Stangely E.C.Transport acted as agent for F B Atkins,when they first used Poole.I understand that one Peter Turner,later joined the company as transport manager,from F B Atkins.When I was there,we did a lot of intra EU movements of explosives(eg det chord from Italy to Stade in Germany,for loading on ships for The Middle East,as well as black powder),Hawk missiles from France to many NATO countries etc.ICI Nobel explosives from UK to all over Europe ,was a regular cargo,as well as explosives between Switxerland and UK(almost every week)etc.It certainly was unusual work,with lots of paperwork! Ian Rycroft was the boss.He was an ex combat engineer officer,who spoke arabic etc,He was an excellent (cunning?) linguist,and rumoured to have been decorated by The Queen,more than once.He took his turn with the driving too!
Seem to remeber in the 80`s, didnt Brian Yeardley used to carry explosives / ammunition around Europe?
Im sure I remember being on a freighter out of or into ZB or Ostend with one of their vehicles right up the front on the nose (bow??) ready to be pushed off if anything happend.
Im sure he said he was carrying explosives!!
I think he may have been carrying shotgun cartridges(safety cartridges) which,in those days,could be carried in a tilt with one driver .We did quite a bit out of Italy and France and some UK stuff to Europe(Eley Kynoch I believe).There was also a tie up with a firm called TransOman,which moved stuff between UK and Oman.Trucks went down to Marseilles then on the ferry to Jeddah and then over to The Gulf and down to Oman.Most of the stuff was destined for the military there.Later the trailers went unaccompanied from Marseilles and we did a shunt between UK and Marseilles,with the TransOman tractors doing the shunt between Jeddah and Muscat.
wasn’t trans-oman something to do with e h phillips out of parkestone?
remember EC well, maybe after your time but the TM later on was Andre Linford who I still deal with as he works for Wallenius Wilhelmsen shipping line in Southampton
I seem to remember Mr Rycroft went head to head with some government agency or another (DTI?) and won, might have been something to do with the matrix churchill affair iirc
Muhandis
I thought Peter Turner left Atkins to join GBE ,(he was there when I was there ),I think when GBE went bust he went to ADT (?) machine removal
kerbut:
Muhandis
I thought Peter Turner left Atkins to join GBE ,(he was there when I was there ),I think when GBE went bust he went to ADT (?) machine removal
And now with Carter’s I believe, having left NYK Logistics to join them recently
kerbut:
I belive the Ex milatry mans name was Ryecroft.
Wasn’t he the man who started out by running an Atki Borderer to the Middle East?
Spardo:
Welcome to TN Muhandis, don’t remember EC myself but I do remember some of the others you mention. Especially Atkins of Derby. Before they went all sickly yellow and Renault they were very big on Atkis and made a very expensive mistake in anticipating the extra weight allowed for 3 axle units, re-equipping practically the whole fleet (of Borderers) a long time before the law was actually changed.
A lot of people did that around 1970, didn’t they David? The 1970 Earl’s Court Show was stuffed with 44 tonners from people like Atkinson, ERF, AEC, Foden & Guy. Not to mention Volvo and Scania Vabis with proper heavy plated motors!
F B Atkins had quite a few 6x2 Atkinsons I believe, but I’m not sure if they were the heavy plated units or just the old 5-axle 32 tonners form the late 1960s. There is still the ex-Midland Storage Atkinson 6x2 unit clinging onto life somewhere, I believe. (JRA 978J)
Tidied up your quote 240 
, well, you’re such a knowledgeable chap I thought it was worth doing something you couldn’t. 
D.
Yes,I believe he did The Iran thing after leaving the Army.A pretty resourceful guy all around-and certainly in my eyes-a very good boss…Apparently he appeared,without his knowledge,some time later.in a book about Ulster called '‘The Triggermen’
240 Gardner:
kerbut:
I belive the Ex milatry mans name was Ryecroft.Wasn’t he the man who started out by running an Atki Borderer to the Middle East?
Guys
As a long time driver and “proper truck enthusiast”, thought id post a few photos to illustrate some of the co’s you’ve been on about.
