Jazzandy:
You may find that HTS trucks were used in the series but the show’ base was F.G. Hammond’s yard near Stratford E15.
As they already had Hammond written up everywhere and the Brothers were ‘Hammonds’
Thanks for that thought I was near.Along time ago. Frank
There are many many tales abount Yiddle Davies , many firms i could wright a book iff they are all true ,What sticks out in my mind was when the L A, eventuly cought up with them ,just before they went on there hols, to H M P ,there was a big auction at Measham when the fleet was sold off ,the fleet was in kit form some on the back of others wheels ,engines ,gear boxes rear axles missing ,the bidding was out of this world ,soft money being bid for scap ,when it turned out one of the brothers was pushing the prices up from the back of the arena ,it was a big artical in the commercial motor , Just a bit usless info ,BARRY
so dennis 3 hauliers eh? in no particular order stan robson, where were the fast lot when stan was running(in the back of beyond somewhere)i always remember the robson fodens when i used to ride shotgun with my father,what always stuck in my mind were the many border names across the fleet of vehicles.
the late brian harris,if you ever got the chance to meet him in his local the rugglestone and talk transport he would come out with marvellous stories and all true (rip brian a true gent)
and last but by no means least my old guvnor jack henley of henley transport co ltd down in the garden of england (kent) another true character,he would give you the biggest bollocking of your life then 2 minutes afterwards it was all forgotten,if you was management like i was and made a mistake and got it wrong he would always back you up even against a customer,he may have been a so and so at times but you knew where you stood with him everything was up front.the best guvnor i ever had in road transport.
hope thats suffice for you dennis,good luck chris lawrence
lawrence2765:
so dennis 3 hauliers eh? in no particular order stan robson, where were the fast lot when stan was running(in the back of beyond somewhere)i always remember the robson fodens when i used to ride shotgun with my father,what always stuck in my mind were the many border names across the fleet of vehicles.
the late brian harris,if you ever got the chance to meet him in his local the rugglestone and talk transport he would come out with marvellous stories and all true (rip brian a true gent)
and last but by no means least my old guvnor jack henley of henley transport co ltd down in the garden of england (kent) another true character,he would give you the biggest bollocking of your life then 2 minutes afterwards it was all forgotten,if you was management like i was and made a mistake and got it wrong he would always back you up even against a customer,he may have been a so and so at times but you knew where you stood with him everything was up front.the best guvnor i ever had in road transport.
hope thats suffice for you dennis,good luck chris lawrence
Thats the spirit Lawrence,an excellent trio there,plus a fair explanation.I was priveledged to meet all three of those individuals during my time in the business and they were all very different characters I can tell you ! Cheers Dennis.
Here in yorkshire it has to be Bells Transport of Bradford ,Jack Bell pioneered the long distance haulage of wool from devon and cornwall,build his own special bodies with canopies over the cab,complete with ratchets on the sides and at the back.Also Chris Metcalfe of keighley they had six or seven depots nationwide ,and James Watkinson ,heavy haulage of Keighley this was an old firm started in 1927 ,I served my time there in the 70s.Sadley there all gon now.
b.waddy:
There are many many tales abount Yiddle Davies , many firms i could wright a book iff they are all true ,What sticks out in my mind was when the L A, eventuly cought up with them ,just before they went on there hols, to H M P ,there was a big auction at Measham when the fleet was sold off ,the fleet was in kit form some on the back of others wheels ,engines ,gear boxes rear axles missing ,the bidding was out of this world ,soft money being bid for scap ,when it turned out one of the brothers was pushing the prices up from the back of the arena ,it was a big artical in the commercial motor , Just a bit usless info ,BARRY
Hi Barry.
There has been a lot of Tales about Davis Bros going about over the years but anybody writing a Book a Book about them would have a hard job sorting out the ones that are true from some of the Rubbish that has been said,a lot of which i know for a fact is not true.
Ben.
Hi, Dennis
This is turning into an interesting thread. I think my contenders would be 1) the late Doug Holloway who built up one of our areas biggest haulage concerns,mainly based on the steel industry,namely Consolidated Land Services. Many is the story of his deals and means to get contracts, stories of him sailing close to the wind but if you worked for him and did your job you were generally well looked after. A lot of his drivers spent many years with him and were quite loyal.
I would like to talk to him now because my father was one of his first drivers,when it was North Lincs Haulage ,which was Doug and three drivers.
I have memories of my father and Doug handballing two four wheeler loads of bagged fish meal onto my Dads eight wheeler for my dad to do umpteen drops round Devon and Cornwall, and then Doug and my dad sat at our kitchen table talking. Me,a tiddler who in later life went to work for Doug but owing to the size of the firm I was a driver among many. It would be interesting to see if he thought life was better in his early days ,when everybody pitched in and helped or later on when he had made his money and sold out to Powell Duffryn.
