HI Remey you were lucky ,you were miles from the old EAST GERMAN boarder just a army camp i suspect.
peggydeckboy:
HI Remey you were lucky ,you were miles from the old EAST GERMAN boarder just a army camp i suspect.
Yes I did check the boarder on a map later on. I was just teasing the girls as I’d heard the Yanks were a bit paranoid about communists then. 
mushroomman:
Brilliant jshepguis, now you have got me travelling down memory lane in an E.R.F. with a tanker full of Nitro Benzine, on my way to I.C.I. Wilton.Twas the Christmas of 1990 when I got a phone call from Hanson’s Huddersfield depot saying that they needed an extra tanker driver to cover the Christmas period. As you will know, I.C.I. Wilton was a 24/7, 365 days a year operation and the ‘dangling carrot’ was triple time for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day/Night and New Years Eve/Day.
I was sat there on Christmas Eve, at Wilton, discharging around midnight, when it started to snow.
And every year when my missus is watching yet another repeat of Midsummer Murders Christmas Special (with our air conditioner on), she always says, “it never snows in England of Christmas Eve”.I remember looking out across the yard and there must of been around 100 x 20 foot containers, with the words in huge capital letters I.B.C.
Now I am aware that at the time, an I.B.C. to me was 1000 liter plastic container in a steel frame and I remember seeing on the road, trailers carrying these 20 foot containers. So was there a company based at Wilton called, ‘I.B.C.’Anyway, those four nights that I worked that week, paid for the skiing holiday to Austria three weeks later, so as they say, “the jobs a gud un”.
I have spent the afternoon trying to find that cafe that was on the southbound A19, I.I.R.C. near the Cleveland Tontine. The lorry park was on a slope and there was a big gravity fed diesel tank on a stand near the entrance, I don’t think that it was Shell station. Is this the cafe that you used
hopefully Chris Webb might be able to help us out.
The IBC boxes are all actually 30’ bag-in-the-box units loaded through lids in the roof like a tank there were always a lot around Wilton but IBC actually came from Hull. IBC stood for International Bulk Containers, they then became UBC - United Bulk Containers that was after they merged with competitor IFF, UBC then became Interbulk plc and most recently were bought out by Den Hartogh.
As far as I knew they only covered Europe and a very small amount of USA, so I was very surprised when I was in Sydney visiting relatives and going past the Botany Bay container terminal and there’s six of them large as life and twice as orange. When I was back I asked a pal who’d been a subby for them in times past, actually he was the first contractor on day one, what they were doing there “don’t know he said, but I’ll find out” he then said “they are sending them empty to loaf millet for budgie food.”
The yarns are building momentum.
MRM your picture of the Nissan 6/7 tonner reminded me of an incident on the original rail road bridge over the the DE Grey river 100kms north of Port Hedland.
This bridge was the only means of crossing the De Grey when it was in flood at that time so during the wet season the Goldworthy Mines had erected a shack on the north side which was manned 24/7 and the staff at the bridge had radio communication with the mine office and the trains so if you arrived at the southern end wanting to cross this was done by a green or red flag being waved during the day or a green /red lantern at night.
I arrived at the bridge one day with a two trailer road train about 100 yards behind a 6/7 ton bonneted International body truck loaded with a demountable 1000 gallon full fuel tank ,now in those days the bridge had a layer of sleepers laid north south [lenghtway] on the bridge to accomadate road traffic such as our selves.
we had been given the green and proceeded across I was probably 50 yards behind the Inter we were 3/4s of the way across when a sleeper kicked up under the Inter and wedged behind the rear combing rail of the body stopping the truck dead, the engine stalled and the driver applied the clutch and the truck rolled back a few inches and the sleeper dropped down into its position ,the driver jumped out and and had look see what had stopped him but nothing to see so he had another go with the same result from my position I was having a laugh but I jumped out of the cab and told the Inter driver what was happening so he decided to back up and select a track 6inches to one side all good until he drove over 2 protruding rail spikes popped two rears then to make things worse the the rail bridge officer ran up to say theres a train due in 10mins so old mate had no choice to get us both off the bridge in time he had drive on 2 flats as fast as he dared ,for me what had started as a bit of a laugh was now a possible life or death situation fortunately we got clear in time the train had been alerted and was emergency stopping but when you have 10 or 15 thousand tonns heading at you head on it was good to be off the F…bridge in time .
