No ropes on this one, it’s held on with one of our dreaded “super” fly sheets, better known up north as bottle sheets. I was quite a strong lad in those days, as most of us were, but they were heavy. In fact they seemed to be heavier than other firms probably due to the steel rings that the ties were spliced to but you could come down onto a hook then along to the next hook then back through the ring then dolly. It was a little quicker than roping and no damage to the load but I hated them. They were originally bought to save using corner boards on Reckit and Colman’s loads out of Norwich. I for one was not sorry when we stopped working out of there. Regards to all Haddy.
This one’s not so tidy as the sheets were too small for the load. I had to drape the fly down the nearside then the main sheets covered the top and the offside. This would happen from time to time if you didn’t have the right equipment, but we normally muddled through. The load was kiln dried timber for Lowestoft and had to be fully covered. The nearside looked a right mess. Regards Haddy, GT. Yarmouth.
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?
I see what you mean mate, looks like just one big sheet as I can’t see a join in the middle.
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?
I can tell you a story about Reeds! We worked for Reeds for many years which started way back in '73 when we started doing 2 or 3 loads a week out of Tovil Mill to Barrow,well some years later during winter time,we had loads that came up on trunk overnight and when the sheets were pulled off there were damp patches all over the reels.Although the damp was only on the wrappers the notes were being claused " wet load"! Well this started happening regular and although there were no claims Reeds got there knickers in a twist with Bewick Transport(Bewicks sheets were as good as you found in the industryat that time) and announced that Reed Transport would deliver the next load.So they used a brand new set of sheets on their trailer,and guess what,when they pulled them off at Barrow they had “water” standing on the reels!!! far worse than our loads,they were as sick as parrots in Kent!!! The reason------ stock levels were down so they were more or less loading reels that had just been made and they were “warm” therefore in cold weather you had a 20ton load at probably 20 c with only a tarpaulin between the load and maybe minus 5 to 10 outside,no wonder there was condensation created was there!!! once the reels had been allowed to cool, problem solved, and Bewick’s reputation remained in tackt.Obviously the thickness of Reeds sheets created more codensation than our’s.One of many anecdotes that spring to mind occaisionally!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I can tell you a story about Reeds! We worked for Reeds for many years which started way back in '73 when we started doing 2 or 3 loads a week out of Tovil Mill to Barrow,well some years later during winter time,we had loads that came up on trunk overnight and when the sheets were pulled off there were damp patches all over the reels.Although the damp was only on the wrappers the notes were being claused " wet load"! Well this started happening regular and although there were no claims Reeds got there knickers in a twist with Bewick Transport(Bewicks sheets were as good as you found in the industryat that time) and announced that Reed Transport would deliver the next load.So they used a brand new set of sheets on their trailer,and guess what,when they pulled them off at Barrow they had “water” standing on the reels!!! far worse than our loads,they were as sick as parrots in Kent!!! The reason------ stock levels were down so they were more or less loading reels that had just been made and they were “warm” therefore in cold weather you had a 20ton load at probably 20 c with only a tarpaulin between the load and maybe minus 5 to 10 outside,no wonder there was condensation created was there!!! once the reels had been allowed to cool, problem solved, and Bewick’s reputation remained in tackt.Obviously the thickness of Reeds sheets created more codensation than our’s.One of many anecdotes that spring to mind occaisionally!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
Bewick:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I can tell you a story about Reeds! We worked for Reeds for many years which started way back in '73 when we started doing 2 or 3 loads a week out of Tovil Mill to Barrow,well some years later during winter time,we had loads that came up on trunk overnight and when the sheets were pulled off there were damp patches all over the reels.Although the damp was only on the wrappers the notes were being claused " wet load"! Well this started happening regular and although there were no claims Reeds got there knickers in a twist with Bewick Transport(Bewicks sheets were as good as you found in the industryat that time) and announced that Reed Transport would deliver the next load.So they used a brand new set of sheets on their trailer,and guess what,when they pulled them off at Barrow they had “water” standing on the reels!!! far worse than our loads,they were as sick as parrots in Kent!!! The reason------ stock levels were down so they were more or less loading reels that had just been made and they were “warm” therefore in cold weather you had a 20ton load at probably 20 c with only a tarpaulin between the load and maybe minus 5 to 10 outside,no wonder there was condensation created was there!!! once the reels had been allowed to cool, problem solved, and Bewick’s reputation remained in tackt.Obviously the thickness of Reeds sheets created more codensation than our’s.One of many anecdotes that spring to mind occaisionally!! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis,
Did you go into Reeds factory at Lower Lydbrook in the Forest of Dean.A mate of mine was the manager there at one time.
Cheers Dave.
