I can’t be bothered reading through all the posts here but allthough I never worked for them Suttons of St Helens gets my vote, the nights on the M1 when I first started out many moons ago were it seemed filled with those red ERF’s with the union jack front running up and down. I got to know most of those guys on a personal level. Suttons kept going when others faded into oblivion or merged with others and here across the Atlantic I get a proud feeling when I see a truck pulling a container tanker along the NY thruway with ‘Suttons of St Helens’ emblazened on the side.
Well I would think you would have to stick Riding’s of Longridge into the mix for GBH (non violent initials!!)as even after their takeover by TDG,Mr.Tom still ran it “his way” so they were truly a Great British Haulier of the “old school” and surely rank with the Suttons ,Robsons and Plants of the Industry.cheers Bewick.
marky:
In no particular order, but any of the following could justifiably lay claim:
W & J Riding
W H Bowker
Suttons of St Helens
Robsons of Carlisle
W H Malcolm
Anyone who even jokingly suggests ESL should grace a list with any of the above in it needs (in my humble opinion) their head examining.
[EDIT:] There have been biographical records written about three of the five in my list, but so far none about WH Bowker or W&J Riding. The others were written with the assistance of the founding families which helped validate the books. In the case of Bowkers & Ridings I think they’re long, long-overdue. The rich histories of these two companies needs to be put in print - soon.
Agreed! The Bowker story has an amount of pioneering in it - overnight trunks to/from London in 1926, with double-shifted vehicles, I’m told they were the first to have PSKs, I think also the first mega tractors in the U.K. and the first Philips Concept motors too.
Unlike so many famous names with whom they rubbed shoulders over the years (at Covent Garden and Liverpool Docks, for instance), they are still with us and as strong as ever - because they have evolved and continually re-invented themselves. This has included diversification into the motor trade, and also vehicle leasing.
Of course, Sutton’s have evolved and diversified very strongly too, with all their rental, motor trade and worldwide tank shipping business, and they too are still very much with us today
I think Suttons or Heatons should get a mention along with Robsons of Carlisle. My barrel is tankers, lol. and would nominate Smith and Robinson and Harold Woods in that category.
give everyone a cuddly toy…cos everyone in transport played their part, some stayed the extra mile, others faded. Astrans ( asian transport ) were THE pioneers of taking trucks where no other company had even dared, and once the tracks were laid, everyone followed, so they deserve a reward, and i was a proud member of the team. Hiltons transport played its part, and long before that BRS…there are so many companies from east to west, north to south, we all have our favourites, from our own areas, but they are all worthy of a mention. As i sit here writing this, my thumbs and fingers are split, and bloody hurting, because of the roping and sheeting, pulling ropes through snow, ice, wet, whatever, daring to ask for a new pair of gloves, but we did it, cos we loved the industry, and were part of it, part of a team, were very proud to be accepted, even though we were treated like ■■■■ by everyone outside of the industry, much the same today except, even the bosses treat you with contempt, same as some of the drivers, who are too proud to make conversation, and instead prefer to be a loner…All companies were indebted to transport, some spent loads of cash, and got no return, some were lucky, and got the right contacts ( its not what you know, its who you know ) some did it by skulduggery, robbing each other, but they got there, and dont tell me the survivors of long ago didny cross a few palms, and who could blame them in this cut throat industry, its dog eat dog, always has been, always will be, that my friends, is the name of the game.
truckyboy:
some did it by skulduggery, robbing each other, but they got there, and dont tell me the survivors of long ago didny cross a few palms, and who could blame them in this cut throat industry, its dog eat dog, always has been, always will be, that my friends, is the name of the game.
That is the truest post on these forums. I remember reading an interview with Geoffrey Cave-Wood several years ago and he told of some dodgy goings on when he started the haulage company that bore his name, 2 loads on one trailer, 3 log books, nothing serious you understand, everyone was at it, that was the biggest attraction for me.
I think the funniest thing I saw was my old boss who lifted two ministry men and their car on top of the office building with a forklift, they would probably still be there but for him ringing the police and telling them he had caught some trespassers on his property.
He pottered round the yard all day long with a pot of paint or a sweeping brush, and if anyone came in who looked official, he could plead stupid or he just lied through his teeth that the boss was on holiday, in prison, hospital, dead or any other thing he could think of.
Hi Truckyboy Must agree with you everyone played there part in building the industry wether big or small players but what we all seem to forget is how things have changed
We do not have the same type of goods to move today a lot of heavy industry gone when i worked in Essex we had a lot of market work from local farms to all the the countries wholesale markets it started to decline when pick your own started in the 70s. then the supermarkets got involved with direct deliveries and that was the beging of the end for a lot of hauliers
Then we had the decline in heavy industry the coal feilds the docks changed to containers this struck the death nell for a lot of traditional hauliers
So at the end of the day you have to take your hat off to all the Hauliers who are still trading for over 60 years or more today
robv8:
Robert Wynn and Sons, pioneers in the industy and set many world records.
Indeed so, and there were countless other great names in the past, which begs the question of whether qualification as the ‘Greatest British Haulier’ requires survival to this day?
