Loaded up and trucking!!

[76masseyman]

GERRY HILL – THE LITTLE MAN WITH A BIG HEART.

My name is Philip Nash. I repair heavy trucks in Braintree, Essex. I work within my own business which has been established for almost forty years.
I would like to say how honoured I am to have known an owner driver by the name of Gerrard Hill.

This man stood barely five feet tall. He came from Todmorden, Lancashire. He had a heart of gold and was one of the transport industry’s rapidly disappearing true characters. Gerrard owned an American White truck which was V registered around 1979. He owned the truck for about twenty years, and during that time he drove it all over the Middle East and throughout Europe.
To say that his truck was a very large part of his life would be an understatement. Gerrard, or Gerry to his friends, virtually lived for that truck.
I maintained Gerry’s White truck for many years, and we became good friends. Travelling across Europe in my van to get Gerry’s truck rolling again after the odd breakdown,something that I enjoyed doing and I know that Gerry’s appreciated it. Occasions such as a wiring burn out at the Neuburgring race circuit in Germany and the water pump failure in Stockholm, Sweden bring back such fond memories for me.
The hypocritical, parasitic politicians that pretend to run this country of ours betrayed Gerry. I guess that it would be fair to say that he was not an angel, but who is? Gerry did the job right, and always tried to comply with the rules. All he wanted was to make ends meet and, like most truck operators through history, at times found it extremely hard. Nevertheless, Gerry wanted to continue running his White indefinitely because of his love for the truck. He told me this.
I forget dates, and even what years things happened, but it was about nine years ago that Gerry stopped for a break in Belgium when five Iraqui men slit the roof of his tilt, climbed into his trailer and laid on top of his loads, urinating into it.
It was on the Customs bank in Dover that these creatures were found and Gerry was arrested. The Iraquis were whisked away in a mini bus and are probably still here today. Gerry had his truck taken away from him, and a £10,000 fine imposed on him.
Gerry never worked again from that day. Between us we managed to get his truck back from Customs and Excise, and it ended up in my yard in Braintree. He didn’t pay the fine, because he didn’t have it.
Despite my offer to help him get started again, Gerry could not. He was a broken man, and he was a proud man. He had been made bankrupt over this disgraceful fiasco and could not face some of the people involved.
Gerry, who was always a heavy smoker, sat in his chair and smoked, and smoked. Over the last few years he became weaker and weaker and suffered from emphysema for several years. They took his truck and they took his life, and he just lost the will to carry on.
It was a sad day when his wife, Pauline, phoned me to say that Gerry had died. Pauline asked me to go up to Lancashire with his old truck to take him on his last trip to the crematorium. The truck incidentally had stayed in Essex. I had sold it to a close friend on Gerry’s behalf, who takes really good care of it and only uses it for showing these days.
So off to Lancashire we went with a home made platform over the fifth wheel. Gerry had quite a large family and they all seemed very close. It was very emotional that day as I turned into the top of Gerry’s street with his coffin on the back, because for all those people it was the first time they had seen his truck since it was taken away several years before.
Gerry is now resting in peace, but what of the politicians who are responsible for destroying him? When will they be brought to account?

We all know a similar person to Gerry. They’re are the true guts of this once proud and proper country in which we live. The sort of person who doesn’t see a problem, what they see is another reason to find a solution.
Sadly, there are far too many pen pushing, sharp suited, educated ar5e holes doing their utmost best to stop any true, honest worker.

 

[average farmer]

Managed to squeeze the oats on

 

[Karliboy]

GERRY HILL – THE LITTLE MAN WITH A BIG HEART.

My name is Philip Nash. I repair heavy trucks in Braintree, Essex. I work within my own business which has been established for almost forty years.
I would like to say how honoured I am to have known an owner driver by the name of Gerrard Hill.