Hiya Dave,we only loaded out of Larkfield and Tovil down in Kent and always for Wigan,Barrow and Hatlepool (Wigan & H’pool were Reed Corrugated plants) occaisionally we would sometimes load out of their Mill in wilts/berks,I can’t just re-call the name—Calthrop or something like that!!! Cracking outfit to haul for,they appriciated a good haulier,rates weren’t the very best but it was our kind of traffic to where we wanted to go and you could set your calander by their prompt payments!!! All their traffic was handled through their own “in house” Reed Transport which was in effect direct with the parent company.Cheers Dennis.
haddy:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I see what you mean mate, looks like just one big sheet as I can’t see a join in the middle.
Yea some were, the others were about 22 ft long with a10ft square on the end to drop down the front or the back so sheets just met in the middle,but the 33ft trailers did just have one sheet with two squares on,phew hard work!!!
Bewick:
Hiya Dave,we only loaded out of Larkfield and Tovil down in Kent and always for Wigan,Barrow and Hatlepool (Wigan & H’pool were Reed Corrugated plants) occaisionally we would sometimes load out of their Mill in wilts/berks,I can’t just re-call the name—Calthrop or something like that!!! Cracking outfit to haul for,they appriciated a good haulier,rates weren’t the very best but it was our kind of traffic to where we wanted to go and you could set your calander by their prompt payments!!! All their traffic was handled through their own “in house” Reed Transport which was in effect direct with the parent company.Cheers Dennis.
Thinking about it Dennis,he was finished there in 1970,as he did the same as I did only a year earlier.I would think your involvement with their haulage started just after that.He moved from Birmingham down to the Forest to run the factory.
Cheers Dave.
v7victor:
haddy:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I see what you mean mate, looks like just one big sheet as I can’t see a join in the middle.
Yea some were, the others were about 22 ft long with a10ft square on the end to drop down the front or the back so sheets just met in the middle,but the 33ft trailers did just have one sheet with two squares on,phew hard work!!!
Obviously Vic,the (zb) that ordered them had never had to use them!!! But IIRC all the Tarpaulins that they used “darn sarf” were made of heavy material and consequently as heavy as (zb) when wet!! J & H had some right bollock puller sheets I can tellyou!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
v7victor:
haddy:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I see what you mean mate, looks like just one big sheet as I can’t see a join in the middle.
Yea some were, the others were about 22 ft long with a10ft square on the end to drop down the front or the back so sheets just met in the middle,but the 33ft trailers did just have one sheet with two squares on,phew hard work!!!
Obviously Vic,the (zb) that ordered them had never had to use them!!! But IIRC all the Tarpaulins that they used “darn sarf” were made of heavy material and consequently as heavy as (zb) when wet!! J & H had some right bollock puller sheets I can tellyou!! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis, Reeds eh i done a shunt from darlington to hartlepool reels in and waste cardbaord back load for Kent ,These yung uns would know if they had to do it now!!!
v7victor:
Bewick:
v7victor:
haddy:
v7victor:
Any one worked with Reeds paper mill sheets they were the largest and heaviest i have ever handled?I see what you mean mate, looks like just one big sheet as I can’t see a join in the middle.
Yea some were, the others were about 22 ft long with a10ft square on the end to drop down the front or the back so sheets just met in the middle,but the 33ft trailers did just have one sheet with two squares on,phew hard work!!!
Obviously Vic,the (zb) that ordered them had never had to use them!!! But IIRC all the Tarpaulins that they used “darn sarf” were made of heavy material and consequently as heavy as (zb) when wet!! J & H had some right bollock puller sheets I can tellyou!! Cheers Dennis.
Hi Dennis, Reeds eh i done a shunt from darlington to hartlepool reels in and waste cardbaord back load for Kent ,These yung uns would know if they had to do it now!!!
Aye,your right there Vic,a regular tri-angle we did was Milnthorpe to London/Kent area,tip,re-load or switch trailers in Maidstone then up to Reeds Hartlepool tip then reload on the dock back to Milnthorpe! Some of our top men did three of these a week regular! Even ESL can’t beat that for efficient running I would think!! Cheers Dennis.
Them were the days Reels or Pulp of the dock (Linkflow) maybe!!!
hiya,
J & E transport always put a cotton sheet on the load before the waterproof tarps was put on and always a flysheet on top and whobetide anyone who put a rope over a flysheet, all the drivers would have been candidates for Bewicks methinks, I did a short spell there in the late 50s and I think the largest vehicle they ran in those days would be a six wheeler rigid but the motors was always immaculate and they was maintained to the highest degree,the fitters checked all the motors before every trip, and all long distance was done via night trunk very well run and organized outfit.
thanks harry long retired.
v7victor:
Them were the days Reels or Pulp of the dock (Linkflo) maybe!!!
Yea thats correct Vic, Linkflow, but we hauled it direct for our Mill,they wouldn’t entertain Linkflow delivering it! But we did work via Linkflow from Royal Portbury to Barrow in Furness for a good few years.We did the same job prior to this via Western Transport.Useless info I know!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
v7victor:
Them were the days Reels or Pulp of the dock (Linkflow) maybe!!!Yea thats correct Vic, Linkflow, but we hauled it direct for our Mill,they wouldn’t entertain Linkflow delivering it! But we did work via Linkflow from Royal Portbury to Barrow in Furness for a good few years.We did the same job prior to this via Western Transport.Useless info I know!! Cheers Dennis.
