Yeah it surr was an intresting run eh? But thinking of it that was the same place as the swedish guy who was in the article i posted some page back. But that far in those old trucks 
Danne
Dirty Dan:
Yeah it surr was an intresting run eh? But thinking of it that was the same place as the swedish guy who was in the article i posted some page back. But that far in those old trucksDanne
I know Danne. When you think that back in the 70s and 80s we used to run down to the
Middle East in Scania 111s and the like.
No A/C, just sweating your guts out.
I remember being in the National Hotel, in Belgrade in the summer of 75. A truck pulled in on the way back from Baghdad.
It was an AEC Mandator. Non sleeper. In it were two guys from London. How they had managed to get all the way
to Iraq and back in that motor beat me. One of the blokes was enormous.
Then, running to Russia in my Daf. It was a 350. I was talking to the dealers who sold it to me.
They said that nowadays drivers would not go that far in such a small engined motor.
I said âWhy notâ. There were no hills where you would need lots of power.
Once you passed Hannover, the whole of the trip was virtually flat.
There were no serious climbs to have to make.
And, of course, we did not have sat navâ. You had to know where you were going.
The drivers of the 60s & 70s were used to mandators etc, I drove a MAN 232 tip cab to check oil and water, no hydraulic cab,all your gear out every morning to make it tip, my friend Allan Barber of allan and Frank Barber fame picked up a 1965 Atkinson borderer from a scrap yard, we stated it with ether, no sleeper no heater we arranged to meet at Ostend I asked him if he had serviced it no he said I was too busy fitting a second diesel tank, he did 3 Baghdads and 2 Tehrans with that motor. Unforunatley if anyone remembers that trip I was locked up in Viransehir for 4 months, happy days
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
Dirty Dan:
Yeah it surr was an intresting run eh? But thinking of it that was the same place as the swedish guy who was in the article i posted some page back. But that far in those old trucksDanne
I know Danne. When you think that back in the 70s and 80s we used to run down to the
Middle East in Scania 111s and the like.
No A/C, just sweating your guts out.
I remember being in the National Hotel, in Belgrade in the summer of 75. A truck pulled in on the way back from Baghdad.
It was an AEC Mandator. Non sleeper. In it were two guys from London. How they had managed to get all the way
to Iraq and back in that motor beat me. One of the blokes was enormous.Then, running to Russia in my Daf. It was a 350. I was talking to the dealers who sold it to me.
They said that nowadays drivers would not go that far in such a small engined motor.
I said âWhy notâ. There were no hills where you would need lots of power.
Once you passed Hannover, the whole of the trip was virtually flat.
There were no serious climbs to have to make.
And, of course, we did not have sat navâ. You had to know where you were going.
sorry for the spelling mistakes it should be started it, eyes not so good,
and yes it is GLP (greedy little pig) writing this.
chris brearley:
The drivers of the 60s & 70s were used to mandators etc, I drove a MAN 232 tip cab to check oil and water, no hydraulic cab,all your gear out every morning to make it tip, my friend Allan Barber of allan and Frank Barber fame picked up a 1965 Atkinson borderer from a scrap yard, we stated it with ether, no sleeper no heater we arranged to meet at Ostend I asked him if he had serviced it no he said I was too busy fitting a second diesel tank, he did 3 Baghdads and 2 Tehrans with that motor. Unforunatley if anyone remembers that trip I was locked up in Viransehir for 4 months, happy daysVodka Cola Cowboy:
Dirty Dan:
Yeah it surr was an intresting run eh? But thinking of it that was the same place as the swedish guy who was in the article i posted some page back. But that far in those old trucksDanne
I know Danne. When you think that back in the 70s and 80s we used to run down to the
Middle East in Scania 111s and the like.
No A/C, just sweating your guts out.
I remember being in the National Hotel, in Belgrade in the summer of 75. A truck pulled in on the way back from Baghdad.
It was an AEC Mandator. Non sleeper. In it were two guys from London. How they had managed to get all the way
to Iraq and back in that motor beat me. One of the blokes was enormous.Then, running to Russia in my Daf. It was a 350. I was talking to the dealers who sold it to me.
They said that nowadays drivers would not go that far in such a small engined motor.
I said âWhy notâ. There were no hills where you would need lots of power.
Once you passed Hannover, the whole of the trip was virtually flat.
There were no serious climbs to have to make.
And, of course, we did not have sat navâ. You had to know where you were going.
chris brearley:
sorry for the spelling mistakes it should be started it, eyes not so good,
and yes it is GLP (greedy little pig) writing this.chris brearley:
The drivers of the 60s & 70s were used to mandators etc, I drove a MAN 232 tip cab to check oil and water, no hydraulic cab,all your gear out every morning to make it tip, my friend Allan Barber of allan and Frank Barber fame picked up a 1965 Atkinson borderer from a scrap yard, we stated it with ether, no sleeper no heater we arranged to meet at Ostend I asked him if he had serviced it no he said I was too busy fitting a second diesel tank, he did 3 Baghdads and 2 Tehrans with that motor. Unforunatley if anyone remembers that trip I was locked up in Viransehir for 4 months, happy daysVodka Cola Cowboy:
Dirty Dan:
Yeah it surr was an intresting run eh? But thinking of it that was the same place as the swedish guy who was in the article i posted some page back. But that far in those old trucksDanne
I know Danne. When you think that back in the 70s and 80s we used to run down to the
Middle East in Scania 111s and the like.
