Just saying Hello!

[Mandator]

I've transhipped myself from the Railway forum and parked up in here for a bit.I am retired now,having spent all of my civilian career in road transport,since 1968,both as a driver,controller and shunter.Have done general haulage,tankers and fridge work.I still hold my HGV licence.I was exempt from the driving test as I had previous experience on artics in 1968-70 so got my class one automatically
So I'm an old sod really,and have plenty of (true) stories to tell.

[Andy]

Hi,
good to have you aboard... looks as if you got registered in the end
cheers,
Andy

[Mandator]

Thanks Andy,couldn't get in gear mate.

[G6 UXU]

Welcome Mandator, all the best.

[Mandator]

Thanks Chris

[Ian]

Chris you should 'ave Double-de-Clutched

Ian

[Mandator]

Originally Posted by Ian

Chris you should 'ave Double-de-Clutched

Ian

Correct Ian.Mind you the old AEC MK3s were semi automatic,when you got the revs right you could go up and down the box without the clutch.And the hand throttle was a bit of carefully-shaped wood wedged down onto the accelerator.
And it had two coat hooks (mine was the Ghia version) and a bonnet cover specially made by British Oil and Cake Mills.Went all over the UK in it,slept in it,must have been crackers - mind you the money was good.

Then I got a MK5 in 1970!

[G-CPTN]

I too qualified for my Class 1 through 'grandfather rights' having driven all manner of types (including military) as part of my job (testing experimental vehicles). Did runs to Southern Italy at 44 tonnes long before it was 'legal'.
Worst truck I drove was a Guy Big J (I realise that there were worse vehicles, but I was mainly driving new and prototype models).
Best fun was 6x4 8V92 rigid truck and drawbar trailer at 36 tonnes GTW testing anti-lock brakes on skid pans (with system active and disabled), closely followed by driving through narrow Italian streets with a Jake Brake on an 8V-92T with a fractured exhaust downpipe - alarming the young senoritas (or whatever they call them in Cosenza.
Disc brake testing from Berchtesgarten down the Obersaltzbergstrasse and Rossfeldstrasse was exciting too.