My mates dad Gerry Rogers worked for them in Stotfold, first as a driver, and then as Foreman Fitter. RDB did indeed stand for Riley, Dale and Barber.
DuncanR here, I posted the above whilst logged in on Dels account !!! doh
I used to load back off them when in Sheffield, usually 1 big drop for Dents of Spennymoors Depot, then the rest was for Newcastle area, Thor Tools at Chirton was a regular customer as was Geo Angus Oil Seal Division, sometimes I had 8 drops, but my gaffer then said it was worth doing as It was a decent paying job, that was 1963/4, Happy Days Larry.
Late70’s early 80’s there used to be about 4 or 5 of RDB’s parked on the baths at Southampton a few nights of the week opposite the juniper berry, I used to have a draw bar and delivered metal to a lot of stockholders that they went to.
I quickly learned how to reverse a turntable draw bar on multi drop in the middle of London 
, we only had the one and when I went on holiday it got parked up and they just used the rigid 
RDB vehicle as requested [RDB - Riley Dale Barber]
IIRC, J.R.Adams Ltd Purchased some of their 4 wheeler Leylands when they finished, Regards Larry.
Now there’s a name I remember Barber Road Services at Outibridge barstewards went bust owing me money never got jack ■■■■ off receivers… 
does anyone here have any pictures of RDB FREIGHTLINES from Sheffield i’m trying to find out more about the company and any help would be grateful
Yep remember RDB but sorry no pics.I drove one of their cast-off Albion Reivers for C.H.Preston Attercliffe ,Sheffield in 1968(straight out of RAF) reg no. was 719 SNU and it was a flying machine.RDB did a lot of smalls picking up round Sheffield and N.Derbyshire then trunking to Stotfold and Rutherglen,Glasgow.Think they had a depot south-west somewhere as well.They ran wagon and drags(proper drawbars not these overgrown close - coupled caravans that run about now.)Sorry shouldn’t be bitchy,but I used to drive proper drawbars meself and got quite chuffed when reversing on mirrors instead of nosing trailer in.Sorry again as I am digressing.I have a mate somewhere in Norfolk who new RDB better than me and I’ll get more info of him.
I think J.J.Shepherd from Outibridge,Sheffield took 'em over.They’ve certainly got their depot at Birley Vale and I remember now that RDB had a subbie called Hunters working for them-from Dronfield I think.
Hope this helps a bit,will keep yer posted
thanks mate i’m finding out that this is a difficult company to get info about
RDB went bust back in the 90s. Shepherds took over their yard as well as the steel based work.
I remember various Leyland Freighters working for the steel stockholders around Sheffield, but like steel, they went too.
Chris Webb:
They ran wagon and drags(proper drawbars not these overgrown close - coupled caravans that run about now.)Sorry shouldn’t be bitchy,but I used to drive proper drawbars meself and got quite chuffed when reversing on mirrors instead of nosing trailer in.
Oh, a man after my own heart.
You’re very welcome to TN Chris, need a few more to educate the younger fellas. 
Eyup Spardo.Not to say they were a doddle to reverse and got meself in one or two tangles for a start.When I started at MFS Maltby,Rotherham in 1979 if I saw one coupled up doing nowt I used to practise on trailer park.I was warned by other drivers that I’d end up on 'em regular as nobody else (cept neet shunter) could handle them.So asked for relief shunt 1700-0300 and got so I could put 'em anywhere-no time to drop and nose just whop 'em in the warehouse,split and park header next to trailer for loading.The dolly was just a 5th wheel and we used them on Littlewoods store deliveries all over the UK.Like load Littlewoods L’pool on header(Transconti or Scania 82 4-legger) and Blackpool/Southport on 23’6 trailer,run to Littlewoods textile warehouse on Atlantic Street Altrincham(on nights via Woodhead) drop trailer,pull dolly off and pick up pre-loaded trailer ex Burtons at Blackpool then away to L’pool and deliver store on School Lane and John Moores Centre on Old Hall St .Then away from scouseland and back in Rotherham for about 0700.Trailers at Alt were delivered by local drivers-piece of ■■■■ really.Bit of a bind splitting to deliver header but plenty of time as you had your own security key to tip.We did Ellesmere Port and Wallasey/Birkenhead same system.Shop steward not happy twice with me and my mate on other drawbar for tipping Bradford and Arndale Centre Manchester as “YOU CAN’T GET IN WITH A DRAWBAR” when it was easier access than having a 40 foot on t’back–they followed like a pup.
