You 1st
I was working 4 weeks on & 6 days off & called into the house on the way up from Dover, the in laws were visiting so when the missus came to pick me up from where I parked the lorry we pulled the curtains & had a quick knee trembler, we went home, I had a bite to eat, dropped off dirty washing & duty free, packed some fresh clothes & away I went with a spring in my step, a month or so later I got the news that she was late, 9 months later child number 3 showed up 
she was made in a Scania, being away for at least 4 weeks at a time meant that we were certain of the exact occasion, the accident part is because the missus was due to go back to work after the older two were in school & this put the kybosh on that, it came as a total shock to us both & meant I had to stay going away to earn the better money that continental paid in those days, a real happy ending though 
Fantastic!!! that sets the tone for this thread, more of the same please
hiab up telegraph poles down 4 to be precise 
More detail please
This!!
My only accident and it was a proper one…
Loaded Liverpool, Fibre optics Cable Drums on the roll destination Damascus Airport.
Got down to Bob Paul’s house near Ashford to collect my running money and docs etc and set off for Dover via some “B” roads towards Ashford. It had been raining and the road was a bit muddy and as I went round a bit of a bend I could feel it slide a bit so I went a bit wide to ride it out and the drive axle went over an electrical manhole and the cement lid collapsed. The drive wheels went down and stopped me dead and over she went…
1150 Litres of squirt on the unit ( 400 white and 750 red, and 2000 litres of red in the belly tank.) No mobile phones in them days. I ended up in Ashford hospital and Mark Stewart ended up delivering the load sometime afterwards.
GS
Gavin, did you do a version of the infamous ‘I need a new mirror’ phonecall to Bob Paul
Was that the reason for the Scania lite?
newmercman:
I was working 4 weeks on & 6 days off & called into the house on the way up from Dover, the in laws were visiting so when the missus came to pick me up from where I parked the lorry we pulled the curtains & had a quick knee trembler, we went home, I had a bite to eat, dropped off dirty washing & duty free, packed some fresh clothes & away I went with a spring in my step, a month or so later I got the news that she was late, 9 months later child number 3 showed up
Hi Newmercman, what a great little anecdote that was 
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Now most of us know how Brooklyn Beckham got his name but can you tell us if your youngest is called Dover Eastern Docks or Scania 111 
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B.T.W. are you anything to do with so many young girls nowadays called Mercedes 
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newmercman:
Gavin, did you do a version of the infamous ‘I need a new mirror’ phonecall to Bob PaulWas that the reason for the Scania lite?
Yes, I did make that call.!!
The Scania light 112M came after the 141 accident.
GS
mushroomman:
newmercman:
I was working 4 weeks on & 6 days off & called into the house on the way up from Dover, the in laws were visiting so when the missus came to pick me up from where I parked the lorry we pulled the curtains & had a quick knee trembler, we went home, I had a bite to eat, dropped off dirty washing & duty free, packed some fresh clothes & away I went with a spring in my step, a month or so later I got the news that she was late, 9 months later child number 3 showed upHi Newmercman, what a great little anecdote that was
Now most of us know how Brooklyn Beckham got his name but can you tell us if your youngest is called Dover Eastern Docks or Scania 111
B.T.W. are you anything to do with so many young girls nowadays called Mercedes
I’d parked the lorry in Charlton, we did toy with the idea of calling her Bobbie
As for all the young Mercedes or should that be Mercedii, nothing to do with me mate…honest
Proper job. Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 ( or under it ) 1979. Still around to tell the tale
John McVey:
More detail please
loading 8plts of gravel only used to load 6 so never lifted the hiab up had to for 8 forgot it was up caught the main line that has an inch staple in and connects them all together pulled 4 down in abig quare didnt notice till one fell at the side of the lorry no fone calls that side of ponty for a few hrs
dreva:
John McVey:
More detail pleaseloading 8plts of gravel only used to load 6 so never lifted the hiab up had to for 8 forgot it was up caught the main line that has an inch staple in and connects them all together pulled 4 down in abig quare didnt notice till one fell at the side of the lorry no fone calls that side of ponty for a few hrs
Did you hang around Billy or make your escape, after all they could hardly call the old bill could they
Proper job. Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 ( or under it ) 1979. Still around to tell the tale
You were in that? Must have been seriously scary.
Lonewolf Yorks:
Proper job. Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 ( or under it ) 1979. Still around to tell the tale
You were in that? Must have been seriously scary.
