The first driver on Promotor to go to Moscow was an young Australian guy called John Taylor nickname Blue, he did that trip in January 1972, Iirc he drove the Ford D1000 unit we had at the time, got snowed in and had a few problems but done it anyway.
And the first one to go to m/e was Dave Thomas, he went to Tehran same year,
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
sandway:
As soon as I arrived in Moscow I booked into the Cosmos Hotel sharing a room with Dave Stagg. Now Dave could be a most obstropolis person at times but that hotel room was much more comfortable than Hotel Scania so it was a no brainer. The hotel was off Prospect Mira (Peace Avenue) and opposite the Sputnik Park where the impressive âMonument to the Conquerers of Spaceâ was erected in 1964.The food at the hotel was not great. When we went down for breakfast the hot topic of conversation was always, are there any eggs this morning. Most times not but sometimes they would arrive during breakfast and then everyone made a wild dash to grab what they could. That restaurant became known to us as the âsmash and grabâ. We also had our evening meals there which again was nothing to write home about. The only thing going for it was the Russian Champagne that we bought from the waiters using black market roubles. It was nothing to have 8 or 10 bottles on our table (there were sometimes ten of us at the table) and there were maybe 50 tables in the restaurant all told. It sometimes sounded like WW3 had started in that restaurant when all the bottles were opened. I could never fathom out the security on the main doors into the hotel. Even we were stopped from entering sometimes and when you were in and went up to your room and came out of the lift there was a âfemale floor dragonâ sitting at a desk watching you. It did make it difficult to get a girl up to your room (or so Iâm told).
We used the lorry as our taxi to the exhibition most days and we both worked onsite. When the show was on I was given the job of looking after the booze and distributing it to the various stands. Well, what else can I say about that job, hic, hic!!!
The return journey back to the UK was unremarkable except for an incident at the border as I left Russia. For some reason Dave had to give me 600 dollars running money before I left Moscow. I didnât have a declaration for these dollars and although I had hidden them in the ceiling lining behind the light they were discovered and confiscated. You can collect them next time you come to Russia I was told! Oh yeah!!! Anyway, that was that. I crossed into Poland with very little diesel wondering how I could get across to West Germany where I could use my Shell card or UTA voucher. I thought I will try selling the spare wheel as I didnât fancy selling my body. The first, and only western person at the border was a Danish driver. I explained my predicament and guess what! yes he gave me enough diesel and some money to transit Poland and East Germany. I promised the company would reimburse him once I got home.
I must admit Moscow was one of those places you either loved or hated. It was, or could be, wine, women and song every night and for some it was but it wasnât my scene. I returned to Moscow about a year later and that was my last trip. I didnât want to go again.
I stayed at the Cosmos for a week in 81, while I was there for Proâs. On my last day I had a 2 hour row with the receptionist, because I told her that I needed the room for another night. And she told me that I had to leave. When I told them not to bother I would sleep in the truck they soon changed their attitude and found me a room. Little did I know then that I would end up living in Moscow from 90 until 95 and operating my own truck from there. Regarding VDNK, the sputnik park, I used to shunt trailers into there when I was Kepstoweâs Moscow shunter. There was a very good kebab stall on site.
Hi! Well thats somthing eh,shunter job out of moscow 
what kinda unit did you use then? Not any russian truck i hope 
Danne
SUPERCUBE:
The first driver on Promotor to go to Moscow was an young Australian guy called John Taylor nickname Blue, he did that trip in January 1972, Iirc he drove the Ford D1000 unit we had at the time, got snowed in and had a few problems but done it anyway.And the first one to go to m/e was Dave Thomas, he went to Tehran same year,
Many thanks for that info SUPERCUBE. You know I am always interested in the Promotor early years. Its a pity we lost Liz a couple of weeks ago. Anything else you can think of please post.
sandway:
SUPERCUBE:
The first driver on Promotor to go to Moscow was an young Australian guy called John Taylor nickname Blue, he did that trip in January 1972, Iirc he drove the Ford D1000 unit we had at the time, got snowed in and had a few problems but done it anyway.And the first one to go to m/e was Dave Thomas, he went to Tehran same year,
Many thanks for that info SUPERCUBE. You know I am always interested in the Promotor early years. Its a pity we lost Liz a couple of weeks ago. Anything else you can think of please post.
