I remember when these trailers came to the Sunderland depot with three new FL7’s, I got one (much to my dissapointment) and a lad called Dougie the other, these were 36 tonners and Kenny got the 38 tonner to go with the trailer on Euro work, another trailer came a little later, not sure how many they ended up with but nobody was too keen to do the Continent trips as the money was nowt special. Don’t know why Sunderland always stuck to FL7’s and Blyth FL10’s maybe they thought doing mostly Nissan traffic we wouldn’t need the higher GVW, I had a 38tonne Merc before so often went over to Blyth with the other three MAN 38tonners for Reels, I used to like that side of it. That FL7 was the last straw for me though, what an awful machine. Franky.
Well I used to pull these on a regualar basis, I used to do the Newcastle under Lyme job it was bulky reels of paper, never more than 19/20 Tonne, it was a decent job & I allways loaded back from that area, If my memmorie is right they cut some bits of the front of the trailer when they first got them, I sure it was to do with the curtains folding round the headboard ?. also they were terible for getting grease on the air lines. Regards Larry.
Frankydobo, Can you remember these Bass Trailers, [Toblerones] they werent too bad as Tauts but when they had them converted to twist lock flats they were a dissaster, the hooks used to rip the wings on the tractor units to bits, we just point blank refused to pull them. Regards Larry.
Yeah Larry the ex Bass trailers were nice to pull only about 13’ 3" high if I recall and with the sloping sides you hardly knew you had one on. The lack of height might have been why they were converted but it wasn’t a good move. I might be amongst the rare few but I prefered a flat to a tautliner, I just enjoyed roping and sheeting but having said that many loads didn’t require sheets anyway especially in the better Months. There was mention of the Targets in recent posts that were built in Blyth, do you know if they also built Fergy’s tandem trailers, there wasn’t many companies that had the name profiled into the rear members of trailers as they did. Cheers Franky.
Well it was once said at Blyth the old Eddie dad something to do with Target Design, it seems Fergies thought they were ok. I never liked them, the rope hooks were awkward to get too, plus I allways thought the landing legs were far too low. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well it was once said at Blyth the old Eddie dad something to do with Target Design, it seems Fergies thought they were ok. I never liked them, the rope hooks were awkward to get too, plus I allways thought the landing legs were far too low. Regards Larry.
larry them target trailers were built 4 little bobby errington 4 his bent arm 2 put the ropes on only joking he ws one ov the good lads regards gary
Lawrence Dunbar:
Aye, heres some more Panic Button,Nigel Duffy,Mark Palmer,Mike Furness, John Purvis, Niel Vosey, Ralphy Wilson,Walter Moss, John Armstrong, & the brummie Armstrong [Jacko], Bobby Errington, Ray Black. Regards Larry.
hi larry last time a seen keith hodgson ( panic button) i was tipping at the coop on tynemouth priory he retired now but he was out 4 a ride on his bike he says he always pottering around tynemouth n n,shields cheers gary smith.
Ive just been talking to Les Baston a good pal of the Dunbars , he tells me that Alec Purvis at Fergys retired at xmas, Alec Purvis, was a hands on person , he new the job at Blyth inside out, he took every thing in his stride, he could overcome a problem with loads or drivers at the drop of a hat, he never expected any driver to do something that he could not do himself, Now theres something to be said for that, because in haulage to-day the people in the traffic offices in my opinion dont have that experience under their belt, they live in another world. Unless they are devoted to their job & take it very seriousley like we did in the good old days , they are the only people that will save the haulage industrey from disaster, of course this is just my opinion, My son Nigel & I packed it in because of the high price of fuel, & thats 12 years ago, now whats changed fuel prices have hit top doh & I cant see it getting any better, But we can all live in hope, Regards Larry.
Guy big J -RTY44G[Sherandoah]that came from Tommy Dodds Fleet,Was driven by George Tuck Snr.
It ended its days in the docks at Blyth leading paper ship to shed.
AEC Mercury OJR629F with a Target 30 foot trailer on in Blyth Depot.
Lorry was driven by George Henderson
Lawrence Dunbar:
0This was one of Fergusons Trailers.
Brought the first one home from Congleton with a MAN unit. They had to wait for Volvo units to be supplied as new axles had to fitted to take mini wheels. Cant remember if FL7,s where used for weight or because at the time they couldnt fit the lower axles under the FL10 engine. The trailers where designed for the number of stillages that Nissan could fit into 38 tonnes gross, there was very little gap when loading. We with the MANs where told our units would have to pull them till the new units arrived but only B Lillee would take his over. When I was told my unit would be on the next trip I said keys where in the ignition just give me time to get my gear out. Lad who was given the job came out of office and said he would take his FL7 as he thought it was better than the 6 wheeler MAN unit I had…some drivers still suprise me 
When Nissan contract finished a couple of the trailers where heightened to 16ft 2ins and ran over Blubberhouses to Accrington and then on a contract to Reddich. dave…
My ERF Was ideal for pulling these, the only thing we had to do was make sure the suzis were hooked up, otherwise as you will probabley done the same to keep them free from grease, Was I right in saying that they something cut off on the front, to do with the curtians ? Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
My ERF Was ideal for pulling these, the only thing we had to do was make sure the suzis were hooked up, otherwise as you will probabley done the same to keep them free from grease, Was I right in saying that they something cut off on the front, to do with the curtians ? Regards Larry.
