Cab or Digs

[billyboy]

I never had a suitable cab for sleeping in. I did kip in the back of the truck a few times thouGh (A pan teck with a luton body)
Anyone stay at harrys transport cafe in blackburn not bad. found it in the little red book, remember them?. clean bed and a good brekkie in the morning. think his wife did a runner and harry ended up running it alone.
Where were your favourite digs?
I had an Albion at that time with the engine in the middle of the cab. the only way to kip was with that damn gear lever in your back

[Mandator]

The little red book Billy,remember it well.
I never had a sleeper cab when I was on general and tanker work and had to rely on digs.Some were ok,a lot were s***oles and I would resort to "cabbing it" rather than stay in some of them.Some curtains round and a board across the seats and a sleeping bag,full of fish and chips and some beer and I was away.Wake up frozzen to death and aching all over but at least not bitten by bedbugs.
I was on nights and running from Teesside to Grangemouth for a fortnight.I found some digs in Falkirk that would accomodate night drivers.After breakfast I went up to the room and the bed was unmade and still warm from the previous occupant.The landlady said she'd had no complaints before so I said she could shove her B and B and walked out with her shouting for the money for breakfast.
Aye,that Albion gear lever Billy,I can feel it in me back now.

More to follow.

[Mandator]

As a postscript to my previous post,the first time I had a sleeper cab was at MFS Maltby on the Littlewoods contract and all the units were double shifted so there were no nights out.The company got a better resale value with a sleeper cab unit.
When I think back of freezing my nuptials off cabbing it and then driving
sleeper cab Scanias with night heaters on shift work I used to think "what a crazy world we're living in" - like Joe Brown and the Bruvvers sang years ago.

Now I do feel old.
Nurse on her way,bedtime.

[billyboy]

some of the big scanias were good company motors. two drivers and two bunks...Keep them wheels a turning lads! "Turning wheels are earning wheels"

[ceylon220]

Anyone remember "HARDEN HOUSE" near Liverpool, when ever we were picking stuff from the docks our local drivers would make for there,£1:10s a night,probably like everything else its dissappeared, only problem if you slept in the cab down on Dock Road you were up all night chasing kids off your load (flat beds,no tautliners about then) or paying one of them a £1 to keep others off.

[G-CPTN]

Driving through southern Italy in 1979 in a convoy of test trucks, the load was metal crates of concrete blocks and 'spares' including spare wheels and drums of fuel.
On arrival in a town our 'wagon-master' would enquire of the hotel receptionist where we could find 'guards' for the vehicles and after handing over millions of lira a youth in a Fiat 500 would turn up toting a rifle and stay/sleep overnight. We never lost anything.

[billyboy]

I can recall arriving in Glasgow feeling well tired (no tachographs in them days) and the lighrt was fading fast. Had'nt a clue where i was, found a place to park that looked reasonable and got down to a bit of kip in the cab. I was awakened by banging on the cab door by a not to friendly gentleman of the local constabulary. "are you effing mad jimmy"?
Get it shifted NOW! I enquired as to where i should go to be safe. "Follow me" he said so i fired it up and followed him. When he stopped thats where I parked up for the night, But, not before recieving a lecture about Wheel and Diesel thieves operating in the area i had chosen in the first place. Well, I guess we all had to learn in the begining. Not sure he should have doubted my pedigree though

[Mandator]

Originally Posted by ceylon220

Anyone remember "HARDEN HOUSE" near Liverpool, when ever we were picking stuff from the docks our local drivers would make for there,£1:10s a night,probably like everything else its dissappeared, only problem if you slept in the cab down on Dock Road you were up all night chasing kids off your load (flat beds,no tautliners about then) or paying one of them a £1 to keep others off.

Arden House,Salvation Army Hostel in Bootle.I never used it but recall one or two of my mates who did. The gangs of kids were not to be messed with apparantly,give 'em a few bob and your motor would be looked after all night.Refuse and you paid the penalty as someone I heard about did.He told the kids to bugger off and next morning he found that every bag of sugar on the bottom row of his trailer had been slashed and the load was bulging over the sides as the bags spread and settled.

[billyboy]

Had to pay a quid to "The watchers" up in Aberdeen. Its a real sod trying to drive in traffic with no mirrors. The wagon was in good condition the next morning! Noticed the Tyre company was out sorting a wagon parked not too far from me though. Both fronts punctured

[deckboypeggy]

Originally Posted by billyboy

I never had a suitable cab for sleeping in. I did kip in the back of the truck a few times thouGh (A pan teck with a luton body)
Anyone stay at harrys transport cafe in blackburn not bad. found it in the little red book, remember them?. clean bed and a good brekkie in the morning. think his wife did a runner and harry ended up running it alone.
Where were your favourite digs?
I had an Albion at that time with the engine in the middle of the cab. the only way to kip was with that damn gear lever in your back

DECKBOY PEGGY,Billyboy you got me by 2 years so i know where you are coming from ididnt know the blackburn cafe but idid finish my driving life with BOWKERS OF BLACKBURN what a brillient firm to work for all european could not fault them. yes i selpt in the luton but in a cattell truck on the clean straw and stinking of sheep piss but we did it 7 bob night out i think. and yes the red book,and the micky mouse drivers mag THE HEADLIGHT.iv started in1967 at sea before then so was used to roughing it a bit.