GUEST PHOTOS, PAGE -- 3
WERNER SCHWABE of BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Werner was driving this 650 Jimmy out of Edmonton, Alberta in 1954. He is also shown with one of Trans Canada's Autocars in Spokane, Washington, USA. Most trips from Alberta to Vancouver, BC were via the USA. At that time the trails through the Canadian Rockies were primitive and more dangerous. Werner, like most of us from the 1950's ran all over the country without the luxury of a sleeper cab. The bed was lying on your back on a small piece of plywood or board bridging across 2 small bucket seats. You had to stick your feet out of the window, resting them on the mirror arm and hoping that snow or bugs didn't come in the cab. Most of today's drivers have no concept of what that was like, and cannot understand the potential damage to a drivers body over time.
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Werner, fuelling up, and taking a break in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This was in 1956 with Midland Superior. Hauling a live load (so to speak) of hanging beef, and making sure the reefer is doing it's job, takes a lot of attentive driving skill.
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The 1955 Kenworth CBE that Werner drove was owned by Ray Hilsen from Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The right photo appears to have been taken when the truck was new, or fairly new. Ray Hilsen is the man in the right photo. This model of the Kenworth 1/2 cab was a short lived unique tractor, and was not the best configuration for 2 drivers to run long haul. It seems that there is always someone looking over your shoulder.
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Since the introduction of the first commercial truck in Toronto in 1898, brought with it the potential for horrendous trucking accidents. This one happened somewhere in Idaho, USA in 1953. The memory of what caused it has been lost over time. The Company was Refrigerated Express Lines from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They had a load of eggs on board. Scrambled, anyone?
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A Diamond "T" from PIX Transport (PACIFIC INLAND EXPRESS), and this Amalgamated Truck-Lines Freightliner were stopped for a brake check, and chit-chat on the summit of Snoqualmie Pass (Washington State, USA) in 1954.
Note, --- GILL & PIX, eventually joined together as one company.
The far right photo is of Werner's 650 Jimmy hauling for Trans-Line Transport out of Edmonton, Alberta. The second Jimmy is of Taber Transport, along with the two Freightliners of Canadian Freightways. All stopped for lunch and chit-chat about 8 miles west of Cranbrook, BC, on the old Crowsnest Hwy., 1954.
1989 brought Werner into retirement. After many years running the Rocky Mountains, Eastern Canada, and a stint hauling up North into the Territories brought a well deserved rest. Although he still misses the road, he makes up for it by trucking down the Internet Highway.
NIGEL EVERTS of SOUTH AFRICA
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Nigel, far right in left photo standing next to Hilton Griever, (driver). Far left is Peter Bennetto, Owner and part time driver of SOUTH HARBOUR, Transportation co. |
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SOUTH HARBOUR, is a small up and coming distributor and transport co., located in Cape Town, South Africa, at the very Southern tip of the continent. They also have their own tank farm in Port Nolloth.
Nigel is standing in front of their new edition to the company..... a MAN TGA 26 ton 410 HP rigid (straight) truck tractor, and rigged to pull a pup trailer.
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With their origin in harbour refuelling, and along with rapid expansion, South Harbour is confident it has a winning manning policy. They are a zero-tolerance type of operator. Things have got to be done right for safety and quality reasons in this business. Both Nigel and Hilton are hugely serious, senior and experienced operators that come to them with over 15 years fuel company driving. For those not in the know, South Africa is a right hand drive country. |
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ANDREW BOWYER of AUSTRALIA
Andrew is an Owner/Operator of an agitator, (Cement mixer) located on Australia's East Coast in Brisbane. There does not seem to be any of this type O/O here in Canada, as far as I know. A friend in Brazil tells me that there are none in his country either, but it seems to be quite common in Australia.
As in any business, the profit margin speaks loudest. Andrew accepted an offer that he could not refuse. A rare thing in the trucking world today. A complete mechanical inspection was required as well as adding the new corporate colours.
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(Above) the before photos are far left and right (Andrew & Truck). Centre photo shows one of Australia's meticulous inspectors checking out the wheel nuts during the mechanical inspection.
Now flying the new colours, it is time to get down and dirty. Not only is the job busy, busy, it is turning out to be a great place to work.
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PAUL REED of the UK
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Paul Reed works for Nigel Dorothy out of Bridgewater, Somerset, England. They haul throughout Great Britain and Europe. Paul hauls mostly containers, but when things get a little slack he will haul almost anything, anywhere. Paul's Dad was helping out by driving the red Volvo. It travels both GB and Europe. Paul's new Volvo has just been striped and lettered, and does not leave England as yet. Apparently it is quite the fuel miser, and should improve the profit margin.
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JAMES (JIM) DIGNALL of the UK
Jim's truck is a DAF (Pacar) CF series with a 12.6 litre
430bhp engine combined with a 16 speed Ecoshift gearbox. As things go, Jim
thinks that he has landed quite a nice truck.
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The Trailer is manufactured by Kelberg and was actually bought as a plain flatbed. It was converted to a curtainsider by Kelberg along with a sister trailer shortly after purchase. The trailer in the photo is loaded with 28tons of roof tiles. This unit is contracted to Redland roofing systems, and does dedicated inter-works runs while stocking up, and moving the material from Redland tile works, to all points in the UK. |
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Jim has since upgraded his truck to a 2004 Volvo FH12 Globetrotter equipped with an i-shift 12 speed auto with manual override. This auto transmission makes the town and city driving so easy, his clutch leg is wasting away. Not forgetting the added full stand up space in the cab, making life on the road more bearable. |
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Everyone should have a work stress release, and Jim is no exception. His other passion is his three motor bikes that helps to hold his sanity in place.
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This bike in the (RIGHT PHOTO) is a 2001 Aprilia Falco SL1000, the engine is a 1000cc V twin made by Rotax of Austria, (they make plane and helicopter engines too.) Jim is very happy with it as he loves V twins in any shape or form. The (LEFT PHOTO) is a new a Suzuki RF900R sports tourer. |
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He also has a 1987 Honda CBR750
Hurricane, and a 1991 Suzuki RM125 dirt bike.
JAN WIJERS of the NETHERLANDS
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This is Jan Wijers1964 Mack B613T. He found the truck here in Canada. The truck had quite a working history. The original owner was BULK CARRIERS (Tank Lines) The same company as mentioned in my stories section. The next owner was Barry Petteplace of Teeswater, Ontario, an owner/operator for a local dairy company who started restoration. From there Jan took it over to Holland and finished the restoration. This is a rare item in Europe. |
This is a photo of the Mack with the tag lifted.
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This photo
was taken at a convoy for handicapped kids ( they can ride as a passenger to have the day of their lives) |
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This photo is of Jan, in 1999 at the racetrack called
"Nuerburgring" in Germany. Jan won 1st prize for the best American truck! The trophy was so big that when putting it on the passenger bench he had to take the top off of it, because it wouldn't fit under the roof! |
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CONTINUE TO PAGE -- 4 -- FOR MORE GUEST PHOTOS
