ERF-NGC-European:
…For you ‘bullitt’, I am happy to oblige so here goes…
…cheers old chap. That is interesting stuff and good to read it again, thank you.
1 + Thats att good read! One of the beter LDDs i have read.
Danne
Thanks! It was a good trip, I have to say, if bloody hot. Hard to believe that it was made exactly 20 years ago next month! That LDD was an odd one for me because it was the only one that I didn’t write from the driving seat of a lorry. In this case I rode ‘shotgun’ with five lorries and did only a little bit of driving myself (one afternoon in the Seddon-Atkinson in Azerbaijan to be accurate!). That enabled me to conduct my photography and my scribblings from the passenger seats (in rotation) which is probably why there is so much detail. All my other LDDs were records of trips I made behind the wheel. Robert
Just thinking about this trip Robert. When we left the yard I had all the running money for our 3 and the to lambies trucks. 10 000 gbp. I started changing it into us$ and DM at some of the services on the way down to Dover because the rate was better than at the docks or on the boat. I remember an other driver catching a flash of the wedge when I was at the teller . As I walked past he asked where the f— you going mate the moon or something. Not quite but the roads did have craters not pot holes.
Hamishc1:
Just thinking about this trip Robert. When we left the yard I had all the running money for our 3 and the to lambies trucks. 10 000 gbp. I started changing it into us$ and DM at some of the services on the way down to Dover because the rate was better than at the docks or on the boat. I remember an other driver catching a flash of the wedge when I was at the teller . As I walked past he asked where the f— you going mate the moon or something. Not quite but the roads did have craters not pot holes.
They certainly did - big enough to park a small car in, some of them! Here are a couple of pics of the road I took thro’ the windscreen in Georgia. The first one was skirting round Tblisi. Robert
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
Oh yes. Another piece of that great article Dean. Thanks for adding it.
I did not know Asia Tom, as far as I know. The article appeared around 1998/9 by the look of it. So, it could be that he was not doing Russia before I finished there in 1995. A shame really as he would have been an interesting guy to meet. I wonder whether Jeff knew him.
I will look up your old thread Dean, because I am sure that it will prove very interesting, if the articles that you have put up are anything to go by.
Mick
Hi Mick, haven’t been on here for a while, I’ve been out on the road chasing fishing boats round Australia since early April… I didn’t know Tom but we did see his truck parked up near Samara one day… Hal ( one of our other drivers ) was from Denmark, knew Tom so we went looking for him but couldn’t find him…I think I saw him going the other way near Yekaterinburg a while later…
After I got back from that trip I got a low-add back to the UK and when I sitting at the Wheel house I bought a copy of Trucking ( that was back in the days when it was still worth reading ) ( could have been T& D ) and Tom’s truck was in it…One of the other trucks we did see was the Firderici Foden that used to do the charity stuff to Mongolia…someone said that Tom drove that as well but I can’t really see it… drivers talk… who would know…
My old flat mate Sleggy used to go out through Baku to Turkmanbashy… he said there was no real link span at Turkmanbashy … when the ferry got in the dockers would spend a few hours making a ramp out of railway sleepers and big chunks of steel plates to get the cars and trucks of… you couldn’t load in the rain as there wasn’t enough traction on the steel plates…
Hamish I see you went to Luvov Did you back load from the plaster factory there… that was a messy load… most folk only did it a couple of times as there was always loads of damage… It was never packed right and they just used to cram it in… it always took a couple of days to get in… and out at the other end …We did 6 loads and had 6 massive insurance claims…
Yes jeef did load and unload out of livov a couple of times but never out of the plaster factory. It was always oil and gas equipment. Head office and customs was in livov but the tipping point was always a village up to an hour off the beaten track. On 1 trip I spent 10 days waiting to clear customs . Apparently the staff at Ukrainian oil and gas co had to wait until pay day so they could take the customs officials out for tea to stamp the papers. It was much easier dealing with the mafia in donesk as they got you cleared straight away. Anyway never saw another GB driver the whole time. The dude who owned the tir park would send for me in the afternoon to drink vodka with him so he could practice his English. One afternoon about 4 black BMWs turned up with guys in suits. Our session got cut short while they discussed business . When I was allowed back in a orthodox priest turned up and blessed the place. I wished I had counted how many suits walked in and how many came out that door. But this all kept me sane and no body bothered me apart from a very large women in a old merc with a load of rabbit skins destination Chechnya. She spoke English and I was interested in her travels but not interested in going back to her truck to drink wine.
