I worked for them out of Seward Street, South Islington, london in 1973, driving a seven and half tonner Ford D series doing parcel delivery, lied about my age and experience! (19 and only driven a car breifly) made few mistakes but they overlooked them. Paid for my own class one when i got to 21 and went to pastures new! Always remember their night trunk drivers wandering up to their digs near the Angel. Good experience picking up demountables, thought I was king of the road. Happy days!!!
Those “demounts” were pretty basic, lift on/off by crane, & fastened down by a hook & wingnut. The boxes used to rock a bit if you didn’t fasten em tight, those push in legs used to weigh a ton & e used to have a “shunter” in the yard that’d back under the box, lift the ramp & move it round the yard, a bit pecariously. They also used to use 20’ & 24’ trailers, & you always had to put a support under em when loaded or they’d be down on their noses. Hansons paid for my Class 3 & class 1, a fortnight course at Bradford Hauliers for both.
Father-in-law used to run out of Newmillerdam,in the late 60’s/early 70’s,and still recalls how they were a good firm to work for,insofar as there was plenty of, ‘you scratch my back,and I’ll scratch yours.’
It wasn’t uncommon to tell the traffic office that they wouldn’t get back that day,only to park up somewhere not too far,and hitch a lift back home,to a nice comfy bed,good meal,and then return in the morning,and claim night out money!!!
Ken.
Quinny:
.’It wasn’t uncommon to tell the traffic office that they wouldn’t get back that day,only to park up somewhere not too far,and hitch a lift back home,to a nice comfy bed,good meal,and then return in the morning,and claim night out money!!!
.
A very common occurrence in the those old pre-sleepercab days, Ken, and not always parking close either. Mind you with a wave of a log book you could always guarantee a lift from the very first wagon that came along 
Spardo:
Quinny:
.’It wasn’t uncommon to tell the traffic office that they wouldn’t get back that day,only to park up somewhere not too far,and hitch a lift back home,to a nice comfy bed,good meal,and then return in the morning,and claim night out money!!!
.
A very common occurrence in the those old pre-sleepercab days, Ken, and not always parking close either. Mind you with a wave of a log book you could always guarantee a lift from the very first wagon that came along
I’ve know Pandoro drivers “fiddle” home to Fleetwood from Walsall! Skipton was a regular too, coming back fro the north east.
They were a wonderful sight going over the Penines, sadly half their drivers had never driven anything bigger than milk-floats & as a result they lost quite a few. As one of the members said, they were always clean & green.
sweetleaf:
The Yorkshireman:
Tipit; “Yorkshire firm I think, who ran a fleet of all black Atkinson’s called Slater’s”Peter Slaters ran from a garage on Leeds/Huddersfield road at Drighlington. In their day they were well known as cowboys and speed merchants.They got into trouble with the Ministry and the Transport Manager and I think someone else did time. Shortly after this they folded or were bought out, can’t remember which. Hope this helps.
Ayup,Slaters were in Gildersome,not Drighlington.I knew a few of the drivers and yes they were a bit speedy,same as all other coal tippers if I remember correctly
.Another fleet in the area was Carr of Morley who packed in transport and became Maggi-deutz agents.Think Cawoods took over Slaters but the Garage on the crossroads closed later. cheers Joe.
Hi just joined
Reason? I was searching the Web and found this thread in which Slater’s is mentioned.
Is sweetleaf still around? because in an earlier life I was one of those Slater drivers so I may know him. Incidentally many of the locals (& police) called us ‘The Black Devils’
Yes it was Gildersome & yes we got stopped from driving through town & yes we did come home in convoy but there was a good reason. Anyone who got back 1st got a blocking arriving together meant no-one did Also yes we did go like the clappers but we got a bonus for every 3rd load we managed to deliver that day (not easy considering the distance and no MW
Pithead to Acre Lane Power Station, Manchester tended to be our most frequent journey
Yes we did have 4 wheel Albions (Leyland’s actually just built in Glasgow) They had an Eaton split box and I drove the 1st one to Newcastle where I delivered a load steel pit props
Yes it was Cawoods who took over & yes someone did get nicked & imprisoned I seem to recall that Peter Slater whom I met a couple of times buggered off to Ireland when the balloon went up
Any questions about them pleas ask Good Night
To add to my previous post it was Cawoods Wharton who took over AND we also had AEC Mammoth Majors 8 wheelers
joncris:
To add to my previous post it was Cawoods Wharton who took over AND we also had AEC Mammoth Majors 8 wheelers
Hi joncris, there’s a Slaters thread on here ill bump it up for you. Les.
Thanks Les Much obliged
Maybe a little too old but thought I would add that the Hanson Haulage trucks with the red and silver livery are what now exsits as Hanson Logistics Ltd using the same red livery. The still family owned business dates back over 160 years and I probably have albums covering around 100 of those with pictures of the haulage, warehousing, charabancs, coaches, right back to the horse and cart days.
Here are a couple of photos from the albums
That’s the wrong Hanson
SHYTOT:
That’s the wrong Hanson
That’s correct, Hansons from Wakefield were Green Motors & Hansons from Huddersfield were red, I think their depot is now owned by Hoyner Tankers at Huddersfield, , A long gone pal of mine drove for them in the 60s on a Thames Trader parcel van doing the Newcastle/Gateshead area, Regards Larry.
Very interesting thread this one ,my uncle says he remembers Jack Hanson selling the company to Dennis Blaydon who was a director at Peppers from clowne for £3 million ? As between them they had all the contacts for the CGB and a lot of coal contracts ,and were also into mixing coal slurry for CGB use which is what some of my family were already doing for Peppers and the coal board .
Punchy Dan:
Very interesting thread this one ,my uncle says he remembers Jack Hanson selling the company to Dennis Blaydon who was a director at Peppers from clowne for £3 million ? As between them they had all the contacts for the CGB and a lot of coal contracts ,and were also into mixing coal slurry for CGB use which is what some of my family were already doing for Peppers and the coal board .
i did quite a bit for read and turners at harpur hill in the 80s doing the same thing . wherever we delivered we collected waste coal sweepings and they were mixed with slurry from glapwell for CGB . i believe mr turner had been quite high up in the coal board and could get coal/anthracite/slurry at a moments notice.good job while it lasted , very little empty mileage . the big strike was the beginning of the end though . dave
I went past Hansons old headquarters at Seckar Vale, Newmillerdam, yesterday and was shocked to see that the office block is now a pile of rubble, with demolition of the garages and workshops well underway. What a sad end to what was a state-of-the-art facility and the envy of many a haulage boss when it opened.
Fodenway.
Secker garage and the larger site that Jack Hanson bought from Miller Construction / Mining is now a fancy housing estate
Just heard that Jack Hanson died a few weeks ago
Now, THEY are what you call greedy boards. Slaters eat your heart out ! ! !
Regards. John.