There was another driver popped up on here on one occasion, Dave Clark, dunno if heâs watching this thread but if you are Dave give us a sign, Bob Heath asking.
sandway:
You must have loads of stories to tell of your time in Moscow Micky T. Or are they all being saved for your book.
There are some good stories about life in Moscow in the book, Mr. Sandway, to be fair. But I had so many that the publisher has a second book with them now, with even more in it. Hopefully that is going to be published next year, if the first is a success.
Dirty Dan:
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
sandway:
As soon as I arrived in Moscow I booked into the Cosmos Hotel sharing a room with Dave Stagg. Now Dave could be a most obstropolis person at times but that hotel room was much more comfortable than Hotel Scania so it was a no brainer. The hotel was off Prospect Mira (Peace Avenue) and opposite the Sputnik Park where the impressive âMonument to the Conquerers of Spaceâ was erected in 1964.The food at the hotel was not great. When we went down for breakfast the hot topic of conversation was always, are there any eggs this morning. Most times not but sometimes they would arrive during breakfast and then everyone made a wild dash to grab what they could. That restaurant became known to us as the âsmash and grabâ. We also had our evening meals there which again was nothing to write home about. The only thing going for it was the Russian Champagne that we bought from the waiters using black market roubles. It was nothing to have 8 or 10 bottles on our table (there were sometimes ten of us at the table) and there were maybe 50 tables in the restaurant all told. It sometimes sounded like WW3 had started in that restaurant when all the bottles were opened. I could never fathom out the security on the main doors into the hotel. Even we were stopped from entering sometimes and when you were in and went up to your room and came out of the lift there was a âfemale floor dragonâ sitting at a desk watching you. It did make it difficult to get a girl up to your room (or so Iâm told).
We used the lorry as our taxi to the exhibition most days and we both worked onsite. When the show was on I was given the job of looking after the booze and distributing it to the various stands. Well, what else can I say about that job, hic, hic!!!
The return journey back to the UK was unremarkable except for an incident at the border as I left Russia. For some reason Dave had to give me 600 dollars running money before I left Moscow. I didnât have a declaration for these dollars and although I had hidden them in the ceiling lining behind the light they were discovered and confiscated. You can collect them next time you come to Russia I was told! Oh yeah!!! Anyway, that was that. I crossed into Poland with very little diesel wondering how I could get across to West Germany where I could use my Shell card or UTA voucher. I thought I will try selling the spare wheel as I didnât fancy selling my body. The first, and only western person at the border was a Danish driver. I explained my predicament and guess what! yes he gave me enough diesel and some money to transit Poland and East Germany. I promised the company would reimburse him once I got home.
I must admit Moscow was one of those places you either loved or hated. It was, or could be, wine, women and song every night and for some it was but it wasnât my scene. I returned to Moscow about a year later and that was my last trip. I didnât want to go again.
I stayed at the Cosmos for a week in 81, while I was there for Proâs. On my last day I had a 2 hour row with the receptionist, because I told her that I needed the room for another night. And she told me that I had to leave. When I told them not to bother I would sleep in the truck they soon changed their attitude and found me a room. Little did I know then that I would end up living in Moscow from 90 until 95 and operating my own truck from there. Regarding VDNK, the sputnik park, I used to shunt trailers into there when I was Kepstoweâs Moscow shunter. There was a very good kebab stall on site.
Hi! Well thats somthing eh,shunter job out of moscow
Danne
No Danne, I did not have a Russian truck. I had a Daf 95, 350, twin steer. I bought it brand new in February 1990 and it was ideal for the work that I had then, a weekly trip to Hamburg, for LEP and reloading out of Hannover for K&N. Within 2 months of buying it I was offered the Moscow contract and the truck was fine, during the Spring, Summer and Autumn. But come the winter I had serious traction problems. Not on the roads but all of the off road areas because they do not grit or clear them. They were just sheets of ice. Luckily, I soon learned the Russian word Trussie, which meant tow rope/bond. The Russian lads used to drag me out of the ice, using their trucks, most of which were double drive Kamazâs and Mazâs. Much more suitable for the winter than mine. But to be fair, in the whole of my five years in Russia the Daf never broke down and once I had fitted Thermoline to combat diesel waxing she never let me down.
