W.H.WILLIAMS (spennymoor)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT
2821

thelongdrag:
Hello Carl.I have not been on here long but some great tales.Would your dad be lay awake dreading the phone going of or did he always sleep well.Good stuff.Regards Mike.

Hi Mike,

Nice to hear from you, and I hope you continue to share your thoughts and comments.

Its true we had dreadful stress, but you learn to cope with it and miss it when its gone.

What you have to remember is that dad tended to work long hours, as he also expected of me, and work wasn’t totally 24 hours, and by the time he hd finnished on a night and gone home usually all that was going to happen had happened, and i never remember him complaining of not sleeping.As\I got older and he business developped I took over the adminitration responcibilities and I can honestly say when I went to bed I usually counted myself to sleep counting money going in and out and thinking of ways of juggling money about to pay our way.As I said to someone a year or two ago I counted in thousands insted of pounds.

I’m not saying life was easy, but before the last few months neither my dad or me would have had it no different way.

Also I said on this thread we liked to get away to Blackpool for the weekend or what was left of it on a Saturday afternoon/night.We were then away from the telephone and could totally rest. What you have to realise there were no mobile phones in hose days and people didn’t expect such immediate responce.

Best wishes

Carl

2822

My son, Paul, has a friend whose grandfather worked for us many years, both as a class 3 drivers, and also, after being caught drinking driving we created another position for him.

I think he reads these posts and very probably has photos of vans I really would like him to share, and also many memories that would be interesting for me and no doubt many others.

He told Paul, that he liked his granddad but never got on with me. This surprised me from my memory we often got on well together. I know he left us and truly cannot remember the circumstances, but from what I hear now suspect that me and him must have had a disagreement over something and he probably stormed off saying ‘Stuff your job’ or words to that effect.It was the usual way lorry drivers departed in temper.

As I have said I had to be the bad guy, and also had the responsibility of keeping the business viable. To both my dad and me it was primarily a hobby that was our life, but never the less it had to pay its way and at times no doubt I was very direct in things I did and said. However it was not personal and everything I did, although to the outside it may not appear so was after talking it over with dad.

But as all previous employees will know, that if a driver or anyone else did something wrong and were either sacked or left, if they went and apologised to dad, after things has calmed down, he would give them another chance. He then would diplomatically persuade me to let by gones be by gones.

To any driver or employee reading this that has anything to contribute, either photos or memories please do so, and if by any chance you feel you can’t stand me try to forget and remember its part of your life you are remembering and leave your bit of history on this site.

I am writing these posts because the company and employees and vehicles I am writing about were very important to me and I don’t want the memory to disappear, as the likes of W.H.Williams will never again happen in the small town of Spennymoor.

I know many drivers have passed away and although in general I don’t do funerals dad did when he was able to, but my thoughts were with them all when I heard. I also know that some that are still with us might not be computer literate, but please, your grandchildren will be, and ask then to contribute on your behalf, and submit thoughts, memories and photos.

I’ll be carrying on as normal with my next post and apologise to those that this post doesn’t concern.

2823

hiya,
As the old saying goes Carl, “all human life is there” keep it up.
thanks harry long retired.

2824

harry_gill:
hiya,
As the old saying goes Carl, “all human life is there” keep it up.
thanks harry long retired.

Thanks harry

2825

Earlier in the thread I said that amongst the sub contractors we used in late 60’s and 70’ were Hawards and Robinson Darlington and T. W Cracknell Darlington. Cracknell’s vans were grey and red and eventually when Cracknell retired he sold out to Mark Robinson od Haward and Robinson.Here is a photo of one of cracknell’s vans before the sell out. a Seddon which would appearto have a body by Marsdens

Cracknell.jpg

2826

I am almost certain Bill Dixon was the original driver of RUP799K, a Ford D800 tractor unit, when it was new.

He went on to drive one of the, ill fated new Dodge Tractor units YPT630L or YPT631L.These two, supplied new to us by North Eastern Motors were trouble from day one. Both had, within about six months to be given new engines under guarantee. The original 6.354 Perkins engines were replaced by dot 1 engines that we were told would solve all our problems, but they never were a success and cost us, and lost us a lot of money. They were a particular disappointment as we had good results from RTY5G and RTY6G two Dodge rigids with Perkins engines and Marsden Luton van bodies. I cannot remember what we did with these two tractor units.

Strangely when we took over the Drums contract at Felling we inherited three dodge tractors which didn’t cause many problems, but as they were used on local work they didn’t do many miles.

Bill then went on to drive our Foden S80 tractor unit which unfortunately I cannot remember the reg number, until the end.

Bill Dixon was usually found in the Voltigeur Inn in Spennymoor, and I have never heard anything about him, so I hope he is still well and enjoying life.

If you happen to read this, Bill please get in touch, or if anyone knows Bill please give a reply

2827

Talking earlier of Billy Dixon reminded me of Keith Dixon who came from Crook, who joined us when we took over the drivers and vehicles of ATM Crook,

Keith ran a part time Disco business at weekends and provided disco for a few W.H.Williams functions

Once again Keith if you read this contact me, or if anyone who knows Keith Dixon, please do likewise

2828

My memory of road haulage goes back almost 60 years, and when I think back the biggest surprise of all was that drivers would accept and use tachographs, the spy in the cab.

Although, today they are taken for granted, and indeed drivers are sent to prison for altering the recorded record, I think they would be deemed to infringe the drivers human rights to freedom if they were to be introduced now.