Nice to hear about ECT Muhandis. Always thought they had a smart livery. If I remember they also had a Volvo Eurotrotter drawbar (?). I saw the K’dub down in Oporto Portugal back in the 80’s but didnt get a decent pic of it, kickin myself now!
Atkins was another co with a smart livery. Bold as ya like, red brown and yellow stood out a mile! They had a solitary Scania which was apparantly unreliable. Given the choice between the old SK Merc semi sleepers and the Scania, I know which one i’d rather take abroad!
heres photo of 3axle Atki for ya 240 Gardner/spardo
and for those who prefer something a bit more modern…
and 1 for jj72, the TransOman 142. Been trying to work out how they tilted the cab?
and finally…1 of Taunton Meats and 1 of Harding Bros.
I used to ship out of Dover so nice to hear about the co’s working from the other ports.
I do have some nice Beresford pics inc. an ERF European cab, 110 Scania and wait for it…a Bedford KM tractor with a V8 Detroit in it !!
what about Swains, Sayers, Sparks and Gilders? anyone want piccys of them posting, please shout up.
Yes please post more !!!
Love the old Transcons, how about this old one:
Will bring some memories back for Truckyboy 
Remember seeing that set up in Folkestone a few times (in the 80`s). Didnt they have a wagon and drag aswell, think they were based in Wembley, or was that Euromove specialising in doing Greece!!
Brains gone!!!..■■■■, dont you just hate it when that happens 
Are you thinkin of TRANS EURO bullitt? brown and white, had left ■■■■■■ Daf 33’s with m/e spec cabs, did eastern euro and m/e…
Yes Trans-Euro were/are ■■ in Wembley, These were based in South London
and done the whole of Europe inc Greece also M/E
truckerash:
heres photo of 3axle Atki for ya 240 Gardner/spardo
Hey, thanks for the Atki! That’s one of the 32 tonners I mentioned - only got the ordinary Kirkstall back end on it, by the looks of the pic. They didn’t run them abroad though, did they?
Don’t s’pose you’ve any Bowker pics from over the water, have you?
here ya go mikey1, a few more good old Transcons for ya…
ill post more of the other old co’s over next day or so.
truckerash:
and 1 for jj72, the TransOman 142. Been trying to work out how they tilted the cab?
thanks - don’t post your wonderful collection all at once for the philestines on here - make em beg for the good photos, one by one mate
by the way are you a “proper truck enthusiast” or a “proper truck” enthusiast?
mikey1:
Yes Trans-Euro were/are ■■ in Wembley, These were based in South London
and done the whole of Europe inc Greece also M/E
Cheers truckerash and mickey1, youre both right.....im getting wires crossed, Trans Euro were / are in Wembley, cream and brown vehicles and specialised in Greece.....didnt Euro-move do a bit to the embassys in North Africa?
Whatever, i still remember seeing that rig…im going for a lay down now
Only 1 proper truck-Volvo F89!!!
jj72:
truckerash:
and 1 for jj72, the TransOman 142. Been trying to work out how they tilted the cab?thanks - don’t post your wonderful collection all at once for the philestines on here - make em beg for the good photos, one by one mate
by the way are you a “proper truck enthusiast” or a “proper truck” enthusiast?
240 Gardner:
truckerash:
heres photo of 3axle Atki for ya 240
Gardner/spardoHey, thanks for the Atki! That’s one of the 32 tonners I
mentioned - only got the ordinary Kirkstall back end on it, by the looks of the
pic. They didn’t run them abroad though, did they?
Yes, thanks for that Ashley, as far as I remember 240, the international side of
their business came later. They certainly weren’t doing it when I went there for a
job, probably in the 70s. I remember I was looking forward to a nice test drive
down the A38 in an Atki, which I was familiar with, but instead had to wrestle a
clapped out Ergomatic, which I wasn’t. Did allright though, but didn’t end
up with a job. I don’t think they advertised, I just went there on spec.
Muhandis:
Only 1 proper truck-Volvo F89!!!
Certainly the motor I have the fondest memories of, but I don’t think I would go
quite that far, I have had some other good’uns also.