Fergie47:
pete smith:
Fergie,
How about this Grey one for 8K? Sit me on the front unit and we would never get stuckIf I win the lottery, I’ll by that for you…
It would need a cab but fitted with the right sized windows of course!!
I’d have been happy to have driven that…
oiltreader:
Restoration beauties with a bit of history on the FH cab.
Oily
Evening all,
Oilly, you pour oil on troubled waters with your pictures…looks like Pete and Fergie cannot agree over tractors at all…really they should settle for a proper tractor, a John Deere, forget all that aged machinery…you can fit all sizes, in, or on a Deere…and they are great machines…mind you I do like a little grey Fergie…and I have a very soft spot for the Cropmaster…and its “big” seat!
Oilly, Both your pictures have interesting history…
Piejac-Maingret, created in1983 from Transports Maingret of Bressuire,( Pie, Pierre, Jac, Jacques, =Piejac). The fleet of today must run at least 200 motors, as well as the separate removals company, Ingrid Maingret Demangements in Saumur. But the mural on the side of that FH tells a little of the history, (including an image of the Castle at Bressuire opposite the yard of Maingret). This firm is like so many French, and British family firms that have lasted through turbulent times.
Founded in the `50s by Alphonse Maingret from the front room of his Bar/House at 1 Boulevard Clemenceau Bressuire, (the bar was established by his wife when he was taken prisoner in WW2, and imprisoned in Austria). Through conversations with coal merchants drinking in their bar, Alphonse founded a coal, and wood distribution business. Coal arrived at the station in 28 tonne payload rail waggons, this was shovelled by Alphonse and his sons Pierre and Marc into 50kg sacks for delivery locally.
By the 1960s they were distributing oil products, both in cans, and tanks, by the 70s they had added furniture removals. Alphonse retired in 1975, Pierre and Jacques took over the running of the family business with less than 10 employees. The 1980s were a period of great expansion, the Bressuire site was outgrown, and a new site along the route to Nantes was established at Boulevard Alexander.
The site was christened Marcouet in memory of Marc Maingret who sadly died at the wheel of his lorry, and combines his name, and his nickname for his favourite cousin Colette, "couet, in the `90s. The same period saw the sale of the oil distribution business, and development of the Transport operation.
Alphonse passed away in `96, a fine gentleman, and the removals operation was taken over by Ingrid, Pierre Maingrets daughter. 2008 Jacques himself retired, and I believe that the business is now headed by Pierre as PDG, with Alphonse, and Pierres wife Chantel in charge of finance.
Maingret were amongst the first to embrace the licence built Gerald Broadbent Tautliner concept in both rigid and semi, and drawbar form. The fleet did have Bernards early on, but went almost 100% Volvo, with some Actross in the 2000s. The basis of operation has expanded , Niort, Soissons, Saumur, and Bressuire, with their main activities running into the Benelux, and Italy.
Lovely company, run by really nice people, and that FH has images from their past…although I would far rather jump behind the wheel of that Pelpel 3 cabbed conventional on the trailer…and I expect Fergie would choose the Television…I suppose that leaves Pete the FH!
André Bonifay of Toulon. Large public works operation, (my daughters Godfather buys all his do it yourself bits from their warehouse, on avenue du Colonel Picot, “Tous Materiaux, Sainitaire Peinture”)!). Bonifay, (André, father, and son), Have run a considerable fleet of very interesting lorries over the years, including Magirus Deutz, Willeme, and Berliet. Many of which are preserved, and shown regularly. Everything from concrete pumps, (which I used to see working all over the south quite regularly), bonneted T112 Scanias,as well as the F serie Volvos.And their trailer fleet is no less interesting,including peripheral frame semi trailer with twin silo tanks for cement from their plants.
Latterly the livery has changed to more white showing, and the associate company, Roubon. DAF came into the fleet, but Renault also, from little serie S right up to max weight tractors…and some 4x4s with cranes behind the cab…but those of you who know the Var will appreciate just why such lorries are needed to deliver building products!
But it was really the Magirus Jupitor, and Pluto that I remember, their vivid red livery standing out on roads of the south. Like Onatra, Bonifay had good service from Magirus, right on to the V10 310s, with their distinctive raised double sleeper cab. When there were defects, they were quickly put right, the essence of keeping operators happy, look after them, and Magirus did just that!
Our friend Michel knows the Bonifay family well, perhaps he has some images of their fleet?
Thanks Oilly, apologies if Ive “gone on a bit”.
Cheerio for now.
