Punchy Dan:
It’s ok these firms having 'shunters ’ who loaded sheeted and roped the trailers but I bet when the driver sheeted one and bought a load back there were some real sights to be seen !
Not all shunters made a good job of sheeting and roping, I would 're-do a load if l thought it wasn’t right, I liked to be able to see behind me in the mirrors!! I don’t remember ever having a complaint from a shunter or a journeyman about any load I left in the yard to be delivered. Regards Kev.
Hi Kev, When I drove for Shorties they used to do a lot of work from a firm at Washington, Newalls IIRC. They were high loads of bagged stuff, One of the shunters couldn’t rope and sheet to save his life, The ropes had to be loosened and redone otherwise the load looked like a ship in full sail, He was warned on several occasions but It made know difference so they stopped sending him there, Of course the good shunters said he just made a bad job so he wouldn’t have to load there, But It didn’t matter what he loaded it was still a crap job, He eventually got the push, Regards Larry.
ramone:
Ive just read a few comments on here about younger drivers not knowing how to rope n sheet , but lets say if you started 15 years ago and wasnt fortunate enough to learn through a family member how would you learn . You cant go out and borrow a flat trailer and a set of sheets and some rope , its all changed . Everythings moved on , curtainsiders have been the standard for quite some time now , i know if i was just starting i wouldnt go out of my way to learn because in most jobs its not required . Its great looking back through rose tinted glasses at how great these square tidy loads looked but also look at the downside especially in the windy weather we are experiencing now ,trying to wrap a sheet up , trying to put one on , i didnt miss it . Everyone who learnt to rope n sheet started somewhere , just like everyone who gained their licence started somewhere , no one no matter what they say were experts immediately
Totally agree with this
I also learnt through a family member and a mandatory course before I was allowed to take my HGV 3.
Fact is the industry has moved on and in my view is more dis jointed than ever.
I remember older drivers always being available to hand out advice on anything from reversing at a customer to the best route.
Now it would seem drivers far prefer someone to make a hash of it so they can stand round filming it and stick it on youtube or here with “look at this muppet” all over it.
Look at the vitriol on this site towards Stobarts can you imagine a driver stopping to help one of them rope a load.
Plus the time and understanding just isn’t there anymore Mr Bewick mentions driver undoing the shunter’s roping to do it there selves.
Clearly he was far more understanding than todays planners and customers who are on the phone after 5 minutes.
It’s nice to look back and I love this thread and the banter and photo’s
But would you really want to live in a wendy house with a board over the seats than a nice top line Mrec or Scania.
Would you not rather pull the curtains shut or close the box doors than stand getting wet through hands burning with the cold and rope digging in.
If I owned a classic yes I rope and sheet it but day to day nah been there tried that thanks time to move forward.
ramone:
Ive just read a few comments on here about younger drivers not knowing how to rope n sheet , but lets say if you started 15 years ago and wasnt fortunate enough to learn through a family member how would you learn . You cant go out and borrow a flat trailer and a set of sheets and some rope , its all changed . Everythings moved on , curtainsiders have been the standard for quite some time now , i know if i was just starting i wouldnt go out of my way to learn because in most jobs its not required . Its great looking back through rose tinted glasses at how great these square tidy loads looked but also look at the downside especially in the windy weather we are experiencing now ,trying to wrap a sheet up , trying to put one on , i didnt miss it . Everyone who learnt to rope n sheet started somewhere , just like everyone who gained their licence started somewhere , no one no matter what they say were experts immediately
Totally agree with this
I also learnt through a family member and a mandatory course before I was allowed to take my HGV 3.
Fact is the industry has moved on
Even in the day it was possible to have the combination of drivers without any particular sheeting,as opposed to roping,skills.With even many forces drivers often being mostly familiar with plant type heavy haulage and/or loads carried in tilts.
I’d probably count myself among those who Bewick would have put in the ‘awkward squad’ in that regard.With there being plenty of jobs where someone would have had no need to sheet anything from when they started out and no realistic way of learning it,at least to the highest standards of making a flat look like a box trailer when it was finished.In my case I just viewed the relatively few loads that I had to sheet in my time as a necessary evil with the idea that so long as it kept the load dry and didn’t get the wind under it that was good enough.While in many cases it could arguably be said that sheeting was often an erroneous method used to carry loads on flats that probably would have been more easily carried in box bodies.Which leaves the question of tilts.Which in my experience the advantages of not having to sheet the majority of loads easily outweighed the disadvantages of the relatively few which required it to be stripped.Which seemed to be how mainland Europe and in most/all cases the forces ? also saw it.
