Hey mazz, I used to work on the ford fleet driving the D1000 and other makes from the early 70,s to the early 90,s and I,m looking for ford drivers from that era,
flyer747:
Hey mazz, I used to work on the ford fleet driving the D1000 and other makes from the early 70,s to the early 90,s and I,m looking for ford drivers from that era,
was the job as good as everyone says it is?
it was when I worked for them but as you know companies want more and more, don’t know about now as I left in ,91 or 92
flyer747:
it was when I worked for them but as you know companies want more and more, don’t know about now as I left in ,91 or 92
come on tell us more!!
well before the tacho,s came in the runs/jobs were timed with a built in safety factor, like the running times were before the motorways were built. Then in came the tacho,s and Fords let them be for quite awhile then used them to make cuts to the runs/jobs. But the pay was really good and if I knew then what I now know I would have tried to transfer to the US many years ago.
My dad used to work for WBS doing ford warrenty parts out of south ockenden & daventry , they were based in surrey docks bermondsey
Andy
TRANSCON ANDY:
My dad used to work for WBS doing ford warrenty parts out of south ockenden & daventry , they were based in surrey docks bermondseyAndy
Did WBS have any conection with HTS ? Bewick.
I remember both WBS & HTS doing ford work
Hi bewick , yes they did , they were hts first then changed there name to wbs in the 70’s then finished in the mid 80’s , my dad worked at the charlton depot then moved to westferry rd depot on the isle of dogs , then moved to the surrey docks depot until he left in 82 when he moved northampton and started driving for e m rogers going to italy every week
Andy
been to WBS at surrey docks a few times - my dad was on swifts , IIRC it was pretty hary at night - some of the trailers were parked close to the edge- nice long drop into the drink if you slipped roping up 
, the WBS lads used to stop at the ace or pats caravan near flore on their way home from Dav , day cabbed marathons
Hi Tony , those trailers were a bit close to the dock side at times , spoke to my dad today he remebers the ace cafe at flore , was pats cafe more near daventry , he had a leyland marathon 2 ( BUL 81T ) , he moved to bugbrooke in 1982 , when he finished driving for e m rogers he went to work for haygates flour driving a forklift about 1995
Andy
TRANSCON ANDY:
Hi Tony , those trailers were a bit close to the dock side at times , spoke to my dad today he remebers the ace cafe at flore , was pats cafe more near daventry , he had a leyland marathon 2 ( BUL 81T ) , he moved to bugbrooke in 1982 , when he finished driving for e m rogers he went to work for haygates flour driving a forklift about 1995Andy
Hi Andy , bet your dad probably remembers mine -scouser Jack (he used to drive the Transcon TJL 562S ) , Pat’s was in the layby after Flore & J16 . Back then Swifts , Butty’s , Wrefords & Rogers drivers all ‘knew’ each other , different times now sadly .
I never see any pics of Fords own motors ( the D sries & cargos ), they used to have old 36’ merriworth flats ( sheeted of course )back in the day , i presume the shunters were on a good crack at Daventry - none ever seemed to leave anyway .
My Grandad used to drive a D1000 artic for the Ford Motor Company on inter plant trunking . The units were plain white with “the ford motor company by appointment” on the doors & i think they usually pulled flat 36’ merriworth tandem trailers . Has anyone on here any pictures of one?
Regards Maz .
Hiya ,
they are still the same colours now , except now the fleet are Volvo FMs
And its “dead mans shoes” to get in and the money is SERIOUS!!! 
Don’t know whether this was true or not , but i remember hearing that the drivers were going to get transcons 
- but the union guys said they would need higher wages to drive “them things” thats why they stuck with D1000s & later the cargo’s 