Yes they did, and people like me that done it on BRS Overland.and many many more firms over UK.
As. Well as all of europe. Several I know are in USA Australia, and far flung places.I know we will never forget. I sometimes think I was crazy to drive on some of the roads. But I was young then. Now I am 82 next year.
Norman Ingram:
Yes they did, and people like me that done it on BRS Overland.and many many more firms over UK.
As. Well as all of europe. Several I know are in USA Australia, and far flung places.I know we will never forget. I sometimes think I was crazy to drive on some of the roads. But I was young then. Now I am 82 next year.
Yes they did and some of us went and set up joint ventures over there - Trans Arabia in a Jeddah - still running today having been sold twice
Cheers
Ken b
Yes they did, there’s no question about that. Some trips were very well documented, magazine articles, home movies, photos, books, TV shows. I even managed to get to Muscat myself on more than one occasion.
Imagine if it was all going on now, every man and his dog with a camera phone, back handing customs. Arab culture verses the Hi Viz safety elves…I wonder if there would be a forum in the transport managers office for a factura’s for a good abbie…
Jeff…
Yes - I did it too - but by aeroplane. Total respect to all of you, past and present who did the journey overland.
A belated Merry Xmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.
Great to see you on this site Norman. Keep dancing and sharing banter with Harry. Jim.
jmc jnr:
Yes - I did it too - but by aeroplane. Total respect to all of you, past and present who did the journey overland.
A belated Merry Xmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.
Great to see you on this site Norman. Keep dancing and sharing banter with Harry. Jim.
And a Merry Christmas to you too! Your line about the plane reminds me of a flight I made to Doha in Qatar and I watched the desert in amazement from the air, remembering how I’d ground my way slowly across that barren landscape to Doha in an ordinary artic - made the mind fair boggle! Robert
ERF-NGC-European:
jmc jnr:
Yes - I did it too - but by aeroplane. Total respect to all of you, past and present who did the journey overland.
A belated Merry Xmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.
Great to see you on this site Norman. Keep dancing and sharing banter with Harry. Jim.And a Merry Christmas to you too! Your line about the plane reminds me of a flight I made to Doha in Qatar and I watched the desert in amazement from the air, remembering how I’d ground my way slowly across that barren landscape to Doha in an ordinary artic - made the mind fair boggle! Robert
The very same to you Robert. The last time I flew home from Doha the Captain apologised for the short delay and quick take - off. A royal flight was about to land and our departure would have been delayed by 3 quarters of an hour. I have never heard a Super VC10 erupt with cheers like it!
I had been out for nearly 6 months and like the others on the plane wanted to buy him a drink at Heathrow. 1979. Jim.
jmc jnr:
ERF-NGC-European:
jmc jnr:
Yes - I did it too - but by aeroplane. Total respect to all of you, past and present who did the journey overland.
A belated Merry Xmas and Happy and Healthy New Year.
Great to see you on this site Norman. Keep dancing and sharing banter with Harry. Jim.And a Merry Christmas to you too! Your line about the plane reminds me of a flight I made to Doha in Qatar and I watched the desert in amazement from the air, remembering how I’d ground my way slowly across that barren landscape to Doha in an ordinary artic - made the mind fair boggle! Robert
The very same to you Robert. The last time I flew home from Doha the Captain apologised for the short delay and quick take - off. A royal flight was about to land and our departure would have been delayed by 3 quarters of an hour. I have never heard a Super VC10 erupt with cheers like it!
I had been out for nearly 6 months and like the others on the plane wanted to buy him a drink at Heathrow. 1979. Jim.
Certainly gives de-mob happiness a flying start! 
Robert
I’m another old timer who did overland to Iran,Qatar,Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in my youth.I enjoyed it generally but things like"greasing the wheels"came as a bit of a surprise.I did my first trip with my cousin who trained me up which made life easier on my 2nd.trip.In the 1980s I worked on a freight terminal in Yanbu.We also had a depot at Jeddah and worked out of their docks too to unload our ships twice a months.Our transport company was called Trans Arabia Transport Company(Tatco) and I wondered if this was the same company mentioned by Kenb above.
