Three years ago, life was very different for the owners of County Durham-based Hopper Transport Services, better known as HTS Consett. A father and daughter outfit, Louise Hopper had never set foot in a truck before, while dad Garry never intended to set foot in one again. Yet in October 2016 they set up a haulage outfit, by March 2017 they had their first motor on the road working day and night between them, and now they’re about to take on their third and fourth brand-new Daf tractors.
Louise always dreamed of being a truck driver, just like her father, but didn’t dare do anything about it. “It was simply because I was a girl,” she admits. “I thought I would stick out like a sore thumb. I just like to be in the background, doing my job.”
So that’s precisely what she did, trying all kinds of roles along the way – as a recruitment consultant, a tutor and latterly spent time at a distribution company in Consett, where she worked her way up from being an administrator to depot manager, with responsibility for a fleet of Sprinter vans. But these were all just jobs for the sake of jobs – deep down, she really wanted to be behind the wheel.
In and out
Garry, meanwhile, jumped in and out of transport a few times until finally – he thought – walking away for good following an accident in 2010. “My brother was involved in transport and drew me in as well, so I passed my test at 21 and went straight out on general haulage and steel work, which was the normal around here then,” he tells us. “Then I got an offer to go sales repping, believe it or not, and totally changed direction.”
Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Truck & Driver.
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Denne historien er fra January 2020-utgaven av Truck & Driver.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Well forked Daf
Remember, we like to cover all sorts of different trucks here at T&D – like this impressive new CF rigid complete with Moffett Mounty forklift
King of the hill
Moving heavy equipment off road calls for a truck with plenty of power and traction, which is why M&J Plant chose a mighty 6x4 FH16 750
Time Machine 2015-2019
It’s the final part of our series on the history of UK haulage. Let’s look back at those innocent times before that pesky virus turned up
Original and best
There are few trucks which have been customised to the level of the Scania 143, but let’s not forget that the standard product was pretty awesome just as it left the factory, like this rare 420
GOING ALL THE WAY
Simon Rogers got behind the wheel as soon as he was able to, and nearly 30 years later, his company is going from strength to strength, with a striking all-black, top-spec Iveco S-Way 570 the latest addition to the fleet
Abnormal loads
In the distant past, when dinosaurs roamed the planet, truck drivers were a very different breed, made from sterner stuff than us mere mortals
Range change
After a gap of 13 years, Renault trucks have reappeared in the unique colours of MacRitchie Highland Distribution. T&D takes the high road to Inverness to meet owners, Donald and Catriona MacRitchie
Cutting a dash
Freshly showered and munching a healthy egg and cress sarnie in Gloucester North services, Chris has a Foden update
Air we go!
On Saturday 29 May at 6pm, 240 drivers gathered with their trucks at South Mimms Services for a parade to raise vital money for Essex & Hertfordshire Air Ambulance
A Cutt Above
From coal to turf to fencing and loads more, there’s not much the Calcutt fleet hasn’t transported over the years