When Bewick and I were lads- here we go again!- most hauliers had all types of customers with all types of loads, from low loader work through livestock and platform loads, often with four or five different sorts of work in the same week. Sometimes in the same day! That’s why it was called GENERAL haulage. Drivers became experienced at many different loads and vehicles with a bit of help and advice from the older hands and soon became “proper” drivers.
Well I know many posting on here are saying the industry has moved on but there are still companies that run flat trailers and require roped and sheeted loads (that’s another anomaly its always referred to as ropes and sheets and not the other more logical way around!) true they may be in the minority but they are still out there and I’m sure they can’t all be relying on old hands some younger guys must be doing the work. As for Tilts I couldn’t stand them and would much rather have a flat and sheets to cope with, I wasn’t even too bothered about a Tautliner either and couldn’t relate to the blokes that kept a Taut on their unit like it was welded to the fifth wheel, besides I could see what was going on behind me with a flat unlike a Tilt or Curtainsider. Mainly though I did enjoy the skill of sheeting and roping a load that looked tidy on completion and got from A to B without mishap (never had any problem at all with a sheeted load) or without looking like a barrage balloon, true there were days when it seemed Mother Nature just wanted to dump everything on yours truly and those frozen sheets could be a sod but once the wet gear was off and you were back in the cab that was it done. My biggest moan was having roped and sheeted a swine of a load in stinking weather and when you got back to the yard you found one of the Blue Eyes was taking the thing next morning and not you, who says the Class system doesn’t exist, I’ll blame Margaret Thatcher everyone else does! Cheers Franky.
I spent four years on Cawthorn’s contract for Thorn AEI at the Brimsdown Enfield depot, those loads where always sky high colour TV tubes, the yard forman Sid Berchow would not have let you out of the yard with a load looking like them first two, those Bedfords with Leyland engines done their job but where dodgy on corners with them BTC 4 in line trailer, ended up with Dodge units and Bowden tandem trails, more stable, good picture any more about??
Frankydobo:
Well I know many posting on here are saying the industry has moved on but there are still companies that run flat trailers and require roped and sheeted loads (that’s another anomaly its always referred to as ropes and sheets and not the other more logical way around!) true they may be in the minority but they are still out there and I’m sure they can’t all be relying on old hands some younger guys must be doing the work. As for Tilts I couldn’t stand them and would much rather have a flat and sheets to cope with, I wasn’t even too bothered about a Tautliner either and couldn’t relate to the blokes that kept a Taut on their unit like it was welded to the fifth wheel, besides I could see what was going on behind me with a flat unlike a Tilt or Curtainsider. Mainly though I did enjoy the skill of sheeting and roping a load that looked tidy on completion and got from A to B without mishap (never had any problem at all with a sheeted load) or without looking like a barrage balloon, true there were days when it seemed Mother Nature just wanted to dump everything on yours truly and those frozen sheets could be a sod but once the wet gear was off and you were back in the cab that was it done. My biggest moan was having roped and sheeted a swine of a load in stinking weather and when you got back to the yard you found one of the Blue Eyes was taking the thing next morning and not you, who says the Class system doesn’t exist, I’ll blame Margaret Thatcher everyone else does! Cheers Franky.
I think you are getting me wrong Franky, what i was trying to say is that drivers on the whole dont get the opportunity to rope n sheet because theres very little about , when i say the industry as moved on i mean everythings done as quickly as possible with minimum of fuss ,open your curtains driver , they fill them with pallets internal straps over back on with the curtains and away they go. But you cant accuse say a Stobart driver for not being able to rope n sheet just because Eddies isnt the most popular haulier. (not accusing you there Franky ). At the end of the day everyone who learnt to rope n sheet did just that … learnt . Theres not the opportunities out there now to learn but if there was i dare say there would be some excellent younger lads that could do it . On another note i cant believe that Carryfast didnt try to overcome his "inadequacy" of not being able to rope n sheet to a high standard , maybe he was born too soon and would have been better suited to curtainsiders and easy trunking jobs and auto boxes , i dare say Denniss ears will have pricked up with this revelation …as for tilts give me a flat any day
adr:
Big & square loads, back one has done the tidiest job sheeting the front though! Chris
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I spent four years on Cawthorn’s contract for Thorn AEI at the Brimsdown Enfield depot, those loads where always sky high colour TV tubes, the yard forman Sid Berchow would not have let you out of the yard with a load looking like them first two, those Bedfords with Leyland engines done their job but where dodgy on corners with them BTC 4 in line trailer, ended up with Dodge units and Bowden tandem trails, more stable, good picture any more about??