Hi Larry …yes suzis where terrible they used to get into a grease ball tangle. If I remember I think the top curtain runners hooped round the front top of the headboard so the curtains cleared the sides for the loading as it was a tight fit for the stillages. Dave…
Frankydobo:
I remember when these trailers came to the Sunderland depot with three new FL7’s, I got one (much to my dissapointment) and a lad called Dougie the other, these were 36 tonners and Kenny got the 38 tonner to go with the trailer on Euro work, another trailer came a little later, not sure how many they ended up with but nobody was too keen to do the Continent trips as the money was nowt special. Don’t know why Sunderland always stuck to FL7’s and Blyth FL10’s maybe they thought doing mostly Nissan traffic we wouldn’t need the higher GVW, I had a 38tonne Merc before so often went over to Blyth with the other three MAN 38tonners for Reels, I used to like that side of it. That FL7 was the last straw for me though, what an awful machine. Franky.
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hi franky gary smith here we got fl7,s that had 285 engine,s in them pulling 38 t with them we called them pot noodle,s cos u had time 2 boil the kettle n let them stand 4 2 mins then eat them b4 u got up windy hill ,mine was n204 nbb,john green got 1n mick furness,paul mcdonald,they wre great pulling the old brewary trls think u could pull 25t with them on cheers gary smith
Hi Garry
Yeah mine being a 36 tonner was a bit of a shock to me, I wasn’t told it wasn’t plated for 38 as the one Kenny got first of the batch of three was 38tonne, First load away 22 Plts of Pop loaded the day before and parked in the yard for me to pick up and off I go. First full load so I’ll see how it goes, wasn’t expecting it to be a flyer anyway but when I got on the 62 I thought bloody hell this is crap, anyway the usual Bobby car came along and pulled me in and pointed me in the direction of the weighbridge as if I didn’t know! Still feeling smug though cos I knew it wasn’t pulling its best being less than a week old and knew it wouldn’t be overloaded anyway. Now the kick in the balls, it weighed off 40 tonne! “Your 4 tonne over driver”, “No its not I’m a 38 tonner”, “No your not look at the plate, 36 Tonne GVW”!
I had to lose 4 tonne and a lad from Blyth with the four wheel Merc and Hiab (you’ll know his name) came eventually to tranship the four pallets. The ■■■ that loaded it had put two extra pallets on even the office didn’t know about.
Anyway taking the four pallets off didn’t make any difference it was still a pill and never got any better. I played hell when I got back but to deaf ears as usual and when my fine came up they paid it, out of my wages! I didn’t know it had even gone to court, I never got on with Bob Brown after that right up until he got me sacked so I’ve got no good memories of that Volvo and it was the last wagon I drove as a driver, I’d had enough. Happy days eh Franky.
Well I pulled for Fergy for a few years, & I was quite often overloaded but lucky enough not to get caught, when I was given a return load which was a bonus, allthough I must say when J,P, Was in the chair things were a dam sight better this boy was a wizz kid in the traffic office, I remember loading some gear at Birmingham 23 Tonnes I was told but when I got to the loading point I was informed that It was 26 Tonnes & that Fergy was told this when the wagon was booked, Now I thought to myself is this geazer taking this ■■■■ or what, So I rang the traffic office to let them know about the 26 Tonne, Well guess what they told me the load was 23 Tonnes, So I reported back to the office & said it was 23 Tonnes, they insisted that Fergy new it was 26 Tonnes, So I replied to the thick tw t, & said well theres no way you can carry 26 Tonnes on a curtainsider at 38 Tonnes Gross, most 3 by 3s weighed well over 14 Tonnes empty, so no way was 26 Tonnes legal, never mind It was sorted out very amicabley between the customer & myself, to my advantage , luckiley I was nver stopped on the way up, & the load was delivered with no probs. I dont know why drivers are told porkies about the proper weights etc, as Im sure nothing has changed, I was a hard game then 14 yrs ago, & It will only get worse in my opinion. Regards Larry.
Lawrence Dunbar:
Well I pulled for Fergy for a few years, & I was quite often overloaded but lucky enough not to get caught, when I was given a return load which was a bonus, allthough I must say when J,P, Was in the chair things were a dam sight better this boy was a wizz kid in the traffic office, I remember loading some gear at Birmingham 23 Tonnes I was told but when I got to the loading point I was informed that It was 26 Tonnes & that Fergy was told this when the wagon was booked, Now I thought to myself is this geazer taking this ■■■■ or what, So I rang the traffic office to let them know about the 26 Tonne, Well guess what they told me the load was 23 Tonnes, So I reported back to the office & said it was 23 Tonnes, they insisted that Fergy new it was 26 Tonnes, So I replied to the thick tw t, & said well theres no way you can carry 26 Tonnes on a curtainsider at 38 Tonnes Gross, most 3 by 3s weighed well over 14 Tonnes empty, so no way was 26 Tonnes legal, never mind It was sorted out very amicabley between the customer & myself, to my advantage , luckiley I was nver stopped on the way up, & the load was delivered with no probs. I dont know why drivers are told porkies about the proper weights etc, as Im sure nothing has changed, I was a hard game then 14 yrs ago, & It will only get worse in my opinion. Regards Larry.
Larry, JP is now transport manager at the Port Of Tyne. regards Kev.
Well thank you Kev, I often wondered where he ended up, He was a real smart lad at his job , very ambitious to get on in the transport world, I hope he is doing very well , & I f should speak to him or see him give him my regards, Regards Larry. PS, Mind you there was also some good guys apart from JP, in Fergys too.
Ive been informed that Alec Purvis a long serving employee of Fergys retired at Xmas, He must by lying low & having a vacation from the transport jungle Eh, Alec was a spot on bloke to get along with, very hands on, & very helpful as fare as Im concerned, He deserves a bloody medal for the time & work effort he put into Fergys, He worked there for , well a long time starting in the 60/70s, I would like to hear from him sometime, Regards Dunbars Transport [Ponteland[.