Spain Berliet TLM15:
Evening all,
Fergie, that lot of pictures is/are a sensory overload!..everything that I love about L`Hexogen!
adr, and ROF, these modern tractors are huge. You only realise it when you are trying to get one with front and rear presses through a gateway of 12 ft, off a lane of 10ft! They are big, and never nimble in a small field, but they are what is available now, and that is why I loved my Deere on tracks, you could just pivot her into tight places…(but I didn’t half mek a mess of the Councils road surface)! But my old pal Bill Holding, a true ex REME man, always said to me, “once you have driven on tracks…then wheels are second best”!
Personally I loved a true “remorque”, with a bogie, and wheels at each corner. Once you are used to them," easy peasy", and you can put them anywhere that a man with an artic can…just need a bit of road to start off with!
Buzzer, my Muir Hill never looked that good!..Mine had little narrow wheels and tyres, and tottered about like a “tubby” woman on 3 inch heels!!!..then I swopped her for a Mercedes Trac, and what a solid workhorse that was…and no frills whatsoever, could plough, cultivate, and tow a , (heavy), trailer with ease…but you could feel the tin worm eating her as you drove!
But forgive me if I go back to Fergies pictures, (and I am sure, that as me you all will be grateful for his superb input), it takes time, and we are grateful for it, thank you very much!
That overhead picture, surely that is the Hotel “La Vitarelle”, on the side of the RN 112, at Bezieres? I only saw it from the , (awful), bumpy parking around the back, (used to get packed around 12.30 hrs in a week day). Boy , some of the lorries parked there would give you an inferiority complex, when you had a little English Foden 4x2, Bernards, Willemes, Berliets, Unics, rigid 19 tonners, and 26 tonne 6x2s on 1200x24s, ticking, moaning, sweating out the labours of their journeys, drawbar "Pinadiere" wine tanks, the occasional articulated outfit, 32 tonnes on three axles, and the seemingly enormous 4 plus 4 drawbar Savoyard tilt s. Oil dripping from the Bernard Gardners......and the 150 Gardner engine Latils. The ultra modern Willemes with their Cottard Horizon cabs, sitting over the smooth, easy starting AEC 690 power plants…but the “Kings” were the big Berliet TLM10s, and 12s…those long sculptured noses, “Cyrano de Bergerac”, look alikes, …grief…did they really have 240 hp under there…this was 64!!!!!!!!! The bogies wee seemingly twice as large as our homegrown Leyland Octopuss!
The cabs, oh beyond belief, the aerodynamic creations of Alquier, of Mazamet, or even Frappa, whose air piercing designes belied the modest performance of the Gardner LWs powering the Bernard 110A 18 6x2 Bernard “Pinadier” wine tanks of S.M.T. (Societie Mediterrrennannee Transports), of Sete, (the major port for the importation of Algerian fine wines), and those of Societie H Coutourie, of Athis-Mons, (a close neighbour, and in the 60s a similar size to the French “Pinadier”, so well known in Britain, Louis Giraud…back then a 100% Saurer, then Somua fleet, long before the Scania L76, and L110s became the preferred marque).But all in “wine red”,…even their pressurised Beer tanks!
Gentlemen, Im off down a siding…“Les Pinadiers”…the wine transporters…as French as Les Primeurs", the vegetable men, who we discussed some time ago…but Les Pinadiers…in the UK we had no direct equivalent.
Think of France…think of wine…I did one horrible, teeming wet, windy, cold January day back in `65. Cold, staring through the rapidly misting screen of my little, (and bloomin cold) Foden, at the tank trailer right in front of me…as we both struggled to achieve 60kph, going south from the gritty suberbs of Paris.
His Tank trailers signwriting was split in two…at the top, on a light blue background was written in white letters “Cotes du Rhone”…below the split, on a red background…in a beautiful script…“Vins du Soleil”…I stared at that inscription for many hours…aching for warmth, sun…and no rain…(the liking for the content of his , (empty), tank came later!..Untill the rain eased, the sun shone…and the cramps in my leg grew less as the warmth of the south permeated that microcosim of Cheshires Sandbach…AT LAST!
One thinks of France, one thinks of Wine, …(and perhaps its Women…so exquisite…so as not to be discussed here)!!!But the fruit of the Vine is produced in the South, L`Herault, Vaucluse, and the Gard…and consumed all around…Lorraine, the North, and the Metropole of Paris.
