Does anyone know if Temples Transport are still going? They were base out out Fleet Hargate in Lincs. At least they used to be. I worked for him in 2003. It was the last company I worked for in haulage before starting in a new direction. I’ve been looking at old photos of my time wagon driving and it got me thinking. I enjoyed working there. It was an old fashioned place to work with old lorries but the work was easy enough and some good guys worked there. He had a transport manager/engineer (mechanic) called Ashley if I remember?
I also worked for an agency based out of Peterborough called First Approach, are they still going? I worked through them for Christian Salvesen and Robsons.
I’m still hauling cargo. Although as a First Officer on a 747 out in Saudi Arabia. Those nights out tramping that seemed hard going at the time are nothing compared with having to be based in Jeddah flying long haul freight. I miss the wagon driving sometimes, although it has to be said, aviation has small similarities.
Edit: I remembered the rg of an old unit I drove N502 KPV, a Scania 113 tri-ax. Out of curiosity I checked the dvla. It’s listed as being yellow, although it used to be blue, white and red in Temple livery. The date of liability is 2005 so I guess the old girl is languishing somewhere as a chicken shed. It was old when I drove it. I hope she’s still going. I’ve uploaded a photo of N502 at the Isle of Grain circa August 2003 as well as a couple of the '74 freighter. We use pallets, although they are large metal things called PMCs. the wooden pallets sit atop the metal ones.
Hi freight dog,
Interesting story from you , N502 KPV is probrably listed on the DVLA as being yellow because lots of companies don’t notify the DVLA if they change the colour of a vehicle …
N502 KPV was one of a batch 0f 20 SCANIA R113 supplied new to RUSSEL DAVIES …
Temples are still going , i would guess they prob run about 8 -10 wagons seem to pull for fowler welch quite a lot…
For a few years they just ran plain white vehicles with no writing on,i thought they had disappeared but then they bought some second hand 4 series scania toplines and sprayed them into the colours like your photos shows …
Think the agency first approach has probably changed into another name…
Thanks for taking the time to reply, that’s interesting to hear. I did a search for 1st approach but no joy so like you say probably bought out. One of the firms I drove for through First Approach was Buffhams owned by Robsons but I think they’ve gone.
Robsons/buffhams merged together not sure who took over who , the buffhams livery has gone now though , Robsons however are still going they are running quite a few 13 reg renault premiums…
There is an agency called Driver hire not sure if that was first approach though…
Christian Salvesen were bought by TDG group (green vehicles) which in turn got bought by Norbert Dentrassengle…
I used to work for Russ Temple collecting apples from the wisbech area for delivery to all the markets. I ended up as yard foreman loading the market lorries. Fell out with russ (easy to do)… In the gale force winds on the way to wisbech to load I was blown over with new trailer into the ditch. I have some photos of that. Regards P.Woodhouse
