Yes Rigsby been there several times handling wet sheets and suffering long delays. Hopefully the ship’s crew were operating the derrick, the port staff would have wanted a tea break in between slinging the reels and setting them in the hold despite the best efforts of the driver to keep the reels dry while on his platform.
Cheers, Leyland 600.
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.
They were the days. I remember fingers frozen like claws, trying to undo the ropes when they’d had a soaking and got covered in crap. Rain running up yer arms and yer hooter dripping, not knowing whether it was rain or snot. Sheets that weighed about two ton, hair stuck to yer bonce, clothes soaked and bloody freezing. It was lovely to get back in the cab and drive off like that. When men were men and there were not many snowflakes about.
rigsby:
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.If you can remember soaking wet sheets and Liverpool docks together , is that a bonus ?
Rigsby, great to hear from you. Your dry humour has been missed.
Sent using Tapatalk.
Johnny
peterm:
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.They were the days. I remember fingers frozen like claws, trying to undo the ropes when they’d had a soaking and got covered in crap. Rain running up yer arms and yer hooter dripping, not knowing whether it was rain or snot. Sheets that weighed about two ton, hair stuck to yer bonce, clothes soaked and bloody freezing. It was lovely to get back in the cab and drive off like that. When men were men and there were not many snowflakes about.
Oh yes, all that and the salt from the roads getting into the cuts on your hands caused by pulling on wet hemp ropes. At Midlands Storage we had 2x40 foot square sheets to cover the Raleigh bike loads (should have had an ■■■■■■, they stuck out 9 inches each side of the bed 
). Once rolled, wet or dry, the only way to get them back on the bed was to stand them on end, crouch down, full knees bend, and let them drop on your shoulder. If you got it right and they landed balanced, straighten the legs (love to be able to do that now) and try to roll the sheet onto the trailer. Should have been an Olympic event. 
Aye, I also hated sheeting when it was wet, the rope would flick drops of water at you when you pulled it over and my gloves got damp. 
Pete.
rigsby:
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.If you can remember soaking wet sheets and Liverpool docks together , is that a bonus ?
Please…please…no more mentioning Liverpool docks. I only went a few times when i was a lad just starting…and it scarred me for life.
and definitely don’t mention the dockers. 
Lazy and workshy barely cover it.
grumpy old man:
rigsby:
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.If you can remember soaking wet sheets and Liverpool docks together , is that a bonus ?
Please…please…no more mentioning Liverpool docks. I only went a few times when i was a lad just starting…and it scarred me for life.
AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, you’ve mentioned it. I’ll have to go and have a lie down in a darkened room now. 
windrush:
Aye, I also hated sheeting when it was wet, the rope would flick drops of water at you when you pulled it over and my gloves got damp.0
Pete.
For sure Pete ! These flat lads never knew the hell us tipper drivers had to endure!!
coomsey:
windrush:
Aye, I also hated sheeting when it was wet, the rope would flick drops of water at you when you pulled it over and my gloves got damp.0
Pete.
For sure Pete ! These flat lads never knew the hell us tipper drivers had to endure!!
Oh dear , my heart pumps purple pee for you two , you’ll be complaining next about your tootsies getting overheated when sheeting tarmac .
rigsby:
coomsey:
windrush:
Aye, I also hated sheeting when it was wet, the rope would flick drops of water at you when you pulled it over and my gloves got damp.0
Pete.
For sure Pete ! These flat lads never knew the hell us tipper drivers had to endure!!
Oh dear , my heart pumps purple pee for you two , you’ll be complaining next about your tootsies getting overheated when sheeting tarmac .
rigsby:
coomsey:
For sure Pete ! These flat lads never knew the hell us tipper drivers had to endure!!Oh dear , my heart pumps purple pee for you two , you’ll be complaining next about your tootsies getting overheated when sheeting tarmac .
Joking aside Dave but my feet still suffer from walking on HRA when having to shovel half a tonne etc off when I was overloaded with it! I used to jump of the truck and find the nearest puddle to stand in but often the soles of my feet were already blistered by then. Even now they still give me pain in cold weather, and the skin is rock hard. Oh, and I would be worried about that ‘purple pee’ as well if I was you!
Pete.
Thanks to Ray Smyth, DEANB and windrush for the pics 
and the craic
Would this be press button sheeting on French tipper.
Oily
Talking about push button sheeting, and the difficult job tipper drivers have, way back in the 60s (I think 
) I drove a 6 wheel AEC tipper for Wimpey on the very muddy M1 construction site and it had a large lever on the driver’s side of the front of the body, to release the tailgate. With a good banksman to give it a bang so it could be locked off the same way, I didn’t even have to get my slippers dirty.
Sheet, rope and a net.
Oily
Spardo:
peterm:
grumpy old man:
Strewth, hands up those who remember soaking wet sheets and ropes.They were the days. I remember fingers frozen like claws, trying to undo the ropes when they’d had a soaking and got covered in crap. Rain running up yer arms and yer hooter dripping, not knowing whether it was rain or snot. Sheets that weighed about two ton, hair stuck to yer bonce, clothes soaked and bloody freezing. It was lovely to get back in the cab and drive off like that. When men were men and there were not many snowflakes about.
Oh yes, all that and the salt from the roads getting into the cuts on your hands caused by pulling on wet hemp ropes. At Midlands Storage we had 2x40 foot square sheets to cover the Raleigh bike loads (should have had an ■■■■■■, they stuck out 9 inches each side of the bed
I had some off that , one gaffer (a farmer )supplied me with a canvas sheet , about 50x18 , covered the entire trailer . I think it came off a haystack . Tipping on the quayside at Canada dock and it was a bit windy , the wind lifted it and dumped it in the water (may have had a little bit of help ) I got a pair of30x18s after that . It was a shame to see the gaffer’s face , he was near to tears at the loss .
Spardo:
Talking about push button sheeting, and the difficult job tipper drivers have, way back in the 60s (I think
On the coal the sheet was fixed to the headboard n car tyre inner tube tied to the ropes, sheeting time around 5mins . Had to get out the cab though which was a bit of a git!! Cheers Coomsey
I’m in the RVI Ncle at the moment, I had an operation on my upper spine/neck yesterday. Like many other drivers I put it down to lifting soaked sheets from the floor to the trailer bed.
With a bit of luck I’ll be home tomorrow to practice the ‘Rigsby Ruse’ with the family! I.E. Pass the papers, yes I’d love another cup of tea pet, and pass that bottle opener please!! Not to mention my feet up on the settee,
kevmac47:
I’m in the RVI Ncle at the moment, I had an operation on my upper spine/neck yesterday. Like many other drivers I put it down to lifting soaked sheets from the floor to the trailer bed.
With a bit of luck I’ll be home tomorrow to practice the ‘Rigsby Ruse’ with the family! I.E. Pass the papers, yes I’d love another cup of tea pet, and pass that bottle opener please!! Not to mention my feet up on the settee,Not to bad this RVI gaff just been brought my lunch Fish and Chips and mushy peas!!
Hope for a swift recovery for you Kev, forget all about being waited on as gentle exercise is the answer otherwise you might seize up. Take no notice of ‘Rigsby’s Ruse’, he was just lazy!
Pete.