No.2)I think that would have to be Harold Woods. A man who built an empire out of other empires and became one of the names for tank haulage, what would his thoughts be about todays monopolies.
Lastly I would love to be able to talk again to one man who spent all his working life in haulage, never owned a truck or managed a company ,just went out every day and did his job, My father.
A man who as a kid for many years we saw at bed time Sunday and again on Friday night or Saturday dinner. In later years I suppose after the joy of the open road and cab hotel had worn off he moved onto tankers and more local work.
Now that I am about to retire I think my dad and I could spend many an hour comparing two generations of haulage, and even now I wish I could ask his opinion about matters transport related.
Cheers Bassman
Bassman:
Hi, Dennis
This is turning into an interesting thread. I think my contenders would be 1) the late Doug Holloway who built up one of our areas biggest haulage concerns,mainly based on the steel industry,namely Consolidated Land Services. Many is the story of his deals and means to get contracts, stories of him sailing close to the wind but if you worked for him and did your job you were generally well looked after. A lot of his drivers spent many years with him and were quite loyal.
I would like to talk to him now because my father was one of his first drivers,when it was North Lincs Haulage ,which was Doug and three drivers.
I have memories of my father and Doug handballing two four wheeler loads of bagged fish meal onto my Dads eight wheeler for my dad to do umpteen drops round Devon and Cornwall, and then Doug and my dad sat at our kitchen table talking. Me,a tiddler who in later life went to work for Doug but owing to the size of the firm I was a driver among many. It would be interesting to see if he thought life was better in his early days ,when everybody pitched in and helped or later on when he had made his money and sold out to Powell Duffryn.
No.2)I think that would have to be Harold Woods. A man who built an empire out of other empires and became one of the names for tank haulage, what would his thoughts be about todays monopolies.
Lastly I would love to be able to talk again to one man who spent all his working life in haulage, never owned a truck or managed a company ,just went out every day and did his job, My father.
A man who as a kid for many years we saw at bed time Sunday and again on Friday night or Saturday dinner. In later years I suppose after the joy of the open road and cab hotel had worn off he moved onto tankers and more local work.
Now that I am about to retire I think my dad and I could spend many an hour comparing two generations of haulage, and even now I wish I could ask his opinion about matters transport related.Cheers Bassman
Hi Bassman,
If I a correct didn’t Doug Holloway, through Consolidated Land Services own Davison’s Transport Shildon. Co. Durham that following John Davison’s (John Dee) ‘sudden departure’, change its name to Direct Transport Ltd?
If I am correct, I believe he went on to spend a year or two residing in one of Her Majesties Prison, because of being convicted of bribery and corruption of British Steel Executives.
I attended several meetings and discussions with Direct Transport and John Dee Ltd, whie he was away, who were by then deadly enemies and to say the least Direct always appeared a strange run company, compared with say John Dee. (And that’s saying something)
Direct under Holloway’s control went on to start making worktops as Direct Worktops Ltd and somehow ended up being controlled by George Reynolds.
How it passed from Holloway to Reynolds would, I am sure make a very interesting story. I have heard one explanation that I would not choose to repeat.
In view of these facts, perhaps you might like to change your opinion.
Carl
Hi, Carl,
I think in the first paragraph, without being to descriptive, I said that Doug used many means and methods. I accept that he had a reputation as a bit of a rogue at times.But did achieving what he did turn him into one?My childhood memories of him are not ones of someone like that at that time.
Despite his reputation ,a lot of men were employed in this area by his companies, and that must count for something.
Cheers Bassman
My three choices would have to be:
John Davison, Starting in 1972 with three new Volvos and forming John Dee, and creating eventually a fleet of almost 1,000 vehicles., before going into liquidation to reform John Dee which again went into liquidation, to go on to trade now as Katem. In his original days as John Dee he led the way in rate cutting that helped to create the Road Haulage Industry we have today. He had, by paying drivers 17% of vehicle earnings devised a way of automatically adjusting his wage bill as he cut away at rates, making his task of destroying all competition so much easier. By the way, John himself was and no doubt still is a really nice bloke. I bought his house from him, where he originally had started John Dee and by agreement he left his Samoyed dog,as he felt it wuld miss the grounds of the house, and he was moving into a town house in Durham City, a great pet.
