Trolly jacks and boy power !!
GS
Wheel Nut:
GS OVERLAND:
Turk belly tanks like these !! I took these photos at Ramtha, it was getting ridiculos, and we would struggle to get out of Syria with more tha 200ltrs.
I preferred it when we could come home via Iraq, running tanks brimming and a few full 45 gallon drums strapped down in the empty trailer. Some bananas and pillows at the deisel dip usually did the trick
GS
Absolutely right GS….Nothing wrong with a bit of bribery and corruption, it is the norm in this part of the world. 
I once back loaded personal effects from the Gulf around the time the Arar border had just opened, for those who remember, it was an unmade road between the Saudi and Iraq customs and the facilities were just Porto Cabin’s.
When I arrived on the Iraqi side it transpired that they had no system in place to calculate the tax for the load or indeed to raise the transit manifest. I was instructed that I must go to Abu Ghriab to pay the tax for the load and prepare the manifest. 
As I was well stocked with the Bananas, and various gifts for the customs officers I decided to go straight through to Zakho rather than have the hassle in Abu Ghriab.
When I arrived, the customs guy was over the moon with all of the gifts I had brought for him and then he asked if the trailer was empty to which of course I replied “yes” he presented me with my exit slip and again thanked me for the gifts. 
Through into Habur with diesel and a loaded trailer to start my TIR Carnet for the UK…What an earner
ATB…RDF
Ar Ar Border.
Now you are bringing back memories ! Exit Saudi, ( i only ever used t then across the bit of no-mans land, through the Wadi, stop at the soldier for a control, tell him that everything in the trailer box was oink oink ! then wind up through to the dusty parking area where all the portakabins were. They all had those really old fashioned AC units flapping away, sending legionaires disease into the air.
I remember one trip coming home with Mike and we got to the Triptik man who had a sore throat. Mike gave him some vinegar to drink, telling him that it was good for sore throats !!
Next trip I came through on my own and the same bloke asked me " where is Mike" ■■ he is bad man…then he asked me for Whiskey, having just come out of Saudi, I couldnt help him.
GS
dreva:
down in larkfield the otherday and seen an astran trailer with seymour on the front.i was told on here they had nothing to do with astran.so whats that all about
Dreva
Its called advertising!! We paid for 2 x Seymour curtainsiders to have Astran on them… Nothing to do with them owning Astran, because they dont!!!
As of 1st July they will not be in the same premises, so hopefully this will help with the confusion, because it doesnt matter how many times you tell people they are seperate companies, they dont seem to listen!!!
GS OVERLAND:
Ar Ar Border.
Now you are bringing back memories ! Exit Saudi, ( i only ever used t then across the bit of no-mans land, through the Wadi, stop at the soldier for a control, tell him that everything in the trailer box was oink oink ! then wind up through to the dusty parking area where all the portakabins were. They all had those really old fashioned AC units flapping away, sending legionaires disease into the air.
I remember one trip coming home with Mike and we got to the Triptik man who had a sore throat. Mike gave him some vinegar to drink, telling him that it was good for sore throats !!
Next trip I came through on my own and the same bloke asked me " where is Mike" ■■ he is bad man…then he asked me for Whiskey, having just come out of Saudi, I couldnt help him.
GS
Sounds about right for Mike, he had a hell of a sense of humour. It was a stinking place and the Iraq’s were also a stinking scruffy bunch.
I had my own rock about 10km inside Iraq, where I always planted a bottle of scotch for the return journey………
RDF
Where, along the stretch where military camps were ■■ Iraq was a scruffy place wasnt it, imagine what it is like nowadays !!
Do you remember the " left turn marker " for Razazza Lake, near Kerbala ■■ it was a pile of dead dogs, always “fresh” !! and then the sign " Welcome to Babylon" I never did get to see the hanging gardens, did you ? Tikrit Control used to give me the eeby jeebies to, you never knew what would happen when they stopped you.
GS
Just a question slightly off thread,does anyone remember my old gaffer?kenny harvey fom bolton used to run m/e for rf interports from lowton[leigh]in the 70s.no pics sorry.
regards dave.
dafdave:
Just a question slightly off thread,does anyone remember my old gaffer?kenny harvey fom bolton used to run m/e for rf interports from lowton[leigh]in the 70s.no pics sorry.
regards dave.
Disclaimer… They are not my pictures.
Wheel Nut:
dafdave:
Just a question slightly off thread,does anyone remember my old gaffer?kenny harvey fom bolton used to run m/e for rf interports from lowton[leigh]in the 70s.no pics sorry.
regards dave.
Disclaimer… They are not my pictures.
Thanks for that mate that first pic is his motor,remember him showing it me.
regards dave.