Hi mate! Yeah i can see your problem there! I had a XF95 from 2004 but i had midlift and sliding fifthwheel and could lift the first axl on the trailer from a button on the dashbord.But every one was telling me when i started doing Norway it wouldent work but after 3years and now major problem we sold it.But sure if i had a choice a had have a 6x2 tag,but it is what it is and you do what you have to do eh?And i had never any breakdowns at al best truck i have driven so far!
But any way i really like the sound of your shunting job out of moscow. How out to russia did you go?
Danne
Dirty Dan:
Hi mate! Yeah i can see your problem there! I had a XF95 from 2004 but i had midlift and sliding fifthwheel and could lift the first axl on the trailer from a button on the dashbord.But every one was telling me when i started doing Norway it wouldent work but after 3years and now major problem we sold it.But sure if i had a choice a had have a 6x2 tag,but it is what it is and you do what you have to do eh?And i had never any breakdowns at al best truck i have driven so far!
But any way i really like the sound of your shunting job out of moscow. How out to russia did you go?Danne
Hi Danne. When I started, in 1990, I used to run from Moscow back to Poland, change trailers and go back to Moscow. Most of the loads were initially to Moscow. Then, when loads went to other destinations I would change trailers and head for places like Kiev, Odessa, Yalta. I was doing multi drop loads in the Ukraine and Russia. One trip was Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Vitebsk and Pskof. Others would be Kiev and then Moscow etc. Moscow loads were either Rank Xerox from Venray, groupage from London or exhibition loads from England to Moscow, tipping at Krasnaya Presnaya or V.D.N.K.
From April 1994, I was based full time in Moscow, running 6 trailers, which I tipped and reloaded. Trucks coming out from England dropped their loaded trailers and took one that I had already reloaded or an empty, to load in Germany on the way back.
But from Moscow I would go out to places like Krasnodar, Volgagrad etc to tip or load. I also used to run up to Turku in Finland, from Moscow. Kepstowe shipped unaccompanied trailers from Harwich to Turku. I would swp trailers in Turku and return to Moscow.
Its Sunday morning and my son has just returned from a couple of weeks in Cuba. I asked him to take pictures of lorries but seems he got swayed by the fabulous old American cars out there. Of course most of them are there for the tourists to stare at but they do look great. My son did continental work for a good number of years as well as doing one trip to Kuwait but wants it easier now and delivers eggs around the south of England. He drives an almost new MAN 6 wheeler fridge box delivering pallets of eggs.
He has given me quite a few pics so will put more on later.
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
Dirty Dan:
Hi mate! Yeah i can see your problem there! I had a XF95 from 2004 but i had midlift and sliding fifthwheel and could lift the first axl on the trailer from a button on the dashbord.But every one was telling me when i started doing Norway it wouldent work but after 3years and now major problem we sold it.But sure if i had a choice a had have a 6x2 tag,but it is what it is and you do what you have to do eh?And i had never any breakdowns at al best truck i have driven so far!
But any way i really like the sound of your shunting job out of moscow. How out to russia did you go?Danne
Hi Danne. When I started, in 1990, I used to run from Moscow back to Poland, change trailers and go back to Moscow. Most of the loads were initially to Moscow. Then, when loads went to other destinations I would change trailers and head for places like Kiev, Odessa, Yalta. I was doing multi drop loads in the Ukraine and Russia. One trip was Kiev, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Vitebsk and Pskof. Others would be Kiev and then Moscow etc. Moscow loads were either Rank Xerox from Venray, groupage from London or exhibition loads from England to Moscow, tipping at Krasnaya Presnaya or V.D.N.K.
From April 1994, I was based full time in Moscow, running 6 trailers, which I tipped and reloaded. Trucks coming out from England dropped their loaded trailers and took one that I had already reloaded or an empty, to load in Germany on the way back.
But from Moscow I would go out to places like Krasnodar, Volgagrad etc to tip or load. I also used to run up to Turku in Finland, from Moscow. Kepstowe shipped unaccompanied trailers from Harwich to Turku. I would swp trailers in Turku and return to Moscow.[/
Wow sounds like an werry interesting job! I think that would suit me just fine,back in the days. Now im happy to get two nights out a mounth here in Sweden.
Sorry for hijaking your great thread sandway! Russia is just somthing that i wanted to do
Thanks for sharing your old stories and keep them coming its great to here!
