Anyone on here run Saudi etc in the late 70s/80s?
Everyone these days seem to think the world ends at an RDC and the stories circulating in the waiting rooms but I’m sure many a story came from Middle East tramping. Spending days or weeks at Border controls, bribing officials, etc. Saw some old Atkis going down - right wrecks, with batteries tied on and bits hanging off. Plan was to deliver load to wherever and flog the truck and fly home - then probably do the same a month later. Often wonder how many actually made it when you wouldn’t take them out of the yard let alone those sort of distances with no a/c except opening windows to let all the dust in! 
The old trucks you saw may have been driven to a container port to be shipped out to the Middle East or Africa.
Google ex ME driver Chris Hooper.
roadhog69:
Anyone on here run Saudi etc in the late 70s/80s?
Everyone these days seem to think the world ends at an RDC and the stories circulating in the waiting rooms but I’m sure many a story came from Middle East tramping. Spending days or weeks at Border controls, bribing officials, etc. Saw some old Atkis going down - right wrecks, with batteries tied on and bits hanging off. Plan was to deliver load to wherever and flog the truck and fly home - then probably do the same a month later. Often wonder how many actually made it when you wouldn’t take them out of the yard let alone those sort of distances with no a/c except opening windows to let all the dust in!
pity you just missed gaydon this weekend you would have heard some storys and tales there
I used to run to Tabriz and Tehran,from May 1973 until December 1975. Taking chilled lamb from the old British Beef factory in Bamber Bridge Preston. For the then Sha of Persia Royal house hold. So transport costs didn’t matter, they would just open another oil well to pay forit. Used to be away for about 8 weeks if I remember correctly. The job paid well enough to pay off one mortgage and buy another house for cash. I used to go through Northern Italy. Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria then catch a dodgy ferry from Volos in Greece. To Cyprus , then Syria, Turkey. Through to Iran. First trip I had a Volvo 86 second time I went a Volvo 89 great tool.used to be on Benzedrine to keep me awake when into Asia no drivers regs then. Massive belly tank on trailer. Couldn’t do it now. But been there and got the tea shirt. I’m now retired but when doing my cpc I asked my instructor how old he was. I was running to the Middle East befor he was born. 21st century Britain. I have had a clean licence for 43 years.
hanson:
roadhog69:
Anyone on here run Saudi etc in the late 70s/80s?
Everyone these days seem to think the world ends at an RDC and the stories circulating in the waiting rooms but I’m sure many a story came from Middle East tramping. Spending days or weeks at Border controls, bribing officials, etc. Saw some old Atkis going down - right wrecks, with batteries tied on and bits hanging off. Plan was to deliver load to wherever and flog the truck and fly home - then probably do the same a month later. Often wonder how many actually made it when you wouldn’t take them out of the yard let alone those sort of distances with no a/c except opening windows to let all the dust in!pity you just missed gaydon this weekend you would have heard some storys and tales there
Did you go hanson 
i fancied going but its a bit too far for me 
seth 70:
hanson:
roadhog69:
Anyone on here run Saudi etc in the late 70s/80s?
Everyone these days seem to think the world ends at an RDC and the stories circulating in the waiting rooms but I’m sure many a story came from Middle East tramping. Spending days or weeks at Border controls, bribing officials, etc. Saw some old Atkis going down - right wrecks, with batteries tied on and bits hanging off. Plan was to deliver load to wherever and flog the truck and fly home - then probably do the same a month later. Often wonder how many actually made it when you wouldn’t take them out of the yard let alone those sort of distances with no a/c except opening windows to let all the dust in!pity you just missed gaydon this weekend you would have heard some storys and tales there
Did you go hanson
Gaydon i mean not the middle east 
sashmash:
I used to run to Tabriz and Tehran,from May 1973 until December 1975. Taking chilled lamb from the old British Beef factory in Bamber Bridge Preston. For the then Sha of Persia Royal house hold. So transport costs didn’t matter, they would just open another oil well to pay forit. Used to be away for about 8 weeks if I remember correctly. The job paid well enough to pay off one mortgage and buy another house for cash. I used to go through Northern Italy. Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria then catch a dodgy ferry from Volos in Greece. To Cyprus , then Syria, Turkey. Through to Iran. First trip I had a Volvo 86 second time I went a Volvo 89 great tool.used to be on Benzedrine to keep me awake when into Asia no drivers regs then. Massive belly tank on trailer. Couldn’t do it now. But been there and got the tea shirt. I’m now retired but when doing my cpc I asked my instructor how old he was. I was running to the Middle East befor he was born. 21st century Britain. I have had a clean licence for 43 years.
Why would you go through Northern Italy?
sashmash:
I used to run to Tabriz and Tehran,from May 1973 until December 1975. Taking chilled lamb from the old British Beef factory in Bamber Bridge Preston. For the then Sha of Persia Royal house hold. So transport costs didn’t matter, they would just open another oil well to pay forit. Used to be away for about 8 weeks if I remember correctly. The job paid well enough to pay off one mortgage and buy another house for cash. I used to go through Northern Italy. Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria then catch a dodgy ferry from Volos in Greece. To Cyprus , then Syria, Turkey. Through to Iran. First trip I had a Volvo 86 second time I went a Volvo 89 great tool.used to be on Benzedrine to keep me awake when into Asia no drivers regs then. Massive belly tank on trailer. Couldn’t do it now. But been there and got the tea shirt. I’m now retired but when doing my cpc I asked my instructor how old he was. I was running to the Middle East befor he was born. 21st century Britain. I have had a clean licence for 43 years.
