The big freeze which fell upon the country around Christmas 1962, lasting up until March 1963 knocked my parents’ finances for six, as dad didn’t turn a wheel for a full six weeks. It is instances such as those that can catch owner drivers out for sure. As ‘starting on your own’ means just that. No unemployment benefit or basic pay; no loads equals no pay!
For those hauliers around the country who had to send their vehicles out into the extreme weather there was a whole load of pain waiting for them almost every morning, with diesel lorries spluttering to a halt everywhere because of fuel oil waxing problems, let alone impassable roads, and lorries sliding into inanimate objects, with resultant insurance claim forms to be filled in.
Commercial Motor magazine ran several in depth reports about the fuel waxing problem, with one haulier saying that on 13 January, 16 of his 24 lorries stopped soon after start up, all with waxed diesel. According to Commercial Motor the big oil companies were advising operators to mix petrol in with their diesel at a ratio of 20% petrol!
I didn’t know but apparently the wax is naturally found within the make-up of refined diesel, and has to be physically removed during refinement, which adds to the oil companies’ costs. In the early sixties there was ‘summer’ diesel with hardly any wax removed, and ‘winter’ diesel which had much more wax eliminated from the end product. The wax clouds when it becomes cold, and then progresses to a semi solid as the temperature drops further. Obviously this is the kiss of death for any gauzes and filters, where the candle like wax gathers until blockage occurs.
The late 1970s also saw some harsh winters here in the Peak District, resulting in personal experience of the joy plugged fuel filters brings to one’s day, and the ignominy of being at the side of a busy road. Shovel by the off side rear light bracket of the lorry to warn approaching traffic that the vehicle is stationary (before the days of four-way hazard flashers it was standard practice to put something,