‘Gone on a bit’ - jamais!!! A fine post. Merci beaucoup. Johnny
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pete smith:
.
Hello Pete,
that SM8 mobile workshop was part of the Saviem Moyen Orient back up fleet. Put in place when we did the deal with Saddam, to build a lorry factory in Iraq. The bulk of the material went down via Transports VIT, (Valenton International Transport), who did the bulk of our “Factory” work. I wrote a lot about them sometime past, they were a superb company and people, I have many happy memories of them.
There were a panoply of French Moyen Orient operators, just as in the UK, and just as here some were quite “spectacular”…perhaps I will write a bit about them, Stouff, and Carry come to mind, my word I got my fingers burned with one of those two…and DAF the other!!!
That SM8 was based in Turkey, and was beautifully equipped.
Cheerio for now.
The first picture from Fergie’s tasty serie is a Berliet TR 260. I passed my “permis poids lourds” (Truck driving license) on such a truck in March 1980 in Montpellier (France, not USA…). Its engine was the same as the earlier TR 250, full of good will and easy to deal with. Gearbox was a 8-speed non-synchromesh double-H type. The spaceful cab, when introduced in 1970 on the TR 300, was a mjor change compared with all which had been offered before: vast, very good visibility, wide sleeper…
That’s it for a bit …back to UK for a funeral, and to see old friends…I’ll be watching, but not posting pic’s…be nice while I’m gone !!! 
Fergie47:
That’s it for a bit …back to UK for a funeral, and to see old friends…I’ll be watching, but not posting pic’s…be nice while I’m gone !!!
Stay safe on your travels Fergie and we will catch up on you return, all the best Pete
So what about Hurel? I’m dying to hear that tale, a short spell in the UK for me due to pressure from the hormone fuelled half of the NMM clan and it appeared as if they had vanished overnight upon my return to the international ■■■■■■■ scene. What happened there then?
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pete smith:
Fergie47:
That’s it for a bit …back to UK for a funeral, and to see old friends…I’ll be watching, but not posting pic’s…be nice while I’m gone !!!Stay safe on your travels Fergie and we will catch up on you return, all the best Pete
Thanks Pierre…
newmercman:
So what about Hurel? I’m dying to hear that tale, a short spell in the UK for me due to pressure from the hormone fuelled half of the NMM clan and it appeared as if they had vanished overnight upon my return to the international ■■■■■■■ scene. What happened there then?Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
NMM you are so right, when I brought the subject of Michelle Hurel up a little while ago to Saviem he said it was a story for another time so it is probably more than a couple of sentences. When I used to drive Europe in the 80’s you would see them every where but nearly 30 years since I have been to France have often wondered what became of them, so John stir the little grey cells as Im’e sure you can throw some light on the matter for all of us interested party’s, Buzzer.
Evening all,
NMM, welcome back home!, Buzzer, Michel Hurel…it is a long story…and Ive being promised Smoked Haddock, with Cheshire Cheese Sauce, over fresh Pheasant Eggs for my tea…so Im afraid I have to be brief…and apologies for getting sidetracked about Hurel, because of the other memories that this thread brings back…
Michel Hurel is today a UK company!..based in Abingdon, …How so?
The freight forwarding portion of Hurel was bought from the receiver by the Hallo Family, in effect a MBO. The UK Directors being Alistair Beveredge, and Andrew Pratley, and of course Basil Hallo. Their business, (and profitable), is World wide logistics, air, sea, road. They have operational expertise in Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, the United States, North and South Africa, as well as the European Mainland, plus the outlying outposts of Turkmenestan, Kazakstan, and Azerbaijan. A very sound company profile, and far removed to the Michel Hurel operation that perhaps we share memories of.
Torigni sur Vire, Manche. If only I had realised the English connection, when I was nervous about confronting Hurel regarding non payment of invoices many years ago!..Where their operation was based was the territory owned, and ruled by Robert of Gloucester!..but a few years before, it was English land!
What an outfit, the second largest fleet of Saviem SM 280TUT turbocharged 6 cylinder tractors, Chereau fridges, and operations that stretched from England, to Maroc!..plus of course their runs to Iran, and Iraq…all carrying Normandy`s finest Dairy produce. Then came all those big Renault/Berliets, and all fitted with Attelier Saint Catherine curved air deflectors…in such a large fleet Fuel saving was vital.
