Hi all I would have to agree with Bewick on this one ,Alf Sutton still going after all these years,i remember watching Alf trunkers leaving at night when i was about 9 years old,i only lived up the road from his depot,90% were Atki 8leggers.Second i think would be BRS cheers Ted have a good holiday Harry.
I nominate SMS from Kent
hiya,
My vote for a haulier from the private sector long established and good to work for is W H Bowker very fair and always paid well still going strong and growing all the time.Thanks for the kind wishes Ted.
thanks harry long retired.
BRS.
First truck I ever sat in was a Leyland Beaver in the red and white livery.
The old man was a tramper out of Lister street in Glasgow in the late 60s early 70s.
must have to have A ONE TRANSPORT LEEDS LTD in the top 5 in the 80s when jack Robinson owned them
One that may suprise some is Browns of Stoke.
Did 5 years for them, all fleet motors,dead legal, and the odd barney at the desk, but brass was always in the bank, (exept for 1 occasion, which was a bank problem, and any OD fees paid without question)
Saw a few managers come and go, and only left because of the co we were contracted to, was run by nappy protecters.
Had hard times recently but still going.
Ill vote for the one that put me through my class 1 and at its peak employed over 120 drivers. The sadly now gone Sam Longson ltd.
Is this even possible? Different spheres,different areas of expertise.Shore Porters,of course.Sam Longson,certainly.Wynn’s,Pickfords,Cadzow??.Which one?Astran,definitely.Bird’s,Sparks ,and many others.Increase the prize fund and categorize into :International. Heavy haulage and UK perhaps? I don’t know–I’m going to have a lie down now 
duracell:
One that may suprise some is Browns of Stoke.
Did 5 years for them, all fleet motors,dead legal, and the odd barney at the desk, but brass was always in the bank, (exept for 1 occasion, which was a bank problem, and any OD fees paid without question)
Saw a few managers come and go, and only left because of the co we were contracted to, was run by nappy protecters.
Had hard times recently but still going.
Hiya …browns may be better now■■? they are one reason beresford shut shop. browns took a contract of bassetts then bassetts had to come and sort out the mess. shirleys gave browns a couple of pallets that helped both partys. browns then tried to go through the back door and take shirleys work (another rift)
in the 70,s browns had the clock type time recorder in the cab.if you sat 1/2 hour in traffic, time was deducted from your wages.
duracell maybe you had a good time at browns(a pal of mine has done15+ years there) but i would,nt even thumb a lift off them.
sorry John
my vote has to go to BEWICK TRANSPORT good clean tidy motors good work well run. 
dennis is the cheque in the post!!! 
I will vote for Halleys of Crieff, they are gone now but used to see about 15 artics heading south most Sundays.Also Harry Lawson of Broughty Ferry run smart looking tackle,been going last 50 years that I know about.
John I was at browns in the late 80’s early 90’s can only speak as I found them, would probably know your mate, and I still keep in touch with some of the drivers who were there at the time.
Berries, bassets, swifts ect were constantly taking and gaining work off each other, Bal, Harrisons,ect used to push them all for the best rates on 12 month contracts, and they all got stung with the demise of co’s like wooliscrofts, and other potters who went ■■■■ up at the time.
Many drivers from the local co’s went to work for city transport around that time as they recruted for contracts they had taken from local hauliers at the time, who all ended up at brantenthorpe airport giving the keys to the reciever.
Never said they were perfect, but as the thread says Great British Haulier, still in business, and some happy memories of my time there.
hiya
in my opion it is very hard to choose the best considering the huge changes the industry has gone through from the fifties ,mots how many big companies survived after this was introduced ,different kinds of haulage ie heavy & general ,uk ,international,containers and many other types of of transport i think it would have been better putting it into different catagories and different areas of the country.we will all have our favourites because of the nature of thier buisness also we have all worked for good and bad bosses so do you vote for the good boss or how good the company was in the type of contracts they held or the type of lorries they had.years ago we had brs.then ralph hilton the stobart of yesteryear davis brothers to name a few
That’s funny, no one’s mentioned yiddle davis.
yappie:
my vote has to go to BEWICK TRANSPORT good clean tidy motors good work well run.
Hiya JR I’ve pushed the “brown envelope” full of readies through the letter box so don’t throw it out with the other brown one’s i.e.VAT PAYE HMRC ect.ect.Dennis.
My vote goes to Robsons of Carlisle,The fleet was always immaculate,
they had a following of “spotters” long before it was fashionable.
I think a lot of todays drivers first got the bug when they got that
sheet with all the Border prefixs.I never worked for them but I knew
a few geordie lads who did and they always spoke well of them.
Anyone who has heard a two stroke Foden with that twelve speed
gearbox being made to sing will never forget that sound but I dont
think I could stand the racket day after day.
What about Charlie Alexanders of Aberdeen, Wyatts of Diss, Humber McVeigh, WH Malcom, Sutherlands, MGS, Bartrums, Russell Davies, Smiths of Maddison, Suttons. I’ll leave it there for now but could probably go on all night.
hiya
sorry pertam i mentioned davic bros in last post
Astran for me.
mother trucker:
hiya
sorry pertam i mentioned davic bros in last post
Sorry mate, I blame it on me age, although I was being a bit sarcastic about yiddles being a good mob. My ol’ Dad worked for them and I knew two of the brothers, Ronnie and Hubby… what a pair. Then there were Poulters, Bristows, Mongers, Tozers, all the same crowd who should go in a thread for infamous companies.
Yardleys of Leeds were a good mob to work for, all good motors and pay was there every week.