pv83:
Finished reading your book and my word, what an absolute pleasure it was indeed!
Right from the start where you describe that you nearly suffered frostbite to your hand, and you descripe the scenery as well, I was hooked…and it sort of reminded me to the openings scene of “Fargo”…
Now, I’ve found some other pic’s to jog your memory…
Cheers, Patrick
Hi Patrick. I am glad that you enjoyed reading the book. It is great to get some positive feedback.
Another set of great photo’s that you have added. I remember all of those companies.
The Nico Mooy photo reminds me of a place that I used to load from near Vyazniki, a couple of hundred Kilometres East of Moscow. They used to produce flat pack furniture for M.F.I. When you loaded, you backed onto the side of the building and everything came out through a single door. Just like the door in your house. They walked every pack through this door and through the trailer. It took forever. But, because I used to leave Moscow really early in the morning, I could get there, load and be back in Moscow that evening.
Bliteb I knew from Yugoslavia, when I was working for Pro-Motor. A good friend of mine on Bliteb was Jimmy Cadwalleder. His father was English and his mother was Dutch. He could speak both languages perfectly. I used to see him in Belgrade, or Zagreb, when we were weekended. Another driver on there, Jan was a fully trained chef. One weekend we were stuck at the Yugo/Italian border, on our way home. He cooked up a roast beef dinner, using an oven that he had in his trailer box.
Mode Express I remember as well. I used to see them all over the place.
Yes. You have jogged my memory Patrick. Thanks very much.
Mick
Everything came out through a single door…that reminded me of a trip to Lithuania, me old man took me out for yet another trip, and we had to load clothes and such in Lithuania, to be more precise in the capital, got round to the place to find we were a bit early…as in two days early…so we’ve then headed back to the Hotel Vilnius (Wilna) parked up the lorry and wonder about for a bit.
Beautifal city that is by the way, I’ve never been back since, but from what I can remember is that I never had the thought I was all that close to Russia…everything was absolutely tidy and eveyone seemed quite friendly…will come to that later on…
After two days wondering about, we then got back in order to load, I remember asking how long it would take, the dry but simple answer was; er…I reckon about three days… I couldn’t believe it, so I got round to the back of the trailer and watched the workforce (all women…) set about… and as you said before, everything was done by hand and through a single door…so after the first day, they’ve managed to get 1/3 of the trailer loaded…
Coming back to that friendliness, in the days that we were stationary, dad was doing a crossword and I was in the drivers seat, pretending I was driving all over Europe (bear in mind that I was 12 at the time), whilst suddenly this beautifal looking lady came past, the doors of the cab were open, so she came to my side of the cab and asked me “if I wanted to [zb]”… I looked at her, feeling me cheeks go as red as you can imagine, she then climbed up, kissed me on both cheeks and said that I was such a sweet lad, and walked away again… I was quite puzzled I can asure you…Looked at me old man and he just laughed his arse of…
Cheers, Patrick
Again I remember a clothes factory in Lithuania where we took the raw materials in and bought hanging garments out ( Chelsea Girl brand if ir ecall). you backed uo to a gap in the wall where the site builders took a window frame out they unloaded the material hangers plastic wrappers buttons everything needed to make the coats, you pulled a way the window was refitted, then parked and waited for 2/3 days. then the window was removed again you backed up to it got in the back and up went the clothes rails to bring the hanging garments back. made sure they were packed tight on the rails and the hanger clips were well secured because at the borders if any were on the floor and obscured the view of customs up the trailer it was a right PITA to get cleared.