No A/C, just sweating your guts out.
I remember being in the National Hotel, in Belgrade in the summer of 75. A truck pulled in on the way back from Baghdad.
It was an AEC Mandator. Non sleeper. In it were two guys from London. How they had managed to get all the way
to Iraq and back in that motor beat me. One of the blokes was enormous.Then, running to Russia in my Daf. It was a 350. I was talking to the dealers who sold it to me.
They said that nowadays drivers would not go that far in such a small engined motor.
I said âWhy notâ. There were no hills where you would need lots of power.
Once you passed Hannover, the whole of the trip was virtually flat.
There were no serious climbs to have to make.
And, of course, we did not have sat navâ. You had to know where you were going.
Hi Chris. Yes. I remember hearing about your little escapade.
That was the thing back then. We did not have all of the fancy gear that they have nowadays.
You drove what you had and got on with the job. No bloody micro-waves for us. Not that I would have used one anyway.
Manual crash gearboxes for a start. Changing gear and playing a tune on the gearbox until you sorted out the right timing for double de-clutching.
Building up arm muscles like Popeyeâs, due to pulling on the wheel because you had no power steering.
The old ratchet handbrake.
Happy days !
I still drive a crash box⌠the cabs bolted directly to the chassis with big bolts through a 2 inch rubber block⌠still on a log book ( or 2 ) and it could be said that you wouldnât suffocate in a Kenworth either⌠Get on with your new book I need something to read Mick⌠I tried a microwave in the cab but it blew the fuse and you canât wind both windows down at the sane time cause itâll burn out the wiring loom⌠itâs only 3 years old but itâs done 1.2 million⌠still thumps out just over 700 horse so Iâm not complainingâŚ
JeffâŚ
Jelliot:
I still drive a crash box⌠the cabs bolted directly to the chassis with big bolts through a 2 inch rubber block⌠still on a log book ( or 2 ) and it could be said that you wouldnât suffocate in a Kenworth either⌠Get on with your new book I need something to read Mick⌠I tried a microwave in the cab but it blew the fuse and you canât wind both windows down at the sane time cause itâll burn out the wiring loom⌠itâs only 3 years old but itâs done 1.2 million⌠still thumps out just over 700 horse so Iâm not complainingâŚJeffâŚ
Hello Jeff! Iâll bet a pound to a pinch of Bactrian camel â â â that you still drive with a constant-mesh 'box and not a âcrashâ one! Call me a pedantic old git! lol. 
Robert
Hi uncle Robert⌠that thing would go âcrashâ in the blink of an eye if you donât keep on top of it all day ( or night ) I still manage just over 1100 kâs a day @ 65 tons each way 6 days a week⌠not bad retirement plan really!..
My be Dan could put up a photo of it if heâs got some timeâŚ( sorry to impose Dan )
JeffâŚ
Jelliot:
Hi uncle Robert⌠that thing would go âcrashâ in the blink of an eye if you donât keep on top of it all day ( or night ) I still manage just over 1100 kâs a day @ 65 tons each way 6 days a week⌠not bad retirement plan really!..My be Dan could put up a photo of it if heâs got some timeâŚ( sorry to impose Dan )
JeffâŚ
Donât worry Jeff, Iâm only envious! Given half a chance Iâd jump into one this morning and drive it all day . Robert 
Just to let everyone know that the paperback version of Trucking Magic should be available on Amazon next week between Tuesday 22nd and Thursday 24th August. I am working on the Kindle version right now
Mick
Jelliot:
Hi uncle Robert⌠that thing would go âcrashâ in the blink of an eye if you donât keep on top of it all day ( or night ) I still manage just over 1100 kâs a day @ 65 tons each way 6 days a week⌠not bad retirement plan really!..My be Dan could put up a photo of it if heâs got some timeâŚ( sorry to impose Dan )
JeffâŚ
Sure Jeff,what pic would you like me to put up?
Danne
k1 b double please dan
jeffâŚ
sent from my old flip phone somewhere up the hume highway on a dark wet night when i should be at home not heading north to queenslandâŚ
donât neve know ifthisll work.
Hi everybody. Just to let you all know that âTrucking Magicâ, is now available on Amazon.
They have both the paperback and the Kindle versions on their site.
If you buy either version, then I really do hope that you enjoy reading them.
Mick
A swift reminder of what I looked like back in the day,
when I drove for Pro-Motor and made my first trip to Moscow, in 1981.
God, how I loved those shades. They were cool
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
0A swift reminder of what I looked like back in the day,
when I drove for Pro-Motor and made my first trip to Moscow, in 1981.
God, how I loved those shades. They were cool
Never would have thought that you were that bloke from The Verve, Richard Ashcroft
pv83:
You might recognise this unit�
Hi Patrick. Another interesting collection of photoâs that you have put on there. Yes I did recognise the last one.
Just out of interest, I will be at the Truckfest, at Paddock Wood Hop Farm on the Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd September.
Andy McLean, author of Fifty Shades of Tarmac and myself will have a pitch there and copies of our books.
Anyone going to the event, come along and say âHelloâ. We will be glad to see you and have a chat.
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
01Just out of interest, I will be at the Truckfest, at Paddock Wood Hop Farm on the Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd September.
Andy McLean, author of Fifty Shades of Tarmac and myself will have a pitch there and copies of our books.
Anyone going to the event, come along and say âHelloâ. We will be glad to see you and have a chat.
I will try to get along at sometime that weekend. Robert