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Showing posts from February, 2021

Oriel Jones Llanybydder / Late 80’s / Early 90’s (Past Picture Post)

Hello one and all. I hope everyone’s weekend is going well and you are enjoying some sun.  So to continue the story. After we moved to Wales Dad started at Oriel Jones in the workshop, keeping all the various trucks and trailers going. Volvos, Mercedes, MAN, Scania, oh and an ERF that everyone hated, nicknaming it ‘The Coffin’. Well, Dad at least! He’d often work all day and then do a run at night, often Smithfield Market in London. Remember what I said about us being hard workers!? Excessive hours for me was a fact even as a teenager! Dad would often ring asking if I wanted to go to Smithfield overnight with him.......as you can imagine I never said no! So often I’d spend the day in school, go home, have my dinner and wait for Dad to swing by to pick me up for my ride to London. It was something of a white knuckle affair as it was the days before limiters, with a load of hanging lambs and Oriels trucks were known for their breakneck speeds up and down the M4! We’d go to London in a ti

DJ Davies / More Family History (Past Picture Post)

Hello one and all. Thanks for engaging and watching my latest video, means a lot all the kindness I get. So as many will know I’ve had something like 20 jobs in my working life and being restless is a trait I got from Dad! I often think how much easier it would be if I was sort who could be content with one job but my overactive mind sabotages any chance of that! 9 years at Virginia was something of a one off! After we moved to Wales Dad worked for various companies in the Nineties but not least of them was DJ Davies. From Pencader they are/were a famous old name in transport. They gave up running trucks many years ago but surprisingly as it’s a rare occurrence they started running trucks again (they always kept the warehousing). Sadly though they haven’t resurrected their lovely old livery and are now white and blue. Dad drive several lorries here, a twinsteer 2800 (remember how old DAF twinsteers used to sit up at front?) , the fleet flagship (almost) 3600 that he only had two weeks

#TruckingTopTips The Basics 2. Should I Bother?

Hello friends. Episode 2 up at 8am Thursday. Sleep well all.

Nolan Transport / Jump Forward (Past Picture Post)

Happy Tuesday one and all. Today I’m jumping forward a bit (I’ll return to earlier things) to the mid to late nineties when Dad took a job at the legendary Nolan Transport! Good old Movin’ On! Still a favourite name! He had done the odd trip abroad at that point, mostly covering an owner drivers holiday’s. I went with him on one trip. The owner driver had a set weekly route, every week he would deliver starter motors to 4 or 5 BMW factories and in what was my first time abroad it was in that lorry (No pics sadly) was in that lorry to those factories. Remember those little temporary passports you could have issued at Post Office? I had one of those. Anyhow back to pics. He worked at Nolans several years and got to every corner of Europe with them. My favourite lorry of his there was the 1850. 500bhp is still high today, then it was like we consider 660’s now. And I’ve had a soft spot for Mercedes SK’s since then. Even EPS, electronic powershift, a electronically controlled gear box, not

KJR Holman / From Dads to my Childhood (Past Picture Post)

 So yesterday I posted some of the pictures relating to my Dads childhood and my Grandads lorry, today it’s me, and my brother Simon as we used to spend a large number of our weekends in various transport yards with Dad. One of most memorable was Kevin Holmans as he used to run this lovely old Atkinson along with the Seddon Atkinson (might do a #TopTips about history thinking about it, as I’m sure many won’t know the reason one is an Atkinson and the other a Seddon Atkinson), it was a classic in the 80’s! Dad as a mobile mechanic used to keep it rolling and working every day. One day I hope to have a drive in some classics like this but every day, nah, you’re ok!  We lived in Thame at this time, we moved to Wales when I was 10. Dad didn’t drive full time till Wales, partly because after 20+ years putting his body through hell as a mechanic in all weathers he needed a break! As you can see from these pictures he didn’t exactly need a workshop, just his van and tools! Have a good week al

Lawrence High Wycombe / Where It All Began! (Past Picture Post)

If you look closely you can see my Dad My family are from Buckinghamshire originally So lots of old pictures to post over the coming weeks, I’m excited to share them with you. But to start at the beginning. In this pic you can see my Granddads lorry, and in one pic my Dad as a child in front of it! (Very old so not great quality) Sadly I never knew my Granddad as he passed away before I was born but I like the thought that I’m doing what I do because of him, of the father he was to Dad and Dad to me. Gramps was a mechanic and driver* just like Dad,  just like Sam and even I started out on the spanners believe it or not (find it hard to believe myself!). I just was a bit shit at it, unlike Sam and Dad! My heart always belonged to driving. Many kids hate the thought they copy their parents! We all did in every way & are proud of it. Also as a result Gramps had a huge influence on the Grandchildren he never met, our lives are shaped by a man who died long before we were born, and I th

#TruckingTopTips The Basics 1. Axle Configuration

Hello all. This is the first in a new series of #TopTips where I run through some of the basic aspects of the industry. Things that as a new driver you might be embarrassed to ask. Hope you enjoy and it’s informative. Any other subjects or constructive criticism feel free to comment below. (And yes, it’s 25 minutes of just me talking to camera, hopefully it’s not too dull) And thank you all again for your kindness and donations. https://linktr.ee/lorrydriverdotcom

#LampeterLorrySpotting Week Ending 19/02/21

Hello all, Boggle Eyed fool here. So along with all the other stuff mentioned so far I’m also going to do a weekly post with the pictures of the trucks I’ve seen driving through town that week. Lampeter is a very busy through route so always get a great selection. If you drive or own any of the trucks pictured and would like the original picture pop a comment below with your email and I’ll send it. As I’ve said before I’m in no way possessive about pictures I take* so always feel free to save and share in any way you want, just enjoy them being appreciated. *Not for a second saying anyone who is possessive of their pictures is wrong, people take pictures for all different reasons, many professionally to make money and it’s all good with me. #TopTips The Basics Video out at 18:01 tomorrow, which is why I’m posting this today instead.

