that they moved down lock stock and he was so far out of his depth it was scary i was running the loading side of thing at the time andwe were always short of trls he couldnt grasp that if 40 vehs went out why dont 40 vehs come back he was always in BOC transhield mode not genarel haulage he once ask me what all those old trls wre doing in the graveyard at the bck of the garage and why carnt we use them when i said they where off road permantly he said lets get the tax of them ■■? the mind boggles he had never heard of a tri axle trl and he didnt last long either.
BOC were out of there depth and it showed manager for this and that everybody was a manager and if i heard "ITS NOT BOC POLICY " once i heard it thousand times.There were some good blokes there old school who knew the haulage game inside out and they dismissed them all they knew best dint know that much tho when i left in 96 BOC interbrands didnt last much longer.
Ikeep finding pic so i will put them on as i get them. 
BIG AW
ps i do remember the unit used on the telly it was dennis waterman canrt remember the series we got a bit of stick after that up and down the country.
Its being bugging me that much mate ived had to look it up Stay lucky was the programme with Jan Francis
I can’t remember the name of the programme Andy but I do remember the nickname we got from it, SHIRTLIFTER TRANSPORT!!! It certainly got a laugh. Ps Keep those pics coming Regards Kev.
It was "Stay Lucky " kev with dennis waterman and Jan Francis the driver that took the unit on the days they filmed it was Jerry Lewis aka Jerry the pig he had a field day sat in the chuck wagon all day snapping yes i remember Shirtlifter Transport if i heard "hello driver do you want something warm inside you " every time you went in a cafe.
BIG AW
A few more from the past.
The top one is one of the units that worked on the Spillers Foods contract (pet foods homepride flour )
The second pic i can remember it being taken it was outside No6 w/house at ack i think the man on the trl is a fitter called John Edwards you will know better Allan if you see this and the guy on the clamp truck is Harold Greenfield.
The scammell trunker is one of the Wheeler Road fleet which was part of the Ack group they were in Sheffield.
The last one is well sheeted load of bottles i would say like the corner boards lucky enough not to have to use them.
