With Betzy to Italy by Jan Sunlay

Stie’s first transport of fish to the European continent was going to Italy in 1962. I was driver with the truck “Betzy” loaded up to the ceiling with whole frozen Porbeagle fish.
We had to load the fish in Aalesund, 550 km north of Oslo. But there was a problem. The truck “Betzy” had tree axels. Because of bad roads, it was not allowed to drive with tree axels trucks on the road around Aalesund.

There was a transport company named Uhlens Transport in Aalesund. This company could not buy tree axels trucks themselves because they could not use them on the roads in their own county. The authorities did not give tree axles trucks number plates and Registration book there.

Uhlens Transport did not like Stie’s tree axle truck in their territory, and the owner of the company said he will call the police if he saw one of Stie’s tree axles truck there.

Because of this I had to hide the truck outside Aalesund until late in the night when most  people had gone to sleep. Then in the dark I was driving into the town to the cold-storage. After loading the fish I had to wait for the night again. I was driving back again in the dark and no one saw me. The fish was now on its way to Italy .

20 years later, in the year 1982, Stie bought the whole company Uhlens Transport, and after that Uhlens Transport was a part of Sties.

M/S Kronprins Harald

Stie had booked room for the truck on board in the car ferry “Kronprins Harald” that served the new ferry line Oslo – Kiel. It was the first Stie truck using this ship, and the first Stie truck carrying frozen fish for the European continent. 

At that time, in the year 1962, there was no EEC. There where passport control and customs control on arrival to each country in Europe. We had to make new customs document for each country if we did not use TIR carnet. To drive in Europe we need permission for each single country. Permission for Germany, Belgium and Austria we get in Norway . But permission for other countries we had to apply to the country we want to drive into. Some countries send the permission to Norway by post. But mostly we pick it up at the border. That gave us a lot of problems.

On this first transport to Italy we did not know the costs, the best roads and the borders with the quickest customs clearings. All this we had to find out overselves.

The last I heard from Stie when the carport in the ferry was closing down was: Find out the costs. Take care of all the receipt.

And then he did not hear from us for a long time. (We where two drivers at this first drive) At that time there was no way Stie could get contact with us. He had to wait until we called him. But a telephone call to Norway had to be operated manually. To make a telephone connection to Norway they could use from a couple of hour, to a whole day. Therefore we could not call Stie before we arrived at the destination. There we had time enough. Always unloading by hand takes time.

Sties second Scania Vabis 75 super, year 1962
Reg. nr 29-95-32
Nick name: Betzy
Hp.: 205
With: 2,40 m
Heigh: 3,20 m
Length with trailer: 16 m

Betzy custom cleared from Brennero (border Austria-Italy) bound for Italy. 1962

There was a trial of one’s patience to be cleared by the customs at Brennero border.

The main road from Brennero to Verona in the year 1962. I am waiting for a train to cross the road.

On the road again. Near Verona.

My fellow-driver together with two French truck drivers and their wifes at the custom house in Torino.

At the destination in Italy.

The recipient was very delighted. The fish (Porbeagle) was in good condition. Me and the boss with a smiling face.

It was a hard work to unload the truck all by hand.

The towing of Peggy

The Regent is running the last kilometer as a Thermo truck. See the black smoke coming out of the engine.

And take a look at the road. There you see the main road from Oslo to Trondheim 1962.

Sties new Scania Super (”Peggy”) has to tow the old Regent loaded with 20 tons from the mountains to Trondheim. About 150 kilometers.

That was the last run for the Regent. 1962.