I read with dismay in one of the monthly’s that Astran has been sold to Seymour Transport of Maidstone.
End of an era.
I can’t understand it. You can’t imagine two firms whose business is more different.
Vince
Apparently Seymour are going to carry on running Astran as a seperate business,keeping most of the staff.
Makes you wonder how long it will last though.
Chris Hooper,who still subs for Astran was informed by fax of the sale.
This has to be an asset-stripping acquisition- I am sure that Seymour’s are only interested in the Real Estate involved.
The backbone of Seymour’s work involves deliveries from mid-Kent to London. Their continental work might involve a trip once a week to Belgium. Certainly, there is no correlation between Seymour’s work and Astrans, so I guess it;s time to kiss Goodbye to another great British transport name…
Vince
Yes its sort of the end of an Era.
It was probably Astran who got me interested in long distance trucking, and I felt honoured to have met some of the old hands. The ones who didnt just ignore a daft lad in a Saviem stuck on the Turkish border with no money 
Another old name gone as vince said but then again Bob Paul has probably deserved an easy retirement.
I thought Seymour was just local fridge work around paddock wood
It would be a very great shame if this very fine COMPANY would
be no more. I was comeing back into GERMANY one sunday.
On the border waiting for the lorryban to end was a Scania in
ASTRANS logo, the driver invited me in his cab for a coffee
his name was RICK ELLIS ; this was in 1987 onthe VENLO grenze
THEY WENT AND CONQUERD AND OTHERS FOLLOWED
Think you will find that Astrans will carry on much the same as they always have, Astrans as a company have been, as a company for sale for a while, there was talk of a ‘buy out’ but the price was way beyond the means of those involved, belive me the company that have invested in Astrans are better than some that were interested, and I think you will find will let Astrans run much as they have always run, lets face it Ewe and Bob and all the others involved deserve something out of it, running traffic to the middle east is nothing like what it was in the 70’s, most overland work is dead, now that the infacstructure, which a lot was carried down by trucks has been set up, container handeling far outways carrying anything by road, I worked for Davies Turner in the 70’s and the rates now are not that much better than they were then, just depend on if you want the cudos or not, A lot of Astrans work does not orginate from the Uk, aside from the ‘sellers’ a few will turn in Italy and go back to Kuwait etc, to make it pay, its a lot harder now than it ever was in the 60’s or the 70’s, then if you were lucky you could make a living, now you have to be very lucky.
sdj
without doubt the end of a era [/img][/url]
What a sad tale…Astrans sold…as an ex employee…i feel lost…it has survived many ups and downs…my old transport manager (pete cannon) i heard is working back at pro motors where he began…he and bob paul were pioneers of this once great company. originally called Asian Transport when i worked for them we never had a yard only chislehurst railway station…with the office above the post office…and servicing was done in norwich .but hopefully the name and livery will live on…and has been said…seymour transport…what do they want with a company like Astrans, one has to ask…but maybe they will keep the name flying…
have a nice day
I just read Hoopermans final report and his thoughts on all things with sand in them 
A few decent pics and a Caerphilly Van Hire ERF I should like to have a pint or two with some of the people he mentioned but he didnt mention whether they were all friends or enemies.
I somehow feel he will find it hard to adapt to Tesco Deliveries.
In the same magazine there was a classified ad for a 85 / 90 middle east reunion, with a Llanelli phone number!
did astran have a depot at strood (kent). could have sworn to have seen one say about 1975.
peter cherry:
did astran have a depot at strood (kent). could have sworn to have seen one say about 1975.
Dunno about Strood,but they had a depot on the old A20 between Wrotham and the British Legion Village during the 70’s and early 80’s,it was just near a transport cafe.
Even after they finished there,it still had the sign up ‘Middle East Freight Terminal’.
Was going round the 25 the other week and see one of Seymours trucks pulling a new tautliner bright yellow with the Astrans logo on it, looked very strange to say the least.
sdj
anyone wishing to know more about this should make sure that they purchase a copy of the april edition of trucking which features a story on chris hoopers last trip ever.
it looks like an excellent read an i am saving it for this coming week.
for the measly sum of £2.40 you too could enjoy the tales of life in the shoes of chris hooper.
there is also a chance to win some goodies by entering a questionnaire about the industry, yourself and your view of the industries future.
i have to wonder how many people i will meet now that reckon they know chris hooper and have travelled the same route, jeez - i’m getting bored at the thought of it all already.
perhaps chris should write a book on how to spot a faker so i would know when i’m being b/sed to.
having read some of the other stuff on this type of long distance work i’m happy to say that i have never crossed those borders and never will whilst sitting behind a steering wheel but could possibly if the wings stay on the airplane.
Wheel Nut:
I just read Hoopermans final report and his thoughts on all things with sand in themA few decent pics and a Caerphilly Van Hire ERF
I somehow feel he will find it hard to adapt to Tesco Deliveries.
In the same magazine there was a classified ad for a 85 / 90 middle east reunion, with a Llanelli phone number!
I noticed Mr. Hooper ( I don’t profess to know him 
) mentioned Eggs on Legs from off here!!! But no mention of truckyboy■■? Was you an enemy, Bob? LOL
So we now all know that Eggs is a genuine Middle Eastern man
I dont know whether I met the Egg either. I remember a bloke who looked like an Egg whos name was Ken He was driving an old green 142 at the time and I changed a wheel for him while he bought the beer in Greece 
Some of the other blokes mentioned I know from my days at Landcrab International
TheBear:
I noticed Mr. Hooper ( I don’t profess to know him
So we now all know that Eggs is a genuine Middle Eastern man
Ah, but do we know that OUR member, Egg on Legs is the GENUINE article 
I should think that it is not relevant as those who did the runs down
there will put a wanne -be in his place. when some one trys to put
one over.
johnny:
anyone wishing to know more about this should make sure that they purchase a copy of the april edition of trucking which features a story on chris hoopers last trip ever.
it looks like an excellent read an i am saving it for this coming week.
for the measly sum of £2.40 you too could enjoy the tales of life in the shoes of chris hooper.
there is also a chance to win some goodies by entering a questionnaire about the industry, yourself and your view of the industries future.
i have to wonder how many people i will meet now that reckon they know chris hooper and have travelled the same route, jeez - i’m getting bored at the thought of it all already.
perhaps chris should write a book on how to spot a faker so i would know when i’m being b/sed to.
having read some of the other stuff on this type of long distance work i’m happy to say that i have never crossed those borders and never will whilst sitting behind a steering wheel but could possibly if the wings stay on the airplane.
my type of comment you are spot on