This man stood barely five feet tall. He came from Todmorden, Lancashire. He had a heart of gold and was one of the transport industry’s rapidly disappearing true characters. Gerrard owned an American White truck which was V registered around 1979. He owned the truck for about twenty years, and during that time he drove it all over the Middle East and throughout Europe.
To say that his truck was a very large part of his life would be an understatement. Gerrard, or Gerry to his friends, virtually lived for that truck.
I maintained Gerry’s White truck for many years, and we became good friends. Travelling across Europe in my van to get Gerry’s truck rolling again after the odd breakdown,something that I enjoyed doing and I know that Gerry’s appreciated it. Occasions such as a wiring burn out at the Neuburgring race circuit in Germany and the water pump failure in Stockholm, Sweden bring back such fond memories for me.
The hypocritical, parasitic politicians that pretend to run this country of ours betrayed Gerry. I guess that it would be fair to say that he was not an angel, but who is? Gerry did the job right, and always tried to comply with the rules. All he wanted was to make ends meet and, like most truck operators through history, at times found it extremely hard. Nevertheless, Gerry wanted to continue running his White indefinitely because of his love for the truck. He told me this.
I forget dates, and even what years things happened, but it was about nine years ago that Gerry stopped for a break in Belgium when five Iraqui men slit the roof of his tilt, climbed into his trailer and laid on top of his loads, urinating into it.
It was on the Customs bank in Dover that these creatures were found and Gerry was arrested. The Iraquis were whisked away in a mini bus and are probably still here today. Gerry had his truck taken away from him, and a £10,000 fine imposed on him.
Gerry never worked again from that day. Between us we managed to get his truck back from Customs and Excise, and it ended up in my yard in Braintree. He didn’t pay the fine, because he didn’t have it.
Despite my offer to help him get started again, Gerry could not. He was a broken man, and he was a proud man. He had been made bankrupt over this disgraceful fiasco and could not face some of the people involved.
Gerry, who was always a heavy smoker, sat in his chair and smoked, and smoked. Over the last few years he became weaker and weaker and suffered from emphysema for several years. They took his truck and they took his life, and he just lost the will to carry on.
It was a sad day when his wife, Pauline, phoned me to say that Gerry had died. Pauline asked me to go up to Lancashire with his old truck to take him on his last trip to the crematorium. The truck incidentally had stayed in Essex. I had sold it to a close friend on Gerry’s behalf, who takes really good care of it and only uses it for showing these days.
So off to Lancashire we went with a home made platform over the fifth wheel. Gerry had quite a large family and they all seemed very close. It was very emotional that day as I turned into the top of Gerry’s street with his coffin on the back, because for all those people it was the first time they had seen his truck since it was taken away several years before.
Gerry is now resting in peace, but what of the politicians who are responsible for destroying him? When will they be brought to account?

Sad tale this is. How long ago was this?
Todmorden is my home town and I still live here. I can’t say as I know him but will probably know his family.

 

[roscoe erf]

Sad tale this is. How long ago was this?
Todmorden is my home town and I still live here. I can’t say as I know him but will probably know his family.

I don't know but it must have been in the last 5 years

 

[itsalwaysme]

I don't know but it must have been in the last 5 years

Funeral pics posted on trucknet in early 2010

 

[roscoe erf]

Funeral pics posted on trucknet in early 2010

christ time fly's

 

[roscoe erf]

We all know a similar person to Gerry. They’re are the true guts of this once proud and proper country in which we live. The sort of person who doesn’t see a problem, what they see is another reason to find a solution.
Sadly, there are far too many pen pushing, sharp suited, educated ar5e holes doing their utmost best to stop any true, honest worker.

and most of them, seem to post on here

 

[Hfd Cattle]

and most of them, seem to post on here

That's a bit harsh !!

 

[roscoe erf]

That's a bit harsh !!

truth usually is

 

[Hfd Cattle]

I'm going to challenge you on that ...... I for one have gone ,in another life , above and beyond in helping make life fairer for people such as Gerry . He did come onto my radar and I remember it well but I don't think anyone on here will support the kind of persecution he faced from the authorities at the time over something out of his control .
I know he was a 'bit of a character ' to say the least but that was what made him who he was .
Comments like 'most of them post on here ' are untrue .....some maybe but I bet if you run a poll 99% of TFF'ers ,if they knew of him would have backed Gerry . .....just a shame the country didn't !
Rant Over

 

[roscoe erf]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10216484321406873

 

[JeepJeep]

 

[spanners and hammers]

nice pair

 

[spanners and hammers]

in the most inconic 70s trucking pic awards that wins gold

 

[Juggler]

This to me is iconic 70s / 80s US trucking, had this poster on my wall as a child.

 

[Juggler]

View attachment 848386

I knew that reminded me of something, at the time I had the above poster I also had this album...

 

[JeepJeep]

Stolen from Volvo Trucks off of Twitter.

 

[JeepJeep]

 

[JP1]

 

[Chae1]

View attachment 848788

Used to have a poster of that truck on my wall as a teenager! Sad i know, most people had girls on there wall.

Was it truck and driver magazine had featured truck in centre? I used to pick out staples and pin them up.