The Long Haul Pionneers - Astran

Authors: Ashley Coghill
Availalbe from www.toprun.ch
Languages: English
350 Seiten / pages, 28 x 22 cm - 345 Abbildungen / Pictures - Edition: 2010
Price: 36.50.- Euros
In 1964 Asian Transport, later to become Astran, pioneered overland transport from the UK to the Middle East, the 10,000 mile round trip that was to become a phenomenon in the haulage industry.
In the early days truckers had to cope with unfamiliar documentation, unmade roads, snowdrifts, dangerous mountains, desert sands and bandits. Some of these difficulties eased over the next twenty years, to be supplanted by problems of congested border posts and wars in the Balkans and Iran-Iraq.
The truckers who persevered were exceptional, needing high driving skills, stamina and diplomacy. Similarly, it was only the best companies -- such as Astran -- which ran the course. and its drivers covers all these points.
He interviewed many of the people involved, not least Bob Paul, one of the company's founder members. There are mini-biogs of Astran's drivers and sub-contractors accompanied by a wealth of photographs. Even more detail is given to Gordon Pearce and Dick Snow.
Chapters are also devoted to other areas of special interest: Astran's Doha depot; the delights of driving in Turkey; accidents and incidents; and the making of the television documentary Destination Doha.

[@swiftyjim2]

Brilliant book, I love the story about "Stuttering Bob and the wheel brace"..

[@bertiespicer7132]

brilliant book i remember when i was driving, passing there yard at addington going in the jungel cafe near by
id liked to know how two of them slept in those vabis trucks..

[@BestTruckWebsite]

@Fruit1968 No its only in english