Dig
Hi Dig, yes, it’s amazing how other people’s stories jog other people’s memories. 
S.D.U.'s mention of that caravan took me back to when I had to tow a caravan behind that Nissan truck, down to the diamond mines in South West Africa back in 1976/7. 
I have photos of it somewhere and as they say that every picture says a thousand words, then I will have to wait until I get back from my holidays before I can put it on this thread.
You might remember this mob from your neck of the woods which I took somewhere on The Nullabor about twenty years ago.
And just in case you missed Dennis’s post the first time around, then I think that you might enjoy this one. 
Postby Bewick » Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:38 am
This is a true story,I kid you not! Our depot was adjacent to the MOT Station at Milnthorpe and in the grounds of the station there was a large area of grass that was the sweetest (to a horse) you would ever find,free from artificial chemicals ect ect.Around 1980 when I had ,finally,got my-self a decent Standardbred harness horse,which I stabled in the depot and,at the time trained my-self I regularly at lunch times walked him from his stable into the Test Station and let him graze for half an hour or so on the lead rein.Well this particular lunch time I’m stood near the entrance to Lane 1 (only had one lane!!) The horse is busy enjoying his sweet lunch when this bloke pulls in in a motor right up to the door ready to go in when the station started again.he leans out of his window and asks “what you doing mate?” So I says,“you needn’t think your next in mate,I’m next !” “What you in for for mate?” I says “oh just to run him over the rollers for a brake test!” So without further ado this driver/mechanic gets out of his cab and strides into the station,then I heard the loudest guffawing and laughing in what was usually a bit of an austere atmosphere,a couple of the testers came rolling out of the door with tears streaming down their faces,this driver in all seriousness had enquired how was it possible to “roller brake test the horse that was waiting to enter the station”,the driver came back out having realised the “wind up” and got back in his cab and if looks could have killed me and the horse we would have been dead on that grass !!! Happy Days Cheers Bewick.
mushroomman:
You might remember this mob from your neck of the woods which I took back in 2002, it was somewhere on The Nullabor when we were doing ‘The Loop’ with the motorhome.3
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1
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youtube.com/watch?v=Vhh9n0_EkRU
And just in case anybody missed Dennis’s post the first time around, then I think that they will enjoy this one.
This is a true story,I kid you not! Our depot was adjacent to the MOT Station at Milnthorpe and in the grounds of the station there was a large area of grass that was the sweetest (to a horse) you would ever find,free from artificial chemicals ect ect.Around 1980 when I had ,finally,got my-self a decent Standardbred harness horse,which I stabled in the depot and,at the time trained my-self I regularly at lunch times walked him from his stable into the Test Station and let him graze for half an hour or so on the lead rein.Well this particular lunch time I’m stood near the entrance to Lane 1 (only had one lane!!) The horse is busy enjoying his sweet lunch when this bloke pulls in in a motor right up to the door ready to go in when the station started again.he leans out of his window and asks “what you doing mate?” So I says,“you needn’t think your next in mate,I’m next !” “What you in for for mate?” I says “oh just to run him over the rollers for a brake test!” So without further ado this driver/mechanic gets out of his cab and strides into the station,then I heard the loudest guffawing and laughing in what was usually a bit of an austere atmosphere,a couple of the testers came rolling out of the door with tears streaming down their faces,this driver in all seriousness had enquired how was it possible to “roller brake test the horse that was waiting to enter the station”,the driver came back out having realised the “wind up” and got back in his cab and if looks could have killed me and the horse we would have been dead on that grass !!! Happy Days Cheers Bewick.
Brilliant Dennis, it’s amazing how some people missed out on the humour gene.
I used to backload scrap metal, in its various forms, from north Queensland.
One particular trip I was bringing back crushed car bodies, two stacks at ten foot high. Stopped at a roadhouse for a coffee, to sustain me for the final three hundred kilometre leg home, I was surveying the load before retreating into the dining area. Simultaneously, a northbound, loaded car carrier pulled up next to me. He had the same intent as me, checking his load before going inside.
As we passed each other, slowly walking and checking restraints, I casually said “You keep taking them up mate, and I’ll keep bringing them back.”