Chris Webb:
–they followed like a pup.
I’ll have to agree they follow better going forwards but they’re only good for you two old timers
as for reversing ( speaking as a overgrown caravan driver) they’re horrible 
they remind me of Eaton twin splitters - people who can drive one rabbit on and on how good they are, and tell us lesser mortals we should spend 25 years learning to use them
I take the point about show you can do it and you end up on them, but it didn’t happen like that for me here.
I love drawbars and told the new boss I could handle them so for the first month he had me down as holiday relief for 3 of his drag drivers. Looking forward to it I was but then there was some hitch over changing my licence to a French one followed the next day by the biggest storm to hit us in that century which blocked all roads out of the village for 3 days with fallen trees. By the time everything was sorted I ended up on artics and when I got my own motor a month or so later it was a brand new Magnum with a frigo trailer. Chuffed to bits with the Maggie, I forgot about the drags but there wasn’t a day went by over the next 3 years that I wished I was away from that bloody fridge. 
Mind you they were pleased I was there from time to time when they needed one on the dock in the yard and no-one else around who could/would handle one.
Hi there i used to work for rdb freightlines , baronald street rutherglen,from 1988-92 first job YTS Fork lift driver .Made redundant christmas eve , Just a few months before it went to the wall leaving drivers with 22 years service bugger all. The job was ok but the people were great,they had depots in glasgow,aberdeen,sheffield,birmingham,and hitchin, could have been more but i was just an ankle biter at the time . First time i reversed an artic into a shed 16 years old ahh the good old days. Col
When I was doing M/E,the firm I was working for at the time,Simon International,had a Volvo F89 6 axle drawbar rig,(that on more than one occasion was double loaded).
I got back from one trip to be told that the rig was parked up in the customs on the Yugo side of the Yugo Greek border.A wheel bearing had given up the ghost on the dolly,so the driver had had enough and went home!
I was given a set of wheel bearings and a flight ticket to Athens,with the instructions that another driver would meet me off the plane and run me up to the Yugo border to recover the rig.
The rig had been recovered into the customs and unloaded,so I drove it out slowly,down the road into Greece and from the big truckstop,(Name?)I telephoned a local fitter who turned up,looked at it,sogged a 10 pound tin of grease onto the bearing housing,had the new bearings off me and said to call him in 3 days.
Sure enough,3 days later it was ready for collection,and I started to head home with instructioins to call from Moma’s Restauraunt at Spielfeldt for reload details.I loaded the usual,paper,and started the trip home,I was getting to like this drawbar rig.
After tipping in the UK,I got home and parked the rig up.A week later,I was driving in my car with a mate down the M1 and saw an advert for the Truck Driver of the Year,I think it was at Billing,outside Northampton.We decided to give it a look over.
When we saw there were different competitions going,including one for drawbars,my mate persuaded me to give it a try.My only experience was bringing a rig back from Greece,and being lazy,any reversing I’ done,was done without uncoupling,learn the hard way,jump in there!
Well, the competition involved driving one rig that was coupled up with the drawbar nose mounted,which I’d never done,but found quite easy.The other rig was coupled up as for driving,and the course was around an airfield between some cones with tight bends,then reverse into a bay.All against the clock!
No one was more surprised than me when I came second,missing first place by half a second,and I was against some full time drawbar drivers.
Never driven one since!,Buit I suppose it’s like riding a bike,innit?
Mackem:
RDB went bust back in the 90s. Shepherds took over their yard as well as the steel based work.I remember various Leyland Freighters working for the steel stockholders around Sheffield, but like steel, they went too.
were they something to do with barber road services 
only my dad used to drive for them at oughterbridge in sheffield in the mid 80s
The “R” stood for Revill and the “B” for Barber but can’t remember what the “D” stood for. 
.There was a Revill,Sons and Broadbent at Deepcar,Sheffield and Barber Road Services in Sheffield who took over a Sheffield firm called Procters.RDB were based at Birley Vale on Mansfield Road,Sheffield but I think J.J. Shepherd,formerly of Low Road,Oughtibridge,Sheffield operate out of there now.
I remember 'em all but it was a long time ago.
Chris Webb:
The “R” stood for Revill and the “B” for Barber but can’t remember what the “D” stood for.
I remember 'em all but it was a long time ago.
Sorry,my mistake .The “R” stood for Riley,not Revill.
I can sleep tonight now 