It would be nice to hear from drivers who were behind the wheel in 1956/7, And what type of motor did they drive and where did they go and what did they haul, Come on there must be some of us old timmers still about, Bring it on Lads, Regards Larry. Raring to go with nee way ti gan. 
Regards Larry. AKA Lawrence Smiles Dunbar. .
Hi Larry my uncle and mentor is 76 now and only retired in November ,he started at 17 with a O type Bedford fitted with a ford 4d by Tilsley & Lovett from the potteries it had a Gmc 5 speed overdrive box ,for starting it had a decompression lever ,the Bedford was a spreader and he would load slag or lime and spread it in warickshire ,lime from Kevin quarry or slag from Shelton bar or applbey frodingham at Scunthorpe and even the odd load from breedon hill .the rate from Kevin to Birmingham for 2 loads was Ā£10 per day ,fuel was a shilling a gallon ,by 1962 he progressed to a ex Dene quarries S type Bedford and would do 2 loads a day from the big hole in wirksworth to Peterborough to do these runs heād leave uttoxeter at 0130am to get the first load on ,back then he couldnāt afford a new battery so he parked at the top of his neighbors farm drive to run off although it would start during the day cheers Danāl
Punchy Dan:
Hi Larry my uncle and mentor is 76 now and only retired in November ,he started at 17 with a O type Bedford fitted with a ford 4d by Tilsley & Lovett from the potteries it had a Gmc 5 speed overdrive box ,for starting it had a decompression lever ,the Bedford was a spreader and he would load slag or lime and spread it in warickshire ,lime from Kevin quarry or slag from Shelton bar or applbey frodingham at Scunthorpe and even the odd load from breedon hill .the rate from Kevin to Birmingham for 2 loads was Ā£10 per day ,fuel was a shilling a gallon ,by 1962 he progressed to a ex Dene quarries S type Bedford and would do 2 loads a day from the big hole in wirksworth to Peterborough to do these runs heād leave uttoxeter at 0130am to get the first load on ,back then he couldnāt afford a new battery so he parked at the top of his neighbors farm drive to run off although it would start during the day cheers Danāl
Great stuff Dan, Regards Larry.
Yes, 1959, started with Fred Chappell at Batley, 4 wheel Commer tipper, TS3 engine, 8 loads a day from Roundwood Colliery (Ossett/Wakefield area) to Tingley gas works. No tacho in those days, just a log sheet usually filled in on Friday afternoon. 
Then one day Fred said āno Tingley job tomorrow Brian, Leeds Fireclay and load for Port Talbotāā¦āEhā? 
well I did the job, got a return load of Phurnacite from some long forgotten pit up some South Wales valley somewhere and I set off back the following day over the Brecon Beacons (no motorways), nearly had a soiled underwear situation when the TS3 decided to decoke itself, I was only a young lad, Iād no idea what was happening, thankfully an old driver stopped when he saw me just looking at the Commer ā¦āah, itās OK lad, off you go and give it some bootā
That incident caused much merriment when I told the tale back at Batley, Fred just said āyou should have thrashed the a rse off it when you first saw the sparksā
Happy days.
Hi.
1956 Started on Austin 3ways and Ford 4Dās in Derby,delivering to corner shops from a food distribution company wharehouse.Come '58 i am 19 and they added a Ford Thames Trader artic to the fleet,one day i turn in and i am asked if i had done around Coalville/Swadlincote area. āYesā i said they then said āJump in that artic and get off,its loaded for CoalV/Swad,so off you go. I thought you had to be 21 to drive an artic and told them,they said āDonāt worry about that,just take it carefully.
2 of the drops were at locations where the businesses ran Mobile shopsā¦ The first one of these meant you had to reverse down a drive,garden each side about 75 yds about 15mins later i am at the garage to unloadā¦Rose garden one side flattened,but we had a laugh about it,he was happy to get his gear. The second Mobile outfit was behind 2 big wooden doors in a brick wall,down a narrowish road in Swadlincote,next to a small shop type workers cafe,complete with a huge big window. I had only been given one tip before i left the yard. āTry and always back in on the drivers sideā.Half a tank of fuel later,i parked up and lit a ā ā ā ,still on the road. A chap came out of the cafe and asked if i wanted him to back it in for me ? āYesā says i,āAnd i will buy you another breakfastā. He got in and fired it up and told me to watch him saying those famous words.ā The secret is to keep it as straight as possible going back while turning,Jackknifing it in comes when you have a bit more experienceā Then slotted it in in one go. Will remember that day as long as i live and the advice was proper. Loads of āTales from the Turntableā,but havenāt we all. Keep your Wheel nuts and U bolts tight!! Gānight.
Hulltramper
Punchy Dan:
Hi Larry my uncle and mentor is 76 now and only retired in November ,he started at 17 with a O type Bedford fitted with a ford 4d by Tilsley & Lovett from the potteries it had a Gmc 5 speed overdrive box ,for starting it had a decompression lever ,the Bedford was a spreader and he would load slag or lime and spread it in warickshire ,lime from Kevin quarry or slag from Shelton bar or applbey frodingham at Scunthorpe and even the odd load from breedon hill .the rate from Kevin to Birmingham for 2 loads was Ā£10 per day ,fuel was a shilling a gallon ,by 1962 he progressed to a ex Dene quarries S type Bedford and would do 2 loads a day from the big hole in wirksworth to Peterborough to do these runs heād leave uttoxeter at 0130am to get the first load on ,back then he couldnāt afford a new battery so he parked at the top of his neighbors farm drive to run off although it would start during the day cheers Danāl
Two loads from Wirksworth to Peterborough would be a fair day even now Dan,nowt like an early start.
Hi.
Phillipsās Wirksworth,early 60ās. 2 from Middle Peak to the Sugar factory Peterborough would have made you " 16 hrs" .Get a load of Pulp nuts backā¦Loads a money.Anything south of the river, London,you got your night out,even if you were really lucky 
and got back Working for Dennis/Carnie,set me up.God rest his soul,he gave myself and Jonny Weston a bollocking one night in the garage,he said he could not catch us in his Zephyr 6 going down the A1.ā45mph loaded and up to 55 mph empty,was fast enough!!ā Remember Dr Diesel. Wally Brown and his magic spanners." I cannot give you anymore,its smoking enough now !"
hulltramper/Borrowash flyerā¦
Not a driver but van boy for Tesco Stores when they only had the Cheshunt distribution dept.
Was there about 3 years and some of the drivers would let you drive, one day my driver Bert Levitt was on holiday and the Leyland was taken out by Harry Seymore and we went up to Leicester, when we got to the M1 Harry said does Bert let you drive? no said I, do you want to have a go? YES PLEASE, so off I go, king of the road, with the longest trailer we had, it was 40ā long, think it was the first 40ā made by Durally in Southall. Anyway half way down the M1 Harry has nodded off so I keeps going, gets to the first roundabout on the A414 thinking break gently and let him sleap, bugger me he wakes up and take over, oh well all good fun.
Other story, am 16 working on a building site in Goffs Oak driving an ex army Bedford on site, site manager said to me can you drive to Finchley and collect a load of bricks, I will send a couple of blokes to load you, course I can said I, off we goes down to Finchley finds this yard loads up and drives back, never said a word that I only had a motorbike licence, what it was like to be young!!!
Oldest motor I ever drove was a 1934 Albion box van that Tesco had for dock collections.
N.