A few weeks worth of Lorryday (The Operators' Voice)

Rejected , refused , sent packing, what a waste!

Posted on Thursday, October 08, 2009 by lorryday

First Day out in the 18 tonner for weeks and it turned out to be another 15 pallet, 15 drop day.

It was all around the villages of Leicestershire including a few very pretty, but also very tiny farms.

The pallet for this farm was the size of a cowpat but I had to go through three sets of electric gates, down a long drive, past this house and into the courtyard beyond to deliver it.

My next delivery couldn't of been any more different.

It was only a few miles away but before I could get into the premises I had to wait to be directed past ....... A train !!

The man in the Hi Viz is very important, he waves his arms as you go by and without him you wouldn't be able to get past. Honest.!

I had loads of other encounters throughout the day but most happen so fast they are hardly worth speaking about so a few pictures will speak for me.

Instead of a car of the day I have decided to award a Hedge of the day today.

This was my last drop of the day before a collection of crimble cakes that filled the truck up and had me sweating in the back loading them off the back door with a pallet truck.

This was going north today on the way to a complete waste of time.

For people of a sensitive disposition look away now because some RDC,s don't keep the bays as clean as they should do.

I was in Pontefract today at a budget supermarket at 6.30 am for a 7 am slot.

I was sent to the bay and had to pull right up to this lovely sight.

It was a squashed rabbit, right in line with Eddies front wheels.

I was in the 7.5 today again so I had a close up view of this poor little wabbit as the crows, picked and pecked over its corpse right in front of my windscreen.

I went into the goods in handed in the paperwork, signed my life away regarding the self tip policy that they have, and went and stood by my bay.

I pulled the pallets off and then waited next to them for grumpy, the dwarf to check them over and sign my release papers , (I mean my notes) and make my escape.

Well grumpy ummed and ehhrred and oohhhhd and ahhrred and then went to find somebody with more authority than him, (not hard I would imagine)

He eventually came back and he had turned into Happ, Hurray I thought, at last I'm out.

I'm sorry to say that the reason for his complete change in persona from joyless porg into happy elf was to my downfall.

"Were refusing you drive" he said, with a smile on his face."We cant match the order numbers up".

"The boxes have 60 pieces in and our paperwork says they meant to have 20 in, they all gotta go back"

I went back out to the front and was handed my keys. It was like a light had been shone on all the staff, I had unknowingly made all of their days.

They all looked, and acted, overjoyed.

There was nothing I could say.

They had made up their mind so it was time to call the boss and explain why I would be carrying an extra ton around with me for the rest of the day.

There was one thing I wish I had of said though. It went some thing like this.

"Stuff your stupid store , and for fuck sake, clean the dead rabbit off your bay!"

Saturday, 10 October 2009

The end of the week

Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2009 by lorryday

Just a few pictures today of what I saw, a few simple delivery's and observations along the way.

I was at a Plumb centre in Gainsborough for 7 am and then due at Boots in Nottingham for 9. It was a bit tight making the time slot but this queue helped me out.
It was finally my turn and after being given a pager, I was sent to sit on a bay.

After a quick check for dead rabbits I parked up and waited.

I was supposed to pick up some more scattered neutrons for the power station on the way back home so I planned my route to minimise traffic because Nottingham is traffic hell.

I planned it past this power station . Ratcliffe. It was having the security upgraded.

I had to go back up to the airport for the neutrons and that took me past Donnington Park, New home of the British Grand Prix. I hope its better than the old one here

Parked up waiting to be loaded I found this camper van parked far to close to this lamp post for my liking.

I was finished by 12 o-clock and thought I was due an early finish since it was Friday but no.

I was to come back and get loaded for a drop in Boreham wood.

Welcome to the M1 on Friday afternoons.
These were taken on the way back up.

He wishes this was blurred by speed. I just couldn't get it focused properly.
This camper lives not far from our yard and I have to pass it most mornings on the way to work.

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

A week on the big stuff

Posted on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by lorryday

I was on sick cover today and was expecting an early morning wake up call.

As it turned out I wasn't needed until 10.

I was finally given a lorry to drive at 11, it was a 26 tonner.

I was sent over to Burton on Trent for a 12.30 drop at Waterstones.

It was right next to my old friend the Coors Brewery.

After a bit of messing around with different departments I was unloaded .

After driving back with the orange light flashing and no one in the office willing to divulge the fuel card pin number I was heading for our fuel bunker in Lutterworth.

They were busy mending this trailer !!!

A huge hiss of air as I released the fuel cap told me I was pretty much running on fumes so the tank eventually took over 250 litres.

I rang the office and was told to come back and collect another lorry and take it to get loaded.

It was another 26 tonner, this time it was a Scania that normally carried one of our moffets.

I had it loaded and back within the hour and then just when I thought I would be finished I was given yet another wagon, this time it was an 18 ton Iveco stralis.

These are the gear controls on the Iveco.

I had to take it over to one of our high security customers and get loaded. I was given a security cord to wrap around the truck and left in this cage while they loaded it up.

