A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921.

ORDER XXII.—PERSONS EMPLOYED IN TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

Sub-order 2.—Road Transport Workers

719.—Drivers of Lorries, Wagons, Vans and Carts (Horse)

(Compare Similar Occupational Terms In Connection With Motor Driven Vehicles In Code 720.)

bonded carman: a carman q.v. employed by cartage contractor (713) q.v. in conveying dutiable goods from/to bonded warehouse, accompanied by customs watcher; cf. bonded carman (713).
carman ; leader (Yorkshire): drives horse-drawn vehicle (usually in towns), collecting or delivering goods, for railway company, firm or carriers, or other business firm; receives horse(s) from stableman (725) q.v., harnesses to vehicle and returns horse(s) on completion of duty; sometimes assists porter (759) q.v. in loading, etc., vehicle or himself does porterage; is responsible for safe custody of horse and vehicle and for safe delivery of load; obtains signatures for goods delivered and returns signed delivery sheets to yard foreman (716) q.v. on return to depot.
carrier (country): owner of horse (or horses) and cart or van, in which he conveys passengers, goods and produce from villages along a certain route to a market town; cf. tranter.
carrier, market (not porter): a carman or carter q.v. who drives cart used for conveyance of produce to market, or from market to retailer.
carrier, railway: a carter q.v. or a lorry driver q.v. employed, either by railway company or a local contractor, to collect and distribute goods in area served by railway station.
carrier, rubbish; rubbish carter: a carter q.v. employed, by local authority or private firm, in carting refuse or rubbish to a destructor, rubbish dump or refuse tip; usually loads or assists in loading his own cart and empties load at end of journey.
carrier, water; water carter: (i) a carter q.v. who drives vehicle containing tank for carrying water in bulk; fills tank, by means of hand-pump or syphon, at source of supply and runs off water, by means of hand-pump, etc., at destination;; (ii) see driver, water cart.
carter, cart driver, cartman ; leader (Yorkshire): drives carts (usually in rural districts) belonging to cartage and haulage contractors, manufacturers, corporations, producers, etc.; is responsible for safe delivery of goods carted and (often) for care of horses.
carter, duff ; duff emptier, duff filler: works above ground at a coal mine, loading and emptying wagons of "duff" (small coal) on to duff heaps or into stokehold at steam boilers.
carter's runner: on behalf of cartage contractor (713) q.v., visits place where cartage operations performed and expedites loading and unloading of vehicles; reports delays, etc., to his firm; sometimes also inspects goods to be carted and estimates number of men and vehicles required for job, to quote for contract.
cattle floater ; cattle float driver: a carter q.v. who drives a float or crank axled cart with low body in which are transported cattle, horses or other animals; assists in loading and unloading float; secures animals in float with halter, rope and netting to prevent injury in transit.
collector, bag: see collector, sack.
collector, cask: a carman q.v. who drives a specially built cart or dray used for collecting empty casks (brewer's, etc.) from customers; cf. motor steam dray driver (721).
collector, fat: a carman q.v. who drives cart in which he collects fat (for use in soap making, etc.) from hotels, restaurants, etc.
collector (milk): a van or lorry driver q.v. who collects milk from individuals or groups of farmers and takes it to a central depot or to a railway station.
collector, offal: a carter q.v. employed by firm of cattle offal merchants in collecting and removing stable manure from pits in stable yards to railway goods yards, farms, etc.; usually fills own cart, using fork or shovel, and discharges load, at destination, into railway wagons or on to manure heap in fields; usually also waters, feeds, etc., own horse.
collector, sack ; bag collector: a carman q.v. who drives cart in which he collects empty sacks or bags from customers of his employer.
delivery man: a van driver q.v. who delivers purchases to customers' addresses.
drayman ; flat driver, rolley man, rully man, wherry driver, wherryman: drives a dray or wherry, a low flat vehicle for transporting heavy bulky material, e.g. beer barrels, stone blocks.
driver, cattle float: see cattle floater.
driver, flat: see drayman.
driver, lorry (or lurry) ; lorry man, lurry man: drives a heavy four-wheeled vehicle known as a lorry, or, in the North of England, a lurry.
driver, mail; mail cart driver, mail van driver ; post cart driver: is employed by contractor to carry Royal Mail bags between railway stations and district or head post offices by means of horse-drawn vehicle; in rural areas, collects mail bags on a round from local post offices and conveys to railway station for conveyance by train.
driver, oil tank: drives a horse-drawn oil tank vehicle, usually as roundsman (776), supplying customers with oil or petrol as required; runs-off oil from tank tap into measures and fills receptacles on customers' premises; records quantities supplied and usually collects cash payment; renders statement of transactions and pays in cash to cashier (939) upon return to depot.
driver, overhead wagon ; tower wagon driver: drives horse-drawn wagon which carries a telescopic tower ladder used for repairing tramway trolley wires; sometimes acts as labourer to electrician (307) q.v. or in depot when not on road.
driver, post cart: see driver, mail.
driver, tower wagon: see driver, overhead wagon.
driver, truck ; trolley man, truck man: a carter q.v. who drives horse-drawn trucks or trolleys, often on temporary light rails or tram lines; is usually employed in drawing trucks from one workshop to another in large works.
driver, van ; van man: drives a horse-drawn van used for collection and delivery of small goods; duties as for carman; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. delivery van driver, mail van driver, parcels van driver.
driver, water cart ; water carrier, water carter: drives horse-drawn water cart used for sprinkling roads and flushing drains; fills water tanks at roadside pumps, and switches water flush on and off, as inquired, during driving.
driver, wherry: see drayman.
duff emptier, duff filler: see carter, duff.
haulier (not in mines): drives horse-drawn vehicle used for haulage, either on his own account or for an employer.
higgler (carter): a carrier of goods who also sells articles of all kinds for the best price he can get in the villages he visits.
leader: Yorkshire term;; (i) see carter;; (ii) see carman; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. coal leader, timber leader.
lorry man, lurry man: see driver, lorry (or lurry).
porter carman, porter driver: a porter (706) q.v. specially detailed to perform duties of carman q.v.
rolley man, rully man: see drayman.
teamer, teamsman, teamster: a carter q.v. who drives a team of horses attached to a heavy dray, wain or timber cart, drawing a heavy load.
townsman: drives horse and van, delivering goods from town shop- keepers to customers in countryside; often sells from van.
tranter: in Wessex, a carrier q.v. travelling from village to market town conveying goods and passengers; may sometimes also sell goods.
trolleyman, truck man: see driver, truck.
van man: see driver, van; sometimes specifically designated, e.g. parcels van man, railway parcels van man, ticket vanman (tramway).
wagoner (not farm): drives a horse-drawn heavy four-wheeled vehicle (wagon), largely used for conveying produce or manufactured goods to market or railway station.
wherryman: see drayman.

From: A Dictionary of Occupational Terms Based on the Classification of Occupations used in the Census of Population, 1921,
Ministry of Labour, 1927. Digitised by Peter Christian, August, 2016. This text is in the Public Domain.