Evening Gazza,
The names of old firms come up on these threads, I know it’s a bit “all our yesterdays” but I am very proud to have know and run with some top drivers who have posted on here.Rawlings, STS, and all from down South.
I pulled into a cafe somewhere near Havant in early 1978, 23 years old doing deliveries…biscuits for Burtons Biscuits… (there go my wagon wheels)…and saw a truck, Scania 140, left hand drive, A.C. on the roof trailer boxes and thought…yer…right. But, we are a determined lot and fortunately I got to fulfil my dream. I’m off to find more badly taken photo’s in the loft…of heady days trying to balance making a wage and living the dream…
harry:
Yeah, it was not only an attractive truck -in Swiss Mick was mobbed by the ladies. His wife found out & took him to the cleaners. Good bloke was Mick but a lot of drivers from oop north were v.envious of him. He was always getting sarcy comments from the Dempsey crowd. One phone call can change your life.
He gave me a jump start once out in Swiss with that Scania. He was terrified that the leads were the right way & not blow a hole in the side of his batteries.
thats not micks wife,she wouldnt be seen dead in a truck.prob bit from seaham.known mick for years not seen him for a long time,he moved up to seaham and ran a fleet of vans.his ex.told me he has a place in spain.that scania was a nice motor,checking the oil was a pain,bullbar had to be undone and hinged forward.is the red lion still on the go in basel?
harry:
Yeah, it was not only an attractive truck -in Swiss Mick was mobbed by the ladies. His wife found out & took him to the cleaners. Good bloke was Mick but a lot of drivers from oop north were v.envious of him. He was always getting sarcy comments from the Dempsey crowd. One phone call can change your life.
He gave me a jump start once out in Swiss with that Scania. He was terrified that the leads were the right way & not blow a hole in the side of his batteries.
thats not micks wife,she wouldnt be seen dead in a truck.prob bit from seaham.known mick for years not seen him for a long time,he moved up to seaham and ran a fleet of vans.his ex.told me he has a place in spain.that scania was a nice motor,checking the oil was a pain,bullbar had to be undone and hinged forward.is the red lion still on the go in basel?
Haven’t been to Swiss for about 10yrs. Mick was a good bloke btw. Any idea how the Dempseys are getting on?
chazzer:
Stewart xxxxxx was one of the other Ferry Freighting drivers along with Billy Moore.
Hullo Charlie,
Jimmy McCauliff, driver in the Office, Teddy Reagan was moved on and Ronnie Evans moved in. Then there was Stuart Booth, from Doncaster and Billy Moore a Cornishman. Both of these were living in Essex. All bloody good blokes to work with. We subbed for them (Ferry Freighting) for a while and we had a great time and good money.
p.s. Hope the new job is going well, ya’all hear Boy.
Cheers, Archie.
I know it’s a long shot, but does anyone have a contact for Gary Hunter, I noticed he had a few posts on this thread a few years ago.
Is he still about?
Would anyone know where this picture of the Volvo and its load was taken. The Volvo belonged to VM Transport of High Wycombe and aircraft on the trailer is a Beech18 and was used in the filming of the Bond film ■■■■■■■■■.
Hullo,
By the look of the surroundings and buildings. I should guess that it in the South of a platz where the speak mit ein funny accent.
Cheers, Archie.
Archie Paice:
Hullo,
By the look of the surroundings and buildings. I should guess that it in the South of a platz where the speak mit ein funny accent.
Cheers, Archie.
G’day Mate,
Yes I remember Husks as well, but since the old days I,ve never even thought about them. As you will also remember they had quite a Fleet of 111 Scania’s. in Dark Green running around, lots of Tilt Trailers too. Anyway I’ve just looked them up on the old iPad and it seems that they are still on the go, but in a different role. Apparently in 1986 they joined forces with a Group called Star Cargo Group. There are six companies in the Group who it seems all have their own roll to play. Husks, Harbour Shipping, Fastnet Forwarding, Controle Cargo Services, Viking Shipping Services and Sealane European Logistics. Husks are still up at Lyddon Hill, but do not have the Haulage roll in the Group it seems. They have a large Warehouse, they have a large Workshop where they do all MOT’s for Cars, Trucks and Trailers, they also run a Fuelcard Agency from there.
The haulage from what it seems is all run by Sealane Logistics, with a Fleet of MAN’s. That’s about it, unless someone knows more. I hope you don’t get too much Snow over there this year mate.
Cheers, Archie.
I think it was Husk’s where we used to go to triple deck flat trailers when I worked for Cheverall’s of Luton. We used to run them across the channel to Ostende and then load them up with chipboard to bring back to the UK. Horrible stuff, very slippy. I once arrived back at the port with the load listing dangerously after hitting a pothole. We took the ropes off very gingerly and then one of the giant fork trucks pushed it back into position with its mast. A bit like banging a pack of cards into a neat pile, but less of the banging, more of the nudgeing.
Then I re-roped it ready for the ferry.
On another occasion my wife and I paused in the layby before the hotel towards the top of Jubilee Hill. We watched as a Mandator with a similar load made his way cautiously round the roundabout and stared in horror at the slow motion toppling as he nearly got round. A couple of hitch hikers were standing at the entrance to the road but at that moment for some reason were both looking our way. We screamed at them to MOOOOVE although they were 200 metres away and, at the last minute they turned, saw, and ran, but, like the wagon, in agonising slow motion.
