Anyone remember Fern Schnel Gut stickers on the back of German motors with a red diagonal line through them in the 60s/70s what did it mean ?
also why do Italian motors have a white diagonal stripe on them ? and why did old lorries have CAUTION AIR BRAKES on them ? :
The Caution Air Brakes sign on old lorries was because a lot had hydraulic brakes which were not very good in slowing or stopping truck while air brakes were more responsive could stop a truck fasterso it was a warning to other motorists
This is the sign you mean, it doesn’t translate directly into English but means something like long distance express. As we called them in BAOR ‘Woofers’, cos as they passed us in slow convoys we just heard ‘Wooof’! Cheers Franky.
Frankydobo:
This is the sign you mean, it doesn’t translate directly into English but means something like long distance express. As we called them in BAOR ‘Woofers’, cos as they passed us in slow convoys we just heard ‘Wooof’! Cheers Franky.
0
That will do for me Franky, You are a star, Regard Larry.
Hey, The italian diagonal line had to do with the permit in those days, national, international haulage.
Have often see that sign on English trucks, Caution air brakes.
The German stickers was about the federation of haulage, ther a lot of them in different forms, it means
Long distance, fast and good service; It was nicknamed ( for girls 
) in Belgium as FERME SNELLE and GOED ( in b… ),
which means they were ■■■■, pritty, good.
Eric,
southlondoner:
Anyone remember Fern Schnel Gut stickers on the back of German motors with a red diagonal line through them in the 60s/70s what did it mean ?
Hi southlondoner,
On a German truck, the coloured stripe referred to the type of ‘O’ licence / permit that was on the vehicle.
IIRC,
A red stripe = international
A blue stripe = national
I think there were also a pink stripe and/or a yellow stripe
The German word Fernverkehr = long distance in English
The German word Nahverkehr = locals (50Km radius)
===================================================
southlondoner:
… also why do Italian motors have a white diagonal stripe on them ?
The Red/White stripes on an Italian truck were to do with the type of Italian ‘O’ licence and had the following meaning:
The Italian words conto proprio = Own Account in English and was indicated by a red stripe, usually on the bumper
The Italian words = conto terzi = Hire and Reward in English and was indicated by a white stripe, usually on the bumper
===================================================
southlondoner:
and why did old lorries have CAUTION AIR BRAKES on them ? :
I remember those signs, but I can’t answer the question. 
dieseldave:
southlondoner:
Anyone remember Fern Schnel Gut stickers on the back of German motors with a red diagonal line through them in the 60s/70s what did it mean ?Hi southlondoner,
On a German truck, the coloured stripe referred to the type of ‘O’ licence / permit that was on the vehicle.
IIRC,
A red stripe = international
A blue stripe = national
I think there were also a pink stripe and/or a yellow stripeThe German word Fernverkehr = long distance in English
The German word Nahverkehr = locals (50Km radius)===================================================
southlondoner:
… also why do Italian motors have a white diagonal stripe on them ?The Red/White stripes on an Italian truck were to do with the type of Italian ‘O’ licence and had the following meaning:
The Italian words conto proprio = Own Account in English and was indicated by a red stripe, usually on the bumper
The Italian words = conto terzi = Hire and Reward in English and was indicated by a white stripe, usually on the bumper
===================================================
southlondoner:
and why did old lorries have CAUTION AIR BRAKES on them ? :I remember those signs, but I can’t answer the question.
As I remember, they were to caution following car drivers that the new-fangled air-brakes were not only a good deal more effective than vacuum brakes, but also more efficient at pulling up a lorry than most of the knackered car brakes were at pulling up cars (bear in mind that this was at around the time of the introduction of the ‘10-year test’ for cars, which was the first version of the MOT. Robert
robert1952:
dieseldave:
southlondoner:
and why did old lorries have CAUTION AIR BRAKES on them ? :I remember those signs, but I can’t answer the question.
As I remember, they were to caution following car drivers that the new-fangled air-brakes were not only a good deal more effective than vacuum brakes, but also more efficient at pulling up a lorry than most of the knackered car brakes were at pulling up cars (bear in mind that this was at around the time of the introduction of the ‘10-year test’ for cars, which was the first version of the MOT. Robert
Thanks for that Robert.
That makes a great deal of sense to me and so has plugged a gap in my knowledge.
I seem to vaguely remember getting a couple of the ‘Fern schnell gut’ stickers when we used the train from Koln to Munich, always thought that they referred to the train.
Pete
robert1952:
dieseldave:
southlondoner:
Anyone remember Fern Schnel Gut stickers on the back of German motors with a red diagonal line through them in the 60s/70s what did it mean ?Hi southlondoner,
On a German truck, the coloured stripe referred to the type of ‘O’ licence / permit that was on the vehicle.