But how to get it to its markets?..By rail of course in enormous Barrells, Barriques, and demi Barriques…carried to the railheads by simple lorries,and to aid unloading in the 30s a simple , but strong crane by Soc Gauthier, of Courbouvoire, a revelation in the 30s. But then came the riveted tanks, enamel lined by Paul Forrilliere et Corbetto in the St Louis area of Marseille, Soc Coder, creating elipse tanks for road and rail under the licence of Soc Bratuthile, and later the Brothers Sullitzer, whose Ville franche sur Saone , operation marketed its products as Titan, and gained a great reputation when semi trailers became acceptable.Not forgetting the elegant creations of Soc AMEG, from Lyons Rue de Geland, products well regarded by the Pinadiers that I was eventually to have the enjoyment of dealing with.
1000 Litres equals 1 Hectolitre…and the original target payload for a single compartment wine tank was 7 hectolitres…but couple a drawbar trailer, and then you have 150 hector litres…(in single compartments…boy oh boy…that is a “liquid ride”)!!!
Then some brave souls experimented with artics…(a black art in France in the 30s and 40s). Le Solitaire, the Berliet TDM10W 130 hp artic outfit with driver in Fergies picture, with its ex US forces `75 Fich trailer, carried a 150HL capacity tank, and with its twin stick “tricateuse” gearbox could move its 31 tonnes along at an easy 68kph…But the drawbar, for its flexibility, and stability remains supreme as a Pinadier.
Non more so than the Berliet GL`s. Strong, good brakes, reliable, consistent, (if not fast), they were universally loved. Non more than the GLM10S, with their Recardo injection 150 hp whose capable chassis, and rear axle could easily cope with a 100HL tank, and 60 HL drawbar trailer…as well as looking spectacular on the road!
But my second encounter with a spectacular Pinadier was in the same year, on the RN6, when coming toward me I could see what looked like a `30s Hispanio Suiza Car…but much larger…in cream and brown,…it ground past me, it was a Bernard 110.18.CA6, 6x2 , Gardner LW powered , with a 4 wheel drawbar tank, all in a good 250 HL of the finest wines…I was instantly in Love …I cannot ever recall seeing such a magnificent outfit.
Bernards were loved by the Pinadiers, their stable "boutionerre " chassis, pierced for the bogie axles to run through it, gave stability to this most unstable load!the utter reliability of the Gardner design…and couple that to cool running, in a hot climate…they were loved. Sabaton, ran many Pinadier outfits, and must have been along with Droin Brothers one of Bernards best clients.
Fergies picture of the “Grappe Excuise”, 242 HL Scort semi trailer tank, with the Berliet TRK 10 litre unit in front of this 35 tonne outfit, reminds me of the split that I found in the Pinadiers, between articulation, and drawbar tanks. His picture of a real “odd ball” outfit, that of the Vins Schenk Saviem 200 with MAN engine, and a 5 compartment Coder (Marseille), tank shows a tractor designed purely for the maximum capacity Petroleum haulage market, being used by a Wine transporter, because it gave more payload.
But forgive me if I indulge in a little personal recall…one of my favourite companys to negotiate with was Soc Vins Margnat, based in Sete Port, a premier merchant and distributor of the wines of Algeria. They operated spectacular liveried outfits, in deep blue, with scarlet lettering, on a white panel, on their Berliet, and Willeme articulated outfits. But then there was the terribly correct, and delightful Soc Transports, Maurice Belleville of Marseille, a premier merchant for Algerian wines, (Societie des Vins Oranie). Who had in the past operated some really spectacular Bernard 6x2 outfits. Then there was Transports Batut, of Carcasonne, (now “little Britain”),and of course Vins Seneclauze, whose big red Marseille based BerlietTLMs and Coder tanks were running well into the late 70s…but having 240 hp…why not?
But Les Pinadiers, did not all use the standard elipse steel, or stainless tank…or the big Berliets…Im thinking about the subdued livery of red and flat blue of Transports Dulac, at Belliville . Rhone…like Giaud, they chose Scania, L76s, then 110s…but with GRP tanks…kept the “product” cooler, and were lighter in weight…
But I have imbibed, and enjoyed so much, the mug/glass/cup/ of wonderful wine, straight from the tank…“chaud”…from an enamel jug…whilst sitting on a sunlit dock, or warehouse side…and learned at the feet of masters, (whose knowledge far exceeded that of any Parisien “Somellier”, just what good wine means, how to blend, how to enjoy…and forget the snobbery of experts…for truly these “Pinadiers”, had forgotten more about wine than any sommelier could ever learn!!!