Danne
Hello Danne. Glad you like the Promotor thread. I didnât start it. Steve Lacy started this particular one. About eight years ago Ronnie Harts wife tried to get one started. It just so happens that I have a lot of time on my hands now and a few photos and stories that I want to share whilst I still can. I do find Micky Tâs Russian escapade interesting as you do.
More pictures taken by my son in Cuba recently. Russian (I assume) lorries and American cars. Seems most of the lorries were used for grockle transport and the cars as taxis.
Some really good pics there! I like to go to cuba just to look at them old cars fantastic!
Danne
North of Damascus early 80âs. Looks cold. Note new tarmac. At that time the road from Homs down to the hill, where we had to use the old road not the new bit that had been duelled, was all being rebuilt. Often met Syrian trucks loaded up with 40 tons of cement or whatever heading towards you on your side of the dug up highway. Scary times!
Do you remember in the early 80âs when, if you hadnât had the time to get your Iraqi visa in London you got it in Belgrade. Quite a simple procedure. We use to park at the National. Get a taxi downtown, do the biz and get back early afternoon. Then the taxi driver, an enterprising bloke, I think he had a Mercedes car, offered us an even better deal. He collected all the passports from the drivers at about 0730hrs. Shot off to the Iraqi embassy and returned just after midday. This gave us time to either go back to bed, a bit of chinwagging or even do some maintenance on the lorry. Most of us paid him in DM but canât remember how much.
On one memorable trip after he got my visa I poodled off to Iraq without a care in the world. Little did I know what lay ahead of me. I had to join the queue as usual but it was only about 8 km long and I entered Habur border compound just after noon. I passed through the Turkish side ok and then started doing the paperwork on the Iraqi side. I had parked up near two other British drivers. We all entered the passport control office together and handed over our passports. The Iraqi official picked up the three passport with mine on the bottom. He looked at the three of us and asked where we had got the visas. I thought this a little odd and was immediately suspicious. The other two drivers both said London and the Iraqi official stamped their passports. I thought it best, on hindsight I made the wrong decision, to also say London. He looked at my visa and his eyes lit up. âYou lie, you lieâ he said. I could see this was his big moment in life. He had caught out one of these infidels entering his country. He was like a demented whirling dervish. By this time his vocal cords were really taking a bashing, again he screamed âyou lie, you lie, you got this visa in Belgrade from a taxi driverâ. At this point he grabbed a rubber stamp and proceeded to attack my passport twice with the words, cancelled, cancelled right across the visa. He then took great delight in telling me that the taxi driver had a brother who worked in the Iraqi embassy and had stolen the stamps and they were issuing forged visas to lorry drivers. It was at this point the other two drivers, both looking rather shaken, thought lets get out of here before this demented official attacks our passports. They grabbed them from the desk and made a very speedy exit. Now, I thought I gotta problem here! My visa had been cancelled and I cant proceed to Baghdad but it was going to be equally difficult to go back to Turkey. I thought best thing I can do is go back to the lorry and have a brew up. After an hour or maybe a bit longer I decided I must go back to the passport desk and try and sort something out. There werenât many people there but the official, who I could see had calmed down, made me sit down in front of him for another half an hour. Finally he beckoned me to come forward to his desk, which I did and I took the opportunity to apologise most humbly. After a good dressing down he gave me back my passport in which of course the visa was cancelled. I pointed this out to him and he brought out a plain bit of paper upon which he wrote and then rubber stamped it. He handed it to me along with my passport. I looked at him quizzically and he said the magic words------
âyou can go to Baghdad now. What I have written on this bit of paper cancels the cancelledâ.
An excellent tale! And par for the course too, though too often folk donât believe our reports of what it was like. Cheers, Robert
We could do with a Facebook style âlikeâ button on here, for where we donât actually have anything to add, but would like to show appreciation for a good story!
As Geoff Collins used to say âA man must grovel!â
John.
John West:
We could do with a Facebook style âlikeâ button on here, for where we donât actually have anything to add, but would like to show appreciation for a good story!As Geoff Collins used to say âA man must grovel!â
John.
I agree John, a âLIKEâ button might also encourage other people to add their two pennies worth to the story if they thought that there were lots of other Trucknet members interested in the article.
B.T.W. as you probably know, you could also get an Iraqi visa and have your C.M.R. and your T.I.R. Carnet translated into Arabic at the Iraqi Embassy in Brussels.
