A recent thread about the old BMC FGs reminded me of the awful cab seating provided. Over the last couple of days I have been thinking that, as I recall, that was the standard of the day. I remember cab seats as being very basic with no real form to them. this left you perched in front of the wheel. Your body them slumped in to a “comfortable” position and your day’s work began.
Later vehicles were slightly better (I am thinking of Ford D series “custom” cabs) but even they were not really that good with hindsight.
Is that your recollection or are my memories wrong? Did any vehicles of that era have decent seating? Were any better options offered by the manufacturers or were other cab seats available from specialists?
My first experiences were in the FG and Bedford TK. The FG reminded me of folding chairs we had at school whilst the TK had fore and aft control as well as up and down. The Ford A series and D series were much better but had no lumbar support or adjustment. A Leyland Mastiff was probably my first proper seat. I hated my first air suspension seat in a DAF it felt so weird.
In the days before “proper” lorry seats, how many of us suffered from piles (can’t spell haemerrhoids!) caused by the plastic seat covering which was thought of as a luxury in it’s day? I think a great many of us had the discomfort, mostly in the summer when the backside used to sweat a bit on those seats.
Of course, most of us never admitted anything was wrong, just put up with it and carried a tube of “Preparation H”!
Retired Old ■■■■:
In the days before “proper” lorry seats, how many of us suffered from piles (can’t spell haemerrhoids!) caused by the plastic seat covering which was thought of as a luxury in it’s day? I think a great many of us had the discomfort, mostly in the summer when the backside used to seat a bit on those seats.
Of course, most of us never admitted anything was wrong, just put up with it and carried a tube of “Preparation H”!
Retired Old ■■■■:
In the days before “proper” lorry seats, how many of us suffered from piles (can’t spell haemerrhoids!) caused by the plastic seat covering which was thought of as a luxury in it’s day? I think a great many of us had the discomfort, mostly in the summer when the backside used to seat a bit on those seats.
Of course, most of us never admitted anything was wrong, just put up with it and carried a tube of “Preparation H”!
we were told we would make piles of money driving lorries , or maybe I wasn’t listening properly and they actually said piles and money .
I recall the seats in the LAD Leyland and Albion cabs were located with four hard rubber pegs that slotted into four brackets which were fixed to the back of the cab. No suspension seat in those “de luxe” cabs. Cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
I recall the seats in the LAD Leyland and Albion cabs were located with four hard rubber pegs that slotted into four brackets which were fixed to the back of the cab. No suspension seat in those “de luxe” cabs. Cheers Bewick.
What are your memories of the Atkinson seats? They never looked very comfortable.
Bewick:
I recall the seats in the LAD Leyland and Albion cabs were located with four hard rubber pegs that slotted into four brackets which were fixed to the back of the cab. No suspension seat in those “de luxe” cabs. Cheers Bewick.
What are your memories of the Atkinson seats? They never looked very comfortable.
I do remember that the ones in the older Atki gritters weren’t any where near as comfortable as the Foden S85.
While the WF had much more comfortable seats than the FG and the FG also had a diabolical seat v steering position.While the Bostrom seats seemed to be the exception which could do comfort without the need for as much cushioning as the fixed Foden seat used to get a similar result,for example.In general I found Isringhausen type some of the most uncomfortable.While I always preferred a high seating position with a large horizontal set as possible steering wheel which again the Foden among some others did perfectly.
Retired Old ■■■■:
In the days before “proper” lorry seats, how many of us suffered from piles (can’t spell haemerrhoids!) caused by the plastic seat covering which was thought of as a luxury in it’s day? I think a great many of us had the discomfort, mostly in the summer when the backside used to seat a bit on those seats.
Of course, most of us never admitted anything was wrong, just put up with it and carried a tube of “Preparation H”!
we were told we would make piles of money driving lorries , or maybe I wasn’t listening properly and they actually said piles and money .
Problem mysteriously disappeared when I discovered Swedish lorries!
IN 1966 I was pleased to get to drive a lorry, and the last thing you thought about was the seat ,you would make do with whatever,cover normally ripped to shreds old covers over them,wood with foam if it was foam ,battery underneath, you did not care.you were driving and that was what mattered,2 mirrors as big as from a budgie’s cage.paper up your trousers to keep your legs warm from the holes where the pedals came through the floor and you had a seat.if it was a old sack of corn you would have still sat on it,better than the old tractor seats,with a sack on.pdb
The seat in the LAD albion was 3inch narrower 