Cheerio for now.
Welcome back gingerfold…nothing much happened here…only the discovery of a cache of 8LXB Gardner engines in a shed in ■■■■■■■■■■■ a number of Guy Big J chassis in a big shed at Morecambe…Police and DVLA officials are investigating a possible “antique vehicle forging ring”…and are investigating connections to an allotment in Macclesfield where shiney new engine mountings have been unearhed, (disguised as something claiming to be a Winston Potato)!!!
No all quiet here.
Saviem:
Welcome back gingerfold…nothing much happened here…only the discovery of a cache of 8LXB Gardner engines in a shed in ■■■■■■■■■■■ a number of Guy Big J chassis in a big shed at Morecambe…Police and DVLA officials are investigating a possible “antique vehicle forging ring”…and are investigating connections to an allotment in Macclesfield where shiney new engine mountings have been unearhed, (disguised as something claiming to be a Winston Potato)!!!No all quiet here.
Glad you are on the case John. Good detective work.
Cheers Dave.
Saviem:
Evening all,Fergie, that lot of pictures is/are a sensory overload!..everything that I love about L`Hexogen!
adr, and ROF, these modern tractors are huge. You only realise it when you are trying to get one with front and rear presses through a gateway of 12 ft, off a lane of 10ft! They are big, and never nimble in a small field, but they are what is available now, and that is why I loved my Deere on tracks, you could just pivot her into tight places…(but I didn’t half mek a mess of the Councils road surface)! But my old pal Bill Holding, a true ex REME man, always said to me, “once you have driven on tracks…then wheels are second best”!
Personally I loved a true “remorque”, with a bogie, and wheels at each corner. Once you are used to them," easy peasy", and you can put them anywhere that a man with an artic can…just need a bit of road to start off with!
Buzzer, my Muir Hill never looked that good!..Mine had little narrow wheels and tyres, and tottered about like a “tubby” woman on 3 inch heels!!!..then I swopped her for a Mercedes Trac, and what a solid workhorse that was…and no frills whatsoever, could plough, cultivate, and tow a , (heavy), trailer with ease…but you could feel the tin worm eating her as you drove!
But forgive me if I go back to Fergies pictures, (and I am sure, that as me you all will be grateful for his superb input), it takes time, and we are grateful for it, thank you very much!
That overhead picture, surely that is the Hotel “La Vitarelle”, on the side of the RN 112, at Bezieres? I only saw it from the , (awful), bumpy parking around the back, (used to get packed around 12.30 hrs in a week day). Boy , some of the lorries parked there would give you an inferiority complex, when you had a little English Foden 4x2, Bernards, Willeme
s, Berliets, Unics, rigid 19 tonners, and 26 tonne 6x2s on 1200x24s, ticking, moaning, sweating out the labours of their journeys, drawbar "Pinadiere" wine tanks, the occasional articulated outfit, 32 tonnes on three axles, and the seemingly enormous 4 plus 4 drawbar Savoyard tilt s. Oil dripping from the Bernard Gardners......and the 150 Gardner engine Latils. The ultra modern Willemes with their Cottard Horizon cabs, sitting over the smooth, easy starting AEC 690 power plants…but the “Kings” were the big Berliet TLM10s, and 12s…those long sculptured noses, “Cyrano de Bergerac”, look alikes, …grief…did they really have 240 hp under there…this was64!!!!!!!!! The bogies wee seemingly twice as large as our homegrown Leyland Octopuss!The cabs, oh beyond belief, the aerodynamic creations of Alquier, of Mazamet, or even Frappa, whose air piercing designes belied the modest performance of the Gardner LWs powering the Bernard 110A 18 6x2 Bernard “Pinadier” wine tanks of S.M.T. (Societie Mediterrrennannee Transports), of Sete, (the major port for the importation of Algerian fine wines), and those of Societie H Coutourie, of Athis-Mons, (a close neighbour, and in the 60s a similar size to the French “Pinadier”, so well known in Britain, Louis Giraud…back then a 100% Saurer, then Somua fleet, long before the Scania L76, and L110s became the preferred marque).But all in “wine red”,…even their pressurised Beer tanks!
Gentlemen, Im off down a siding…“Les Pinadiers”…the wine transporters…as French as Les Primeurs", the vegetable men, who we discussed some time ago…but Les Pinadiers…in the UK we had no direct equivalent.
