An old lorry driver's lament

Comedy/Humour
1

Courtesy of my mate Oily on Trucknet UK.
WE WERE INVINCIBLE!
The kids of the 70’s. Class one HGV. Kings of the Road, bring it on. We were invincible.
ERF, Seddon, Atki, Foden. TK, Guy Big J, Screaming Dodge. F86! 180, 220. 240 Straight 8. Cummins, Rolls Royce, the mighty Gardner. We were invincible.
Sleeping Bags, non sleeper cabs, sleeping boards, newspaper curtains frozen to the windows. Five nights out. Fry ups. Booze ups Fish & Chips, Spare ribs, Chinese, a Kebab on the way back. We were invincible.
Roping and sheeting in rain sun or snow climbing over loads like monkeys. No Gloves, fingers split, dollies, half hitches and pigs ears. Dundee crosses, Chains and dogs and a 3 foot length of scaffold pipe. We were invincible.
Jump up. Jump down run around an PULLLLLL. Rope slips, hold on tight. Soaking wet, dry as you drive. Handball fertilizer, tatties or flour 200lb sacks just drop them on me. We were invincible.
New road, old roads, no place too far or remote. Trailblazers pathfinders, leave it to me. Hammer down keep ‘er lit. Aldgate East, Middle East, East Kilbride. Mind that bridge, look out the ministry’s about. We were invincible.
Forty years on the knees have gone, back aches, hips replaced, stone deaf, diabetes. Stiff neck, kidney stones, arthritis. Absent friends, we’ll meet agains. Going still or keys hung up, pass it on.
WE ARE INVINCIBLE.

If anybody has a problem with any of the nomenclature, just ask, it is all too familiar to me, though I would add the '60s too. :rofl:

BTW, there was a model of an English lorry made by Guy in Wolverhampton, called Invincible. I drove one and, of its day, was the best there was. :wink:

To which has been added:
Oily found this to compliment your post, hope you have a sense of humour, Buzzer

Attachments

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I should explain that Oily is a retired driver and Buzzer is a retired former driver and successful international transport company owner. :grinning:

6 Likes
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No mention of Yorkie bars??? Just a myth with you trucker guys? :shushing_face:

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A massive myth which we studiously avoid mention of. :rage: :rofl:

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“We were invincible!” Am I reading truck drivers’ prose here? Or is it poetry?

You drove one of these? Looks huge judging from the driver’s cab…

Invincible6

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No mention of Scammell wheel nuts? For shame!

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Yes, as I said, in its day it was the best, large spacious cab, great vision and, the only one that came with a metal (not plastic, which would fall to pieces at the first bird strike) exterior sunvisor and a cigarette lighter (which meant other luxuries could be used) as standard equipment.

It didn’t last though and Guy were taken over by Jaguar and a smaller cab called the Big J was substituted. I had one of those too, very nice but not the roominess of the Invincible and, in the days before sleeper cabs and good digs few and far between, not so easily turned into a sleeping space with the seats built up with suitcases and bags at night.

@NotALot Yes, there were others not mentioned and I am surprised that Scammell wasn’t.

1 Like