Lawrence most of them would watch you pull your guts out but would not help in any way and make loading as difficult as possible. As for loading cotton bales I only ever loaded them once from one of those Liverpool jiggers (where was elf n safety then) to Ferguson Fabrics at Carlisle. Somehow I managed to get loaded not too badly without being maimed for life.
Cheers. Leyland 600.
Only once ever did Liverpool docks, in about 1968. Bagged nails from Cardiff, and being young and not knowing any different, they were loaded on the bed, no pallets.Waited forever to get into the shed, took off the sheets and waited. Half a dozen blokes stood round the fire ignoring me, so I walked over and asked what happened next.One of them walked over to the trailer, ignoring me still, then walked back to the fire and said to his mates “No pallets” then they all turned their backs!
There were some pallets in the corner so i asked if I could use them. Still no-one spoke, so I dragged a pallet over and hand-balled the bags (half cwt, i think, with nails sticking out in all directions) onto the pallet. Twenty bags to the pallet, and eventually a forklift took them away. By the end of the day I was knackered and bleeding, with my trousers ripped to shreds and arms like a gorilla, and not one of the dockers had said a word to me or lifted a finger, except to sign the notes.
Needless to say, I never went back to Liverpool Docks! 
ramone:
What were the solid smaller bales called , were they china bales ? I once took a full load to Legnano near Como on 1 of my rare ventures abroad . I had to clear customs in what could have been an old railway yard that i think was in the centre of Como , it was a tight yard to turn round in and after clearing i noticed i had a puncture on the trailer . They plugged it at a nearby tyre shop and eventually off to Legnano , i arrived at around 4pm pulled into the warehouse ,they helped me open the curtains both sides and preceded in pushing the bales off straight onto the floor from 1 side , i`ve never seen anything like it , i was tipped in about 15 minutes paperwork signed and off it must have been the quickest turnaround i ever had .Then it was off to Pifferettis at Casnate con Bernate where i met up with a couple of our drivers and off to a bar for Frisante and Pasta
There are many different sizes and shapes from many countries all press packed rock hard, Indian seems to ring a bell but I could be wrong,
(brain fade) its a shame the Wool Haulage thread on here has dried up, there could be many tales told. Les.
pete smith:
How about this one Dennis?
That will be a sin in Dennis,is eyes roping over a Fly!!!
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.
i’m out, I struggled to put a car cover on in the wind last week.
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.
Hiya,
The knowledge will still be there, a bit like riding a bike, but the capability of doing
the job would be doubtful in my case I doubt I being able to climb onto the trailer
would be possible and as for getting on and off the load, yes without a ladder a la
the days of yore where you had to lower yourself down the front of the load hoping
your feet found the top of the headboard as opposed to your balls finding the prop-
shaft, me do it now, no way,watching from a deckchair Oh’ yes, judging the event I
should be proud to, but beware I was a perfectionist and would expect the same.
thanks harry, long retired.
We all hope that you would not be undertaking the judging solo, H- I reckon we could field a team of at least ten “experts” but that would mean that there would be no entrants!
Retired Old ■■■■:
We all hope that you would not be undertaking the judging solo, H- I reckon we could field a team of at least ten “experts” but that would mean that there would be no entrants!
I could enter! Just give me a Dawbarn, a good pair of boots and a nice length of rope. 
Pete.
Retired Old ■■■■:
We all hope that you would not be undertaking the judging solo, H- I reckon we could field a team of at least ten “experts” but that would mean that there would be no entrants!
Hiya,
Yes “ROF”, the judging could be done as the come dancing thingy where we have
cards numbered 1 to 10 and the ten experts, I agree there can only be a hand-
ful of us left vote by showing a number of what we think their crap er’ effort is
worth, of course being experts a goodly fee will be in order equally divided by 10
which should be be sufficient to give the remaining “us” 10 experts a good long
holiday in the sun all expenses paid, ROF do you think Dennis will want owt’.
thanks harry, long retired.
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.
Ey buzzer most shows are only on for 2 days ,it would take bewick that long to find a shed for his shunter men to do a trailer in .
windrush:
Retired Old ■■■■:
We all hope that you would not be undertaking the judging solo, H- I reckon we could field a team of at least ten “experts” but that would mean that there would be no entrants!I could enter! Just give me a Dawbarn, a good pair of boots and a nice length of rope.
Pete.
Hiya,
Pete it is a sheeting competition and not a public hanging, I don’t know though
it might well turn out to be one.
thanks harry, long retired.
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.
And St. Johns Ambulance and copious oxygen masks !! Anon1.
harry_gill:
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.Hiya,
The knowledge will still be there, a bit like riding a bike, but the capability of doing
the job would be doubtful in my case I doubt I being able to climb onto the trailer
would be possible and as for getting on and off the load, yes without a ladder a la
the days of yore where you had to lower yourself down the front of the load hoping
your feet found the top of the headboard as opposed to your balls finding the prop-
shaft, me do it now, no way,watching from a deckchair Oh’ yes, judging the event I
should be proud to, but beware I was a perfectionist and would expect the same.
thanks harry, long retired.
Would the Bike you talk of riding “H” happen to be that Old Bird who was always looking out for you in The Brown Bear 40 odd years past ? Anon1.
Bewick:
harry_gill:
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.Hiya,
The knowledge will still be there, a bit like riding a bike, but the capability of doing
the job would be doubtful in my case I doubt I being able to climb onto the trailer
would be possible and as for getting on and off the load, yes without a ladder a la
the days of yore where you had to lower yourself down the front of the load hoping
your feet found the top of the headboard as opposed to your balls finding the prop-
shaft, me do it now, no way,watching from a deckchair Oh’ yes, judging the event I
should be proud to, but beware I was a perfectionist and would expect the same.
thanks harry, long retired.Would the Bike you talk of riding “H” happen to be that Old Bird who was always looking out for you in The Brown Bear 40 odd years past ? Anon1.
Hiya,
Dennis behave yourself I’ve been married for most of my formative years and that’s
well longer than 40 years and the missus might decide to take a looksee 
thanks harry, long retired.
Punchy Dan:
Buzzer:
Reckon we old boys on here who used to sheet and rope our loads ought to have a competition to see if any of us still have what it takes, we could do it as a side event at a truck show maybe, what do you think. Of course we would have to have the services of an expert to judge our efforts, any suggestions ? cheers Buzzer.Ey buzzer most shows are only on for 2 days ,it would take bewick that long to find a shed for his shunter men to do a trailer in .
STEADY DAN, you started throwin ackersations at poor old Bewick already, in honesty I baited the hook for him but he never bit straight away he must be getting old, now if that old CF got involved reckon would be a bit a bit sharper of the line, what do you think, Buzzer.
It would just be another topic CF debates to max then admits to having never done it ,infact I belive the rope hook strength has been done to death !
If you can keep a load of bran/sharps in polypropylene sacks on the lorry pulling out of the bay,never mind walking on the load to sheet it,and get it back to yard I am in the running,this was from Nelstrops in Stockport,anyone loaded from there? Rope hooks? All ours were secured to cross bearers with two bolts and never had one break!
morning harry
i hope your judging would be fair and square,but if i came along with a nice 12yr malt■■?
sm1
i have been doing some serious thinking
and a thoughts come into my head
if you dont have a drink when your alive
you will have a hell of a job when your dead.
sm1 