Think of France…think of wine…I did one horrible, teeming wet, windy, cold January day back in `65. Cold, staring through the rapidly misting screen of my little, (and bloomin cold) Foden, at the tank trailer right in front of me…as we both struggled to achieve 60kph, going south from the gritty suberbs of Paris.
His Tank trailers signwriting was split in two…at the top, on a light blue background was written in white letters “Cotes du Rhone”…below the split, on a red background…in a beautiful script…“Vins du Soleil”…I stared at that inscription for many hours…aching for warmth, sun…and no rain…(the liking for the content of his , (empty), tank came later!..Untill the rain eased, the sun shone…and the cramps in my leg grew less as the warmth of the south permeated that microcosim of Cheshires Sandbach…AT LAST!
One thinks of France, one thinks of Wine, …(and perhaps its Women…so exquisite…so as not to be discussed here)!!!But the fruit of the Vine is produced in the South, L`Herault, Vaucluse, and the Gard…and consumed all around…Lorraine, the North, and the Metropole of Paris.
But how to get it to its markets?..By rail of course in enormous Barrells, Barriques, and demi Barriques…carried to the railheads by simple lorries,and to aid unloading in the
30s a simple , but strong crane by Soc Gauthier, of Courbouvoire, a revelation in the30s. But then came the riveted tanks, enamel lined by Paul Forrilliere et Corbetto in the St Louis area of Marseille, Soc Coder, creating elipse tanks for road and rail under the licence of Soc Bratuthile, and later the Brothers Sullitzer, whose Ville franche sur Saone , operation marketed its products as Titan, and gained a great reputation when semi trailers became acceptable.Not forgetting the elegant creations of Soc AMEG, from Lyons Rue de Geland, products well regarded by the Pinadiers that I was eventually to have the enjoyment of dealing with.1000 Litres equals 1 Hectolitre…and the original target payload for a single compartment wine tank was 7 hectolitres…but couple a drawbar trailer, and then you have 150 hector litres…(in single compartments…boy oh boy…that is a “liquid ride”)!!!
Then some brave souls experimented with artics…(a black art in France in the
30s and40s). Le Solitaire, the Berliet TDM10W 130 hp artic outfit with driver in Fergies picture, with its ex US forces `75 Fich trailer, carried a 150HL capacity tank, and with its twin stick “tricateuse” gearbox could move its 31 tonnes along at an easy 68kph…But the drawbar, for its flexibility, and stability remains supreme as a Pinadier.Non more so than the Berliet GL`s. Strong, good brakes, reliable, consistent, (if not fast), they were universally loved. Non more than the GLM10S, with their Recardo injection 150 hp whose capable chassis, and rear axle could easily cope with a 100HL tank, and 60 HL drawbar trailer…as well as looking spectacular on the road!
But my second encounter with a spectacular Pinadier was in the same year, on the RN6, when coming toward me I could see what looked like a `30s Hispanio Suiza Car…but much larger…in cream and brown,…it ground past me, it was a Bernard 110.18.CA6, 6x2 , Gardner LW powered , with a 4 wheel drawbar tank, all in a good 250 HL of the finest wines…I was instantly in Love …I cannot ever recall seeing such a magnificent outfit.
Bernards were loved by the Pinadiers, their stable "boutionerre " chassis, pierced for the bogie axles to run through it, gave stability to this most unstable load!the utter reliability of the Gardner design…and couple that to cool running, in a hot climate…they were loved. Sabaton, ran many Pinadier outfits, and must have been along with Droin Brothers one of Bernards best clients.
Fergies picture of the “Grappe Excuise”, 242 HL Scort semi trailer tank, with the Berliet TRK 10 litre unit in front of this 35 tonne outfit, reminds me of the split that I found in the Pinadiers, between articulation, and drawbar tanks. His picture of a real “odd ball” outfit, that of the Vins Schenk Saviem 200 with MAN engine, and a 5 compartment Coder (Marseille), tank shows a tractor designed purely for the maximum capacity Petroleum haulage market, being used by a Wine transporter, because it gave more payload.
But forgive me if I indulge in a little personal recall…one of my favourite companys to negotiate with was Soc Vins Margnat, based in Sete Port, a premier merchant and distributor of the wines of Algeria. They operated spectacular liveried outfits, in deep blue, with scarlet lettering, on a white panel, on their Berliet, and Willeme articulated outfits. But then there was the terribly correct, and delightful Soc Transports, Maurice Belleville of Marseille, a premier merchant for Algerian wines, (Societie des Vins Oranie). Who had in the past operated some really spectacular Bernard 6x2 outfits. Then there was Transports Batut, of Carcasonne, (now “little Britain”),and of course Vins Seneclauze, whose big red Marseille based BerlietTLMs and Coder tanks were running well into the late 70s…but having 240 hp…why not?
