Toleman truck transporter
Anyone remember John Canham out of Harwich depot? Last heard of years ago O/D running fridge to Commie Block Hungary/Poland/Czecho.
Bojangles69:
Hi Robthedog,
Yeah, you got it, Den & Sheila White, both no longer with us. I could fill the page with stories and photos of my early days in car transport with Star, how did you know of them? Do you remember, Pete Kay, Geoff Boxhall, Mick Shepherd for starters. Me? John Payne.
Hi Mr Bojangles, you forgot me Jimski !! Hope your well John, I sent you an email a while ago about the other car transporter site did you not get it ? Like to see some Star Transporter pics John 
Regards Jimski
Only recently found this site, and nice to find so much about the best firm anyone could work for. I had 26 years in car transport, Star, Autotrans, Toleman, Axial and Ansa. I have a load of photos, so just a couple to see how it goes. The mention of Norman Trott, yes, a good guy. Lots of faces come to mind, but putting a name to them, well, there’s the problem, I think it’s called “progressive maturity”. When Toleman had all their depots up and running, wherever you parked up there would be Toleman drivers. Great nights out !!! I still have my Toleman tie and three copies of “Blueprint”, (HHMMM E-bay? ). Here I go— rambling on. Enough.
keep the pics comming my Dad drove for them Stan Druse in coventry started of with dodges then daf wagon and drag happy days
Star transporters was that run by Dennis White and his wife ?
Hi Robthedog,
Yeah, you got it, Den & Sheila White, both no longer with us. I could fill the page with stories and photos of my early days in car transport with Star, how did you know of them? Do you remember, Pete Kay, Geoff Boxhall, Mick Shepherd for starters. Me? John Payne.
What happened to Gonzo
Hi DD6, last time I saw Gonzo he was driving for Walon, met up with him several times at Heyford, but that was maybe 7 years ago !
Just a few more snaps for the album. Running out of Southampton as I did, meant that your reload was varied, made the job more interesting.
Hi Bojangles, remember Star very well and young Geoff, he went on to work for Tolemans at Southampton didn’t he when the fat controller was Manager, can’t remember his name but he was a big Pompey supporter. I worked down there for a while with Alan Day when volvo’s were shipped in there on overflow. I was allocator ay Ipswich for 5 years, then after a few years back on the road went back into the yard as depot foreman.
Hi Prowlands, I have just looked through all your postings, wow, what a life of trucking, makes my years of transporters a bit dull. Gary Thompson was the name you were thinking of, still there now, but it’s Ford. Young Geoff was Geoff Medley, now living in Lanzarote. In your Toleman posts I recognise Phil Parsons and a few more faces, I guess they are all out there somewhere. I loaded many times out of Raeburn Road. Remember when we got our F7’s on Star and Volvo put the photos in their magazine? that really upset a few people. A sudden memory. Loading one winter’s day and it had rained heavy then froze and all the cars parked on the slopes just started sliding into a bunch at the bottom. I’ve been retired 5 years now, done my bit, as they say. Just dug these two pics out of a heap for you. All the best, J.P.
In July or August of 1968 my Dad had to pick up the first 15 meter Carter trailer they had built, from there factory at Tamworth and demonstrate it to whoever, the next day saturday he had to take it to Northern Ireland trailers Perston for shipment to Ireland, I went with him, KKV 886F was the first ergo cab I’d been in and wow compared to the lad cabs it was great.
I remember that time when some of the cars, slid down the bank, '84/85 I think it was. Yep been very fortunate and very lucky with my driving career and still ploughing the furrow, now out working with Transam doing the rock music tours, recently came back from 3 months out with U2, twenty cities including Moscow and Istanbul. As to Phil Parsons(Harwich) and Del Thompson(Dagenham) they both left to plough either God’s or the Devil’s furrow, RIP.
Interesting article in this month’s Classic and Vintage Commercials, written by journalist,Nick Baldwin. Toleman’s only foray into delivering classic cars,this was the trip in May 1987 to Monte Carlo with the most expensive load of cars ever delivered to that date, Ferrari’s and Bugattis. fetched over £4,000,000 at auction,I was lucky enough to be one of the four drivers selected, bit of an afterthought really as Les Taylor was due to go, only shop stewards and trainers supposedly. Anyway brilliant experience.
Bojangles69:
Hi Prowlands, I have just looked through all your postings, wow, what a life of trucking, makes my years of transporters a bit dull. Gary Thompson was the name you were thinking of, still there now, but it’s Ford. Young Geoff was Geoff Medley, now living in Lanzarote. In your Toleman posts I recognise Phil Parsons and a few more faces, I guess they are all out there somewhere. I loaded many times out of Raeburn Road. Remember when we got our F7’s on Star and Volvo put the photos in their magazine? that really upset a few people. A sudden memory. Loading one winter’s day and it had rained heavy then froze and all the cars parked on the slopes just started sliding into a bunch at the bottom. I’ve been retired 5 years now, done my bit, as they say. Just dug these two pics out of a heap for you. All the best, J.P.
Great pics John, I hope your enjoying retirement whilst us Norfolk boys keep working.
Hi
Im looking for any info i can get on the toleman MK5 12 car please ( ie any photos of it loaded/ unloaded or even how the decks used to operate, I`m building a 1/24 scale model of one but need a lot of info, I have just completed a 1/24 model of the mk1 wagon and drag for my father and now would like to do one of the mk5, any help would be very greatly received,
i have included a pic of the mk1 model