Regards Steve.
sandway:
Do you remember in the early 80âs when, if you hadnât had the time to get your Iraqi visa in London you got it in Belgrade. Quite a simple procedure. We use to park at the National. Get a taxi downtown, do the biz and get back early afternoon. Then the taxi driver, an enterprising bloke, I think he had a Mercedes car, offered us an even better deal. He collected all the passports from the drivers at about 0730hrs. Shot off to the Iraqi embassy and returned just after midday. This gave us time to either go back to bed, a bit of chinwagging or even do some maintenance on the lorry. Most of us paid him in DM but canât remember how much.On one memorable trip after he got my visa I poodled off to Iraq without a care in the world. Little did I know what lay ahead of me. I had to join the queue as usual but it was only about 8 km long and I entered Habur border compound just after noon. I passed through the Turkish side ok and then started doing the paperwork on the Iraqi side. I had parked up near two other British drivers. We all entered the passport control office together and handed over our passports. The Iraqi official picked up the three passport with mine on the bottom. He looked at the three of us and asked where we had got the visas. I thought this a little odd and was immediately suspicious. The other two drivers both said London and the Iraqi official stamped their passports. I thought it best, on hindsight I made the wrong decision, to also say London. He looked at my visa and his eyes lit up. âYou lie, you lieâ he said. I could see this was his big moment in life. He had caught out one of these infidels entering his country. He was like a demented whirling dervish. By this time his vocal cords were really taking a bashing, again he screamed âyou lie, you lie, you got this visa in Belgrade from a taxi driverâ. At this point he grabbed a rubber stamp and proceeded to attack my passport twice with the words, cancelled, cancelled right across the visa. He then took great delight in telling me that the taxi driver had a brother who worked in the Iraqi embassy and had stolen the stamps and they were issuing forged visas to lorry drivers. It was at this point the other two drivers, both looking rather shaken, thought lets get out of here before this demented official attacks our passports. They grabbed them from the desk and made a very speedy exit. Now, I thought I gotta problem here! My visa had been cancelled and I cant proceed to Baghdad but it was going to be equally difficult to go back to Turkey. I thought best thing I can do is go back to the lorry and have a brew up. After an hour or maybe a bit longer I decided I must go back to the passport desk and try and sort something out. There werenât many people there but the official, who I could see had calmed down, made me sit down in front of him for another half an hour. Finally he beckoned me to come forward to his desk, which I did and I took the opportunity to apologise most humbly. After a good dressing down he gave me back my passport in which of course the visa was cancelled. I pointed this out to him and he brought out a plain bit of paper upon which he wrote and then rubber stamped it. He handed it to me along with my passport. I looked at him quizzically and he said the magic words------
âyou can go to Baghdad now. What I have written on this bit of paper cancels the cancelledâ.
I got caught out with the Belgrade visas as well. But, they did not cancel my passport. They told me that I had got my visa from a taxi driver in Belgrade and then waived me through and told me they would see me when I got back to the border. On return from Baghdad I had to park around the back of the buildings, alongside a large number of western trucks. We were kept there for five days. We were called in to a meeting and told that we were spies, who had entered Iraq on forged visas. Serious stuff, as Iraq was at war with Iran at the time. One of the British drivers, who I called the Senior British Officer told the Iraqiâs that we were being held as prisoners of war and therefore were entitled to decent treatment under the Hague and Geneva conventions. That we were entitled to food and clean water. The Iraqiâs provided the clean water by placing a brand new 4 wheeled Scania tanker in the compound. Over night, everything that could be stolen from the vehicle was stolen. In the morning they dragged it away.
The visa fiddle occurred over the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. I had got my visa on the last day of the holiday and I think that by then they had dealt with so many of the visas that they did not cancel ours, but just held us up to prove their point. Happy days.
Just to let you know lads that my book âThe Vodka Cola Cowboyâ, has been published today. This is one month earlier than expected. It is available on line from Old Pond Publishing, Amazon and Turpinâs. As I know that you are following this Sandway and Dan, in the book I talk about how I was the only British driver in Moscow throughout the whole of the 91 anti-Gorbachev coup, (I was down at the White House where the protesters stood up to the plot leaders). Also how my daughter Margarita was born in Moscow and my treatment in Russian hospitals, where the Doctors self medicated with vodka and the cleanliness was rather dubious. Another interesting point was where I came close to losing my left hand to frostbite, in a temperature of -42C, on the hill at Orsha. Never a dull moment