I am almost certain that our first new vehicle with one fitted was TGR…R a Bedfordb TK (not on list) fitted with Coachskill boxvan body I remember as not only did we pay extra for the tachograph but a deluxe TK cab (Not much better). They were phased in for older vehicles over a period of time and the law stated that once they were fitted they had to be used once they were fitted.

Perhaps they were accepted because of phasing in, but when I hid Sevice recorders behind the dash on two SB’s years before, I knew the danger if I was caught out and not many hauliers ran with them fitted and anyone who tried to enforce them would have been hounded out of business.

So why were the tachographs accepted? I honestly cannot remember, and would appreciate answers from others who were about driving in those years

2829

Carl Williams:
My memory of road haulage goes back almost 60 years, and when I think back the biggest surprise of all was that drivers would accept and use tachographs, the spy in the cab.

Although, today they are taken for granted, and indeed drivers are sent to prison for altering the recorded record, I think they would be deemed to infringe the drivers human rights to freedom if they were to be introduced now.

I am almost certain that our first new vehicle with one fitted was TGR…R a Bedfordb TK (not on list) fitted with Coachskill boxvan body I remember as not only did we pay extra for the tachograph but a deluxe TK cab (Not much better). They were phased in for older vehicles over a period of time and the law stated that once they were fitted they had to be used once they were fitted.

Perhaps they were accepted because of phasing in, but when I hid Sevice recorders behind the dash on two SB’s years before, I knew the danger if I was caught out and not many hauliers ran with them fitted and anyone who tried to enforce them would have been hounded out of business.

So why were the tachographs accepted? I honestly cannot remember, and would appreciate answers from others who were about driving in those years

hiya,
A company I worked for in the 60s namely Bowkers a firm of UK and International hauliers ( I only did UK) had several Scania’s which arrived like most imported vehicles in those days fitted with the tachograph and I know they had a reader in the back office and although they wasn’t a legal requirement they became standard on all vehicles and wages was paid as to whatever the thing read out at the end of week and woe betide you if any vehicle abuse showed up IE’ excess speed or a bit over the top on permitted hours, but like all the other drivers in those days I had a key to the infernal instrument and became quite adept at “cooking the books” as did us all,a good job they was in their infancy and if the discrepancy was to the companies advantage you never heard mention of it.
thanks harry long retired

2830

i think the powers that be forced the use of tachographs by restricting the the daily mileage permitted without a tacho to a ridiculously low level . iirc the daily mileage was somewhere around 240 to 280 . we were averaging 400 to 450 miles per day , but a few careful " adjustments " kept us "legal " , cheers , dave

2831

harry_gill:

Carl Williams:
My memory of road haulage goes back almost 60 years, and when I think back the biggest surprise of all was that drivers would accept and use tachographs, the spy in the cab.

Although, today they are taken for granted, and indeed drivers are sent to prison for altering the recorded record, I think they would be deemed to infringe the drivers human rights to freedom if they were to be introduced now.

I am almost certain that our first new vehicle with one fitted was TGR…R a Bedfordb TK (not on list) fitted with Coachskill boxvan body I remember as not only did we pay extra for the tachograph but a deluxe TK cab (Not much better). They were phased in for older vehicles over a period of time and the law stated that once they were fitted they had to be used once they were fitted.

Perhaps they were accepted because of phasing in, but when I hid Sevice recorders behind the dash on two SB’s years before, I knew the danger if I was caught out and not many hauliers ran with them fitted and anyone who tried to enforce them would have been hounded out of business.

So why were the tachographs accepted? I honestly cannot remember, and would appreciate answers from others who were about driving in those years

hiya,
A company I worked for in the 60s namely Bowkers a firm of UK and International hauliers ( I only did UK) had several Scania’s which arrived like most imported vehicles in those days fitted with the tachograph and I know they had a reader in the back office and although they wasn’t a legal requirement they became standard on all vehicles and wages was paid as to whatever the thing read out at the end of week and woe betide you if any vehicle abuse showed up IE’ excess speed or a bit over the top on permitted hours, but like all the other drivers in those days I had a key to the infernal instrument and became quite adept at “cooking the books” as did us all,a good job they was in their infancy and if the discrepancy was to the companies advantage you never heard mention of it.
thanks harry long retired

Hi Harry

you must have been used as a test case!

Originally we were told that drivers could remove the tacho disk on a night if they were parking at their home base, but should keep a continuous record when they were away from base overnight

Some of our drivers, and I suspect others found out that if they started up and switched off the ignition the recorder did not record. This often gave them essential extra time for them to travel to their first delivery of the morning and unload before officially starting their working day.

The problem was that their indicators, stop lights etc also didn’t work.

We then were informed by MOT that they could remove them on each evening and insert a new one when they were commencing work the following morning. They then could risk travelling a short distance to their first delivery, unload and then insert disk as the start of their day.

The trump card we did have was that we did furniture removals an even if they had just a part load that was a removal they could claim a fourteen hour spread instead of twelve and a half. I have heard of drivers who carried delivery notes from our administration staff showing they had a part load removal as part of their load to enable them to claim the extra spread over time

Regards

Carl

2832

rigsby:
i think the powers that be forced the use of tachographs by restricting the the daily mileage permitted without a tacho to a ridiculously low level . iirc the daily mileage was somewhere around 240 to 280 . we were averaging 400 to 450 miles per day , but a few careful " adjustments " kept us "legal " , cheers , dave

Hi dave,

I can never remember any mileage restrictions, but possibly its a problem that we never experienced as we fitted Tachographs within the required phase in period.

Thanks for giving me that information

Regards
Carl