So large became the operation that they moved their administrative headquarters to 20 Rue de la Republique, Lisieux…a chrome and glass emporium, with carpet that we have probably never ever seen in our homes! By then Frederick Boutillier was in charge, but storm cloud. 82000 cubic metres of new refrigerated warehousing in Vire, for Groupe Bangrain, and Compaigne des Fromagess were above their financial gearing…
1978 and Hurel were part of that most dynamic grouping TFE, (Trans Frigo Europeans), along with Almasse et Boulle of Montrouge, (gosh I remember when I first saw their fleet of Saviems lined up one public holiday, I simply had never seen so many lorries of one make in one yard ever…there were over 150 of them)…and Guy Galopin had more. What a business he created…all frigo…Europe, Asia, eastern Europe, and all before 1978! Superb businessman, and an easy to talk to person. One vision, and the backing of his Bank, and his partners…Guy had created TFE back in 1970, and soon that distinctive entwined double ring on white livery would be seen throughout Europe, Asia, and Russia.TFE was a very harmonious and strong operation and included some very strong players indeed…
Michel Sanciere of Allasac, Creuse, and the head of Société Vieron, Robert Diemert , EuroTrans of Strasburg. TFE , by the late 70s it was so dominant in French, and Franco/International Refrigerated Haulage, including such operators as La Mouette, Le Coze et Mahé, Hurel Froid, (notice that the dry freight division had gone), Mounier, et TPA, plus Galopin, Massé et Boule, Louis Mélédo, over 11 in total, that an approach from the Nationalised STEF, (Société Transports Entrepots Frigorifiques), based in Paris was inevitable.
This happened in 1992, and formed what was possibly the largest totally refrigerated transport operation in Europe at that time. STEF was founded back in the 1920s, and by 1939 had become part of the nationalised French Railway company SNCF. The big expansion for the STEF Management came in , (I think), 1974/5 with the acquisition of Transports Rapide de Bretagne, followed by a trading title change to Tradimar…STEF through its parent grouping Compagnie Genéralé Maritime et Financiere, took control of Atlantic Financial Group, the parent of the UKs Vesty Meat empire, and the Blue Star Shipping line, and TFE, (34%)which included Hurel Froid, the bulk of Michel Hurel Transports.
Then 1992, Tradimar and TFE merged…and Michel Hurel disappeared forever…except for its re-birth in dear old England!!!
But at the same time a real war was raging in Frances refrigerated transport sector, the UKs Excel Logistics were buying in, having acquired Transports André Martin of Nice, (and what a superb outfit that was, with its Eurotrotter Volvos), and eventually found its way into STEF! Then the Pivoin operation was acquired, from Transport Development Group, with its Scania fleet,. Patrick Aubry, with the financial muscle of the Banque Vizlle from Lyon, was busy expanding his empire, including the factured remains of Groupe ONATRA, in a three way battle with Norbert Dentressangle and , Groupe Giraud, It was a bloody war, and there were casualties, and as ever only the customer won!!!
Now that is a hurried resumé, my apologies, because I adore Smoked Haddock and Pheasant Eggs. There was so much more “personal” recollection of Groupe Hurel, Guy Galopin, Almasse et Boulle, STEF, the people, the deals, the ups, and the downs…let alone the equipment, Chereau, Aubinau, Lamberet, Henschell, Krupp, Saviem, Berliet, Scania, Volvo,…fabulous outfits, and in so many ways so similar to our home grown UK company`s…except that their Bankers, their clients, their staff believed in what they were doing, and just tried to make it work!..and in many ways it did.
So that is what happened to Michel Hurel, the company name is still here, in the UK…and not far from Robert of Gloucester`s seat!!!
Im away to my smoked haddock…apologies if Ive “short changed you”…(and Im so behind now, but Mont Cenis will come…I promise)…
Cheerio for now.
Thanks John, that’s a good enough summary for me. I was subbed to TFE whilst at Solstor, it was an interesting time and being in possession of a magic yellow cabotage book meant the trailer was not often empty and in those days that meant the bunk in my Scania was not a place I spent much time!
My old TRUCK teammate Craig 111 currently works for TFE, hopefully his investigation skills haven’t left and he can bring us up to speed on the group as it is today.
Another possible connection that Buzzer may recall is the company we (Solstor) and his boys used to take Nestlé chocolate to in Dijon, they were a large refrigerated outfit, not TFE or STG, but one of the larger players of the day, I just can’t remember their name.
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Hi Saviem,
I asked you a few months ago about an Atki that Killingbeck put a fork lift mast on, well I have found a photo of it and an earlier one of the same truck when it came to grief on a run to the Middle east!Reg no. TBR 737R, Cheer’s Pete