But Les Pinadiers, did not all use the standard elipse steel, or stainless tank…or the big Berliets…Im thinking about the subdued livery of red and flat blue of Transports Dulac, at Belliville . Rhone…like Giaud, they chose Scania, L76s, then 110s…but with GRP tanks…kept the “product” cooler, and were lighter in weight…
But I have imbibed, and enjoyed so much, the mug/glass/cup/ of wonderful wine, straight from the tank…“chaud”…from an enamel jug…whilst sitting on a sunlit dock, or warehouse side…and learned at the feet of masters, (whose knowledge far exceeded that of any Parisien “Somellier”, just what good wine means, how to blend, how to enjoy…and forget the snobbery of experts…for truly these “Pinadiers”, had forgotten more about wine than any sommelier could ever learn!!!
Cheerio for now.
Amazing post John. Fascinating. A big thank you.
Johnny
That’s a +1 from me, …it brings those old pictures to life. Thanks John.
John…Some more memories for you …
Saviem wrote :-
But forgive me if I indulge in a little personal recall…one of my favourite companys to negotiate with was Soc Vins Margnat, based in Sete Port, a premier merchant and distributor of the wines of Algeria. They operated spectacular liveried outfits, in deep blue, with scarlet lettering, on a white panel, on their Berliet,
His Tank trailers signwriting was split in two…at the top, on a light blue background was written in white letters "Cotes du Rhone"…below the split, on a red background…in a beautiful script…“Vins du Soleil”….I stared at that inscription for many hours…aching for warmth, sun…and no rain…
Fergie…
Well done, Fergie, your photos compliment Saviem’s prose perfectly!
Saviem:
Welcome back gingerfold…nothing much happened here…only the discovery of a cache of 8LXB Gardner engines in a shed in ■■■■■■■■■■■ a number of Guy Big J chassis in a big shed at Morecambe…Police and DVLA officials are investigating a possible “antique vehicle forging ring”…and are investigating connections to an allotment in Macclesfield where shiney new engine mountings have been unearhed, (disguised as something claiming to be a Winston Potato)!!!No all quiet here.
'ere, 'ang on a minute, guv- I was the geezer what dobbed the ■■■■■■■■ in!
I don’t want them rozzers crawling all over my Winstons at all hours disturbing the ferrets & whippets.
Retired Old ■■■■:
Well done, Fergie, your photos compliment Saviem’s prose perfectly!
Cheers for that ROF…
When you’re doing bird for your part in the BigJ ringing scandal, if you make a small satchel to go on the back of your ferret, I’ll print some pics off this thread, pop 'em in said satchel, and hope your ferret has a keen sense of smell and is able to locate your cell, then you can keep up with whats going on…don’t want you to feel abandoned…Its my soft southern side coming out ROF… 
Delighted to learn that whimsey is still order of the day on your thread Saviem, long may it continue. 
Pinardier Berliet GLM10M2 from 1962 with gears “tricoteuse” and Coder tank and trailer in preservation in South of France.
michel:
Pinardier Berliet GLM10M2 from 1962 with gears “tricoteuse” and Coder tank and trailer in preservation in South of France.
Evening all,
Michel, what a vehicle to own! What a restoration! One of the last “real” Berliets.Personally I never found the twin gearlever “tricoteuse” a difficult gear set to use…but I grew up on Foden 12 speed splitter/range change boxes., where you were constantly going from one range to another, and splitting gears at the same time…just showed that the engines had very low power outputs!!! When I was given one with a Leyland .680 200 hp, boy I was king of the road…but thinking back, when I graduated from 98hp to a 150 hp LX Gardner, plus the 12 speed gearbox…I truly was a King of the Road!
Fergie, thank you for the pictures, I have never ever seen a photograph of the wine tank that I followed before…Cotes du Rhone…I can still remember trying to place in my head the location, as I ground along behind that outfit…98hp did not allow me to even dream of overtaking…especially loaded with…(oh dear, a trifle overweight I think)!!!
That Vins Margnat picture must have been posed, must have been at Sete, for they owned several warehouses there. I recall being in awe of their Willeme “Shark Noses”, (yet they were only 190 hp), they seemed so powerfull.