The wagon crashed to the ground, the load flying away into the bushes. We saw the hitchers missed by inches but still running for another 50 metres . The screen of the AEC popped out completely intact till it hit the ground, when it shattered and scattered.
We ran across, past the now stationary but shell shocked young couple, to find the driver in a heap on the passenger door tangled up in ropes and chains with his night out case on top of him, but otherwise unharmed.
I didn’t need the warning, I knew what horrible stuff it could be, even worse than steel re-inforcing mesh imo, but nevertheless a salutary lesson.
Spardo:
I think it was Husk’s where we used to go to triple deck flat trailers when I worked for Cheverall’s of Luton. We used to run them across the channel to Ostende and then load them up with chipboard to bring back to the UK. Horrible stuff, very slippy. I once arrived back at the port with the load listing dangerously after hitting a pothole. We took the ropes off very gingerly and then one of the giant fork trucks pushed it back into position with its mast. A bit like banging a pack of cards into a neat pile, but less of the banging, more of the nudgeing.
Then I re-roped it ready for the ferry.
On another occasion my wife and I paused in the layby before the hotel towards the top of Jubilee Hill. We watched as a Mandator with a similar load made his way cautiously round the roundabout and stared in horror at the slow motion toppling as he nearly got round. A couple of hitch hikers were standing at the entrance to the road but at that moment for some reason were both looking our way. We screamed at them to MOOOOVE although they were 200 metres away and, at the last minute they turned, saw, and ran, but, like the wagon, in agonising slow motion.
The wagon crashed to the ground, the load flying away into the bushes. We saw the hitchers missed by inches but still running for another 50 metres . The screen of the AEC popped out completely intact till it hit the ground, when it shattered and scattered.
We ran across, past the now stationary but shell shocked young couple, to find the driver in a heap on the passenger door tangled up in ropes and chains with his night out case on top of him, but otherwise unharmed.
I didn’t need the warning, I knew what horrible stuff it could be, even worse than steel re-inforcing mesh imo, but nevertheless a salutary lesson.
I used to carry those chipboard loads but off the railway in Walsall, lethal stuff with just ropes and it was always the second pack back that slipped.
Mentioning the slow motion aspect reminded me of a mate that got in a bad road camber on Derby ring road and before he could stop the lorry, in slow motion it just rolled on it’s side. This accident went to court as an insecure load, my mate defended himself and when it was asked if it could have been prevented he replied that ratchet straps would have prevented it but the company would not provide them.
His case was dismissed but the company got a hefty fine and told not to consider carrying the loads without the right equipment.
At that time straps were almost unheard of and very expensive (hence the firms reluctance to provide them), with ropes we used double dollies sheeted it then roped on top,it still slid but after using the straps slipping packs were very rare.
There was always a pile of chipboard at Lord of the Manor roundabout just outside Ramsgate!
The AMG Interfreight pics, I guy I knew and have mentioned in another thread drove for them when I first knew him, Robin Anderson. He went on to ACH but have lost track of him nowadays.
The only load of chipboard that I can remember at the moment was from a place I.I.R.C. somewhere near Kassel in West Germany. I had heard what a problem load that it could be so even though it was banded and the load was in a tilt I still put a rope over the load. (No Archie not over the tilt). I arrived at the place about 8 o’clock at night and was asked did I want to load then or in the morning so I loaded that night. I delivered it to a place called Chirk or was it Prees on the A5 in Shropshire, I remember that Grocontinental used to do the same run regularly.
We used to do chipboard at Kingswood, some of that went to Chirk. This load wasn’t destined for there but even if it was it wouldn’t have got there! It had come from Kent with another vehicle and dropped in the yard. I collected it Monday morning for delivery. It was roped up and I thought sufficiently as it had come from Kent. Unbeknown to me the loading driver had removed the ratchet straps he had used to get it that far. The rope (brand new) snapped and it all slid off into the bus stop. No one was waiting for a bus! The Plods were amazingly friendly and helpful. My card was good and 20mph was recorded. My Ex Mrs. turned up, coffee and sandwiches for all (Plod inc.) until another of our vehicles turned up to “recover” the load. The Plods got overtime and no one got hurt or nicked!
mushroomman:
The only load of chipboard that I can remember at the moment was from a place I.I.R.C. somewhere near Kassel in West Germany. I had heard what a problem load that it could be so even though it was banded and the load was in a tilt I still put a rope over the load. (No Archie not over the tilt). I arrived at the place about 8 o’clock at night and was asked did I want to load then or in the morning so I loaded that night. I delivered it to a place called Chirk or was it Prees on the A5 in Shropshire, I remember that Grocontinental used to do the same run regularly.
Regards Steve.
It’s Kronospan at Chirk that Grocontinental did a lot of work for.
That warped Ozzy Humor just runs of me back like water 
I called in there once to pick up 30 gallons of diesel on account to get me home and I remember one driver calling in and getting a draw for a fiver so he could get a breakfast at The Gate Café. Other drivers over the years had told me that they had been in Husks and picked up chains and strainers, extra ropes and spare wheels.
. The screen of the AEC popped out completely intact till it hit the ground, when it shattered and scattered.
