grumpy old man:
Why is it that so many threads on this site contain references to Mr Stobart and his drivers ? I’ve been driving lorries since the early 70s, and apart from a few old cars I owned way before then,which came complete with the clockwork key, I’ve never had to try to firing up anything bigger. I’d bet that not many folk on this site have either. My point is, Stobarts provide a service, and they present the very image that the multi-national blue chip companies demand. When I started driving, I wore whatever I wanted too, as the bloke on the bay doors didn’t matter. Nowadays, the customers demand a more profesional approach, and as Service Providers, we have to meet their demands. Stobarts took the image of LGVs and their drivers to another level, and for the best part, the rest of us are still playing catch-up. This constant derogitory references to the Stobart Empire, and its drivers does nobody any favours, Jealousy, it would seem, rears it’s ugly head in a lot of these threads, and certain people are noticeably unable to contain their bitter envy of the big green fleet.
Hiya …The reason people have a go at the Stobart empire is!!! he was the first to smarten drivers up by using uniforms in the late 70s.HUMMM how about Gulf fuel the drivers had a suit 10 years before and they was smart.pale blue shirt dark blue tie dark blue bomerjacket with Orange pipeing dark blue trousers…Adams Butter Cream shirts green bib and brace trousers a donkey jacket with Adams embroidered on the collar AND a peaked hat with a white cloth cover,20 years before eddie did…British sugar drivers had blue outfits years before eddie… Because eddie was a small lad he never saw this going on.
Did he say NO to speeding then he got caught doing 70 in a 50mph roadworks.and just 3 months ago■■?
He opens his mouth before putting brain in gear. I saw one of his programns the other week it said the Stobart empire run like clockwork…Then some guy started shouting about loosing 10 palletts in a warehouse and a truck not getting to Donny in time…Iam glad my clocks don,t run like that.
I wounder why we pick at the empire.
John
Hiya John not one to nit pick you understand but I had my drivers into maroon jacket and trouser uniforms with a badge on the pocket as wellin 1973 I think Fast Eddie was still driving his JCB on the M6 at Penrith at that time(you could have passed him when you were working on the Motorway at that time!)Although we changed the colour of our uniforms to blue in later years our lads were always turned out smart and often got compliments from our customers.We drew the line at a TIE though as they could prove lethal in some situations!!! Cheers Dennis.
In answer to the question from Dennis (Bewick) the article I have from 1970 says the artics were all Seddon tractors with the rigids being Atkinson and about 70% of the engines were of the 6LX and 6LXB type, although some 150’s had been fitted with turbo’s to give around 190 BHP, of course by the mid Seventies this could well have changed unless Bulwark prefered to stay with the Gardner/Seddon choice on into the Sedd/Atk models. Doubtful then if they would have chosen GUY as the Seddon came with the 8LXB too. Keep trying Dennis, Franky.
HI: I worked as a trainee for Bulwark United Transport from late 69 until 72 when they moved me to a sales position at Andrew Hogg in Kilsyth, and then to Ancliff. I left in Dec 73.
Bulwark United Transport (BUT) was based in Chepstow and in the late 60s ran Bulwark Transport (Chippenham), Ancliff (Urmston), Stamps (Avonmouth), Bulwark Contracts (Llanwern Steelworks), Wynns (Newport), Sunters (Northallerton) and Hogg (Kilsyth). Apart from Stamps, Sunters and Bulwark Contracts, all had other depots in various UK locations. Hence the Group was largely a tanker business, but it also had a significant heavy haulage business in Wynns and Sunters, whilst Bulwark Contracts was basically a steel haulier. During my time with BUT, the group also bought Jamesons (Southampton) and Smith of Maddiston - the latter probably one of the largest UK general haulage operations, with a big fleet of Guy/■■■■■■■ units. Jamesons, Smiths and IFF were not operated in exactly the same group as the other companies.
I worked in every company (apart from Sunters and the companies acquired whilst I was there) and it was a very interesting time. Bulwark, Ancliff and Bulwark Contracts had a common fleet numbering system, and when I joined, the newest vehicle was a Seddon with Rolls Royce Eagle Diesel (No 1016 - LWV 116G??) in the Bulwark fleet. Tractor unit numbers were prefixed with “U” (for “Unit”) but rigids were not. When I left, they were up to the mid 1200s. Bulwark and Ancliff were almost solely using Seddon and Atkinson tractor units with Universal Bulk Handling tanks, although there were some exceptions - such as a small fleet of Scanias at Ancliff. The other companies were much more independent - even perhaps sticking up a finger to head office. Len Stamp was particularly independent, having decided “come hell or high water” he was sticking to Scammels - which he did. Wynns were also very independent (with some justification, as most of their kit was highly specialised) and they had a fascinating collection of Scammel Contractors, Diamond Ts, ERFs, Guys and some home made heavy haulage tractors. Whilst United owned Wynns, once in Newport office, it was very clear that Wynns ran Wynns! Up in Scotland, Hoggs were committed to ERF, and Robert Hogg and Jim Mackay were able to maintain the tradition - although they started buying tanks from UBH. Hoggs changed very rapidly from being a domestic ( Scottish) mover of bitumen and heavy oils mainly carried hot, more to a nationwide mover of chemicals - principally from BP Chemicals in Grangemouth - because a lot of the specialist bitumen contracts disappeared once the M6, M74 and other major motorways were built. Happy days!!!
Hughie:
HI: I worked as a trainee for Bulwark United Transport from late 69 until 72 when they moved me to a sales position at Andrew Hogg in Kilsyth, and then to Ancliff. I left in Dec 73.
Bulwark United Transport (BUT) was based in Chepstow and in the late 60s ran Bulwark Transport (Chippenham), Ancliff (Urmston), Stamps (Avonmouth), Bulwark Contracts (Llanwern Steelworks), Wynns (Newport), Sunters (Northallerton) and Hogg (Kilsyth). Apart from Stamps, Sunters and Bulwark Contracts, all had other depots in various UK locations. Hence the Group was largely a tanker business, but it also had a significant heavy haulage business in Wynns and Sunters, whilst Bulwark Contracts was basically a steel haulier. During my time with BUT, the group also bought Jamesons (Southampton) and Smith of Maddiston - the latter probably one of the largest UK general haulage operations, with a big fleet of Guy/■■■■■■■ units. Jamesons, Smiths and IFF were not operated in exactly the same group as the other companies.
Very interesting Hughie. My time after school was spent with IFF and I remember it going from being privately owned to British Electric Traction at some point. Did you work in Tivoli House at any time? I wondered if you had come across some of the original people, Alan Darvill who starred on Roy Castle’s Record Breakers, Peter Massey who was a true gentleman and David Bone who went on to run Seawheel
I believe that SOM were taken over by United in around 1964 which was 5 years earlier than Hughie suggests,not sure about Jamesons but when we did the odd load for them from Purfleet it would have been in 1970 IIRC and I think they were connected to SOM at that time.Cheers Bewick.