#TruckingTopTips The Basics coming soon

Hello all. Just to say the first of my new series of Top Tips videos will be up Friday evening. Aimed at new and inexperienced drivers Ill be covering many basic questions that you may be embarrassed to ask about. So if you fancy hearing me talk about axles for 25 minutes, yes...... that long, look out for it! Have a great evening all

Dydd Crempog

 Hello all. Yesterday was pancake day so I made some for first time ever. They were wonderful and so easy I shan’t be buying any in shop again. https://www.instagram.com/tv/CLXY7Q6hmy2/?igshid=l1yozrpjrctn

Me And My MAN Part 5

 Hello friends. Here be the latest instalment of Italy. Once this series is over I’ve a host of Top Tips videos in the planning and making to upload aimed at new or inexperienced drivers. But for now to Italy >>> Also thank you a million times over for the continuing donations. They mean the world www.buymeacoffee.Com/lukevernon  

London/Gay Pride

Happy Monday one and all! Hope you’ve had a great weekend. Was reminiscing about this earlier, my first ever London Pride (gay pride if you will) where the truck was turned into a giant ball pit. Was very popular. Meanwhile I was at front driving this frankly enormous mechanical float and eying up the homosexual talent before me* (*I seem to be channeling a morbidly obese 59 year old lorry driver saying that) Second picture is Dad who hates his picture taken, all my family do so god only knows where I’ve come from. When both working me and Dad often stop for a chat. And last pic is one of best things shot this job. Can be pulling a float through central London one minute and trundling down country lanes the next Have a great day one and all. May Transport Jesus grant you wealth and health www.twitter.com/lukevernon www.facebook.com/lorrydriverdotcom www.instagram.com/lorrydriverdotcom www.buymeacoffee.com/lukevernon   #trucking #trucker #truckdriver 

A Pretty Sky In Denmark

 Hope everyone’s weekend is going to plan. Here’s one from Denmark. Loading Bacon at Danish Crown, one biggest places I’ve ever seen. Hoping to get the next Italy instalment out tomorrow. Have a good rest of day all #LampeterLorrySpotting    Www.Buymeacoffee.Com/lukevernon  

Have A great Weekend

Hello all. Hope everyone’s weekend is going to plan and enjoyable. Since you’re here you’ll know after a few years where it fell by the wayside I’m back using my blog, i.e. here! Updated the desktop/tablet/phone wallpapers and will do so regularly from now on. Just to say that my pictures are free to do what you wish with, I just enjoy seeing them used and enjoyed Also if you’re a real glutton for punishment I update my Instagram stories most days as I go about being alive!  Www.Instagram.Com/lorrydriverdotcom #ONWARD!  #LampeterLorrySpotting www.lorry-driver.com  We had a light dusting of snow this morning. Normally love but frankly at this stage Spring can’t come soon enough

One Of My Favourite Pictures

One of my very favourite pictures today. Seems the pictures from my past are more interesting than the ones trundling through town, which is fair enough. I’ll post a mix from now on. When the Italy series of videos are over in addition to the Top Tips videos for new drivers I’m going to run through my past, a video autobiography If you will! I promise it won’t be as earth shatteringly dull as it sounds 😂 This picture I stood out on open deck for 2 and a half hours (was one of first on) in freezing cold wind to get this picture! I was hoping for any truck but it seems the Lorry Gods were smiling on me that evening & on popped one from the big V. Birkenhead, 12 years ago, way before the videos and social media began and not long at V-Bobs at this point. Was it still Merchant Ferries them or had DFDS taken over via NorfolkLine? #ONWARD to the weekend. Have a great day all. #LampeterLorrySpotting

Doris The Dark Diamond

Today’s picture is Whites Dark Diamond before she went to pastures new. Not much more to say I just really like this picture! Was either the beginning of the end of her final trip, done by yours truly. I remember that it was Italy but that’s about it. Happy Friday all. (The name Doris was just invented by me as I post. It was that or Desdemona and while she was a glamorous lady she was down to earth so felt Doris more fitting. Doris a glamorous northern lady with generous boobage)

Some Pretty Pictures

 Someone asked to see pictures of this so here she is. The Volvo Dual Clutch 540 I took to Italy to review. Actually probably no word of a lie the single best truck I’ve ever driven. The Virginia 750 will always be my favourite but technologically this was on another level entirely. The dual clutch is a sublime driving experience, the adaptive up and downhill as well as flat cruise control with engine brake makes everything so effortless. It literally went over the Alps with minimal driver intervention. Thanks to Martin Tomlinson at Volvo for making it possible and Pete White for giving me the perfect run and Truck & Driver Magazine for printing the review. Hope to get into reviews like this much more when driving again. Have a great day all. Have a great evening all

Another Week Begins

Prynhawn Da pawb. I hope today finds everyone well. Today’s old picture is one to prove that even plain trucks can look good! She was a 500. This is almost the exact look I’d go for if I owned trucks. Just name on doors and 3/4 way towards back on trailer. I post lots of pictures on my Facebook page, twitter and Facebook pages but I dawned on my I don’t post them here and I should for people without social media accounts. So here’s the first of hopefully many.  I also do stories as I go about my day on Instagram, which somehow people seem to like! So take a look if interested. www.Instagram.com/lorrydriverdotcom www.twitter.com/lukevernon Www.Facebook.Com/lorrydriverdotcom And as ever thank you so very much for the ongoing donations. You’ll never know how much difference they’ve made. www.buymeacoffee.com/lukevernon Cael diwrnod da / Have a great day all