Could you imagine a driver now wanting to do that kind of work?What`s easier than opening the curtains and letting the fork truck driver do the job?
kevmac47:
ramone:
kevmac47:
ramone:
shame theres no wool men on from Bradford im sure they could have a tale or 2 ti tell about loading bales with a crane from those old mills outside, then sheeting up ,an art in its selfI used to load wool out of Southamton in the early 70s, that was a nightmare!! some of the bales were nearly round it was like trying to load marbles on a flat trailer. The regular “woolies” all had hooks made to fasten the bales together if you were going to the same mill they would loan you their spares, it was a great help. Also their advise was first class on how to load. The best way was to floor out the bales then rope them down,build up the load this way and rope every row double dollied. You had to have a hellova lot of rope but it did work. By the time you got to Bradford your lower orifice was well exercised as it did a “threepenny bit half crown” every bend and roundabout. Funny what sticks in your mind innit. regards kevmac47.
I was lucky i missed out on the wool on flats by a few years,i did a few loads on a 7.5 tonner but then it was all curtainsiders.The hooks you refer to were i think called pins and the method was called pinning.I have heard of loading bales 2 high then sheeting them up then load again on top of the sheeted load.All drivers had a hand hook you couldn`t load without 1
Your right about the hook Ramone, I’ve just remembered the dockers used to loan you one while you were loading. Ps can you imagine a driver now taking the time to instruct another driver on how to load his motor? apart from the pressure of time I don’t think the modern driver would take kindly to an old fogie trying to tell him how to do the job.
I rember the same times,loading wool out of Southampton docks ,through Foots transport any one use them ? Also out of Liverpool docks 
they were big bales and once they dropped them that was it if they were out of place you had to live with it!! oh yeah the hooks ,we used to wave drivers you knew by with them for a laugh 
hiya,
Well past being a newbie, more like a well worn oldie but when still a nipper just starting out i tried to learn the “trade” from older more experienced drivers by asking and never once was i knocked back, as i gained in experience i was always willing to help someone with advice and even bit’s and bob’s and it was always well received as for not having deadlines “rubbish” every load i ever carried was always meant to be delivered yesterday bosses being what they was and no doubt still are,as for having no time, hogwash, always time for a chat but are drivers not into comraderie any more ■■ if not it’s very sad and i’m just glad to be out it, and if I was just 21 again i don’t think i would even bother learning to drive let alone become a lorry driver, yes driver never a trucker.
thanks harry long retired.
i was a regular in Caberboard at Cowie carrying the dreaded chipboard all over the country down as far as their place in Devon and I found that if you treated it with respect and load it and rope and sheet it well I could usually get to my destination with no slippage. I would take my time sheeting and had agreat pride in knowing that I had done it to the best of my ability,I think the younger drivers are a bit daunted when they are confronted with a flat trailer and load that requires sheeting and who can blame them? when nobody takes the time to show them the ropes . When I started 38 years ago drivers would take a lad under his wing and with patience and time the youngster would eventually be confident enough to fly solo . I am now 57 and still roaming and sheeting on a daily basis, an influx of eastern bloc drivers on our fleet has significantly lowered the standard of roping and sheeting , I have tried to show these lads the way in which I was taught but the inevitable reply is it’s ok it’s covered! Although these days it takes me longer to sheet a 44 foot load I still wouldn’t change my job for a gold clock and saddo that I am I think a smartly turned out lorry ,well sheeted looks infinately better than a boring but pratical tautliner
harry_gill:
hiya,
Well past being a newbie, more like a well worn oldie but when still a nipper just starting out i tried to learn the “trade” from older more experienced drivers by asking and never once was i knocked back, as i gained in experience i was always willing to help someone with advice and even bit’s and bob’s and it was always well received as for not having deadlines “rubbish” every load i ever carried was always meant to be delivered yesterday bosses being what they was and no doubt still are,as for having no time, hogwash, always time for a chat but are drivers not into comraderie any more ■■ if not it’s very sad and i’m just glad to be out it, and if I was just 21 again i don’t think i would even bother learning to drive let alone become a lorry driver, yes driver never a trucker.
thanks harry long retired.