John Henry Dent starting in the early fifties as Dents Transport. I would like to thank him for the great help; he was in aiding my skill in reading, as every week, in the sixties I waited with baited breath for the Commercial Motor to arrive, so I could read of his latest exploits. With these immortal words, on one occasion he explained to the Northern Traffic Commissionaires, who had observed that some drivers records (Before Tachograph) were so clean and crisp, that it looked like they had just been written the day before inspection, and not sat in the cab and got grubby finger marks on them. ‘I teach my drivers that Cleanliness is next to Godliness’, he observed… Unfortunatly Harry Dent, died relatively young so his Robin Hood days in road haulage must have taken their tole in reducing his lifespan.
Finally Eddie Stobart, who took over the John Dee mantel of rate cutting and completed the task of destroying the remainder of old style hauliers that still existed.
Well said Carl,at least you’ve gone to the "other end " of spectrum so to speak!!You also explained,very well IMO,the fault lines that have plagued the industry over many years which has resulted in the destruction of the financial well being and viabilty of the haulage industry.Well said !! Cheers Bewick.
For me it would be Wells Fargo, no one said it had to be British.
Surrey Wharf, Crokerton Haulage and Brookways - all three had great bosses in Teddy Clouting, Bob White and Sam Brookway.
Carl Williams:
Bassman:
Hi, Dennis
This is turning into an interesting thread. I think my contenders would be 1) the late Doug Holloway who built up one of our areas biggest haulage concerns,mainly based on the steel industry,namely Consolidated Land Services. Many is the story of his deals and means to get contracts, stories of him sailing close to the wind but if you worked for him and did your job you were generally well looked after. A lot of his drivers spent many years with him and were quite loyal.
I would like to talk to him now because my father was one of his first drivers,when it was North Lincs Haulage ,which was Doug and three drivers.
I have memories of my father and Doug handballing two four wheeler loads of bagged fish meal onto my Dads eight wheeler for my dad to do umpteen drops round Devon and Cornwall, and then Doug and my dad sat at our kitchen table talking. Me,a tiddler who in later life went to work for Doug but owing to the size of the firm I was a driver among many. It would be interesting to see if he thought life was better in his early days ,when everybody pitched in and helped or later on when he had made his money and sold out to Powell Duffryn.
No.2)I think that would have to be Harold Woods. A man who built an empire out of other empires and became one of the names for tank haulage, what would his thoughts be about todays monopolies.
Lastly I would love to be able to talk again to one man who spent all his working life in haulage, never owned a truck or managed a company ,just went out every day and did his job, My father.
A man who as a kid for many years we saw at bed time Sunday and again on Friday night or Saturday dinner. In later years I suppose after the joy of the open road and cab hotel had worn off he moved onto tankers and more local work.
Now that I am about to retire I think my dad and I could spend many an hour comparing two generations of haulage, and even now I wish I could ask his opinion about matters transport related.Cheers Bassman
Hi Bassman,
If I a correct didn’t Doug Holloway, through Consolidated Land Services own Davison’s Transport Shildon. Co. Durham that following John Davison’s (John Dee) ‘sudden departure’, change its name to Direct Transport Ltd?
If I am correct, I believe he went on to spend a year or two residing in one of Her Majesties Prison, because of being convicted of bribery and corruption of British Steel Executives.
I attended several meetings and discussions with Direct Transport and John Dee Ltd, whie he was away, who were by then deadly enemies and to say the least Direct always appeared a strange run company, compared with say John Dee. (And that’s saying something)
Direct under Holloway’s control went on to start making worktops as Direct Worktops Ltd and somehow ended up being controlled by George Reynolds.
How it passed from Holloway to Reynolds would, I am sure make a very interesting story. I have heard one explanation that I would not choose to repeat.
In view of these facts, perhaps you might like to change your opinion.Carl
In the sixties North Lincs were taken over by London & Northern Securities, a conglomerate run by Jock MacKenzie, who was also involved with Grampian Holdings. I am not sure when they became CLS, but LNS also controlled Northern Land Contractors (aka Golightly Group in the north east) and later absorbed Brunskills’ from Hartlepool. I do not know when LNS offloaded CLS and Direct, but the latter days of Direct were far from happy.
The two most remarkable men I met in the industry were Mr Bobbie Durham, and Mr Bob Cawthorn (Cawthorn & Sinclair) who built up huge businesses from nothing. C & S were groundbreaking hauliers on the European routes, and Durhams ran an immaculate fleet from a showplace depot.