Was this taken by the site next to the A10, Martins Way if I recall.
Retired Old ■■■■:
When Bewick and I were lads- here we go again!- most hauliers had all types of customers with all types of loads, from low loader work through livestock and platform loads, often with four or five different sorts of work in the same week. Sometimes in the same day! That’s why it was called GENERAL haulage. Drivers became experienced at many different loads and vehicles with a bit of help and advice from the older hands and soon became “proper” drivers.
Was that the days when carts were measured in dinosaur power rather then horses
ramone:
On another note i cant believe that Carryfast didnt try to overcome his “inadequacy” of not being able to rope n sheet to a high standard , maybe he was born too soon and would have been better suited to curtainsiders and easy trunking jobs and auto boxes , i dare say Dennis`s ears will have pricked up with this revelation …as for tilts give me a flat any day
As I said there probably would have been plenty of old school ex forces drivers starting out in the late 1940’s/1950’s who’d hauled everything from tanks to tonnes of ammunition,canned foods water and fuel etc etc.Who’d never sheeted a load from the time they started to the time they were demobbed and like me just happily used tilts as a matter of routine.On that note I’d guess that at least a few of them would have shared my view that sheeting flats was a necessary evil rather than a satisfying part of the job.While I don’t think that a dislike of origami using massive heavy sheets for every load, was mutually exclusive with a liking for driving proper wagons with a proper box in them.
6LX:
Many moons ago i used to load out of Henry Cook paper Mill,Beetham,Nr Milnthorpe,there was a bloke there,he walked around the trailer & had a look at my sheeting,nothing was said,so he dissappeared!! always got a load to Bristol area,i think Bewick"s had all the work!! Norman Croad,Torquay…
Noo then Norm ! if it was me you mean that walked around your motor, had a look, and then walked away well all I can say is our shunters at the Mill must have sheeted and roped your load ! On the other hand if you were one of Brian Harris’s lads your R & S skills would rank with those at Bewick Transport so still no comment!. The late Brian was a good pal of mine and in later years he did quite a bit of work for us out of the Devon Valley mill as well as back loading woodpulp for us into the mill. Cheers Bewick.
Hi Bewick,yes i worked for Brian Harris back in 1972,wen it was “Harris & Miners”,then in 1982 went owner driver,i used to sub off brian doing work out of Silverton Mill,Hele Mill,Norton Fitzwarren store,Watchet mill,wen i said to you i loaded out of Henry Cooks of Beetham,i loaded & sheeted myself,so i expect the shunter was just checking i put my top skin on,lol,im retired now,ive done my stint of 28 yrs long distance,take care,Norman croad,Torquay…
There are still folk about who help new lads when they’ve not done it before. The general vibe on here is that nowadays everything is terrible, no craic, nobody can drive a manual box or tie a dolly knot. I’m sure some of the retired gents on here may be happy to hear that this is not always the case and my own experience on flats has shown the opposite. When new to sheeting the company sent me to a place for a sheeted load and I said I was fine with roping but had never sheeted a load before. They replied ‘change of plan, go to xyz and one of our boys will be there who’ll help you.’
Got there and the lad that helped me had been driving for 37 years and his dad had taught him how to rope and sheet. There are also still people who drive lorries who have professional pride, like a tidy looking load, a clean lorry and drive smoothly and safely.
Retired Old ■■■■:
When Bewick and I were lads- here we go again!- most hauliers had all types of customers with all types of loads, from low loader work through livestock and platform loads, often with four or five different sorts of work in the same week. Sometimes in the same day! That’s why it was called GENERAL haulage. Drivers became experienced at many different loads and vehicles with a bit of help and advice from the older hands and soon became “proper” drivers.
