Most of Eric Vick’s Euro work nowadays is subbed off Downton’s so i am lead to believe, as Downton’s dont go into Europe at all anymore.
euromat:
does anyone have any pictures from when they used to do it, i would love to see some
Just for you mate. Various images taken around Banjul in the Gambia in mid-February last year… didn’t drive there though, went on the Paraffin Parrot.
Recently imported, previously British-registered trucks, a Foden and a Scania, awaiting new registration numbers and a whole new life on African roads, below.
Where would Africa be without corrugated tin?
and without corrugated roads. 
I worked in Algeria 1980-81 for a Dutch company called Nacap. We were constructing a pipeline from Hassi R’Mel in the Sahara Desert to Arzew on the Medditerranean coast. I was based at Hassi R’Mel and Laghouat. Being a Dutch company most of our trucks were DAF’s. Many of the large American trucks operating out there belonged to Oil and exploration companies like Haliburton, Flour and Parker Drilling. I remember a sign on the main road south out of Laghouat saying Cape Town 7697 kilometres. We would pass many Trans Saharan lorries, we usually gave them a wide berth as the drivers had a bad habit of running into you due to either lack of sleep or drugs. Many of them would have lost a wheel or even an axle on the rough unmade desert roads. It did’nt stop them they would carry on dragging the wheel drum along the road till they made civilisation. I will try and dig out some pictures of my time out there. regards Big Al
Welcome to TruckNet Big Al and thanks for having such a great website which I have really enjoyed over the last few week’s. 
I know what you mean about Algerian transport in the 70/80s not being properly maintained, the fact is that the driver’s didn’t know about basic maintenance. 
I don’t think that this driver knew how to adjust the front brakes. 
euromat:
does anyone have any pictures from when they used to do it, i would love to see somei have never done it, but would love to have a go, i think maes of belgium are big into it nowadays?
All of these were taken on the Trans Saharan Desert Road in 1980 starting with me and Abdul I’m on the left
Big Al:
I worked in Algeria 1980-81 for a Dutch company called Nacap. We were constructing a pipeline from Hassi R’Mel in the Sahara Desert to Arzew on the Medditerranean coast. I was based at Hassi R’Mel and Laghouat. Being a Dutch company most of our trucks were DAF’s. Many of the large American trucks operating out there belonged to Oil and exploration companies like Haliburton, Flour and Parker Drilling. I remember a sign on the main road south out of Laghouat saying Cape Town 7697 kilometres. We would pass many Trans Saharan lorries, we usually gave them a wide berth as the drivers had a bad habit of running into you due to either lack of sleep or drugs. Many of them would have lost a wheel or even an axle on the rough unmade desert roads. It did’nt stop them they would carry on dragging the wheel drum along the road till they made civilisation. I will try and dig out some pictures of my time out there. regards Big Al
Hi big Al, I used to pass Arzew on the way from El asnam to oran docks in 81,the heat from the gas burning off and the flames could be seen for miles.I remember seeing a lot of kenworths,yellow in colour with wide flat trailers,i think the firm was called Bagtels.There was a dutch an swedish firm based in El asnam an oran they had 141 scania,s an some volvo,s. 
Some photo,s of kenworths parked up on route from Blida to tamanrasset,also the Mali
thanks everyone for the pictures, some great stuff in there!!
I served my time at Stillers when they were at Middleton St George and fleet size was only 40-odd.
In Khartoum , Sudan , cpl years ago i spotted some ex - stiller imported DAf,s
ill try and up,load the pics . Not a way to be retired, Double bottomed and running at 60 tons odd,
Wasn’t it CW Vick that ran to Casablanca? they had a contract with Listers of Dursley, carrying pumps for some UN scheme in the '70’s
sirmartinfrobisher:
Wasn’t it CW Vick that ran to Casablanca? they had a contract with Listers of Dursley, carrying pumps for some UN scheme in the '70’s
I,m sure you,re right, i remember seeing one of theirs clearing
customs in Irun many moons ago. He was loaded with engines.
Wasn’t it Eric Vick?, I worked with Graham Davies who worked for them.
Heres a photo I took at Victors just to show you of a French firm.
I remember the CW Vick trucks going out of Poole in the '70’s. Their address was something like “Junction 11, M5”, they were on an old airfield there. The drivers always boasted of their jobs because they were (allegedly) on a salary and had a company car provided!
Eric Vick used to have mainly E.R.F.s, maroon cabs with a white roof I.M.H.O. one of the smartest livery’s running on the continent in the 1980s. Their depot was at Hardwicke on the A38 near Gloucester, I.I.R.C. it was near the old R.A.F. Quedgeley camp. 
Eric Vick used to have Europe Africa Middle east on the front of his motors, all Gardner powered ERFs (don’t get me started on that )
I saw a bunch of them hanging around the dock in Savona in 91 ish, one of the drivers told me they were going on a boat to somewhere I don’t remember, possibly Algeria, don’t make this thread any clearer but it may jog a few memories 
Some time in the 80`s i got stuck waiting for a ferry in Vlissingen (Flushing??..whats with the different names?) with an Eric Vick driver, said he used to do alot of Lister engines to Morrocco…mind you he also said he used to be in the SAS 
bullitt:
Some time in the 80`s i got stuck waiting for a ferry in Vlissingen (Flushing??..whats with the different names?) with an Eric Vick driver, said he used to do alot of Lister engines to Morrocco…mind you he also said he used to be in the SAS
Rick, did he tell you that his grandfather was the unknown soldier.
From memory, the CW Vick trucks were Dafs, I have a vague memory that the two Vicks were related
I don’t remember Vicks having DAF’s but it’s true he did have a contract with Lister engines, when I was on for Dines of Bicester we loaded 2 hire trailers there for Africa they were going unacompanied from Hull, they were all in very small packing cases and old man Vick was short of labour, so we mucked in, when we finished he offered us a job, whish I’d have taken it now looking back, this was in 1978.