8wheels:
Yes it was either George Jenkins or the ferry companies themselves.
The big Morrisons store would usually have a couple of trailers in the yard, I think the haulier would drop and swap them rather than wait around and unload.
After doing the day trip from Essex 17 times I was glad to pack it in, but I’d quite like the occasional run there again. It was a nice run if the weather was good. Sitting out on the ferry with a cuppa was a nice way to take a 45. Better still you’d get two in a day!
Was going to say “the day trip from Essex17 times” would have been pushing it
Arfa:
Years ago we went to the IOW for a Holiday & on the same ferry I got talking to a Somerfields driver & he had come from Bridgewater.
when i fisrt started driving use to night trunk trailers from bridgwater rdc, to southampton ferry treminal, pick up a return and back again, not sure if they then came up with an ambiant went over tipped that one and then swapped over for the chilled at the docks delivered that one and then went back
When I worked for Tesco in Brackmills there was driver out of the Southampton RDC who came in daily for trailers, he was a Tesco employee who also owned some trucks ased on the Isle of Wight (correct spelling ) He had a contract to pull the trailers over via Red Funnel and deliver to stores. Before I quit out of pure boredom he wanted me to go and work for him on the island doing just that work. He would have retired by now I think and suppose it a different system by now.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen unaccompanied trailers going over, I expect they go at night. It’s the best run we do, Pompey in a onner, 15 on the quay, chill for 45, two drops, 30min at last drop, chill for 45 then rtb in a onner.
On a different note, I often see sainsbury and tesco fridge trailers with ferry spec written on them. What is ferry spec? And why have I never seen one actually on a ferry?
Used to go over there from Somerfield Bridgwater on a regular basis in the early 90’s . Couple of trailers every other night IIRC , bust your backside to deliver to 3/4 stores and get the return booking ,good fun .
coming of the whightlink ferry just the other day was an ex ESL scania (dewrapped) pulling a tesco trailer so i presume they use a contractor to accompany the trailers to and from the island.
thread got more attention that i thought… cheers lads i never thought about the various other stores and outlets on the island… cheers for the info tho
starfighter:
It’s been a while since I’ve seen unaccompanied trailers going over, I expect they go at night. It’s the best run we do, Pompey in a onner, 15 on the quay, chill for 45, two drops, 30min at last drop, chill for 45 then rtb in a onner.
On a different note, I often see sainsbury and tesco fridge trailers with ferry spec written on them. What is ferry spec? And why have I never seen one actually on a ferry?
ferry spec trailers have tie down points on them an they do use some of them for the irish trunks
Arfa:
Years ago we went to the IOW for a Holiday .
I went to the Isle of Wight when I was eleven, and then I went back nearly forty years later and they were still selling the same identical postcard- “Cowes you cannot milk, Needles you cannot thread, Freshwater you cannot drink” etc etc etc.
I know what you mean Harry . Not sure of the name now I think its the Crab Inn in Shanklin OR Sandown that used to be a good pub its just on the main street.
Ferry spec means capable of being lashed securely on a boat
by means of points designed to take chains often painted yellow
just ave a peek under one you’ll see
Dropping off trailers at Wightlink is no longer allowed. Red Funnel still will allow it.
I drive for the company that is contracted to run the trailers to the Island for Tesco. We are Island based and run the fridges back and forth to Nursling whilst the warm stuff comes from Weybridge. So we run the empties over, pick up a full trailer and finish the shift back on the Island (x2 in the case of the fridges). In the case of Weybridge RDC, we run an empty up, do a delivery somewhere in the South, then return to Weybridge and bring back a full trailer to the Island.
We have 3 Scania (2 ex ESL) and a pair of new Renault units … oh and a rather tired MAN.
So now you know! 7am boat for me tomorrow. Double Nursling run. It’s a long day … and you need to like ferries
I do some traction work for Tesco Thurrock when asked and have done about 12 runs to the Isle of Wight in the last year. Some times Weybridge can’t cope or rather as I understand it Tesco look at their depots and farm the work out to those with capacity as Thurrock does about 5 million cases a week it is easy for them to do.
. Not sure of the name now I think its the Crab Inn in Shanklin OR Sandown that used to be a good pub its just on the main street.