Late 40s Leyland Beaver artic, vacuum brakes, 29 mph flat out, legal gross weight of 24 tons but our regular loads were always 25 tons+ = gross weight of 35+tons. 
I don`t remember Hedley, Spardo - there was a guy named Brian Bamford who ran a tipper from the garage opposite the Albany Club. I lived there in 1970 till about 75 when I got married and moved to Ilkeston. The Man of Iron is the pub facing you as you get to the top of Moorbridge Lane
Regards
Trev
David 51 wrote
A Knocker was the AEC 10 tonner six wheeler, 1950 something vintage.
Top speed of 32 mph.
I did my class 2 test in one and the tester lept over the engine cowling to check i wasnt going over 30 mph
I did my class 2 test in one, mine entered service in 1958.
Trevor Parry:
I don`t remember Hedley, Spardo - there was a guy named Brian Bamford who ran a tipper from the garage opposite the Albany Club. I lived there in 1970 till about 75 when I got married and moved to Ilkeston. The Man of Iron is the pub facing you as you get to the top of Moorbridge Lane
Regards
Trev
Trevor,
The name Brian Bamford rings a vague bell but I do remember a transport firm operating out of that garage. Canât remember the name though. Transport manager at one time was called Terry Simmonds I think. Before that he was the bloke who, as a driver at Ilkeston Haulage with me, blew the complete driveline out of a Scammell Highwayman trying to get a 38mph motor back into gear after sailing down Stainmore at 80 odd!
All the old style TMs who had once been drivers had at least one skeleton in the closet
Salut, David.
The experience of Maverickfoxx reminds me that a D series was my first general haulage ârope and sheetâ flatbed motor. This was 1976, the truck dated from the late 1960s and was already very tired. I think it only had a four speed box, and that functioned on the principal of randon selection, needing double declutching to compensate for stripped synchromesh.
Sleeping across the seats, it was, inevitably, a day cab, was aided by an awful dash-mounted umbrella handbrake.
I loaded out of Southampton Docks, often handball, pallets were rare, and never knew from one day to the next where I was going. Fortunately mobile phones werenât invented and the logbook was filled in by hand. The routine was usually three to four drops as far afield as Yorkshire and run back empty.
Now the best bit, saved for last as is tradition. The engine was a four pot and as the 0709 model number indicates 90hp! Thatâs less than my current VW Transporter van, but this was a 7.5 tonner. Ford have never made a decent diesel and this was no exception. Imagine that D series fullly loaded pushing into a headwind on the A1. I hated it.
Next I got an old 10 tonne Leyland Terrier on similar work that fortunately dropped its oil and seized solid on the northbound M6 near Wolverhampton.
Fortunately my next yellow and blue motor for Arthur Kneller Transportation was a 16 tonne D series, with twistlocks and a 180 â â â â â â â â What a flyer, 80mph running home empty on the M3. Still a day cab thoughâŚ