harry_gill:
Hiya,
I wish I’d a quid for every ton of goods I’ve hauled for MAT’s when on for
WH Bowker. Come to think of it a bob a ton would get me a nice cruise.
Harry do you know what ACJ stood for on the trailers ?
Hiya,
To be honest RTD i haven’t a clue and I’ve pulled many of their trailers.
go on mate put me out of my misery, by the way what day is it ?.
robthedog:
harry_gill:
Hiya,
I wish I’d a quid for every ton of goods I’ve hauled for MAT’s when on for
WH Bowker. Come to think of it a bob a ton would get me a nice cruise.Harry do you know what ACJ stood for on the trailers ?
Hi Rob.
When I worked for MATs I believe AC Janssen was part of the container side and merged with Mayer. We used to pull many MAT Janssen and Mayer TILTS. I believe MAT was Mechanical and Technical. Continental middle east was Matdamar but Harry Gill will know more about this.
Cheers KEV
I worked for MAT for a short time but I didn’t fancy spending a few weeks in Italy in a day cab or couchette as they called it.It was a decent company though and I did a lot of subbie work for them in the early 80s.Their workshop rebuilt a truck engine for me while I did one trip for them to pay for the repair cost.
Gidders:
I worked for MAT for a short time but I didn’t fancy spending a few weeks in Italy in a day cab or couchette as they called it.It was a decent company though and I did a lot of subbie work for them in the early 80s.Their workshop rebuilt a truck engine for me while I did one trip for them to pay for the repair cost.
I started at MAT MIFT Trafford Park Manchester UK only, my first motor was an old Atki Borderer SYL212C. Progressed to Scammel Grusader day cab, Scanias day cab with drop down bed. Early 1970s the passenger seat were removed to fit the tool box with spares like lenses caps bulbs palm coupling converters and a lot more. We were not allowed Radios in the cab unless it was a standard fitting. Saying that it was not a bad company as it was regimental and kept us legal, Good load of drivers. Good memories.
Regards KEV
kevmorrow:
robthedog:
harry_gill:
Hiya,
I wish I’d a quid for every ton of goods I’ve hauled for MAT’s when on for
WH Bowker. Come to think of it a bob a ton would get me a nice cruise.Harry do you know what ACJ stood for on the trailers ?
Hi Rob.
When I worked for MATs I believe AC Janssen was part of the container side and merged with Mayer. We used to pull many MAT Janssen and Mayer TILTS. I believe MAT was Mechanical and Technical. Continental middle east was Matdamar but Harry Gill will know more about this.Cheers KEV
Mat transport chasetown burntwood staffs depot was quite a busy place
normally wrefords tpt in there most fridays loading groupage
neville and brian ran the warehouse
Archie Paice bless him, had a lot of stories of MAT and its people, it was a bit of a spiders web.
MAT Group Ltd
MAT Ltd
MAT Fleet Services
MATDAMAR
MAT Trailerpool
MAT Travel Ltd
MAT Transport Ltd
MAT Air & Ocean Freight Ltd
MAT Shipping Ltd
MAT Transport Management
MAT Trust Company Ltd
STVA UK LTD
CARTRAIN LTD
MATDAMAR became MAT Fleet and also ran the car trains out of West Bromwich and Purfleet. STVA UK LTD now runs trains for Carlson and CAT UK
RIP Archie Paice , didn’t he have a bad fall in Portugal or Brazil where he lived and didn’t get over it , my connection was the campsite in Cascais where I would sneak in for a free shower if weekended in Lisbon , the same one he used to camp in ?
I remember the MAT drivers in the BP Saint Andre de Cubzac or Bordeaux truck stop Aka the cabbage patch , most of them married the waitresses and lived in Bordeaux .
toby1234abc:
RIP Archie Paice , didn’t he have a bad fall in Portugal or Brazil where he lived and didn’t get over it , my connection was the campsite in Cascais where I would sneak in for a free shower if weekended in Lisbon , the same one he used to camp in ?
I remember the MAT drivers in the BP Saint Andre de Cubzac or Bordeaux truck stop Aka the cabbage patch , most of them married the waitresses and lived in Bordeaux .
Yes Archie had a fall, his son is occasionally on this forum, still living in Italy I think.
The only MAT driver I knew was Angus, met him several times in the Bakehouse I think it was. My co-driver (the wife) was very fond of him in a father figure sort of way of course. 
Just searching the net and come across this article concerning Hull Driver Gavin Hopper. hulldailymail.co.uk/news/he … er-3060938 full details in link and photos of Gavin RIP.
Gavin’s family are trying to get in touch with ex MAT drivers who used to load out of Turners Asbestos Rochdale and Trafford Park. Gavin sadly died aged 73 from Mesothelioma and his family think there was a strong link to Turners.
Kev
Anyone got any pictures / stories of MAT Transport trucks / drivers / hauliers?
particularly in the South, Barking/Harwich/Felixstowe/Cowley/Dover/Peterboro
based?[/b]
knowall:
Anyone got any pictures / stories of MAT Transport trucks / drivers / hauliers?
particularly in the South, Barking/Harwich/Felixstowe/Cowley/Dover/Peterboro
based?[/b]
I worked for BRS at sandy lane oxford for a short while loading mt mat containers out of cowley,then loading them at vauxhall,s toddington.When i moved back to london mat had a yard in river road barking they did a regular run to dover with unaccompanied trailers.At that time they had a guy inviceable tractor and a day cab 110,i used to see the driver alot in dover cant remember his name big geezer always wore smart blue overalls.
Two friends of mine worked for Mat at Hull.
Cliff Leader was the General Manager and Angus Sooty was a driver, both came from Bowkers Blackburn.
Tankerman.
knowall:
Anyone got any pictures / stories of MAT Transport trucks / drivers / hauliers?
particularly in the South, Barking/Harwich/Felixstowe/Cowley/Dover/Peterboro
based?[/b]
W. H. Bowker were the Northern agents for MAT from 1961. I’m not sure when this arrangement finished,
but I’d guess around 1971/2.
Here’s what a 30’ box looks like on a 28’ trailer…
AEC Mandator no.44 was the only one ever bought, and was kept only for about 9 months from new.
Atkinson Silver Knight No.47 was one of the motors operated on contract to MAT at Barking on a B licence.
It spent something like its first four years from new on this job.This unit is now on display at the British Commercial
Vehicle Museum in Leyland.
I believe that this Borderer, no.61, was pictured outside Simon Engineering at Stockport.
just for info, the ACJ logo is from A C janssen in Rotterdam - MAT’s long time agent, i’ll bog off again now 
I ran for mat at thurrock till they closed it was a good job we had 2 7,5 hurry up motors and stored trailers for them chris newman ran the traffic and the manager was Rodger Haydock iremember when jess woodcocks had a scammell in mat colours the old doughnut cab type will try to post some photos
Used to pull mat trailers from fxt and dover reguarly was good work the only mat driver i can recall though was a guy called pat who lived at wisbeach often used to meet him at perkins engine plant at peterborough.
Tankerman… is that the same Cliff Leader that moved to Transflash’s yard in Thornton Rd Bradford and ran Leamans trailers from Denmark?