Stock ‘n' Roll

We travelled to Portsoy to meet the team from Bert Christie Haulage, who run four immaculate Daf XFs on livestock transport

- Dougie Rankine

Livestock haulage is something that runs in the blood, and it’s definitely the case up here in Aberdeenshire. Bert Christie established his business as an owner-driver in 1997 after 30 years driving for the well-known local haulier Peter Barclay. Aged 74, Bert is still actively involved in the business today, keeping busy driving an impressive Daf XF 26 tonne rigid making deliveries and collections from farms across the region.

The main running of the business has been passed on to son Neil who has grown up around trucks, spending a great deal of time on the road with his dad and then becoming a livestock driver himself, for Grampian Pigs.

A life-changing event occurred when Bert was involved in a major accident in 2006 when a pipe burst inside his cattle float trailer deck –and unknown to Bert - popped the hydraulic rams out, locking the deck in place.

He got the pipe fixed, but the deck was stuck in position. He drove 50 miles home and the deck didn’t move. Then the moment he went to investigate back at the yard at the family home, the deck dropped on top of him. The odds of this must have been millions to one.

After being stuck for two hours awaiting recovery, he was airlifted to hospital and was fortunate to survive the severe injuries and endured a long recovery period during which he had to learn to walk again. Neil came into the family business to keep things running, and it continues to thrive today.

The company employ two full-time drivers Stuart Wilson and George Barrie each of whom drive an immaculate Euro 6 XF tractor unit. There’s a new rear-steer tag axle unit on the way soon too, but Neil might just hold onto the oldest truck and keep it as a spare rather than trade it in.