IIRC,
A red stripe = international
A blue stripe = national
I think there were also a pink stripe and/or a yellow stripeThe German word Fernverkehr = long distance in English
The German word Nahverkehr = locals (50Km radius)===================================================
southlondoner:
… also why do Italian motors have a white diagonal stripe on them ?The Red/White stripes on an Italian truck were to do with the type of Italian ‘O’ licence and had the following meaning:
The Italian words conto proprio = Own Account in English and was indicated by a red stripe, usually on the bumper
The Italian words = conto terzi = Hire and Reward in English and was indicated by a white stripe, usually on the bumper
===================================================
southlondoner:
and why did old lorries have CAUTION AIR BRAKES on them ? :I remember those signs, but I can’t answer the question.
As I remember, they were to caution following car drivers that the new-fangled air-brakes were not only a good deal more effective than vacuum brakes, but also more efficient at pulling up a lorry than most of the knackered car brakes were at pulling up cars (bear in mind that this was at around the time of the introduction of the ‘10-year test’ for cars, which was the first version of the MOT. Robert
A motor I used to drive went a step further – it said on the back CAUTION AIR BRAKES DODGE
Bernard
The first time I saw the “Air Brake” sign was also on a Dodge bought new by one of our local farmer/hauliers. It was before I left school so it must have been pre- 1960.
Surprised that so few people seemed to remember this - it was difficult to drive in Germany in the late 60s or 70s without seeing it everywhere.
Fern Schnel Gut was the tag line of an advertising campaign set up to improve the image of Road Transport by the industries body, the snappily named Bundesverbandes des Deutschen Guterfernververkehrs.
They produced a friendly cartoon character called Brummi which is the German slang name for a truck driver. Brummi was pictured being the friend to motorists, helping Children to cross the road and waving at all and sundry. Some examples:
The campaign was a huge success, as witnessed by the way German drivers were treated, and paid, at the time. What a shame we never had an organisation batting on our side.
David
David Miller:
Surprised that so few people seemed to remember this - it was difficult to drive in Germany in the late 60s or 70s without seeing it everywhere.Fern Schnel Gut was the tag line of an advertising campaign set up to improve the image of Road Transport by the industries body, the snappily named Bundesverbandes des Deutschen Guterfernververkehrs.
They produced a friendly cartoon character called Brummi which is the German slang name for a truck driver. Brummi was pictured being the friend to motorists, helping Children to cross the road and waving at all and sundry. Some examples:2
1
0
The campaign was a huge success, as witnessed by the way German drivers were treated, and paid, at the time. What a shame we never had an organisation batting on our side.
David
Hey David, the Germans had in those years a well payed system, but today it’s less ans NL, Belgium or France, and conditions are very poor, drivers loose there permits easily by strong controls and so on. Today German drivers want to driver in Holland.
And the days that we here if we could work for German agencies eared good money are all over.
But all I know that England was in those days a lot beter country to drive in as Germany, and a lot more kindly people
and the gearing was a lot beter between cars and truck. In GB a car flashes to let you go, but in Germany they only flashed that you must go out of there way. And don’t forget the lots of signs ÜBERHOLEN VERBOTEN in those days already.
Eric,
Long distance, Quick/Fast, Good.
Ich wohne in Deutschland, aber Ich habe es nie gesehen.
Gruß Bach home
Well remember the Fern Schnel Gut campaign but does anyone remember that other very successful campaign the Germans had going about the same time “ Turn That Lorry round ” seemed to work very well as you where never kept hanging around, there where posters everywhere.
OssieD:
Well remember the Fern Schnel Gut campaign but does anyone remember that other very successful campaign the Germans had going about the same time “ Turn That Lorry round ” seemed to work very well as you where never kept hanging around, there where posters everywhere.
Hi"OssieD" I remember those Turn this Lorry Around stickers they were a RHA Thing, The firm I worked for in those days was Baxters Road Services Ltd On the Quayside Newcastle, Old Jonnie Baxter said to me instead of putting them on his motors they should be displayed at the customers premises where we delivered to, The good old days Eh, Regards Larry.
Hey David, the Germans had in those years a well payed system, but today it’s less ans NL, Belgium or France, and conditions are very poor, drivers loose there permits easily by strong controls and so on. Today German drivers want to driver in Holland.
And the days that we here if we could work for German agencies eared good money are all over.
But all I know that England was in those days a lot beter country to drive in as Germany, and a lot more kindly people
and the gearing was a lot beter between cars and truck. In GB a car flashes to let you go, but in Germany they only flashed that you must go out of there way. And don’t forget the lots of signs ÜBERHOLEN VERBOTEN in those days already.
Morning eric and herzlich willkommen Bach home. Das war in den Jahren 1960 und 1970 Jugend .
You are right in that England was a nicer place to drive at that time but, on the other hand, you could have searched the whole Country and not found a shower that a passing driver could use without booking into a Hotel.
I do remember that pretty well everything was VERBOTEN and I specially remember when the German Ministry, The ‘Bundesampt fur Guterfernverkier’, set up checkpoints at every border control which you had to visit as part of the border procedure. They would carefully check your tachograph and fine you accordingly for any thing you had done wrong. The Dutch drivers immediately renamed the BAG office, as it was known, as the ‘Bundes Autobahn Gestapo’. They were marvellous the Dutch drivers at keeping us all positive!
David