andrew brick:
Hi Steve, so which one would you take out of the above ? personally for me it has to start with a V and end with an O, but wish that they would go back to a more “upright cab” like the old F series,they just loose so much space with the sloping front compared with other cabs.
Hi Andrew - Well it wouldn’t be the Austin!!
The Volvo and Scania are OK workaday motors but with confusing combinations of clutch pedal - no clutch pedal, gearstick - no gearstick and sometimes a conventional 3 over 3 range change, the Mercedes is OK apart from the seatbelt trying to saw through my neck all day. The Renault didn’t present any problems but didn’t fire me up with enthusiasm, my favourite is the MAN, a big meaty truck with loads of space, power and comfort.
Snap, I would pick the MAN also, before my current Volvo I’ve had 3 MAN’s and they were very reliable, as they are all auto’s now the Volvo has the best autobox but thats all, the MAN is better in every other respect.
Unofficially,the first was a thames trader tipper and a bedford tk tipper[when i was a mechanic]taking for mot.officially.was an AEC Mercury for BRS.now i drive a volvo FH16 660 automatic 4 axle tipper in an iron ore mine in lappland.i think that my favourite was a volvo f89 in 1972.i really was '‘king of the road’'in those days.
First one I drove was my Dads AEC Mercury artic around the docks as I was only 14, then at 15 I drove a D1000 from Peterborough to Leicester, at 16 drove an Albion Clydesdale down the M1 with 16 ton of concrete on the back, now we come to the legal bit while training, ferrying tractors from Banner lane to Livingston Allpak at Watford Gap, passed my test , first was a D 800 rigid, last truck I drove Peterbilt 379 in Canada and I’ll be happy if I never set foot in another truck again.
First … Ford D series. for Swifts in Duston, Northampton.
Last … Frieghtliner Columbia for Foodliner, of Dubuque, Iowa (based in NYC and still driving the thing)
Hi
This is the first motor i drove, could make your ears bleed, dont know what the drivers of new Transits, or Merc sprinter’s would make of it
Then got promoted to this, it was sheer luxury after the Dodge
Then went on to these when i took my class one, the D reg had a 340 Rolls Eagle, it went well but seemed to be forever in the workshop, The E reg was a 320 ■■■■■■■■ which I preffered…
My first was in the Army, in 1957 it was one of the flat fronted I think Bedford left over from the war, and then progressed to all the vehicles they had from Saracens 6 wheeled armoured troupe carriers, then eventually to the Trader with an floating 3rd Axel, then up to the usual custom cab AECs then to a Seddon 8 wheeler with 150 Gardner, then all the usual stuff right up until I retired in 2005, and finishing with the usual Globetrotter auto.
And to be honest I miss the job, but a stroke put paid to the HVG licence almost 2 years ago. Hey Ho! that’s life. :- Jack
Dieseldogsix:
First one I drove was my Dads AEC Mercury artic around the docks as I was only 14, then at 15 I drove a D1000 from Peterborough to Leicester, at 16 drove an Albion Clydesdale down the M1 with 16 ton of concrete on the back, now we come to the legal bit while training, ferrying tractors from Banner lane to Livingston Allpak at Watford Gap, passed my test , first was a D 800 rigid, last truck I drove Peterbilt 379 in Canada and I’ll be happy if I never set foot in another truck again.
Sorry you didn’t appear to enjoy your driving, I’ve driven all over the East & Western Europe for many years, including the UK, and even did a bit in the US and enjoyed every day of it, was it Canada you didn’t like or was it just the driving you didn’t like, it’d be interesting to know why you’d be happy never to drive one again. :-Jack
The First
Jack