Gidders:
I’m another old timer who did overland to Iran,Qatar,Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in my youth.I enjoyed it generally but things like"greasing the wheels"came as a bit of a surprise.I did my first trip with my cousin who trained me up which made life easier on my 2nd.trip.In the 1980s I worked on a freight terminal in Yanbu.We also had a depot at Jeddah and worked out of their docks too to unload our ships twice a months.Our transport company was called Trans Arabia Transport Company(Tatco) and I wondered if this was the same company mentioned by Kenb above.
Hi
Tatco was a different company - wasn’t aware of its full game.
Trans Arabia was a joint venture between S.Jones (Aldridge) the Transport & ERF Dealer from the Midlands and Binzgr Co from Jeddah a rather large trading company. The actual Arabic name for Trans Arabia is “Company Accross the Arabian Peninsular”
Cheers
Ken b
Gidders:
I’m another old timer who did overland to Iran,Qatar,Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in my youth.I enjoyed it generally but things like"greasing the wheels"came as a bit of a surprise.I did my first trip with my cousin who trained me up which made life easier on my 2nd.trip.In the 1980s I worked on a freight terminal in Yanbu.We also had a depot at Jeddah and worked out of their docks too to unload our ships twice a months.Our transport company was called Trans Arabia Transport Company(Tatco) and I wondered if this was the same company mentioned by Kenb above.
Gidders, do you remember these ERF NGC ‘Europeans’ working for Cunard Arabia Middle East Lines (C.A.M.E.L.) out of Jeddah? (See picture below). Also, another company that ran them in Jeddah, called Falcon Freight. If you have any pictures or information about these vehicles I’d be most interested as I have been researching this ERF model for some years. Oh, and by the way, Trans Arabia had 12 of them too! Cheers and a Happy New Year! Robert
Happy New Year to all M/e drivers and our Sandmen, a few have passed on but still in my memoirs. BAGDAD BILL/ Bill Thomas still alive and kicking age 87, Keith Shirley, Dave Stroud, John Mc cann, and the rest of you.
Hi Robert.I only worked in jeddah for 2 or 3 days a month and have no recollection of the lorries or companies you mentioned.The only company I remember was PIE(Pacific Intermountain Express)who had UK drivers working for not much tramping around Saudi.Didn’t appeal to me.I had a soft life in a camp with 3 meals a day and a comfy bed.All photos amd memorabilia I had of my time there were destroyed by my 1st wife after we separated in the late 80s.Sorry I am no help.All the best.
These have been posted before but a while ago now cannot remember the CAMEL drivers name though however … seasons greetings
i did 4 trips for a 1 man band subbie late 70s,
at that time for me i was mad for tar and was satisfied with myself that i did the bizzo as far as being a truckie was concerned as i was early 20s at the time.
i dont think there was anything to compare it to unless you wanted to go to australia or canada to live.
1st time was in a guy j4 and most of all i can remember about that trip was being stuck to the back of the tilt in front of me and my bum twitching like a rabbits nose .
2nd trip i hadnt a clue and was winging it bigtime in a transcontinental as i wasnt at the back of anyone ,then the last 2 wernt so bad.
poodling around europe wasnt exactly a doddle to start with after that,but it was compared to the far side of istanbul.
Gidders:
Hi Robert.I only worked in jeddah for 2 or 3 days a month and have no recollection of the lorries or companies you mentioned.The only company I remember was PIE(Pacific Intermountain Express)who had UK drivers working for not much tramping around Saudi.Didn’t appeal to me.I had a soft life in a camp with 3 meals a day and a comfy bed.All photos amd memorabilia I had of my time there were destroyed by my 1st wife after we separated in the late 80s.Sorry I am no help.All the best.
Cheers for that. Happy New Year!
I did post more info on that particular picture on pages 144 / 145 of the ERF European thread - here’s the link -
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=83810&start=4320
Robert