Anyone interested ? 
aye ,before my time but sounds interesting
Yes please
Sounds good to me , I love all the stories from the 50âand 60âs
Big lever in front of the passenger seat, Dennis?
Usually found in a comotosed state slouched in the passenger seat. 
Pete.
Bring it on Dennis, itâs part of British transport history which may soon be forgotten if people like yourself donât write it down. 
Regards Steve.
My last gaffer, Frank Gough, started as a trailer mate for Toft Brothers and Tomlinson of Darley Dale. That would be late 40âs Iâm guessing? London and back in two days.
Pete.
Driver whacking trailer lad with end of a knotted rope if he nodded off⌠
Trailer boys int loft,drivers got best rooms⌠
Aye tell us all about it Dennis,not many of you ex trailer lads left.
First day, Sunday. Run down from Kendal in me 'lal immaculate Austin 7even and collect the âMain manâ Eric who lived in Dalton-in Furness, the pick-up time could vary from either 9:00 am to 10:00 am dependant on whether the Octopus and trailer was loaded ready or the 22 ton of Signode strapping for The Abbey was sat on a trailer ( usually a 4 in line 
) and had to be transhipped via the elderly ex Ship Yard mobile crane which âThe Bigâunâ ( Bob Brady senior) always operated , the craic had it that The Bigâun acted as a precise counter weight ! Anyway my Mate preferred to supervise the loading himself as he was very particular about the lifts of the coiled bundles should sit just barely clear of the floor firmly on the nailed timber skids otherwise if the night shunter, Jack Thompson ( nick name unprintable now because of the PC world we now live in!) had loaded it there was often a bit slack which caused some of the lifts to move a bit and sent Eric â â â â â â â mad ! Plus we had to re sheet and rope if it was pre loaded as the shunter was fairly rough and ready ! But if we supervised the transhipping every thing was spot on and immaculately S & Râd.
So filled up and oil, water and tyres checked off weâd roll about mid day or before to S.Wales ,we would stop at either Forton or Charnock for a quick bite but we didnât hang about as we cut across and aimed towards The Brecon Beacons. Before we finally got down to the regular digs we used, Walfords at Llansamlet, we called at a little filling station at Abergowed ? to fill up with derv, the Welshman who owned it always appreciated our trade and he would give Eric 20 Players and Iâd get a couple of mars bars or similar. It was an extremely hard job to keep the old âpeepersâ open so I would do what all decent mates did, give it the Big Zzzzzzâs at times !( no rope ends used in our motor) We would get parked up in usual spot near the digs and chuck our bags in and then go across the way to the Smiths Arms for a couple of pints and a sarnie but I loved the fresh caught cockles they always had a big dishful on the bar ! Once got a bad one and â â â â green for two days !! End of first day so to kip with first call 6 am Monday morning. Cheers Bewick.
Roll on MondayâŚ
Thanks Dennis, already know this is going to be interesting.
E.W.
EW car truck & bus:
Roll on MondayâŚThanks Dennis, already know this is going to be interesting.
E.W.
Aye,canât wait for next episode Dennis,good stuff. 
Bloody good read so far Dennis ! I liked the bit about the âBigâunâ being a precise counter weight ! (Quality)
MR, Bewick , We had a driver worked for us ,A BIG BIG MAN ,name John Cardin ,A gentle giant told me a tale of when he was trailer lad in Liverpool Going over the Wooded one night ,he dozed off the driver used to carry a spare top hose shouted John Brake,no reply ,smack right across his ear hole jumped up grabbed the hose ,Hit him back lorry all over the road ,came to a holt , back at base he got him the sack, just a bit of a tale but true , Cheers Barry
Crike, Dennis, Iâd have given my right arm for a Monday like yours! All of mine started before 4.00 am and didnât finish until I got back to the yard. Looks like you were spoiled up in the grim North. 
Retired Old â â â â :
Crike, Dennis, Iâd have given my right arm for a Monday like yours! All of mine started before 4.00 am and didnât finish until I got back to the yard. Looks like you were spoiled up in the grim North.
Now then ROF, first off we were a professional team totally dissimilar to the âsmash and grabâ outfits you must have worked for out of the Forrest However, neither were we âhide boundâ union Wallahs because we did the job according to the requirements of the load in hand which at times were demanding to say the least like having to kick off at 2 am to make a closing dock in London which was a regular feature of a later in the week load out of British Cellophaneâs Barrow factory. You may have been one of the sluggards who got under our feet down the road. Cheers Dennis.
I was a stand-in trailer mate at Fridged Freight from 1963 to 1968. I usually spent the whole of my school holidays filling in for holiday makers or sickies - my father was a driver, promoted to T.M. so I got first call when a shortage came up and I was keen enough to hang in there when the permanent lad came back. I was taught Never to be idle or caught with my hands in my pockets and built up a memory bank of corny jokes to while away the miles and keep the driver awake. As soon as we stopped I cleaned the screen, mirrors and lights - back number plates and marker boards. Checked the fridges for oil, gas and temperature settings, thermostat settings - head underneath for air leaks - look out for punctures and whilst the driver dieseled up, up with the bonnet and check the oil. Once she had cooled down a bit I checked the water and put the blankets back after a good shake outside, then tidied the cab. I never got into trouble - well - once - I â â â â â â and got thrown out in the pouring rain on the East Lancs road - we were heading for the Liverpool to Belfast ferry. A police car stopped and the copper asked why I was plodding up a dangerous road - soaked to the skin. Sod started laughing when I explained, but gave me a lift to the wagon and then gave the driver a bollocking for travelling in a wagon and drag without a Mate on board!
Before the motorway network was established we went through the towns and cities and - in the age of the mini skirt - there was plenty to see and admire - not like now. A day was filled with adventure, although accidents could cause serious delays, especially where ferry connections were affected and we were to unwieldy to take to the back roads, but the drivers always knew a route that would take us there on time.
Better go before I bore you all. Jim.
Bewick:
Retired Old â â â â :
Crike, Dennis, Iâd have given my right arm for a Monday like yours! All of mine started before 4.00 am and didnât finish until I got back to the yard. Looks like you were spoiled up in the grim North.Now then ROF, first off we were a professional team totally dissimilar to the âsmash and grabâ outfits you must have worked for out of the Forrest
Just carry on with the story Dennis, very good!
If you bite at ROFâs âYou were Luckyâ remarks, heâll have been licking the road clean before he went to bed - Sheer Luxury!
Anon
Well at least the thread has awoken another âtrailer mateâ so he should be allowed to carry on with the rest of his story ! Who knows we may even get one or two of Suttons mates on as well to tell their tales of riding in their fine 150LX Atki four wheelers and superb Dyson double wheeled trailers ! I was always envious of those Sutton drawbars. Cheers Dennis.
Regarding the cab operated trailer brakes Dennis, did you have to apply them all the time or could the outfit slow/stop using just the wagons braking system with the trailer brake as backup?
Pete.