FRET FRANCAIS

I worked for Fret since earl 90’s right through, when they got taken over by Salvatori right up to when they closed the Stoke office down in 2000. I started work for Harold when he had just to port-a-cabin in the yard, then moved to the luxury if the bottom office of the Forcerush building! I have photos of the old trucks, some of the old drivers (Europa vision, victory , viscount or dragon drive mostly by Colin out of Ebbw Vale) Europ Shuttle was the first one I remember. C5 was the double deck trailer loading back for kuhn.

We use to load out of Shotton for Multi Steel in Maastricht the load back from places like Laminor De Longtain.

It must have been about 95 or 96 when Gerald came and he went to Salvatorie for a while after the take over.

There are loads of names I could add… Derek Garrett, Vince Clarke, Chris Hickling, Tony Measurs …Anyone remember any of these guys?

My hubby was a driver for them too. He started on Fret about 96 and carried on working for Salvatori until about late 2000.

Did graham mason, johnny lovat do abit for them or am I getting mixed up, I remember going with them and driving one of the mercs cuz lovat told me keep that second turbo light lit, was only a kid, they were mercs and they did jcbs but for some reason euro route is in my head, same yard though ?

Not names from my time I’m afraid. Maybe older? I was based at Sneyd hill yard.

Can anyone give me some more info on this company please?
I have some photo’s but dont know a lot about them.

Mr 141:
Can anyone give me some more info on this company please?
I have some photo’s but dont know a lot about them.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=42530&start=0

I seem to remember that Lester drove for them for a while.


sneyd hill near moorland rd colledge, I think Salvatoris took them over.

oatcake1967
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Location: Penang Malaysia

Wheel Nut:
sneyd hill near moorland rd colledge, I think Salvatoris took them over.

oatcake1967
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Posts: 501
Joined: Fri May 02, 2008 5:11 pm
Location: Penang Malaysia

Shared a yard with Chapman and Ball at Sneyd Hill when I was doing m/e for C & B.
Someone with more European knowledge will tell you more,but it was run by Harold Dale?possibly ex Berrisfords?
They had a lot of demountable top decks for their flat trailers for carrying agricultural machinery.I think Dennis Holford also drove for them.

Hi, just discovered this forum and this is my first post!

I worked for Fret for two years in the late 90’s. The main work at the time was steel out of shotton, ductile wolves, stainless coils out of Genk, hemp firbre bailes out of Belguim (I forget where) mainly going un-accompanied via Ramsgate/0stende and Zeb and Purfleet/Zeb occasionally Dover and Tillbury.

All Merc fleet except for 1 strug Scania at the time it was sold to Salvatoris. All motors had names beginning Europa as you can see from the pic. Not exactly the most compliant firm I’ve worked for; There were 25 hours in a fret day and a limiter was the drivers eyes closing. I left just after getting pulled by a bike cop on the A 500 having left late to make a 1am Ramsgate ferry. He pulled my card and I can still hear his words “I can’t believe you’re only 15 mins into your journey and you’re off the graph” :astonished: He let me off but I got a proper B******ING!

Harold became a born again Christian and he had the born again emblem (a fish) on all the units and on the curtains of the 2 or 3 euro liners he owned. He was a proper character with a wicked temper, he’d go up like a bottle of pop and bounce of the walls like a squash ball ■■■■■■ and jeffing, very un-christian like. He had many a rant at me, like the time I drew teeth and a fin on the fish on my unit! He didn’t see the funny side :laughing:

Hi, anyone remember Chris Urban?