Small size engines were normal many years ago,with fully freighted trailers of groupage,mountain work was long and tedious,the road from Porto to Villar Formoso would take a day to do about 140 miles,over the IP5.
toby1234abc:
Small size engines were normal many years ago,with fully freighted trailers of groupage,mountain work was long and tedious,the road from Porto to Villar Formoso would take a day to do about 140 miles,over the IP5.
A big engine in the early 90s, when I started commercial driving, was 360 bhp.
The REALLY big engines were 500, but like the 700 plus motors now, they were only used by heavy haulage and posers.
(I was driving HGVs for 12 years as an army driver, before I got promotion to Mr and started commercial driving.)
On the other hand, in the early 90s max gross for an artic was 38 tonnes on 5 (or 6) axles.
So although we were running fully freighted, we were running 6 tonnes lighter than now. We were also getting around 10mpg on a good day, but average speeds were lower as was pay load.
So lets be a bit less random Toby.
When are you talking about and what weight was fully freighted ?
Simon:
So lets be a bit less random Toby.
Done Spain in this ole girl, bit of a struggle on the “uppy bits”
[attachment=0]
Perhaps i was spoilt with having a 360
Regular Itie in an ex Brs rental 320.
Happy days indeed.
(running at 38t ish 
)
Dont forget the design weights were more than the uk permitted weights.
Have a look through some of these old girls. These bloody furreners were spoilt and they came over here and stole our women and jobs 
fierdetreroutier.com/version … o_pm60.php
I haven’t stolen the pictures, so each one will open in a separate window or tab
Ain’t it just progress. My uncle done euro work from the mid 70s to 2006 as a driver and owner driver started off with a Mercedes lp1924 then a f88 240 a berleit 280 then on to scanias first a 111 then a couple of 112s with 330hp then a 143 450 then a164 580.
A day to do the ip5 ?
Tis nowt it took me a week side saddle on a giant tortoise carrying 123 tonne net !!
Well makes as much sense as original post.
toby1234abc:
Small size engines were normal many years ago,with fully freighted trailers of groupage,mountain work was long and tedious,the road from Porto to Villar Formoso would take a day to do about 140 miles,over the IP5.
A day to do 140 mile when was you on a push bike.
Before M/ways it was 6/8 hrs hard graft from V.Formosa to Porto.Porto to Lisbon empty or loaded was 9/10hrs.
I have done 6 yrs on international work with a p cab 112 with a 290 non intercooled motor, doing spain, poland, rumania and ukrain etc, always got me there and back,However i also have a 1984 c series erf unt, and the other day i ran her at 41 ton in the uk, was fine until i got to a hill, then i had to run on the hard shoulder for fear of being hit up the back from the modern motors going up hill ! It bought it home to me just how slow they was compared to todays motors.
richmond:
I have done 6 yrs on international work with a p cab 112 with a 290 non intercooled motor, doing spain, poland, rumania and ukrain etc, always got me there and back,However i also have a 1984 c series erf unt, and the other day i ran her at 41 ton in the uk, was fine until i got to a hill, then i had to run on the hard shoulder for fear of being hit up the back from the modern motors going up hill ! It bought it home to me just how slow they was compared to todays motors.
Even in the early 90’s There were dozens of Dutch hauliers running 280 to 310 hosses. But wait, everyone shouts Holland is flat, it didn’t stop the cloggies from going further afield and up bigger hills than most.
They were also running much heavier weights at home. I am not sure what started this 750hp race, it must have been some blokes with small ■■■■■. 
the last firm I was working for was still using 240 man right up until they could not get any
more which was after 2003 ,we had also used these trucks to pull 44 tn when doing Kombi
(Rail) work and in Germany ,furthermore we ran to Nepal,s ( mean NAPLES __ITALY)with these trucks for many years ,
sorry my spelling has all ways been atrocious
brit pete:
the last firm I was working for was still using 240 man right up until they could not get any
more which was after 2003 ,we had also used these trucks to pull 44 tn when doing Kombi
(Rail) work and in Germany ,furthermore we ran to Nepal,s with these trucks for many years ,
Welcome back Pete. you were missed at this end.
Can you get cheap diesel in Nepal or do you still route them via Luxembourg
what can one say except use my excuse it is the pills they are driving ME
to make these silly spelling mistakes as that should read NAPLES --ITALY sorry folks
have now installed spell checker on this lap top, will also change the post ,
@WHEELNUT ,Just moved out of Germany for good , and will be hopefully
on line more often soon
I started off in a 330 DAF 85 running to Italy for Eurotrans (for those of you who were familliar with them would know, they used to load you with frozen peas to your gross (38t) at Salvessen’s cold store in Hull, then ‘top you up’ with a couple of extra tonnes at Nipress on Hull docks if you wanted a bit extra on the rate.
Mountain climbing at 40 Tonnes with a 330 lump… happy days.
So long as I had a decent stereo and a decent wage, I didn’t give a toss how little was under the hump. That’s what the gearbox is for.
Derf:
I started off in a 330 DAF 85 running to Italy for Eurotrans (for those of you who were familliar with them would know, they used to load you with frozen peas to your gross (38t) at Salvessen’s cold store in Hull, then ‘top you up’ with a couple of extra tonnes at Nipress on Hull docks if you wanted a bit extra on the rate.
Mountain climbing at 40 Tonnes with a 330 lump… happy days.So long as I had a decent stereo and a decent wage, I didn’t give a toss how little was under the hump. That’s what the gearbox is for.
We used to do a similar think with the tanks. They set up a loading rig and every tanker had to come past and fill the tanker to 40 tonne gross before it went on the ferry.
did a few years with my current employer doing Europe in a wendy house FL and FM…delivering classic cars so bhp not a problem, i did have to check in to the odd hotel when away for a couple of weeks but apart from that i`ve always been
small truck + decent money = happy driver 
Having just sat on the trap for a savoured moment. I read last weeks Comical Motor.
Gone are the days of the 750hp flagships with durabrite wheels and more lamps than Blackpool in August
The UK average for 6x2 and 4x2 articulated vehicles is now 430hp using 12.1 litre engines.
With a drawbar outfit power will be generally lower because it is easier to move something on a roller than it is to carry it
Used to see a lot of Iveco 360 turbo stars,British International had a few hundred of them,not good on fuel.
I had a Daf 310 low roof,did the job ok,slow on hills,that one near Malaga and Somo Sierra north of Madrid was a killer on the brake fade.
Derf:
I started off in a 330 DAF 85 running to Italy for Eurotrans (for those of you who were familliar with them would know, they used to load you with frozen peas to your gross (38t) at Salvessen’s cold store in Hull, then ‘top you up’ with a couple of extra tonnes at Nipress on Hull docks if you wanted a bit extra on the rate.
Mountain climbing at 40 Tonnes with a 330 lump… happy days.So long as I had a decent stereo and a decent wage, I didn’t give a toss how little was under the hump. That’s what the gearbox is for.
I remember doing that, and running on a Sunday though France and Italy even though they were frozen peas I must have been lucky cause I had a 360 Scania lol