I was thinking the same. Did you fall from the top ?
newmercman:
dreva:
John McVey:
More detail pleaseloading 8plts of gravel only used to load 6 so never lifted the hiab up had to for 8 forgot it was up caught the main line that has an inch staple in and connects them all together pulled 4 down in abig quare didnt notice till one fell at the side of the lorry no fone calls that side of ponty for a few hrs
Did you hang around Billy or make your escape, after all they could hardly call the old bill could they
someone said that before mate but all the bloody lines were wrapped round the hiab so i couldnt bugger off had to take them all off
Never had anything go wrong myself touch wood, but have been hit a couple of times by cars including one incident when a car went under my trailer and hit with a hell of a bang. I got out and run round expecting to be picking bodies out but there was an elderly couple getting out and dusting themselves off
hi I had a misshap like Lonewolf. I was nr Hamptill travaling towards the M1. I was traveling towards a right hand bend and i saw a Volvo estate coming the otherway through the trees. When the car came into veiw the wheels was on full lefthand lock and skidding, By this time i was on the grass.BANG he took the front headlights with him(fibre glass) hit the wheel burst the spare tyre walloped the drive axle, landing legs, ripped the walls of both back trailer tyres and bent the back trailer bumper bar out. I got out of the cab after a few seconds and walked down the road. WOW this chap has got out of this wreck and said where can i get a train to London■■?.The first motor to pass the sceen was a National Tyres BMC (our tyre fitters in Stoke )and they had 2 way radio’s so I flagged him down to access my tyre damage. He parked by the truck half on the grass, A Woman driver came next (rubber necking at the lorry) ran into the tyre lorry and smashed her windscreen and bent the roof pillar. (It was a new car with 20 miles on the clock) Just when that happend a council lorry coming the other way stopped dead and a transit mini bus run into the back of the council lorry. What a mess luckly no one was hurt, the Volvo driver was from the USA. I got a nice little payout for the inconvenince which i did’nt even ask for.
Another one which was sort of funny I was driving into Stockport down New Zealand Rd. Someone had spilled diesel as i slid round a bend the unit wheels
were against the kerb, the trailer was across the road and against the other kerb I was going at 10 MPH but no way of stopping. A car came the other way
(100yds) so I flashed the head lights!!! did he stop?? NO way he run staight into the trailer wheels. This knocked the (empty)trailer inline with the unit but his car was a write off. Then come Mr plod in a Black transit, Der Der skidded on the diesel and ran into the back of the trailer. He was’nt bothered about us he was the the main factor for him. Oh well no one was hurt.
John
PS my wife’s had a couple of crashes but her’s were all either car v ups van or motorbike v bus (she came off worst both times )
the main isue
I had a few small knocks in my career, none my fault, but the worst one happened in the late '80’s while driving the Foden in my avatar. I was on the A515 south of Ashbourne, on my way to Small Heath with a load of Wetmix, and just ouside the town was a farm where twice a day they fetched the cows across for milking. Most local lads were aware of the fact so there was no surprise when I came to the end of a traffic queue, stopped and put my hazards on. A few seconds later I spotted a Montego coming rapidly around the bend behind me, he put his right flasher on to pass me…and the saw the cattle on the road! He quickly swung on to lefthand lock and shot up the grass bank on the nearside of me, hitting the lower rear corner of the truck’s body with his offside screen pillar which crushed the roof, knocked my mudguard and lights off, and flew up the bank, struck the fence at the top and shot back down again hitting my wagon on the nearside front wheel and knocking the step off! The guy was out for the count and bleeding from a head wound, the police and ambulance were soon there so I gave my statement to the bobby while the ambulance crew loaded the casualty up. I noticed one of the ambulance crew looking through the glovebox and door pockets of the car and wandered over and asked what he was doing only to find him pocketing cassettes and a packet of condoms!! Well I tackled him and his reply was that if he didn’t take them then the recovery lads would, and the patient wouldn’t know they were missing. I was amazed at the cheek, especially while the poor lad was still bleeding in the rear of the ambulance, I wondered later if this happens a lot?
Anyway the copper asked where I was headed and then said that he would write me a cover note so that if I was stopped for having no rear lights I had a valid excuse, as long as they were repaired on that day, so off I went.
When returning to the quarry later that day I got a rollocking for hitting the car, to my passing workmates it had looked as if I had run up his arse and knocked him sideways, and they had told the Transport Manager! I soon put them right but still lost my Safe Driving bonus for that year (only a tenner, taxable so no great loss) but overall it wasn’t a good experience!
Pete.
DAFMAD:
Lonewolf Yorks:
Proper job. Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 ( or under it ) 1979. Still around to tell the tale
You were in that? Must have been seriously scary.
I was thinking the same. Did you fall from the top ?
Lonewolf Yorks:
Proper job. Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 ( or under it ) 1979. Still around to tell the tale
You were in that? Must have been seriously scary.
I had a front wheel blowout,jacknifed and went through the safety barrier and dropped 40ft to the ground.
Thought i was a goner but only suffered a dislocated hip and hurt my back.
I spent a week in The Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, had a couple of months off work and have been driving since. 
Fortunately no one else was involved. 
PS…Did me a favour cos i got a Scania when i went back to work. 