And as “H” falls headlong out of his pulpit-------------!!! Well said “H” my son!! And as Dennis climbs up into the pulpit— a deathly silence falls upon cyberspace(settle down at the back there!) When I started on the Octopus and trailer one Sunday morning my mate Eric said Watch! this went on for a few days until he finally let me start on the “ropes”(nearside)Thereafter once I’'d mastered the art to his required standard he let me “do” the nearside(eric always worked the drivers side) and would take a delight in coming round and taking a sight through the first hitch “eye” and insist that if he couldn’t see straight through the last eye on the the two rows(waggon and trailer) it was a “rough job”!!! it must have seemed “odd” to some of the staff at the various places we loaded to see an argument ensue as to wether or not all the “hitch eyes” were or weren’t in line!! I could never win,honest,but it stood me in good stead for future years as I reckon the drivers and shunters at Bewick Transport were some of the “creme de la creme” at the art of sheeting and roping,without a doubt! But my old mate Eric Poss was the “Daddy” absolutely immaculate at the craft!! Cheers Dennis.
adr:
A couple of my efforts from, struth 20+ years ago! I used to like to stand back & look when I had finished, rope & sheet always looks better than any tautliner. Some could do it better than me but I didnt mind it & I never had anything fall off so must have been doing something right.
hi chris,are you sure you did those?as i recall most of the pfa loads out of the yard were all done for ya by the good looking young yard boy of the time!!can’t remember his name,what was it??actually looking at them they must be yours cuz i think he done a better job
Andrew Morrison:
10
hiya,
Dennis get the cotton wool ready for the office girl’s ears he’s roped over the flysheet tut tut.
thanks harry long retired.
harry_gill:
Andrew Morrison:
10hiya,
Dennis get the cotton wool ready for the office girl’s ears he’s roped over the flysheet tut tut.
thanks harry long retired.
Quite right “H” they should be “had up” for cruelty to fly sheets!!! Cheers Dennis.PS they look nice and tidy but roping over the fly defeats the reason for fly-sheeting in the first place!!!
h
hanson:
we still do a lot of rope and sheeting we seem do a lot more flat work than curtainsider work at the moment, althou at the moment we only need to strap the loads as we are doing pile cages,i prefer a flat to a curtain beleive it or not it has its advantages when on tight building sites and you dont have to worry about the buggers cutting your curtains at night
hanson you had teacher your dad and i taut him
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Andrew Morrison:
10hiya,
Dennis get the cotton wool ready for the office girl’s ears he’s roped over the flysheet tut tut.
thanks harry long retired.Quite right “H” they should be “had up” for cruelty to fly sheets!!! Cheers Dennis.PS they look nice and tidy but roping over the fly defeats the reason for fly-sheeting in the first place!!!
hi all,now ere we go!! in my defence!! i do know how to rope & sheet properly had some good teacher’s(take a bow boris & duffy) as most things in life there would of been a reason for doing it that way sorry i not got any pics of the proper ones also this sight is about ‘roping & sheeting’ not ‘perfect roping & sheeting’ i can take constructive criticism not criticising for the sake of it.it wasn’t you that used to watch me trying to fold my sheets in gale force wind & driving rain was it??if you listen you can just about hear me climbing down off my high horse sorry just a bit touchy about some things!! especially in this day of people that can talk a good job,wouldn’t let half of em loose with wheelbarrow, well thats my winge out the way sorry to you all regards Andrew
hi all,some good pics on here by the way(not mine obviously lol) keep em coming regards Andrew
Andrew Morrison:
i can take constructive criticism not criticising for the sake of it.it wasn’t you that used to watch me trying to fold my sheets in gale force wind & driving rain was it??if you listen you can just about hear me climbing down off my high horse sorry just a bit touchy about some things!! especially in this day of people that can talk a good job,wouldn’t let half of em loose with wheelbarrow, well thats my winge out the way sorry to you all regards Andrew
It is funny that, the first time someone watched me struggle with anything was the time I was in Europoort trying to lift a super single & wheel onto my swan neck. Before that there were always plenty of willing hands to wrap your sheets up with you. They even bought you a mug of dockers tea when you were finished.
I was about 13 when I was expected to do a full trailer on my own but even then I had a help with the sheets because I couldn’t lift them 