Terry
Many thanks for your reply,I do however have some extra insights into Ferryline.
Because of the amount of work that was available you became a victim of your own success.
The Bridgend canteen rumour machine went into overdrive on many occasions.
Principaly it revolved around the fact that because you had so much good work
and paid good rates,Ferryline were going bust.Go figure that one out.
It even led to myself and the one other O/D who worked via Mike Goddard in Dover for you,having to work direct for Ferryline.
At that time Mike owed the two of us around £50,000,purely from Ferryline work.
He reasoned that if Ferryline went to the wall,that would also hit him hard because he would still owe us our money.
So we both started for you direct,good move as we no longer had 7.5% deducted.
However,the rumour mill kept on turning.
One day I was swopping trailers in Leighton Buzzard at Peter Roffs yard and managed to corner the man himself.
Peters advice was to hold firm until he himself pulled his last truck from Ferryline,with that he turned away and the subject was closed.
So,that is exactly what happened.Peter Roff’s trucks pulled off and so did I.
Much to the fury of your Mr. Humphreys.
“You will never work in Dover again” he fumed.
Of course Ferryline continued and I went to work eventually for Ferryline Forwarding and a great time was had by all.
In fact ironically the firm that I pulled for immediately after leaving Ferryline
did go pop and took me for around £20,000. Sweet revenge or what.
Hi 14TOO,
I do remember Mike Goddard, and I was well aware that Ferryline was always considered to be a candidate for going bust.
It was mainly by people who were just plain envious of our very quick rise to success and of the Ford contracts that I managed to get, and hold on to.
Anyone that suddenly springs up, and in no time at all is very busy, always gets talked about. I know a lot of companies that wanted to see us fail.
I had very close relationships with loads of guys in Fords, which started as far back as when I was at Chris Hudson, and when I started Harvay Shaw and subsequently,Ferryline, I was fortunate enough to be able to take Fords with me.
The other thing Fords liked, was that being a small, privately owned company, I could respond very quickly to any changes that were required, and I was always dreaming up new types of equipment to solve Ford’s problems for them.
It wasn’t so easy for Ferrymasters and Norfolk Line etc, to respond as quickly, being large organisations, they had to go through loads of people before a decision could be made, and by then, we’d done it.
I also used to like antagonising our critics, by having flash cars for me and the other directors (I had an Aston Martin).
I had left the company by the time Peter Roff took his trucks off and Bob Humphreys and Colin Hillman were the owners by then, so I’m not surprised Bob was a bit peed off with you. He didn’t mince words, our Bob !!
It certainly gives me no pleasure to know that you lost so much money, as I said in an earlier post, I managed to do a pretty good job on myself in that respect.
It’s a strange thing, but it seems that anyone who left Ferryline, never did very well in their new situations, I know quite a few examples of that with ex office staff and drivers.
Regards,
Terry
I did traction for Chris Hudson from Felixstowe and Stallingborough early in 1983, I was based in Huddersfield along with another owner/driver called Brian Smith who had bought a Chris Hudson Scania 81.
I don’t have any photos of the trailers but here is my tractor unit:
I seem to remember waiting at Ford’s Halewood plant for days sometimes to get tipped, but being paid demurrage was almost as profitable as making deliveries!
Good Evening Terry…if you are still following this thread.
Piccy of an unobtrusive trailer now advertising the Hop Farm.
However a quick shot to the other side in very bad shadow reveals all.
Still resplendent in all its Ferryline glory.
I couldn’t make out a TP number,but it must be one of the very early
trailers.
Some lowlife has nicked the rear lenses and probably the winding handle…
I thought I had a few Chris Hudson pics but this is the only one I can lay my hands on, the Marathon was operated by a company with links to Bedford Heavy Haulage and was contracted to Canvins Meat packers which is now N. R. Evans.
skandiahamn:
I thought I had a few Chris Hudson pics but this is the only one I can lay my hands on, the Marathon was operated by a company with links to Bedford Heavy Haulage and was contracted to Canvins Meat packers which is now N. R. Evans.
Cracking pic Nick! Check out the Montracon on super-singles. It looks SO heavy! That poor, poor old Marathon…bless it.
I used to pull those Hudson tilts many years ago, god i hated them coffee beans, and having to pull back the tilt cover by hand while the crane driver sat and watched you at sheerness steel. I got kicked of the job after me and another subbie had a slight disagreement in Fords canteen at Daventry.
Funny though that a few years later i got a job collecting some of the old mona tilts from Dagenham and dropping them in Coventry where they were stripped down and piggy backed and then dropped them at Knights of Old where they were being shipped out to the Middle East.
Terry
If you are still following this thread.
The old TP trailer has been moved at Paddock Wood and is in a much better position.
Still no joy with a TP number.Not sure about the underslung tackle box either…
terryavc:
Hi John,
Thanks very much for the pictures and the kind words about working for us.
I remember you well and also Vernon Oliver of course.
I still see Bob Humphreys regularly but I have lost contact with Colin Hillman, but I will pass on your regards to Bob.
I will have to trawl through my stuff and see if I can find any pictures from the past, but it seems to me that the
guys on here have more than I do, I didn’t seem to get many photo’s and of course, mainly being a trailer operator
I have pictures of the trailers and not always with a unit.
Regards,
Terry
I don’t think there is a man alive that would forget Vernon Oliver if they had met him!.