If irc Dennis Linkflow rates around 73ish was about £50 h,pool to Manchester,not the best eh!!!
v7victor:
Bewick:
v7victor:
Them were the days Reels or Pulp of the dock (Linkflow) maybe!!!Yea thats correct Vic, Linkflow, but we hauled it direct for our Mill,they wouldn’t entertain Linkflow delivering it! But we did work via Linkflow from Royal Portbury to Barrow in Furness for a good few years.We did the same job prior to this via Western Transport.Useless info I know!! Cheers Dennis.
If irc Dennis Linkflow rates around 73ish was about £50 h,pool to Manchester,not the best eh!!!
I can’t re-call the exact rates we ran for in the 70’s Vic,however I can recall that all our outward rates were fairly good and I was able to review them on an annual basis because we had a number of quality customers that didn’t try to screw you all the time.So a lot of the poorer jobs we picked up away from home were only in “one direction” to get us into our own direct traffic flows.Concrete out of Hulland Ward springs to mind,after tipping in Notts or Derby areas when we’d pop a load on for London,quick tip,and were reloading for home ex Tilbury! Thermolite from nr.Coventry back to Manchester,which was a good rated load of paper to B’ham area then a quick load of blocks back to M’chester.If the crap jobs were quick and were only from, say,point B to C or straight back to A with little or minimum empty running they became “decent” jobs but we would never look on them as prime traffic like some of the hauliers that had to survive on this sort of traffic had to,with loads of empty running into the bargain.Same applies to Linkflow,who were parasites IMO,but we used the Portbury to Barrow traffic to our advantage to balance our good rated loads to the S.West.Hope this gives you an insight into the “warped” mind of a haulier from yesteryear!! Cheers Dennis.
Bewick:
v7victor:
Bewick:
v7victor:
Them were the days Reels or Pulp of the dock (Linkflow) maybe!!!Yea thats correct Vic, Linkflow, but we hauled it direct for our Mill,they wouldn’t entertain Linkflow delivering it! But we did work via Linkflow from Royal Portbury to Barrow in Furness for a good few years.We did the same job prior to this via Western Transport.Useless info I know!! Cheers Dennis.
If irc Dennis Linkflow rates around 73ish was about £50 h,pool to Manchester,not the best eh!!!
I can’t re-call the exact rates we ran for in the 70’s Vic,however I can recall that all our outward rates were fairly good and I was able to review them on an annual basis because we had a number of quality customers that didn’t try to screw you all the time.So a lot of the poorer jobs we picked up away from home were only in “one direction” to get us into our own direct traffic flows.Concrete out of Hulland Ward springs to mind,after tipping in Notts or Derby areas when we’d pop a load on for London,quick tip,and were reloading for home ex Tilbury! Thermolite from nr.Coventry back to Manchester,which was a good rated load of paper to B’ham area then a quick load of blocks back to M’chester.If the crap jobs were quick and were only from, say,point B to C or straight back to A with little or minimum empty running they became “decent” jobs but we would never look on them as prime traffic like some of the hauliers that had to survive on this sort of traffic had to,with loads of empty running into the bargain.Same applies to Linkflow,who were parasites IMO,but we used the Portbury to Barrow traffic to our advantage to balance our good rated loads to the S.West.Hope this gives you an insight into the “warped” mind of a haulier from yesteryear!! Cheers Dennis.
With you on that Dennis,i already had that insight as a driver from yesteryear working in the north east for Leader of the pack over here at that time,Messrs Stiller!!!
You raise some good points there St Bewick, off topic, but we’re allowed to ramble on this forum for Old Gits 
Using cheap loads to get your lorries where the decent paying work is, in my book that makes a lot of sense, there’s a big movement over here in lala land to stop ‘cheap freight’ but many people are, like you did, using the cheap freight to get to where the decent rates are, they’re all making money and not complaining, the ones that complain are the ones sitting around in dead areas waiting for the magic rate, they can’t work out the economics themselves, so they want a minimum rate set into stone by the government 
I have a sneaking suspicion that setting a minimum rate will also set the maximum, but that’s another point, although it does relate to something you and WheelNut were saying about the industry going to the dogs when they started with O licences allowing anyone with half a brain (or less) to start up in transport, it’s even easier here, all you need is a lorry and a pulse
Back on topic now, the talk of heavy sheets brings to kind some ex BT sheets I had, they were made not to rip when covering stillages, so they were quite thick, I once tried to move one from trailer to another, dragged it onto my shoulder and nearly ended up in a heap, I unrolled it to check that it hadn’t been filled up with lead ingots