Was that the days when carts were measured in dinosaur power rather then horses
Sorry could’nt help it…
If you’d spent as many hours sitting in a queue at Gloucester market waiting to unload thirty yearling dinosaurs…
Retired Old ■■■■:
When Bewick and I were lads- here we go again!- most hauliers had all types of customers with all types of loads, from low loader work through livestock and platform loads, often with four or five different sorts of work in the same week. Sometimes in the same day! That’s why it was called GENERAL haulage. Drivers became experienced at many different loads and vehicles with a bit of help and advice from the older hands and soon became “proper” drivers.
Was that the days when carts were measured in dinosaur power rather then horses
Sorry could’nt help it…
If you’d spent as many hours sitting in a queue at Gloucester market waiting to unload thirty yearling dinosaurs…
Ah! ROF “got you”! so you’ve finally owned up to being a “Knuckle dragging Neanderthal” , I had a few of those working for me at Bewick Transport but they were the “salt of the earth” although some of them were illiterate we were able to decipher their time sheets as me and my manager were only slightly better edificated than them whereas a current day smart arse Planner/manager would be unable to ID with one of yesteryears Neanderthals eh! Cheers Bewick.
Suedehead:
28 years isn"t really that long . . . unless you mean retired.
Suedehead,So u dont think 28yrs in the game is"nt long enough,i disagree with you on that scale!!!
I passed my car test at 17,i passed my HGV at 21,ropes & sheets thats all ive done,steel,timber,chip board,thats loads
you have to be carefull of wen strapping down,never lost a load in my driving career,& also kept a clean Licence,
Theres drivers,& theres drivers,im 64 now,retired,ive done my stint…Norman croad,Devon…
deckboypeggy:
Hi6LX 28 YEARS a good driving shift. suedehead perhaps swede head,
Hi deckboypeggy,I think drivers dont understand wat the game is all about,Several times i used to pull my sheets off my load,waiting to get tipped,i look across & theres several tautliners driver sitting in there cabs,they were to lazy to get out there cabs & give me a hand to fold them up,maybe they did"nt know how to fold sheets,wen i finished folding
up my sheets,put them on my shoulder,walk to the catwalk of the unit,place them on the unit,& heave them on top the front of the load,I used to have a PCV fly sheet,try folding that up on yr own full of ice,I will never forget the day wen i was in Cabberboard at Cowie,Stirling,loading chipboard,i put on my 8 straps as usuall,then my 2 main sheets & fly sheet…
Out comes this driver with tautliner,starts to rope it down? i went over to him & said wheres yr straps mate? Aint got any? i said you wont get far,i blame his transport co,he said im only goin back to N/East,So i could"nt help him…i went for cup tea & black pudding bap… i proceeded to weighbridge,weighed out at 36ton gross,drove out down the hill to the stop sign… turned right & stopped…i got out, the guy from N/East had his load shift in his tautliner,i felt sorry for him,wat a mess,he had no N/side curtain left,all ripped!!,thats wat its all about in Transport,you have to be prepared for all types of work…Eventually wen i arrived at Cabberboard South Molton,N/Devon,mine never moved an inch!!
Norman croad,Torquay.
Suedehead:
28 years isn"t really that long . . . unless you mean retired.
Suedehead,So u dont think 28yrs in the game is"nt long enough,i disagree with you on that scale!!!
I passed my car test at 17,i passed my HGV at 21,ropes & sheets thats all ive done,steel,timber,chip board,thats loads
you have to be carefull of wen strapping down,never lost a load in my driving career,& also kept a clean Licence,
Theres drivers,& theres drivers,im 64 now,retired,ive done my stint…Norman croad,Devon…
That’s it Norm, you tell 'em like it was mate ! How come you never came to work for Bewick Transport You would have fitted in well as you seem like a very decent exponent of the “craft” and have a record to be proud of as well ! Trouble is the old days are gone and these younger lads haven’t a clue how hard the job was pre Curtainsiders so we are ■■■■■■■ into the wind trying to explain to them so it’s best just to quietly remember the old days and only discuss them with those of us who were there and done it and got the “T” shirt ! Cheers Dennis.
was mutually exclusive with a liking for driving proper wagons with a proper box in them. 
