ONE of the last "pioneers" of long-distance road haulage in Britain will make his final journey by lorry on Monday.

The coffin of 90-year-old Ramsbottom businessman Herbert "Bert" Hinchliffe will be carried on the back of one of his trucks for interment at Southern Crematorium in Chorlton at 10am.

And tomorrow (Saturday April 6) at 1pm, friends and family will gather at Greenmount United Reformed Church in Holcombe Road, Greenmount, for a memorial service. Mr Hinchliffe's coffin will also be taken to the church on the back of a 1966 ERF rigid lorry.

His son, Geoffrey, said: "It seemed fitting that my father's final two journeys should be made on one of his own liveried lorries."

Mr Hinchliffe died on March 28 at Fairfield General Hospital after a brief illness. His death brings to an end a 90-year association with the haulage industry.

Born in Bury, Mr Hinchliffe and his brother John worked for their father, Joseph, as drivers. In 1939 J Hinchliffe and Sons Ltd was sold out to Manchester based Fisher Renwick and during the Second World War the brothers carried out haulage work on behalf of the War Department, delivering supplies throughout the country.

After the war, in 1946, John and Herbert started a new company, J and H Hinchliffe which continued to operate from its Gollinrod home off Walmersley Road, Bury, until last year when the firm was auctioned off. Massive fuel costs and competition both at home and abroad were blamed for the loss of the haulage company.

During his long career as a long distance driver, Mr Hinchliffe was responsible for the introduction of road-side cafes. During a journey he found a woman who cooked at night for Lanarkshire coal miners and, after Bert had sold her the necessary bacon, tea and sugar, she agreed to open the first all night transport cafe.

He was also one of the men who brought trade back to the road between England and Scotland after 80 years of railway supremacy.

Back in the 1930s, Hinchliffes had six wagons a night on the London run. Mr Hinchliffe once rescued fellow driver Alf Sutton of St Helens, a man who would eventually become Britain's biggest private haulier.

He once said of his rescue operation: "I towed Alf all the way back from London. It was a slow job. We had to get both wagons loaded in London before we got rolling."

Mr Hinchliffe is survived by his brother John, his three children, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. His wife, Annie, died three years ago.

Geoffrey said: "My dad lived and breathed haulage. Despite his age he was involved in the running of his company right until it closed last year.

"I should imagine, once he gets to heaven he will be running some kind of haulage company, meeting up with those drivers who worked for him down the years.

"He had a full life."