for those who are interested this month’s Truck & Driver carries the follow up to my article from last year with a few more pictures (none that have not been on here though). It is a real struggle getting your point across to these people!
Hey, Bill. I had 3 of the above brand new LHD/RHD when I worked for Malta Cross. King of the road in those days! V. sentimental about the old 3 ax 88’s.
Love this thread,did you double man the AECs when you went abroad Bill wasn`t it law that drawbars had to have a trailer mate or am i wrong i know my dad had 1
Hi Ramone, yes mate it was law that you had to have a mate or “attendant” as it was but not on the continent the exact date that the law was changed i have forgotten but i can remember it happening. maybe someone on here will know - Dennis ?
Hi Ramone, yes mate it was law that you had to have a mate or “attendant” as it was but not on the continent the exact date that the law was changed i have forgotten but i can remember it happening. maybe someone on here will know - Dennis ?
did you take a mate on the continent then or did they just go to Dover with you?
No ramone they usually did the complete trip. like i said when the law was changed a few lads were finished but then we took on drivers as mates to train them up ‘our way’.
A mate of mine from the Colchester area went on for Wyatts when they started TIR . He loaded an AEC + drag & got as far as Sotton docks where they had to crane the kit & caboodle onto the boat . What with the weight & never been abroad before in a truck he jacked in on the quayside & came home, never to drive abroad ever again. He said the main thing was the weight of those trucks with no power steering scared hjm to death. Maybe you remember, his nickname was Blossom?
Cant say i can recall that incident harry but i would not doubt it! the lorry would have stopped alright because the brakes and springs were all uprated but i know what you are saying.how do you think that bloke would have got on with this _ my old F88 turned hard in the yard for the GV60 photos. the airlines were routed up behind the 5th wheel to cut down on over long lines.
That’s a great idea ,except when it comes to attaching the suzies on a wet night?-bit light on the steering tho’. Blossom was a good driver ,I think his bottle went when faced with driving TIR for the first time.
harry:
That’s a great idea ,except when it comes to attaching the suzies on a wet night?-bit light on the steering tho’. Blossom was a good driver ,I think his bottle went when faced with driving TIR for the first time.
There’s no shame in that Harry, we’ve all got stories and sweaty palms about the first trip over. He did the right thing by jacking this side of the water…back then if he got as far the Blanc and gave up it’d be a long hike home, and a good game for someone trying to find where he left the motor!
Many UK drivers abandoned ship on the Blanc frontier. The altitude & coffee induce paranoia. i saw a thing about Russel Harty a few years ago & he was driving a car in the Swiss Alps. He said that the altitude brought on thoughts about morbid thoughts about mortality -death. A few months later he died of some kind of mystery illness; HGV perhaps?
I have seen quite recently that a someone has been selling this “new” idea to firms who swop trailers a lot, made me chuckle as we were using that idea on Fridged Freight back in the late '60’s, nothing new there then!
I used to see Italian artic units with a swing arm attached to the rear of the chassis for the suzies to run thru’. You would have to be there to know what I mean.
YOU MEAN LIKE A LOT OF THE SUPERMARKETS USE, WHERE THE SUZIES ARE FITTED IN A BOOM
harry:
I used to see Italian artic units with a swing arm attached to the rear of the chassis for the suzies to run thru’. You would have to be there to know what I mean.
robthedog:
YOU MEAN LIKE A LOT OF THE SUPERMARKETS USE, WHERE THE SUZIES ARE FITTED IN A BOOMharry:
I used to see Italian artic units with a swing arm attached to the rear of the chassis for the suzies to run thru’. You would have to be there to know what I mean.
Yes.
]
Ours had the airlines re-routed so there was no excessive length of pipe to get fouled up, the lines came out from the rear cross member on the unit and were coupled up under the chassis so no pipe was on show or there to get fouled in the turning/coupling/dropping process this was in 1969 before the others were thought of,and as for dropping/swopping trailers - it never happened much as our outfits all ran with the same trailer and we never did “changeovers” so it never was a problem.incidently damage was low due to each driver being responsible for his trailer. Wouldnt be much good in todays world, but it was different then.
Ours had the airlines re-routed so there was no excessive length of pipe to get fouled up, the lines came out from the rear cross member on the unit and were coupled up under the chassis so no pipe was on show or there to get fouled in the turning/coupling/dropping process this was in 1969 before the others were thought of,and as for dropping/swopping trailers - it never happened much as our outfits all ran with the same trailer and we never did “changeovers” so it never was a problem.incidently damage was low due to each driver being responsible for his trailer. Wouldnt be much good in todays world, but it was different then.
Good stuff!
LB76:
0for those who are interested this month’s Truck & Driver carries the follow up to my article from last year with a few more pictures (none that have not been on here though). It is a real struggle getting your point across to these people!
Hi
What months magazine was the article in? i may be able to get hold of a back copy
Rgds
Jamie
It was in the December 2011 issue jamie,if you cant get a copy i can send you a photo copy but they are not very good , you should be able to get a copy from the publishers of T & D. cheers Bill