The office rang and said I was taking the 26 tonner to Stoke and Stafford in the morning and that's where I am now, sat in Screwfix's driver room in stoke, locked out of my cab where I took the precaution of bringing my laptop with me just in case I was here a while.

The new rules at this depot mean you cant sit inside your cab while you are being tipped. The room is OK but If I didn't have this I would be struggling to entertain myself with this radio station playing Vera Lynn !..

This is what I would look like with a class One licence .!

I escaped from the war years and now I'm at the other Screwfix depot in Stafford This time I'm allowed to sit in my cab.

I saw this appeal on the way.

I am on the bay and waiting for my green light to turn red.

A 30 minute break in Corley next to this poorly trailer.

I was called over to Coventry to load up for Citylink, next to the airport and was loaded by this forkie.

This is citylink and a load of empty forklifts all parked up.

You drive inside and then wait for them to unload you, and then Freedom !!

I went over to Wincanton to load a wagon for Thatcham and then I was allowed to go home early.

I'm going to Maccesfield in the morning in another Iveco stralis and then next Monday I get my own truck at last.

Its an Iveco Eurocargo 12 tonner on a 59 plate.

I have enjoyed driving the big trucks again but I will stick with the new Iveco for a while as it gives me stability and it also means I don't have to drag a massive bag around with me everday and search for a reg number in the dark anymore

Bay 13, Unlucky for some

Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 by lorryday

I'm writing this instead of getting banned from a shit hole Tesco site, 30 minutes from my home on a Friday night.

I have been messed about and had time stolen from me by this company too many times.

I started in Milton Keynes and had a moron talk to me as if I was an idiot.

I suppose I must be to put up with it really but, I had to move the truck I was in, off the bay and open the curtains up because the truck was too low for the dock leveller to reach properly.

The way he explained it you would of thought I had designed the truck and the leveller and I was lower than shit on a spade to him.

I felt like dragging his smug smarmy fat arse off the bay and ruining his day, but instead I let him ruin mine.

The last time I had been to this RDC in Milton Keynes I had found a pallet of rotting wine dumped at the side of one of the bays.
I had written about this RDC last month, Well, surprise, surprise, It was still here . Tramps.

I was eventually released from Tesco MK and set off on the way to Tesco at Crick, a legend in the RDC world, were time stands still and pagers and yellow paths rule.

I went into goods in and was told in the usual delighted and very pleased with themselves way that goods in people talk to us they were all on a break, and no, I don't know anything and no, I cant help you and no, there is nothing I can do.

I was invited to come back at 6.30 and seeing as it was 5.45, I was not best pleased.

They tried to make me wait in a room the size of a toilet, it also stank like one.

At 6.30 I went back to the hatch in the office It was now occupied by a hag!! , she stank and she had the sort of face that soured milk ,

The hags lair. It Stank.

She didn't look up at me for 3 minutes, ( I counted) and when she did, she didn't speak, she waited for me to speak.

"Bay 13" I said "I was told to come back at 6.30", "Well they on a break " she said.

"I was told you were on a break 45 minutes ago" I said.

"They not here" she said "what can I say?"

" Well what happens now" I said "I heard them unload it, the lorrys empty"

"Well they got to check it" said the Hag, as if I was thick.

"Its one Pallet" I said , "how long can it take?"

What gets me is not what they say, but how they say things.

I don't mind delays and hold ups and problems, that's life. But rude, ignorant and selfish behaviour, just for the sake of it, I find that intolerable.

I couldn't't actually talk in her office any more because the smell of the sweat was making me retch whenever I opened my mouth, so I came out for some air.

I had only told her I was on bay 13, I was reporting in as directed ,and she jumped down my throat and assumed I was stupid.

I am sick of this company's shit treatment of drivers, without us here, shovelling this shit for them, they wouldn't have any shit to sell to their customers, me being one of them , although I am cutting my club card up after typing this.

I'm going back in now to try and get my keys and my paperwork back....

Back again !

I have been told its three loads on one pallet and is therefore causing the checkers a probleIm.
I was told by the checker , a very nervous looking individual that he would let me know when it was finished.

I got the paperwork after waiting another hour!

I had seen the checker walk past me and over to the other truck on the bay next to me. I assumed he would be true to his word and call me when he had finished checking my one pallet so I sat and waited as instructed.

I eventually went back in and found my paperwork and my keys sat on the ledge.

When I picked up my paperwork, hag said "We called you three times"

They seemed so thrilled with selves, the whole office, I was literally lost for words.

I only took one pallet in, imagine if I had of been full?

I had walked around the yellow lines in the yard so often, I thought was in The Land of Oz.

One pretty truck parked up even longer than I was.

I am doing the post backwards this week so here is the begginging of the week , before it all went wrong.

I love seeing the Army lorry's on the road , these lads were part of a massive convoy on the A 14 on Wednesday.

My last collection on Wednesday was here at Knights of Old.

A very rare sight these days , A real record shop, selling vinyl. Youngsters ask your dads.

