I think I would have to say Alf Sutton in the large haulier class and in the smaller class Curly Cargill of D&M Cargill of Penrith.I know I have named two but I couldn’t split them!!! Bewick.
what about stan robson , gordon plant , donald malcolm or sam anderson
Pollock (Scotrans) Limited, have been going since 1935 and with a very distinctive livery with the tartan band around the cab.
Cheers Dave.
hiya,
I’ve driven for over three dozen hauliers in my time can’t remember the names of some of them but for me the creme de la creme has to be the old red and rust namely the BRS, but you knew that I was going to say that did’nt you??.
thanks harry long retired.
SHORE PORTERS never worked for them but going since 1498
i think they need to be on the list .
You are some guy you Harry. 
36 employers in 50 years.■■ 
You certainly weren,t hanging about for your long service Medal. 
The 2 longest ones would be The Royal Standbacks, when you did your National Service. & BRS . I can,t wait for your old mucker Stormin Norman to pile in with his work history 
Anyway, back to the thread. And not to be too serious. My vote,–( being aware as I am,that as in politics, my vote does not count )-- goes to Burnholme Transport of Penrith. If they don,t get the vote for “Best of British”, then they definitely deserve it as “Best in Penrith”.( I couldn,t care less what Bewick has to say about that). 
Don’t know about being the “greatest british haulier” but i always remember being impressed by Kendricks fleet of eight wheeler Fodens when i was a kid,they were based in Walsall,they used to travel between Walsall and the South Wales coalfields,bringing coal for walsall power station.
Buycrider:
You are some guy you Harry.
hiya,
You’d better believe it good buddy on a couple of occasions i’ve worked for a couple of firms in one day at one time lasted an hour and wrapped the grease gun round his neck he was under the impression my licence covered vehicle serviceing i had other ideas, got another job less than two miles away within a few minutes of jacking, i was single at that time and jobs was plentiful, several firms i worked for twice some i did the odd trip for a lot of jobs was cash in hand, did stick the BRS though actually had my cards in three times reason for leaving was redundancy had the job continued so would I that was BRS Blackburn twice and BRS Consett my last tramping employer, you are aware what they say about change being equal to a rest, still voting for the BRS does that count as two votes??
thanks harry long retired.
bob-lad:
what about stan robson , gordon plant , donald malcolm or sam anderson
Your dead right there Bob certainly Gordon Plant would run my choices close!!! Cheers Bewick.
Buycrider:
You are some guy you Harry.
Com’on “Buycrider” you are just on the wind-up because whatever axe you have to grind against me(and I hope its a small one) there is no way that Burnholm could be considered for the nomination they weren’t in the same leauge as the great Curly surely!!Anyway after our last go to work I thought you had deserted the site? But it seems like the proverbial “Wasp round the jam pot” or in a Gadgy’s case “A fly round a cows a**e” you can’t keep away!!! Good on you son the site needs contributors of your calibre so get stuck in my son!!! Regards Bewick.
Lets keep it nice chaps
My two penny worth…
BRS has to be the iconic British General Haulier, in the days of A,B and C, operators licences they virtually supplied the UK PLC road haulage, everything else came after them…
In terms of age the Aberdeen Shore Porters Society has to be the oldest surviving transport company
In terms of modern day image, no company has caught the general publics imagination Like Stobarts.
In terms of expertise - Sunter Brothers and Wynns get the medal as far as I am concerned
In terms of using modern techniques, computers and technology TDG would be hard to beat
Trail blazing it has to be ASTRAN
Luckily I cant enter the competition so dont have to narrow down my choices 
What about Robsons of Carlisle.Smith of Maddison.and Mckelvies.
And I know a lot of lads dont like Stobarts but they keep a lot of lads in work these days 
Sentimentally it would be Prestons of Potto. Being from a younger generation than you guys.
But i,m afraid i gotta go down the Stobart vote. Just purely on the image and publicity he has brought to our industry. And the fact he is trying to take on mr dressingtable.
Welch’s Transport, Stapleford, Cambridge.
I think that this will a tough one to call but Wynns would get my vote and Hanson, if you look at their history and present day operations should in I.M.H.O. be somewhere on the top list.
hanson-logistics.com/History.aspx
Regards Steve.
My vote is for
Robert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
Mon
Started in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.
Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.
They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.
i have a few favourites, Eric Vick,Astran, tom&jerry,s,peterblake, norman lewis,
kent line,ale,wynns, this list is endless as all did their part, in making Britsh Transport
well known,
Ferryman:
My vote is forRobert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
MonStarted in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.
Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.
They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.
hiya,
i know this isn’t the thread for arguments but what was the speed limit in 1931■■ even if you could maintain 20mph Cardiff to London return would take 15 hours driving and remembering the roads although quiet would take a good man at least 20 hours to do do the trip in one hit provided he took breaks,I drove a 1939 motor in 1957 for a very short while and no way could i average 20mph, the mileage on present day roads for that trip is over 300 miles, was there two drivers and a sleeper cab??.
thanks harry long retired,
Johnny aka Little John:
. And the fact he is trying to take on mr dressingtable.
He wont win against old Nobby
I’d have to say BRS (did work experience when I was at school in the workshop at Basingstoke pre Exel Logistics take over), and seem to be have been around forever!!!
Pickfords, for the same reason as BRS, theyve been around forever and I think didnt they takeover the BRS heavy haulage side?
harry_gill:
Ferryman:
My vote is forRobert Wynn & Sons
50 Shaftsbury Street
Newport
MonStarted in 1863 with horses, progressed to steam, then petrol & diesel power.
Gave a lot of employment in South Wales as they grew with the tippers,timber extraction, crane hire, tankers, heavy gangs and haulage.
They operated a nightly trunking service Cardiff, Newport, London back in 1931, something we take for granted today.
hiya,
i know this isn’t the thread for arguments but what was the speed limit in 1931■■ even if you could maintain 20mph Cardiff to London return would take 15 hours driving and remembering the roads although quiet would take a good man at least 20 hours to do do the trip in one hit provided he took breaks,I drove a 1939 motor in 1957 for a very short while and no way could i average 20mph, the mileage on present day roads for that trip is over 300 miles, was there two drivers and a sleeper cab??.
thanks harry long retired,
Hi Harry,
Wynns operated several vehicles on this service.
On page 21 of the book ‘The Wynns Fleet’ there is picture of 2 new Scammell Super Six 6 wheelers, reg DW 7652 and DW7653*and pages 19,20 and 21 of ‘Wynns the First 100 Years’ which were purchased new and in the overnight livery.
On page 29 is a photograph of one of the Scammells stuck in the snow in the Cotswolds, in the winter of 1947. A timber tractor and gang was dispatched to recover it.
Like you say to ask for one of these vehicles to get to and from South Wales to London and back overnight, to unload and reload is not going to happen. Remember No M4, No Seven Bridge in these days, you would have to go up to Gloucester and across.
I understand that one vehicle at any one time would be in Newport and the other in London. They both would leave early evening, pass half way and be in the other depot by morning. Like you say each trip would be like setting out on an adventure.
There are several good books dedicated to the history of Wynns.
Wynns The First 100 Years
Wynns The last 20 Years
Wynns Overseas
The Wynns Fleet
*DW7653 was exhibited on the Scammell Stand at the Earls Court Commercial Motor Show in 1931.
Harry Enjoy your retirement.