Paul put a few up, there is a 2800 somewhere too. I begged the Iveco from Bubbles, just that he doesn’t know yet
Wheel Nut:
Paul put a few up, there is a 2800 somewhere too. I begged the Iveco from Bubbles, just that he doesn’t know yet
Yes wheelnut ive them pics,i know paul well used to work with him,many thanks but what im after is finding some body who knew him during his days running the m/e.
regards dave.
Astrankev:
dreva:
down in larkfield the otherday and seen an astran trailer with seymour on the front.i was told on here they had nothing to do with astran.so whats that all aboutDreva
Its called advertising!! We paid for 2 x Seymour curtainsiders to have Astran on them… Nothing to do with them owning Astran, because they dont!!!
As of 1st July they will not be in the same premises, so hopefully this will help with the confusion, because it doesnt matter how many times you tell people they are seperate companies, they dont seem to listen!!!
so there moving from larkfied then.into new premises see the question wasnt that hard was it kev
GS OVERLAND:
Where, along the stretch where military camps were ■■ Iraq was a scruffy place wasnt it, imagine what it is like nowadays !!
Do you remember the " left turn marker " for Razazza Lake, near Kerbala ■■ it was a pile of dead dogs, always “fresh” !! and then the sign " Welcome to Babylon" I never did get to see the hanging gardens, did you ? Tikrit Control used to give me the eeby jeebies to, you never knew what would happen when they stopped you.
GS
The bottle was put under a stone a few km before exiting Iraq but well away from the Military Camps; they were crazy enough without getting high on my scotch. 
Cannot remember the “Fresh Dead Dog” but there was so many obnoxious smell’s in Iraq I am not surprised.
I was always afraid to stop or sleep there and consequently never got to see the hanging gardens, I just knew the truck would get robbed if I parked; if possible I would try to transit in one hit.
I don’t know if you have been to Egypt, but I find many things about the Egyptians similar to the Iraq’s, always on the take, always wanting a bribe and again a filthy stinking place.
The Kuwaiti’s say if you come back from Egypt without wearing pampers, 
you have not been there.
I truly believe that some countries have to be ruled with an Iron Fist and I consider Iraq is probably more dangerous now, than in the time of Saddam.
Having said all of that, Iraq was good for me, because I fiddled the hell out of them and could do far better financially than transiting via Syria & Jordan
ATVB…RDF
Hi Red, if my memory is correct you used to keep your whisky in your fridge.
Dave.
davemackie:
Hi Red, if my memory is correct you used to keep your whisky in your fridge.
Dave.
Hi Dave, Ha ha ha… you are correct, well with the exception of Saudi…….
By the way it was not just a fridge it was an Engel, …… 
i passed one of kennys last night on my night trunk , M6 southbound , it was a 4x2 xf if memory serves , i don’t live far from his yard if he’s still at the clockface … 
dafdave:
Wheel Nut:
dafdave:
Just a question slightly off thread,does anyone remember my old gaffer?kenny harvey fom bolton used to run m/e for rf interports from lowton[leigh]in the 70s.no pics sorry.
regards dave.
Disclaimer… They are not my pictures.
Thanks for that mate that first pic is his motor,remember him showing it me.
regards dave.
I still have mine, The Engel that is.
Memory lane: you, me & Willie Lambie drinking Russian Pink Champagne on the Bulgarian-Yugo border when this very attractive blond lady walked past, Willie summed it up when he said, she was well done last night, we were all thinking the same.
Hope you are well.
Dave.
davemackie:
I still have mine, The Engel that is.
Memory lane: you, me & Willie Lambie drinking Russian Pink Champagne on the Bulgarian-Yugo border when this very attractive blond lady walked past, Willie summed it up when he said, she was well done last night, we were all thinking
Hope you are well.
Dave.
OMG………Some things are better forgotten …….was the Pink Champagne about 1 GBP per bottle
Dave we really were Kings of the Road, the Champagne and Blue Stilton sprinkled with Beluga Caviar. Not to mention the Earl Grey
We are still doing good, trust all is well with you……….
ATVB…RDF
Happy days, happy days, seem to remember you were buying on that occasion, so no idea what the cost, who cared.
Having done a trip to Doha this year, I found that their is no FUN left in the job
I am now a company driver, and that should see me through to retirement. 
Dave.
Reddesertfox:
davemackie:
Hi Red, if my memory is correct you used to keep your whisky in your fridge.
Dave.Hi Dave, Ha ha ha… you are correct, well with the exception of Saudi…….
By the way it was not just a fridge it was an Engel, ……
hi red if my memory is correct you used to store it in tony baker (bunny) bless him and never get it back 1