robert1952:
John West:
Is it my imagination, or does one of those ERFs have a sleeper cab? Don’t remember Chris Metz spoiling anyone like that!
John
According to someone (either Cookie or Saviem) on the Left-Hand-Drive ERF C-series thread, there was a mixture of day and sleeper cabbed ERFs supplied to Taseco. On the other hand, did they buy units from Star Commercials, Caravan Trucking or even Trans Arabia? There must have been some cross-over.
Meanwhile, on the ERF NGC (7MW) front, Falcon Freight of Dubai still remains a mystery. They had 5 NGCs (I have the photo - keeping it for the book!). Love to know more. Robert 
After reading that, I’ve been racking my brains to think about who had what.
Unlike Bewick, I don’t have 20 - 20 recall about our equipment. At caravan we had the leftovers from overland trucks. 2 dafs, 2 Saviems, a Volvo, a Hanomag Henschel, an unterflur Bussing ( the last two used really only for shunting), then several ERFs (sorry Robert, shameful to be so unspecific) and later several Scanias.
We bought the ERFs from Star Commercials and the Scanias from the dealer. When I left in '87 I think we were running about 15 trucks on various contracts, plus our own import and export work.
I don’t remember any ‘second hand’ transfer of vehicles - all our ERFs were high roof sleepers, unlike the Taseco one, so it couldn’t have been ours. Similarly I can’t see Trans arabia selling any of theirs to Taseco. Merlin may be able to shed more light on where the sleepers came from, but again, it may have been after his time.
John
from the pen of Ron Hawkins.
Title: The Miraculous Recovery.
One of our sister company’s had lost a artic at place called Abba, in the South west of Saudi Arabia. This outfit was really part of us and had not long started up They had sent out men on two separate occasions to recover this wreck to no avail . It was, I found out, lying down a steep bank wheels DVD locked over hard right almost on its side in a very mountainous area about 900 miles from us.
We were starting out from 15 k’s down the Abquaq road from Damman in the middle of Ramadam. Red hot and only eating after dark But that’s the way it was!! I loaded up every possible thing I could think of onto the back of a 40 ft trailer and set out with two Thai drivers and a Pilippeno and Vic Turners Estate car.
I had made sure that the trucks were full to the brim of fuel . Up at the crack of dawn we started out . Driving, driving with the sun in our windscreen, going south. It was red hot but I just kept going. Stopping late afternoon we had some Melon it tasted good. Spitting out the pips I said to the Thai drivers, “Have a rest in the estate car. I will take the artic.” because I could see that they where almost dried out and I did want any accidents. They shot off and left me on my jack! By now it was getting dark and the estate car was nowhere to be seen.
I had been driving hard for a couple of hours on this almost empty road. Looking in the near side mirror, I nearly tom ■■■ myself!! There was a sheet of blue flame running down the side of the trailer!! I had been pushed off the road by a saudi tanker some time back. Unbeknown to me, a chain and stretcher had come loose and was dragging on the road creating sparks. When I stopped the flame was out thank God. .What had happened, the fuel cap on the ERF on the back of the trailer had burst open with heat and was spraying fuel out and this had been ignited with the sparks! I thought I had lost the lot. Securing the truck I nervously carried on.
To be Continued G spanner. see photos
( Note. This thread is also running on " Trans Arabia Jones of Aldridge.)
Sounds like the start of a good tale of daring do Ron.
I remember the incident very well and like you, I still have a copy of the daft ditty that was written about the incident.
I will try to copy it onto the site. It’s small writing so the page will have to be expanded to have any chance of reading it. It’s also too big to scan as one page so will try to fold it in half and do it in two parts. This might have the added advantage of making it more readable. (considering 32 years has passed, it’s stood the test of time quite well sitting quietly in the bottom of the wardrobe!)
From the pen of Ron Hawkins
Part 2.
The Miraculous Recovery.
Travelling on, it began to get dark and I was getting worried where the hell they were. Then i spotted some lights. it was them . They had stopped alongside a concrete trough with running water. I gave Selso a right bollockin’ for not keeping me in sight but he had cooked chicken and rice which pacified me somewhat. The water was good and I felt much better after a a strip wash. We all slept well but were up at 4.30 and back on the road. We were heading towards Najran, over the mountains then through a police barrier, dropping down towards Abba with spectacular mountain scenery but still red hot.
We stopped late afternoon in the mountains, very high up, on a flat area over looking a vast sea of mountains. There were two stainless steel drums of water as big as a mini car standing on its tail full to the brim. We stopped there that night. After grub,no trimings, just the usual chicken and rice, I thought it can’t be far now. We got washed up and slept, wrapped in blankets under the stars.
Next day, again an early start. We found the artic shortly after, only about two hours drive from the water drums. Thank god! Looking at the truck i thought, “bloody hell i can see how it happened!” There was a big pot hole in the road. The driver must have hit this at speed whilst travelling empty. This probably pulled the wheel out of his hands and sent him through the crash barrier! It was nose down, lying almost on its N/S wheels and locked right, about 60ft down in rocky shale and gorse bushes on a steep bank of some 45 degrees. Getting down to it the unit was dead, so I told Celso to wind off the spring brakes. After getting the Thai lad into the cab to straighten up the lock, I could see I had no chance without some heavy assistance. Then I remembered a construction camp we had passed some way back. I drove back to find some help but nobody spoke English so i drew a picture of the wreck and the slope and pointed to a Komatsu digger. After some negotiating and the exchange of a few quid he said OK. I drove off back to the accident site and eagerly waited for this digger to arrive. When he came he could see the predicament we were in. He was great. He went up the road and graded a path down to the truck then hitched up to the truck, pulled it level then dragged it out onto a flat area. I checked over the truck, making some repair to the compressor then started it up and set the spring brakes. I drove down the mountain and found a dried up river bed on a bend which was just the place to tranship and re arrange the trucks and trailers. It was REALLY MIRACULOUS! Thank god and the Koreans! The rest is history. G.SPANNER
…and thank ‘Ron’ too! Good tales and good pics. Robert 
This outfit was run flat out from day one ,24x7 ARAMCO contract , the desert lumps where soon flatend out thinking on your feet , congratulations to all from the bottom to the top .The invitation the Oberol hotel ( the setting was laid outside ) on a red hot evening with tables and chairs looking out towards the sea , with waiters trying to hold the table cloths from blowing away as alight breeze soon deveopled in a strong wind , I remember it well Ron
Bumped up for R.F.H. during his golden (spanner) years in KSA!
Very Happy Christmas to all on this thread , It’s been a while since I wrote about my escapades but the good memories have just been aroused by "finding " some old Photes in painting box that I used 40 years ago
Merry Christmas Ron … glad you’re still upright catching you here and not the T/A site all the best
ronhawk:
Very Happy Christmas to all on this thread , It’s been a while since I wrote about my escapades but the good memories have just been aroused by "finding " some old Photes in painting box that I used 40 years ago
Clearly a very resourceful and talented man. I wish you, and all on this thread, a peaceful Christmas.
Oh goodie, I thought: more LHD B-series ERFs in the desert to gawp at! Alas, not an ERF in sight. The thread is actually called ‘Tesco lorries - new 50 mph limit’. Ah well, time out - I’d better nip up to Taseco for a bottle of red diesel and some brie…Ahem. 
Robert 