He looked at me as if I had two heads; talk about basic, what a waste of wit.
On the subject of scrap metal; as an owner/driver, I loved it.
It paid by the ton and in cash on unloading.
I’d loaded good, heavy mine scrap up north and plenty of it. Back then the maximum gross weight for a single trailer was 38 or 40.4 tonne. I got paid for 83½ tonne.
I’d arrived home late on a Friday night and went to unload on the Saturday morning. The procedure was to pull onto the weighbridge and report to the office and give your name and rego number. The astute operator made up a different name and number each visit. This avoided pesky paperwork and tax.
After unloading, I tared off and went to collect my money. The office bloke asked me for a favour, could I come back on Monday for my money, as the sum owed would break the bank. It was a minor inconvenience, but I knew they were good for it.
I returned in my car, on the Monday, then suddenly realised there was a problem, I couldn’t recall the name or number I had given.
All I could hope for was that the bloke who I dealt with on Saturday was there and could recognise me. He wasn’t there, but another fellow looked up from the other side of the office. He got up and came over, picking up an envelope, on the way.
The envelope had my real name on the front and my money inside.
They had my details from other semi-regular work I did for them, but I hadn’t expected them to remember my name.
HI all this is a preview to my Australian trip story i am trying to master uploading photographs to be continued.
Yep, your all over the picture bit. 
peggydeckboy:
HI all this is a preview to my Australian trip story i am trying to master uploading photographs to be continued.
I reckon I have seen that pic before.
Dig
HiSTAR DOWN UNDER for a ex pom i do not get your comment?
peggydeckboy:
HiSTAR DOWN UNDER for a ex pom i do not get your comment?
It means you’ve got it totally under control, you’ve mastered posting pictures.
For SDU ! This is a 1980 shot of around the time I had fun and games in the MOT Station with my Standard bred Pacer “My Birthday” he was a tough little race horse that won me quite a few “A” class races during the years 80’/85’ he had another 10 years of happy retirement just hacking about and occasionally pulling a Victorian Phaeton at a couple of weddings of two of the drivers that had driven him in his racing years ! Unfortunately he had an unexplained injury in the field one night and he had to be put to sleep by the Vet at the age of 22 in 1995 
! The silly old bugger ! Cheers Dennis.
1 Like
Thanks Dennis, that’s a good looking horse.
I had a large Arab cross, he was the most gentle animal, patient with kids, particularly my mate’s intellectually handicapped daughter.
We won’t mention the bloody stubborn mare, three parts donkey, I’m sure .
For those who enjoy these yarns, I can recommend a couple of books. I aquired both, electronically from Kobo, but no doubt they are also available on the app of your choice and possibly as a tangible document.
“The Best Australian Trucking Stories.” by Jim Haynes.
“The Nullarbor Kid.” by Ray Gilleland.
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sorry last post to be ignored still practicing .
The photo above is what i have been trying to retrieve success at last .
This story took place in 2017 ,it could get boring but it gives me something to do.
not long after i joined trucknet i started posting my work history that after a time i got stopped posting [a erro code ] but i took the hint if you would like to read some it is around page 220 ish on this forum…
I started to get comments back, some ok ,but some a bit like yeah i" heard that before" ,however my memory is about shot in certain things but what i did, the same as thousands of other drivers did in their time i have not forgotten .
i received a post back about something i had said about the old lorries i had driven in 1965 a super comet on cattle truck haulage then on to when i was at Banbury BRS where we had super comets etc where the battery was under the seat.im sure i am correct any how the comments came from far away AUSTRIALER I HAD NO IDEA that Truck net was world wide when i joined in 2017
I WAS A NEWBIE TO COMPUTERS INTERNET and that encounter led me to spend a brilliant week + in the OUTBACK as a passenger observer in the OKA at my age i was lost for words.
I could not get my head around the vast distances, the size of the trucks without the trailers. the triple’ grain trucks, then the cattle trucks the oil trucks in fact every thing that was on the road i was worse then a child .when i have finished working out the mileage and try to retrieve place names visited from my so called “log book” paper scraps i never in a million years would have thought i would be so interested in road haulage ever again. to be continued
I remember and enjoyed your thread peggydeckboy, so I’m looking forward to more of your anecdotes here.
Will you be returning to Australia?