Incidentally Mr Cawthorn passed away only a couple of years ago aged over 100 years
Carl Williams:
My three choices would have to be:
John Davison, Starting in 1972 with three new Volvos and forming John Dee, and creating eventually a fleet of almost 1,000 vehicles., before going into liquidation to reform John Dee which again went into liquidation, to go on to trade now as Katem. In his original days as John Dee he led the way in rate cutting that helped to create the Road Haulage Industry we have today. He had, by paying drivers 17% of vehicle earnings devised a way of automatically adjusting his wage bill as he cut away at rates, making his task of destroying all competition so much easier. By the way, John himself was and no doubt still is a really nice bloke. I bought his house from him, where he originally had started John Dee and by agreement he left his Samoyed dog,as he felt it wuld miss the grounds of the house, and he was moving into a town house in Durham City, a great pet.
John Henry Dent starting in the early fifties as Dents Transport. I would like to thank him for the great help; he was in aiding my skill in reading, as every week, in the sixties I waited with baited breath for the Commercial Motor to arrive, so I could read of his latest exploits. With these immortal words, on one occasion he explained to the Northern Traffic Commissionaires, who had observed that some drivers records (Before Tachograph) were so clean and crisp, that it looked like they had just been written the day before inspection, and not sat in the cab and got grubby finger marks on them. ‘I teach my drivers that Cleanliness is next to Godliness’, he observed… Unfortunatly Harry Dent, died relatively young so his Robin Hood days in road haulage must have taken their tole in reducing his lifespan.
Finally Eddie Stobart, who took over the John Dee mantel of rate cutting and completed the task of destroying the remainder of old style hauliers that still existed.
Evening all, oh Carl, what you comment is so true,as a young man I could not understand why everything had to be done “cheaper”. My family left haulage, because others could do it “cheaper”.
I left these shores, and learned how it could be done to make profit, not a dirty word, everyone profits from a profitable company! I learned the essential ratios of profit, and cost, and the parameters that should never be breached.
I came back,bought into a “bankrupt” company, made it profitable, (very profitable)! Then saw my “suppliers”, the vehicle manufacturers attack" my " business, (because they could provide “my” services “cheaper”), so I sold out to a “major player”, before the rot set in! who proceeded to ■■■■ up everything that it was possible to ■■■■ up!! I retired from the industry, lost interest, as I saw "professional, after professional, (most of whom I would not pay in bottle tops), reduce the industry I loved, (and still love), to a shadow of its former self, whil`st, “talking a good job”.
Fast Eddie, et al, yes they are succesful, ( but Gentlemen please look at where their “core” potential profitability, and equity lie, (and it aint with lorries)!! Look at what we now have, motorways full of vehicles from countries that, “can do it cheaper”, an indigenous industry that is dying, and what annoys me the most…no person gives a ■■■■!!!
The last one to leave…please dont bother to turn out the lights!! Cheerio for now.
In our area they all cut rates and called each other worse than s— , but at times they would go to dinners and talk like old school mates from years ago,i was employed in transport for 43 years in the n/east, and do agree with what Carl as said.Vic.
Hi, Vertco,
You have just given me information about the background of certain haulage firms that I wasn’t aware of.
I am not sure just when CLS actually started. I started with them in 1968 and some motors were in CLS colours and as new ones came they too were in CLS colours, but they were still running a lot in the old North Lincs. Haulage colours. I was with them when Brunskills became part of the group , I believe that would be be 1970/1971.
At that time nearly all the firms acquired were ,with the exception possibly of Sellers&Batty, involved in steel in one way or another. It got so that you lost track of which company was in the group and who wasn’t.
Cheers Bassman
IIRC H&L of Workington were part of North Lincs group,H&L were started by a couple of former BRS managers in the mid/late 60’s.I can’t recall exactly what happened but they did disappear in the early 70’s and the “L” part went on to create and run a firm called Alco which handled waste and ran skips.I don’t know if they handled any of the “glowing” stuff from Sellafield though !!! Cheers Bewick.
Dennis,
Yes H&L ( Holloway & Laverack I believe it stood for) were part of the group CLS belonged to. IIRC they ran a regular night trunk to Scunthorpe, usually ingot moulds.
As you say Dennis they did seem to dissappear quietly in the early 70,s. Blue and Grey motors IIRC.
Cheers Bassman
Bassman:
Dennis,Yes H&L ( Holloway & Laverack I believe it stood for) were part of the group CLS belonged to. IIRC they ran a regular night trunk to Scunthorpe, usually ingot moulds.
As you say Dennis they did seem to dissappear quietly in the early 70,s. Blue and Grey motors IIRC.Cheers Bassman
Sorry “Bassman” I should have said that the “L” initial stood for Lavery,but I’d forgotten what the “H” bit stood for,I also recall that in '69 they were running some of those Dennis Maxims with the V8 Perkins engine (Pity about the name!!),Cheers Dennis.