A very trendy scrap yard in Daventry home of the trendiest working mans club as well

My Favourite RDC is Pearsons In Rugby, Penguin Books. Friendly staff, fast tips and free coffee machine.

I have read over this post since writing it on Friday when I was howling mad and I stand by every word.

I'm in my new permanent truck tomorrow so I hope I have a better day to report.

Thursday, 22 October 2009

New lorry, New runs

Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 by lorryday

I was given my new truck on Monday and straight away I was tested.

The boss had called me in on Saturday to give me a chance to pack my bedding in nice and early because they had planned for me to be out all week.

I was due in Wales early and wasn't expected back that night.

I was lucky though and managed to squeeze the whole day into 9 hours and 40 minutes driving time.

This was where we pick up the seats for CAT, this is the seat out of a digger.

Tuesday I was told you were definitely out , a short drive down south to Bedford and then collect the nuclear stuff and straight up to Hartlepool.

Things didn't work out again though and I ended up sitting at the customer for four hours while they loaded me.

That meant another night in my own bed and an early start in the morning to get to the power station for 7.30.

When I got back to my truck and checked my load I found a pallet of beer for Carlsberg had been added so I was going to Billingham first.

When I got to the power station I was parked up by two jobsworth at the delivery bay and left for a few hours.

After watching these two no-marks, drink tea and stroll around in their oversize high viz coats that went down to their knees and made them look even more insignificant than they actually are, ( hard I know but true) I was getting more and more annoyed.

These blokes hadn't read my paperwork or even checked what I had or who had ordered it but I was just parked up and left.

After watching various DHL, Parcelforce and other carriers including the water man, come and go, I decided drastic action was called for so I called the powerstation and told them I was sitting outside with an important delivery for them.

I was put through to the right department and within 5 minutes they had sent an escort down and called me up to the main security gate.

After a cab and person search I was allowed on site and unloaded.

Its not everyday you see a warship next to your drop off point.

A complete waste of two hours but at least I was finally out of there.

A long drive back down was made a little harder with a series of collections and same day delivery's from Nottingham to Hinkley so I did another 14 hour day.

Im out of my new truck already for tommorrow but only because the boss found out I have a full ADR ticket and he has decided to get it plated up for Hazardous goods.

Nothing much happened today , I was out in a rented truck for a few hours and then judt had to hang around the yard doing a few minor collections and then home for 3 pm.

I have got my first night out on Friday though so I wont get back until Saturday morning.

Saturday, 24 October 2009

Friday night is . . . . .dirt night

Posted on Saturday, October 24, 2009 by lorryday

Car of the day had to be this amazing Ford Cortina estate I found this morning .

I was sent up to Newcastle on Friday with 7 delivery's to make on the way up.
York, Scarborough, Stockton on tees, Billingham and then 3 in Newcastle.

This was the first drop in York.

I was supposed to get as far down as I could with whatever hours I had left and then park up for the night.

On Saturday I was to come back around 8 am and and do a few local delivery's .

I found a few nice sights along the way.
This was the christmas lights in Whitby

St James Park.

I want to focus on the facilities that truckers are asked to put with.

I am one of the lucky ones because my company actually pays for parking , whether empty or not, although what we are actually getting for our money is anybodies guess.

I went up as far as Cramlington but even though I had two hours driving left the A1 in Newcastle took most of those off me near the Angel of the North.

I had planned to get down the A1 and use one of the many truckers truck stops but I was forced into a Moto services called Barton.

This driver had the right idea , he was picked up by his Mrs and left the wagon where it was.

What a place, It was chaotic to say the least and very confusing for a first time visitor as well.

The cafe is on top of the hill and a BP garage lies at the bottom with a massive fuel bunker including Ad blue next to that.

There is a sign on the cafe door saying to pay for parking before you order any food, So I climb up the stairs and climb some more ...............

When I asked to pay for parking, the girl behind the counter tells me you have to pay at the garage, that's at the bottom of the stairs.

When I got back up to the cafe for the 2nd time I was ready to order but there was very little food on offer .

It was 5 o-clock on a Friday night, some would of thought peak time.

The special board was chicken tikka and rice so I chose that, mainly because I couldn't face a full breakfast which is all they seemed to be able to provide.

"We ain't got rice" said the unattractive and unhelpful girl behind the counter.

"You can have it with chips" she said.

How hard is rice to make then ? I wondered.

I declined her offer of any anything else and sat down.

I noticed everything closed at 9pm and wondered what facilities would be open after that time as I was planning on leaving at around 4 pm.

After finding the facilities I decided I was better off without them.

The cost of parking was £10 but the facilities were practically non existent, Actually I wished they were non existent.

£10, that included a £3.50 food voucher, but not a free shower. They actually wanted money to go in here!

I have to say that the place was a disgrace but the food that I had was actually quite tasty.

It might have something to do with the fact I hadn't eaten for 12 hours but I have to say I did enjoy the food
But regarding the facilities Ill leave the last word to Moto themselves.