The Greek boats from Bari/Brindisi were still one way on and off right up into the 90s, if you got on early you were lucky enough to drive on and turn around before folding your mirrors in and backing in really tight to the motor next to you, the deckhands would guide you in and if you did what you thought you should do and not what they tod you to do you would make a balls up of it, if you did as instructed it would be perfect, so fair play to them, they knew how to cram on as many lorries as possible
Before Superfast I used to use Minoan or that lot that give you a sticker for the trailer, for the life of me I can’t remember their name though
Could be johnnie it’s lost in the mists of time mate, i know that it was a while before the older ferries all got posted elsewhere. some got sent to ireland used to be a port at new ross quite a way upriver i know for sure one of them ended up there.
LB76:
You dont sound a ■■■ at all mate for asking that, the reason being not all the ferries were capable of opening at both ends so usually you had to back on and drive off, but when they were in a hurry they wanted the lorries on quickly so you had to drive on and back off at the other end, this caused a bit of a laugh when driver wasnt too good at reversing!
Thanks for clearing that up.
Boarding at Dover one night i was crossing the linkspan, there were lorries on the ferry facing me.
My first thoughts were"what are the ■■■■■ doing,they havent unloaded yet"
They couldnt open the stern door so you had to drive on and do a Uey, bit of a ■■■■ to do in a Magnum with a tag
I took a lorry on the boat from liverpool to dublin five years ago and that was drive on turn round and drove off through the same door.As others have said best bet was to listen to the crew rather than look in the mirrors.
chazzer:
I had actually loaded on the ship in Patras when the loading officer asked me to back off so that they could load a fridge near a plug in point, next thing the ramp was up and I was left sitting on the dock.
you have to laugh - maybe not at the time, granted
chazzer:
I had actually loaded on the ship in Patras when the loading officer asked me to back off so that they could load a fridge near a plug in point, next thing the ramp was up and I was left sitting on the dock.
you have to laugh - maybe not at the time, granted
After a trip down to the bottom of Italy you think you’ve experienced all there is to see when it comes to corruption…then you jump off the boat in Greece and it soon becomes apparent that the Italians are just beginners
fly sheet:
I carn’t remember the name of that lot, they where from Kent & I remember John Dowdall subbed his Greek loads for them & pulled one of them brown steps, on the tip of my tongue Gilman Gilbert something like. I remember them doing shoes from Italy a lot too, someone will put me out of my misery soon…
Maybe Rod Gilman? Mel Stephens off Croomes worked for him for a while after falling out with Mr Croome - got a ropey old wagon and drag doing Italy, bit of a Stetson n’ Spurs outfit by all accounts
Mark, it was definitely Minoan who gave you a trailer sticker and I can assure everyone that I was’nt laughing when I they pulled the ramp up on me nor was the little guy in the office when I managed to drag him halfway over the counter ( I was’nt strong enough to get him all the way ) but my mate Derek Garrard was stood on the deck as the boat sailed off into the sunset laughing his nuts off. They did put me on the boat the next day with a lot a greek apologies not that that made up for anything.
chazzer:
Mark, it was definitely Minoan who gave you a trailer sticker and I can assure everyone that I was’nt laughing when I they pulled the ramp up on me nor was the little guy in the office when I managed to drag him halfway over the counter ( I was’nt strong enough to get him all the way ) but my mate Derek Garrard was stood on the deck as the boat sailed off into the sunset laughing his nuts off. They did put me on the boat the next day with a lot a greek apologies not that that made up for anything.
The sticker I mean is the one like the Scandinavian boats used to give you, a yellow background with a black artic or drawbar and the length of the lorry, either 15m or 18m, It was a proper Greek sounding name, I was going to google it, but it’ll come to me, just hope the old woman doesn’t freak out too much when I holler out some Greek name in the middle of the night, I’m sure it ended in ‘kis’ so I could be in a spot of bother
I have to say Charlie, I would’ve been dragging the bloke over the counter too, although I would also have been laughing if I was your mate on the boat, I do hope he was holding a cold beer in the hand that wasn’t waving at you
the povey volvo was a f12 and ted used to drive it to italy most weeks they did do airfreight but mainly groupage stuff and Elizerberth Arden +Faberge+ semperit tyres and R H Stevens amongst others (European Freightbus)
fly sheet:
I carn’t remember the name of that lot, they where from Kent & I remember John Dowdall subbed his Greek loads for them & pulled one of them brown steps, on the tip of my tongue Gilman Gilbert something like. I remember them doing shoes from Italy a lot too, someone will put me out of my misery soon…
Maybe Rod Gilman? Mel Stephens off Croomes worked for him for a while after falling out with Mr Croome - got a ropey old wagon and drag doing Italy, bit of a Stetson n’ Spurs outfit by all accounts
It was Gilman jj your right, the country & western outfit was also very right Squire…
Anyone remember the French company who built their own bonneted wagons using a Scania engine and drive chain? Used to see them a lot pulling their own tankers, and any pictures?
OssieD:
Anyone remember the French company who built their own bonneted wagons using a Scania engine and drive chain? Used to see them a lot pulling their own tankers, and any pictures?
sgt major roadworks:
Anyone know what happened to Fred who drove for Barry Read for years ?
Fred was from North Frodingham near Driffield IIRC, very nice man knew the job inside out a gentleman !
Regards
Kenny
I think Fred finished when Barry sold out to Ken Matthews, he maybe did a few weeks there.
Derek Taylor was there towards the end too
Derek Taylor ended up driving for me out of Beverley until he retired…
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