There is a bit of a story to Louis Giraud, and their transmission from L Serie Scania artics to DAF, connected to this sceptered isle. For whil`st brave Saviem was fighting the corner for Saviem/Berliet, (because at that time dear old Paris could not decide which name should prevail…or a new one…Renault)…
The case for that pesky Dutch marque, DAF was being made by another ex patriot Englishman, John Baker, on behalf of DAF France!..sadly he won, and I lost out…Chagrin!!!..but I gained the appreciation of the heavenly Bollinger…worth more than any “camion”!!!
Whatever became of John?
Funny, when we talk of people working for French Hauliers, (Davidoff, reminding us that Spardo worked for a long time for Soc Gauthier), I often came across Britons working in France, (is it that “we” truly, have never lost our affection for the country that, “we”, truly ruled■■?
Many were working for French Hauliers, and I can remember conversations over lunch/Dinner, conducted in , (hindsight), a peculiar combination of French, and English…a true Franglaise, wher bits of the language that we had to speak on a daily basis, became mixed with our mother tongue, the result, a conversation utterly conversant to the participants…and rather odd to the evesdropper!
Fergie, that photograph of the Willeme LD610T, with the double sleeper UB Levallois cab, behind the 6 cylinder 13 litre 190 hp Willeme 518T6, looks like one of the 1950s fleet of Paul Perrot, from Paray le Monial, Saone et Loire. A really nice company, running the 4 compartment Coder Pinadier Wine tanks @35 tonnes gtw. Those “Nez de Requin” Shark Noses never look as imposing on a photograph as in real life. They were big old girls, and a true long distance lorry. Louis Willeme really built strong vehicles, that drove so easily, and with great comfort…but do not those wine tanks of Marseille`s Coder have a handsome profile, and the welding on them was superb…like cream laid upon a magnificent pastry…appitising to view!
Cheerio for now.
On the subject of Pinardiers, lets not forget another major wine producing country, Italy…the wine might not be so good (stand by for some flack) but those axles !!! and old wagons, here’s a few wine tankers, and then axles !! And for the young lads, and those that never got to Italy, they’re all R.H.D.
Some more great photos Fergie!!
I live in the wine growing area of Germany, but I have never seen any large wine tankers driving around. I have only seen rigids - without a trailer. Did these wine tankers travel far, or “just” to the bottling plants?
The grapes are being harvested here at the moment - so plenty of new wine on offer at the moment. Might not be a match your Bollinger John, but nice to drink all the same 
Johnny
Fergie47:
On the subject of Pinardiers, lets not forget another major wine producing country, Italy…the wine might not be so good (stand by for some flack) but those axles !!! and old wagons, here’s a few wine tankers, and then axles !! And for the young lads, and those that never got to Italy, they’re all R.H.D.
I read somewhere that the Italians preferred the RHDs so that they were able to better judge the edge on the mountain passes. Is that truth or rumour Fergie?
John.
John West:
Fergie47:
On the subject of Pinardiers, lets not forget another major wine producing country, Italy…the wine might not be so good (stand by for some flack) but those axles !!! and old wagons, here’s a few wine tankers, and then axles !! And for the young lads, and those that never got to Italy, they’re all R.H.D.I read somewhere that the Italians preferred the RHDs so that they were able to better judge the edge on the mountain passes. Is that truth or rumour Fergie?
John.
John…yes, that is the reason…
jsutherland:
Some more great photos Fergie!!I live in the wine growing area of Germany, but I have never seen any large wine tankers driving around. I have only seen rigids - without a trailer. Did these wine tankers travel far, or “just” to the bottling plants?
The grapes are being harvested here at the moment - so plenty of new wine on offer at the moment. Might not be a match your Bollinger John, but nice to drink all the same
Johnny
Hello Johnny…Michel or Saviem would be more qualified to answer your question, however, at a guess, the Algerian wines coming in on the south coast ports could have been bottled anywhere in France, the French wines, some bottled locally, some would be bottled at places more convenient to the wholesale customer, as no doubt the bottling price would also be a factor…but as l say, the other two French proffesors will put you right… 
John West:
Fergie47:
On the subject of Pinardiers, lets not forget another major wine producing country, Italy…the wine might not be so good (stand by for some flack) but those axles !!! and old wagons, here’s a few wine tankers, and then axles !! And for the young lads, and those that never got to Italy, they’re all R.H.D.I read somewhere that the Italians preferred the RHDs so that they were able to better judge the edge on the mountain passes. Is that truth or rumour Fergie?
John.
It’s the truth. Robert