Vodka Cola Cowboy:
Oh yes. Another piece of that great article Dean. Thanks for adding it.
I did not know Asia Tom, as far as I know. The article appeared around 1998/9 by the look of it. So, it could be that he was not doing Russia before I finished there in 1995. A shame really as he would have been an interesting guy to meet. I wonder whether Jeff knew him.
I will look up your old thread Dean, because I am sure that it will prove very interesting, if the articles that you have put up are anything to go by.
Mick
Hi Mick, haven’t been on here for a while, I’ve been out on the road chasing fishing boats round Australia since early April… I didn’t know Tom but we did see his truck parked up near Samara one day… Hal ( one of our other drivers ) was from Denmark, knew Tom so we went looking for him but couldn’t find him…I think I saw him going the other way near Yekaterinburg a while later…
After I got back from that trip I got a low-add back to the UK and when I sitting at the Wheel house I bought a copy of Trucking ( that was back in the days when it was still worth reading ) ( could have been T& D ) and Tom’s truck was in it…One of the other trucks we did see was the Firderici Foden that used to do the charity stuff to Mongolia…someone said that Tom drove that as well but I can’t really see it… drivers talk… who would know…
My old flat mate Sleggy used to go out through Baku to Turkmanbashy… he said there was no real link span at Turkmanbashy … when the ferry got in the dockers would spend a few hours making a ramp out of railway sleepers and big chunks of steel plates to get the cars and trucks of… you couldn’t load in the rain as there wasn’t enough traction on the steel plates…
Hamish I see you went to Luvov Did you back load from the plaster factory there… that was a messy load… most folk only did it a couple of times as there was always loads of damage… It was never packed right and they just used to cram it in… it always took a couple of days to get in… and out at the other end …We did 6 loads and had 6 massive insurance claims…
Jeff…
Hi Jeff.
That sounds cool, chasing fishing boats.
I have not been on here too much myself lately.
Nice to see that everyone is keeping the thread going though, with some great stories and pictures.
Keep it up guys.
I expect that a lot of you will be wondering why I have not been on here very much lately.
That is because I have been up to my eyes working on my second book Trucking Magic.
Hopefully, I will be able to announce its publication, in the near future.
I have attached a copy of the proposed cover, so that you can see what it is likely to look like.
The book describes the five years that I drove for Pro-Motor (Europe) Ltd. (1978 - 1983).
While driving for them I went to every country in Europe, with the exception of Norway, Finland and Portugal.
I also went to Turkey, Iraq and made my first trip to Russia.
I will bring you more news about the book’s launch when I have it.
Well, the book has gone off for a check to ensure that everything is alright.
Hopefully, I will get the answer back tonight and can then move to the proof stage.
Once I have read the proof and made any changes necessary, then it will be published.
Not sure how long before it is available on Amazon. Hopefully this month or by the end of September at the latest.
I will keep you up to date.
Well, after a series of problems over the cover, this should be the one that we run with.
The font was blurred when uploaded from Word. But I seem to have got round that now.
Anybody want to comment upon it ?
I am waiting for the proof copy to come back and be checked but, with a bit of luck
may be able to get the book out by the end of August. Fingers crossed.
Well, after a series of problems over the cover, this should be the one that we run with.
The font was blurred when uploaded from Word. But I seem to have got round that now.
Anybody want to comment upon it ?
I am waiting for the proof copy to come back and be checked but, with a bit of luck
may be able to get the book out by the end of August. Fingers crossed.
Mick
Looks great. I wish you much success with your new book. Quite a challenge to get across the finish line.
Johnn
Thanks, Danne, Patrick and Johnny S. I hope that you all enjoy the new book.
I will let you know when it comes out.
Yes, Bullit. That was an interesting run.
However, the late Gordon Jones ran to Irkutsk. Now, had he still been alive that would have been an interesting tale.
…cheers old chap. That is interesting stuff and good to read it again, thank you.
