A couple years ago I asked if anyone had any photo’s or memories of a small haulage company based in Deptford SE8 and got no replies. as this forum has grown a bit since then thought I would try again
The Company was Gains Transport Services, based near Plough way in Deptford. They used to run a small fleet of flatbed Bedford TK 7.5 tonners, a couple of Bedford Km’s, a couple of vans and a couple day cab DAF artic’s.
The colour scheme was a brown from the bottom half of the cabs and red from the windows upwards.
Almost all their work was local to the London and South east area although occassionaly we ventured further afield.
Their main customers were Parker Packing ( Who had the factory in Plough Way before Albert Fisher Carriers moved in) F.C. Wright Shipping at West Thurrock, Convoys, Shell ( doing internal mail with the 2 vans) and Purfleet Deep wharf (Polish Ocean Lines), on top of them they regularly subbied for A E Drains, Charlie Robson, B J Myers and others.
By the time I left they had upfgraded some of the TK’s and both KM’s to TL’s and the DAF day cabs had been replaced by a C series ERF that had come 2nd hand from the Humberside area ( a company called Link I think)
The company was owned by Old man Phil, but basically run by his daughter Alicia .
I know its unlikely but if anyone has any photo’s of memories it would be appreciated
Remember them well, I subbed work to them for some considerable time. Old Phil used to live in the next road from me in
Beckenham and used to drive a 230 Merc. Alicia was very tomboyish but a very nice lady (quite posh for our business)
and I remember one day she gave me an invoice that she had printed on a computer - this was early '80’s and was
almost the first I had seen with an accounts package.
I remembers the lorries well and they also had a Transport Manager, was his name Dave? Nice polite guy.
I know another old guy, his name is Fred, don’t know his surname, know him from my local, about 75 who used to park in Gains yard - I think he had motors on for a timber firm, W.C.Ware, I think he said.
One of the old fashioned companies formed when you could earn money from the game!
Happy days
K
You got it spot on Knowall…
Alicia used to drive a brown Triumph Spitfire, and despite being well spoken, and a lady (in every sense of the word) even back then could run a bunch of drivers well.
The Transport manager was Dave Gordon, as you say a real nice guy, I worked for him again later at Comply in Peckham.
Old Man Phil was an out and out Tory, and we used to wind him up in the dying days of the old GLC by plastering the trucks with the save the GLC stickers, not that most of us wanted it saved, but was worth it as he used to come in on saturday to scrape them all off.
Gains wasnt one of your high profile companies, but rather a family owned and run company that did actually care about its guys, it never made enough to buy the flash motors, or pay great wages. but was one of the hidden backbones of the industry
At least 15 years after leaving and not having spoken to any one there for all that time I called as I was looking to park up a truck for a weekend in London, after a quick catch up on the phone it was arranged for Harry the yard man to meet me at stupid o’clock Saturday morning at the gates to give me the key to the yard and was told once I left to drop it in the letterbox… cost for parking up all weekend? Nothing… as you say one of the old school
There was a number of o/d’s who rented space in the yard, and one a big guy had 3 or 4 old leylands (Clydesdales) on for Wares but for the life of me I cant remember his name… I do remember he didnt beileve in respraying the trucks, a paint brush and a tin of deluxe seemed to do the job 
Rikki-UK:
By the time I left they had upfgraded some of the TK’s and both KM’s to TL’s and the DAF day cabs had been replaced by a C series ERF that had come 2nd hand from the Humberside area ( a company called Link I think)
I know its unlikely but if anyone has any photo’s of memories it would be appreciated
The only thing I can help you with is a bit of history about Link Road Transport of Hull. They were owned by John Bogg who was part of Bogg Holdings, trawler owners and entrepreneurs. the group included Alan Carter, Slaters of Malton, Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington. GrayLease and many others.