Absolutely fantastic memories, I was just too late to do the Middle East but I have done plenty of continental long-haul, such a shame that those days are over…
Saw some old Atkis going down - right wrecks, with batteries tied on and bits hanging off. Plan was to deliver load to wherever and flog the truck and fly home - then probably do the same a month later. Often wonder how many actually made it when you wouldn’t take them out of the yard let alone those sort of distances with no a/c except opening windows to let all the dust in!
[/quote]
Like this you mean !! that was about 1992.
Made good money too…GS
Have a look at the old timers forum for a thread about a typical trip to Iran, written by jazzandy. He writes so well, you can see exactly what he’s describing in your mind.
He also did a superb tale, called my first continental trip, equally as good
Gary
Post by sashmash » Sun Sep 14, 2014 10:14 pm
I used to run to Tabriz and Tehran,from May 1973 until December 1975. Taking chilled lamb from the old British Beef factory in Bamber Bridge Preston. For the then Sha of Persia Royal house hold. So transport costs didn’t matter, they would just open another oil well to pay forit. Used to be away for about 8 weeks if I remember correctly. The job paid well enough to pay off one mortgage and buy another house for cash. I used to go through Northern Italy. Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria then catch a dodgy ferry from Volos in Greece. To Cyprus , then Syria, Turkey. Through to Iran. First trip I had a Volvo 86 second time I went a Volvo 89 great tool.used to be on Benzedrine to keep me awake when into Asia no drivers regs then. Massive belly tank on trailer. Couldn’t do it now. But been there and got the tea shirt. I’m now retired but when doing my cpc I asked my instructor how old he was. I was running to the Middle East befor he was born. 21st century Britain. I have had a clean licence for 43 years.
What a load of old tosh. No wonder it took you 8 weeks going that route.
The benzedrine must have affected your brain. Did you read all this in magazines?
Another dreamer.
Looks as if we’ve picked up a troll fella’s.
Obviously very young and wet behind the ears, and been NOWHERE!
I think “sashmash” is zig zaging about a bit.
What sort of map did you use ? Its a wonder you found Tehran !
There was a period in the '70s (before I was doing Middle-East) when the queues at the Bulgaria-Turkey border at Kapic, and again at exit borders from Turkey were so long, chaotic, corrupt and dodgy that many companies did indeed take the ferry from Volos in Greece to Tartus in Syria. Tartus is their 2nd port (to Latakia). This rather ■■■■■■■■■■ route also had the advantage of missing out the whole of Turkey which in the early '70s still had miles of unmade roads full of bandits and rock-throwing kids. Here’s a nice picture of some Brit trucks lined up on the docks at Tartus waiting for the ferry to Greece. This still leaves the question about why this poster went across the Alps instead of doing Yugo. Robert
Hi all.According to the poster he was running from May 73 until Dec 75.As i remember the queues started around 75 so there was no reason to go round such a convoluted route until the latter half of the 70’s and permits were not so difficult to obtain until 75 and later when everyone and his brother were going to Iran.In any case there was always the alternative of Ipsala to Kapic.And if you wasted a day or two getting into Turkey this must still have been quicker than the posters overall routing.And how do you get directly from Hungary into Bulgy.Mike
Suedehead:
Why would you go through Northern Italy?
Through France then Mont Blanc tunnel and into edge of Austria into Slov& Zagreb that way, its an alternative route - slightly longer but it missed Germany. . When theBorders were up’ which they were in those days, Aachen used to be a right royal pain in the arriss, and you would struggle to pass through there and get stamped up without them finding your belly tanks…
going through Aachen you had to fill in a chitty when you produced paperwork,
and you had to declare approx how much fuel you were carrying in your tank , 
Run through France at night time and you could bypass and run the borders' in silent mode :sunglasses: :wink: . As has been mentioned, paperwork and permits and getting stamped up for passage was far different to now with open borders’.
Hope this helps 
hutpik:
Hi all.According to the poster he was running from May 73 until Dec 75.As i remember the queues started around 75 so there was no reason to go round such a convoluted route until the latter half of the 70’s and permits were not so difficult to obtain until 75 and later when everyone and his brother were going to Iran.In any case there was always the alternative of Ipsala to Kapic.And if you wasted a day or two getting into Turkey this must still have been quicker than the posters overall routing.And how do you get directly from Hungary into Bulgy.Mike
Ah yes! I hadn’t noticed the word ‘Hungary’.That Austria (or Czech)/Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria route did come later. And I’d forgotten about that short-cut to Kapic - I even did it myself once (the border’s called Nova Selo). This poster’s route is indeed a patchwork from different eras of Middle-East trucking. I notice he’s gone a bit quiet! Robert
Did this route recently on tour work (only to Istanbul). Back then it was eastern block to Kapikule - Istanbul. Now UK - France - (Mont Blanc) - Italy - (Ancona to Igoumenitsa) - Greece - Ipsala - Istanbul. I don’t know which is the cheapest route now, because on tour work they don’t need any hold ups. I’m sixty so slowing down a bit. For me there have been big changes in the way things are done. For some of you real old timers it must be a total different ball game.
I started driving in the mid seventies back then there was some real characters on the road. The old drivers would show the new lads the ropes (no dcpc).
They don’t want drivers now, they want robots.