Sheffield lorry driver Brian Wilson, 90, says he is in for the long haul

Aged 90, Brian Wilson is undoubtedly among the world's oldest moving lorry drivers. And, aft much than 70 years connected the road, helium has nary plans to use the handbrake conscionable yet. BBC News' Kevin Shoesmith went on to conscionable him astatine a Sheffield haulage yard.

Brian Wilson does not fuss with a sat nav. He does ain a roadworthy atlas, though helium tells maine "it's astir 40 years old" and, successful immoderate case, is kept successful his car boot.

"I don't request a sat nav oregon a map," says Brian, straightening up, "it's each up here." The 90-year-old, sporting a high-vis overgarment implicit an aged jumper, grins and taps his temple to reenforce the point.

We are sitting successful the cab of Brian's 1993, 'L-reg' lorry. Next to the modern Scania trucks lined up successful this haulage yard, connected the outskirts of Sheffield, Brian's lorry stands out.

The gearstick is held unneurotic with tape, the upholstery has seen amended days and determination is simply a whiff of tobacco. But, similar him, it ploughs on.

According to Guinness World Records, the oldest antheral HGV licence-holder is the UK's Jack Fisher, astatine 88 years and 4 days, arsenic of 27 January 2021.

But Brian has been invited to marque his ain assertion connected the grounds by submitting impervious of property and occupation. "I don't truly deliberation astir it," helium says. "I conscionable spell retired to work."

Whether helium is conscionable being humble oregon matter-of-fact, it is hard to tell.

A packet of 20 cigarettes, a lighter, a transcript of the Daily Mirror and rags inhabit the abstraction betwixt our seats.

"I get restless erstwhile I'm not working," helium says.

Brian shows maine immoderate photographs, arsenic we instrumentality a travel down representation lane, from fresh-faced worker to nonagenarian.

There is an representation of him connected holiday. He is sitting astatine a table, studying a newspaper. He does not look similar a antheral connected holiday.

"Two oregon 3 days of not working, not doing anything, and I've had enough," says Brian. "I person to beryllium doing something. I ever privation to get backmost to work."

In the haulage industry, helium is known arsenic "an original". While others trust connected ratchet straps to unafraid loads, Brian prefers the aged fashioned way, utilizing enactment and sheeting.

It is simply a dying art, helium tells me.

Brian credits his uncle with teaching him to thrust aged 16, though his National Service successful the 1950s - driving American unit carriers successful Germany with the Royal Horse Guards - undoubtedly sharpened his skills.

In the 1960s, pursuing a stint delivering petrol for Esso, Brian joined his begetter Edward's haulage institution - E. Wilson & Son.

"I utilized to present 10 tonnes of sugar," helium says. "You'd beryllium successful occupation if it rained and you'd made a messiness of your enactment and sheeting."

Brian recalls paying conscionable nether 2 shillings for a gallon of diesel. "I'd bash a week's enactment connected £40 worthy of fuel," helium says.

Today, Brian owns the household business, transporting chiefly alloy springs.

"I mostly spell to the Midlands," helium says. "Every Thursday, I americium up astatine 4 o'clock, acceptable to permission the location astatine 4th past five."

Brian reels disconnected his "drops" for the day. "Leicester, Tamworth, Redditch, Birmingham, Telford..." helium says, "I volition bash astir 300 miles."

Birmingham's infamous Spaghetti Junction causes him nary problems, helium says, but helium gives London a miss.

"You extremity up crawling on successful London," helium says, haunching implicit the steering instrumentality to labour the point.

Brian is simply a antheral of fewer words, and helium makes them count. His demeanour softens erstwhile I spot his wedding band.

"We've been joined 67 years," helium says, smiling. "I was 15 erstwhile Mavis and I met astatine a fairground successful Attercliffe."

He shows maine a photograph of the mates taken connected their ruby wedding anniversary. "She inactive looks aft america all," helium says.

Source: Guinness World Records

Brian whitethorn instrumentality aft his mother, Gertrude, who lived to the property of 102.

Like his lorry, Brian besides requires a afloat wellness cheque each year, with his adjacent owed earlier Christmas.

If helium is deemed acceptable to enactment by his GP, Brian intends to transportation connected for astatine slightest different twelvemonth earlier contemplating retiring.

"It besides depends connected however my woman is," helium adds.

Other hauliers talk highly of him.

Martin Fisher, proprietor of Martins Distributions, wherever Brian parks his lorry, has known him 10 years but calls him "Mr Wilson" - a respectful motion to his seniority.

"I asked him the different time erstwhile helium thought helium was going to retire," says Martin, chuckling. "He conscionable looked astatine maine funny. He's a existent 'original', arsenic we telephone them. They're a dying breed."

Michael Hopley, transport manager astatine Ember Transport Ltd, has known Brian for 30 years. He says helium is "very youthful". "He's connected and disconnected his wagon similar a antheral 30 years his junior."

Paul Mummery, from the Road Haulage Association, added: "Seventy years down the instrumentality is phenomenal work and shows an astonishing dedication to our industry.

"He volition person seen a batch of changes implicit the years arsenic the occupation has evolved and it's truly heart-warming to spot that helium inactive loves driving lorries. He's an inspiration to america all."

Back successful the cab, Brian acknowledges determination volition beryllium immoderate who believe, astatine 90, that helium is excessively aged to thrust a car fto unsocial a lorry.

"I know, I know," helium says, staring our of the window. "But I'll cognize erstwhile it's time."

"It's a flip up which volition discontinue first," helium adds, "me oregon the lorry."