It's 1988...

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Coffee’s thread make me think.

What were the dinosaurs amongst us doing in 1988.

Me, working for Britvic (then still part of the BASS fleet) at Leeds. Driving an ERF CP(C139CKL). ■■■■■■■ LTA 290 with a 9 speed fuller road ranger.

No mobile phones and no pagers. Once you were out of the gate that was the last time they could get hold of you til you got back :slight_smile:

I was top lining about £580 a week, very, very good money for the time.

The M62 ran freely in a morning around Leeds and Bradford and only stacked up westbound when you got to Death Valley.

They hadn’t invented Gatsos or Red light cameras. Nor had they got around to banning heavies from most of London in an evening.

Oh yeah, most folks ran around at 62mph (100k) except for the car transporters and petrol tankers who only rarely were seen below mach 1. :slight_smile:

330horses meant you had a top of the range bit of kit.

You could still (and did) carry food on flats so rope and sheet skills were commonplace.

Bling motors of the day were F12’s, DAF 3300’s and Merc 2048’s.

Happy days… :slight_smile:

2

Ooh. This brings back memories. I was 15 in 1988 and would go out with my dad who drove (and still does) for the same company that i work for now. He was driving a '86 daf 3600 6x4 (i think. Will get him to check), towing a tri axle, non steering low loader. I went everywhere with him in the school holidays. Was great. We pulled excavators to dump trucks, to anywhere they were needed. Good times.

Thanks

Tom

3

1988 i was a scratch in me dad balls :laughing: :laughing: i remeber going with me dad in a luton transit sleeping in the back on boxes and a calor gas heater that me old man had to get up in the middle of the night to keep us warm i look back and laugh

4

i was working for NCCS or had we changed to exel by then?
would have been driving a leyland roadtrain E320, or a 2035 merc

5

Just leaving school! Oh, if you could wind back the clock.

6

I was loading and unloading clothes for etam ladieswear in mansfield… Happy days… out on the town with the lads… 20 years old… no bloody great beer belly… very fit because of the physical job.

7

i was driving a 7.5tonner for JWQ TPT in reading

8

1988 :slight_smile: was driving a tatty transit van for a esso authorised distributor in B’ham after passing my car test delivering barrels of grease and oil to garages, then got moved up to the 7.5 ton bedford and hiab for delivering bulk gas tanks

9

Just moved to Lisburn in N.Ireland with the forces,not long after we moved our 1st kid was born :wink:

10

:smiley: 1988 - was driving a DAF 1900 Turbo sleeper cab, rigid flat - briliant motor, especially after having a Leyland Freighter day cab. :smiley:

11

3 years into my spell as TM for Courtauld’s/Toray at Bulwell, probably just bought my first Foden for them, and a keen FTA committee member. Which is where I met the TM of Etam, Dennis somebody I think. Did you know him JB? :laughing:

12

i was driving a pug 205 for a security firm 15 hrs a night :cry: 1.25an hour :cry: :cry: :cry: :open_mouth:

13

Spardo:
3 years into my spell as TM for Courtauld’s/Toray at Bulwell, probably just bought my first Foden for them, and a keen FTA committee member. Which is where I met the TM of Etam, Dennis somebody I think. Did you know him JB? :laughing:

I did know him david yes. Dennis Sparks if i remember correctly. The drivers at etam were on a right good number too… salaried at around 20k i think… ALWAYS had a drivers mate with them(me on regular occasions)… NEVER slept in the wagon! I think they had an allowance of around £80 per night for digs…
Fairly hard work ■■■■■■■ hanging garment rails and boxes up flights of stairs into shops though.

14

Sounds just like New Look in 1998 (well, 2000…), only we had two drivers and 22 hour runs instead of driver’s mates. And a lot less money. :cry: :cry: :cry:

15

Running around Europe in a DAF 2100 lorry and drag…T-Forms, customs, time to relax on the beach or in the bar…usually had a sun tan from May through to October…no mobiles or tracking devices…got there when you got there so to speak…cleared imports in the morning, exports in the afternoon and if you missed the one you needed, well… it was back to the bar and try again tomorrow.

16

JB:
[I did know him david yes. Dennis Sparks if i remember correctly. .

Yes, Sparks, that’s the one, nice bloke but not a died-in-the-wool transport man, he was often asking me questions about the job which I didn’t mind answering - if you don’t ask you don’t find out and he never made a secret of the fact that his expertise was elsewhere and he’d got his cpc to fit the job.
I’ve a feeling that he went somewhere else during our time on the FTA, but can’t remember where.

17

iwas 16 and we moved to from london to leeds in 88 i always said it was the best year of my life.

18

Was still in the forces in 88 till they kicked me out for being disabled. A problem with my legs which they caused by making me jump out of aeroplanes, abseiling down ropes and running up and down ladders on grey ships.

19

I was 12. :stuck_out_tongue:

20

i was 31 :frowning: