robert1952:
ChrisArbon:
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Fred Archer had a fleet of 16 when I was there. 10 Scanias and 6 Mercs. He started out on his fathers skip company and like many; jumped in at the deep end and started running to the Middle-East. Some of the trucks had an international operators licence disc proudly stating “Archers Quick Skips.” Fred never had any problems getting permits and we never used the train. In fact I can remember when he gave me 4 German permits for one December trip. Asking that I got them all stamped [ one in, one out, then coming back, one in, one out] because he didn’t want to loose the next years allocation. But Fred did have trouble finding good drivers and keeping them; he would go through 50 drivers practically every year. He made good money in the early days and had a lot of good work direct but in the end they stopped paying running money up-front, the rates dropped and they started using people like SOMAT and Hungarocamion.
Chris, I assume that 4x2 Merc NG had the normal drive-line, unlike its sister I mentioned earlier! Robert
The Merc was pretty normal apart from the obvious snorkel. It was one of a pair that Fred Archer bought secondhand from Brent-Savage. They had twin diesel tanks, snow chain hooks, an air-sprung seat and all-around factory-fitted curtains but were otherwise just like any other RHD 1626.
robert1952:
Carryfast:
ChrisArbon:
But Fred did have trouble finding good drivers and keeping them; he would go through 50 drivers practically every year.
Possibly a result of the closed shop nature of the international running scene.In which bs claims of international ‘experience’ or knowing the right people too often counted for more than just honest wanting to climb the ladder from uk work. 
You’re crediting hauliers with the manipulative organisational skills of the unions, CF. It was surely every man for himself among hauliers and owner-drivers in those days. I would suggest that you might consult a certain Micky Permitz on this subject. 
Robert
Absolutely owner driver was the best way to go.But if anyone was lumbered with just the employed driver scene the fact is there were plenty of good drivers stuck on domestic work all based on the usual bs question of international work ‘experience’ or not knowing the right people in the scene.
On that note I’d guess that tipper and landfill site experience would have been useful going by some of those videos.Which is where that preference for 6x4 and hub reduction might also apply. 
It’s horses for courses CF, out of 26 drivers in our company some are happy to be away all week Monday to Friday, some will do two or three nights out weekly, and a few don’t want any nights out and want to be home every night. And it’s always been the same. Incidentally we have former international drivers employed here including ME, North Africa, and Russia men who will do the occasional “short” European trip if needed, but now have no interest, or desire, in being away for weeks on end.
I was talking to ■■■■ Snow one day over a coffee and we were on about our experiences of Fred Archer. ■■■■ reckoned that he had phoned him up about a job and he was invited in for an interview and told to bring his passport with him. He dutifully arrived at freds office with nineteen passports in a carrier bag and after emptying them out on the desk, asked Fred which one he wanted. He was told to start at seven o clock the following Monday morning. After waiting about the yard for an hour and no one turning up ■■■■ went home and that was his stint with Fred Archer
There was never a dull moment down at Felaw Street. One time, Fred had an experienced M/E driver already to do his first trip for Archers; trailer loaded, belly tank filled, all hooked-up to a unit, carnet filled-in. The driver signed for 1500 Deutsche Marks running money; said he was just off to Sainsburys in his car for some supplies and was never seen again.
This is an example of parking on a dry site in the evening and finding yourself in a mud bath the following morning after heavy overnight rain. It would not have mattered what axle configuration you had, it was still a tow out job in the morning. If I remember correctly it took three trucks chained together to pull it out. photo taken in Iran.
Frank White bought a double drive 2800 DAF with inter axle diff lock and it was the most uncomfortable truck in the fleet. you could keep nothing on the bunks or on the dash as everything ended up on the floor. On one trip to Iran in the winter two of us chained up were less than fifty metres apart when we came to a halt on a hill so the double drive was not a big advantage. regards jamie.
gingerfold:
It’s horses for courses CF, out of 26 drivers in our company some are happy to be away all week Monday to Friday, some will do two or three nights out weekly, and a few don’t want any nights out and want to be home every night. And it’s always been the same. Incidentally we have former international drivers employed here including ME, North Africa, and Russia men who will do the occasional “short” European trip if needed, but now have no interest, or desire, in being away for weeks on end.
That’s another issue which I couldn’t understand in that I thought that type of work would be expected to have been more suited to the younger drivers than most of the old hands in the day.Although unfortunately the best days of the 1970’s were just a bit too soon for my time anyway with the Iranian revolution and knock on instability in the region probably having a massive effect on the viability of a lot of M/E work in general at the end of the 1970’s ?.While ideally those types of runs would probably also need to be mixed using rotas with other drivers to share and spread all the downsides and upsides.IE interesting long haul work but away for long periods with more boring domestic/shorter haul work but home more often.
M&C Jamie:
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This is an example of parking on a dry site in the evening and finding yourself in a mud bath the following morning after heavy overnight rain.
That’s not a mud bath.
That’s a mud bath. 
youtube.com/watch?v=JxUOyakYUB0
ChrisArbon:
There was never a dull moment down at Felaw Street. One time, Fred had an experienced M/E driver already to do his first trip for Archers; trailer loaded, belly tank filled, all hooked-up to a unit, carnet filled-in. The driver signed for 1500 Deutsche Marks running money; said he was just off to Sainsburys in his car for some supplies and was never seen again.
There were several occasions while I worked for Fred, that I had to go into Felaw street to pick up running money and permits that were pinned up in an envelope behind the toilet door at the yard, alongside two or three others. Fred would not trust his Granny and yet would leave thousands in cash and permits behind a toilet door in an unlocked yard.
" There were several occasions while I worked for Fred, that I had to go into Felaw street to pick up running money and permits that were pinned up in an envelope behind the toilet door at the yard, alongside two or three others. Fred would not trust his Granny and yet would leave thousands in cash and permits behind a toilet door in an unlocked yard. "
Jamie, it seems that Fred was even more careless than Mervyn ( M+C Tpt ) was in the day !!!
Steve…
Carryfast:
gingerfold:
It’s horses for courses CF, out of 26 drivers in our company some are happy to be away all week Monday to Friday, some will do two or three nights out weekly, and a few don’t want any nights out and want to be home every night. And it’s always been the same. Incidentally we have former international drivers employed here including ME, North Africa, and Russia men who will do the occasional “short” European trip if needed, but now have no interest, or desire, in being away for weeks on end.
That’s another issue which I couldn’t understand in that I thought that type of work would be expected to have been more suited to the younger drivers than most of the old hands in the day.Although unfortunately the best days of the 1970’s were just a bit too soon for my time anyway with the Iranian revolution and knock on instability in the region probably having a massive effect on the viability of a lot of M/E work in general at the end of the 1970’s ?.While ideally those types of runs would probably also need to be mixed using rotas with other drivers to share and spread all the downsides and upsides.IE interesting long haul work but away for long periods with more boring domestic/shorter haul work but home more often.
Long-haul tends to appeal to young men before they get hitched, CF. Long-haul work can put a huge strain on a marriage and not all drivers are keen to miss their children growing up. The older chaps have passed that stage and are still fit enough for a more adventurous career move. It has ever been thus. Robert
All sorts of less common, but not necessarily less iconic (!) units did M/E very successfully down the decades. To take an example from each of the last 4 decades at random, have a look at these.
First a 1970s example. Norman Howard ran this Scammell Trunker on M/E work with a Rolls Royce 265 and 9-speed Fuller. It had twin-steer.
Second a 1980s example. Bob Poggiani ran his Scammell 6x4 with a ■■■■■■■ 400 in it. I imagine it still had the 15-speed Fuller they came with.
Third a 1980s/90s example. Robert Cantril’s Seddon Atkinson Strato Space-cabbed unit had Rolls Royce 365 in it. In the '90s he took that machine on regular runs to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. I actually drove this lorry for a shift in Azerbaijan and apart from a rather unforgiving Twin-splitter installation you couldn’t really knock it. With judicious use of the gears it certainly kept up with the DAF 95s running with it.
Fourth a 1990s example. I did M/E trips to the Gulf using this Iveco Eurostar with a 420 lump and an Eaton Twins-splitter. It was superb.
Robert
I’ve just been chatting to Bill Newton, a ME veteran who works for us, for his opinion. During his years on the work he had Volvo F89, Guy Big J, ERF NGC, and Leyland Marathon. His opinion, for reliability reasons… his ERF NGC with Rolls Royce 290 and Fuller 9-speed. That will please you Robert. As Bill says, there is no “iconic” truck because every driver had his preference.
gingerfold:
I’ve just been chatting to Bill Newton, a ME veteran who works for us, for his opinion. During his years on the work he had Volvo F89, Guy Big J, ERF NGC, and Leyland Marathon. His opinion, for reliability reasons… his ERF NGC with Rolls Royce 290 and Fuller 9-speed. That will please you Robert. As Bill says, there is no “iconic” truck because every driver had his preference.
‘There is no “iconic” truck because every driver had his preference’: wise words indeed! Did Bill Newton drive for one of the Vijore group? I’d love to hear more about his NGC experiences. Robert
I drove all sorts from a Merc. 1924, Volvo F89’s, Mack R 600, Mack F786, Merc 2626, Scania 110, GMC Astro, Long nose GMC with air start (nightmare) and Seddon Atki 400.
Most reliable but also most boring were the Mercs. Greatest fun - the Astro, Most driver friendly in terms of cab layout, the 110.
Best all rounder without doubt the F89
Jazzandy:
I drove all sorts from a Merc. 1924, Volvo F89’s, Mack R 600, Mack F786, Merc 2626, Scania 110, GMC Astro, Long nose GMC with air start (nightmare) and Seddon Atki 400.
Most reliable but also most boring were the Mercs. Greatest fun - the Astro, Most driver friendly in terms of cab layout, the 110.
Best all rounder without doubt the F89
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Was the SA400 one of the left-hookers you had at OHS Andy - if it was, how did you get on with it? Robert
robert1952:
gingerfold:
I’ve just been chatting to Bill Newton, a ME veteran who works for us, for his opinion. During his years on the work he had Volvo F89, Guy Big J, ERF NGC, and Leyland Marathon. His opinion, for reliability reasons… his ERF NGC with Rolls Royce 290 and Fuller 9-speed. That will please you Robert. As Bill says, there is no “iconic” truck because every driver had his preference.
‘There is no “iconic” truck because every driver had his preference’: wise words indeed! Did Bill Newton drive for one of the Vijore group? I’d love to hear more about his NGC experiences. Robert
Bill Newton (“Billy Whizz”) along with his mate “Fairground Phil” worked for Walter Heatley of Rochdale (“Fat Walter”). Maybe someone on here will know one or all three of them.
Jazzandy:
I drove all sorts from a Merc. 1924, Volvo F89’s, Mack R 600, Mack F786, Merc 2626, Scania 110, GMC Astro, Long nose GMC with air start (nightmare) and Seddon Atki 400.
Most reliable but also most boring were the Mercs. Greatest fun - the Astro, Most driver friendly in terms of cab layout, the 110.
Best all rounder without doubt the F89
Did the Astro not have a problem with the idle speed going out of control, amongst other idiosyncrasies (I have half-remembered one of your previous posts!)? That would drive me nuts.
robert1952:
Jazzandy:
I drove all sorts from a Merc. 1924, Volvo F89’s, Mack R 600, Mack F786, Merc 2626, Scania 110, GMC Astro, Long nose GMC with air start (nightmare) and Seddon Atki 400.
Most reliable but also most boring were the Mercs. Greatest fun - the Astro, Most driver friendly in terms of cab layout, the 110.
Best all rounder without doubt the F89
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Was the SA400 one of the left-hookers you had at OHS Andy - if it was, how did you get on with it? Robert
And this wouldn’t be you at the wheel, Andy, by any chance? Robert
