Hi SANDWAY,yes there is as i used to say "more than you can shake a stick at"do not ask ,i have not written this to say "look at me what i did " hundreds of drivers my age did exactly the same more or less, well before i got in to it ,they were the ones who have a story to tell, i have done it because,i drifted in to it european at when perhaps i should not have done aged 38.the image we had given us “drivers” was before 1990 was pretty ■■■■■■■■ all who had nothing to do with any transport ,but enjoyed the fruits of out labours, by import and export plus our home market drivers…probably around 60.000 words to come all written.
After my European trip, work seemed to by very quiet not that many night runs and no market runs at all just the supermarket work and loads seemed a lot less than before, however I just enjoyed the time off as i knew when the time come it would be longer hours than normal!.
On one run to a supermarket I was told that I had to have the night out and collect some pallets in the morning, yes fine by me, i was now used to doing as I was told ,i did not like it, but there has to be bosses.
As it was i had no idea what was going to happened next, I was loaded i needed to ring the office to see if the pallets were for home base or Oxford I was told to bring them back to the Northampton yard as quick as I could Mr East wants to see me, i thought another trip over the water.
Once in the yard ,i parked up ,went in to the office and asked for Mr East ,i was told to go in to his office, he stood up shook my hand ,and said Vic I am sorry we are going to let you go, work has got bad and there is not enough for all the men last in first out.
He said we may have got you some work with a local contractor, he gave me the details ,sorted my wages out ,said if an thing comes up again he would call me ,that was me finished at Northampton and that was that ,i said my goodbye to Alan he said sorry I went to find my new employee ,i hoped.
The new employer lived and worked at Milton just outside Northampton, i rang him up and he told me to meet him at the Ipec depot ,he gave me the address of the depot that I eventually found ,after getting through security, i was told where to go to meet he had a small office at the end of a loading bay, that had about 20 trailers parked on it.
The job was first to be shunting the trailers on and off the loading bay, as a contractor for the company running the job Ipec that turned in to T.N.T the parcel and goods distribution.After time, also when required i will have to drive a trailer up to the Glasgow depot, that would be a night job once there you go into a bed and breakfast in Glasgow while the lorry and trailer is taken around Scotland all the delivers done ,it is reloaded back up for you to run back down to Northampton through the night, you get back to Northampton park it up in the depot you go home. If you are required for the next night we ring you by 2 pm to let you know.
That sounded good, the money was Tax free ,that meant you had to do the tax yourself.[self employed] also he subcontracted some containers runs from Felixstowe, to anywhere it was a job I would go for it i started the next day ,at lest i understood what the job was and you got told what to do
I was busy more container deliveries than work in the depot i think the depot work was a untruth to get me to work for him I asked for night out money of £15 cash he was not pleased It was the money or I am going he said he will pay it but put it in the check at the end of the week i would have rather had the cash ,he has not been used to deal with someone who knew what they were doing as he had two other units and they were young bucks I doubt he paid the drivers any extra…
The man I worked for was a ex middle east driver, photographs all around ,early 1970s he must have been very young however most men that did that work deserved all they had made out of the jobs it was not for everyone.
HE kept me busy for a few weeks I had not done any Glasgow trips yet, I had met the other drivers and they seemed to be sharing it ,while i did the longer hours for the same money i thought it was time I had a piece of the cake i asked the boss when was I going to get a shot at the Glasgow run ,he seemed a bit put out ,I told him No Scotland trips and I ma off! hang on a minute he said you are down for the Sunday night run ,was he telling the truth or I was down for the job ,he said you are on the job all next week, I will stay then and that was the start of another fine mess.
The tractor units we used were from MANN HIRE and they were flying machines 70 mph was the normal speed once on the Motorway well if you did not get caught. You left Northampton you drove for 4 and half hours had 45 minutes break then another 4 ½ drive and you would be in Bellshill Glasgow that was how fast them trucks were, ,in the day time you would not have done it ,even in 10 hours however at night, unbelievable distances were covered the trucks had the power as if you were driving a car, you could accelerate just like a car even with a full load quite however they were never heavy ,remarkable even now when I think about it, in actual fact when i do it was so, so, dangerous I shudder. however once again by luck I came off all right
Once in Glasgow you would leave the truck in the IPEC yard and a man would take you up to your bed and breakfast ,in a van, you would have have a breakfast ,then bed, he would collect you again at 6 o clock at night, you had no dinner there ,after the first time I soon got myself organised when home I brought a small gas cooker, pan and tins of food, and cooked it in there rest room when I was back there it caused quite a show as they had never seen a driver cook before .not as I was experienced, I got the idea off of Pete ,never go hungry when you can do it yourself…
I started to get used to the pattern of work on the Glasgow run I stated having the run very regular I think there was a change of drivers it was a sort of fill in job.
I did have a small issue as we were only working in total driving 9 hours the boss wanted us to do some more work when we got back to Northampton, small local work just to fill the hours in as we got paid a rate ,night or day and the hours were never defined I think he thought we were getting away with money for no work, I did what he asked ,then went home to bed later than usual.
One evening just before I was leaving Glasgow the boss phoned me through TNT office and said when I get back to Northampton ,drop the trailer at the depot then pick another trailer up and go and deliver it to the car factory in Luton. Vauxhall. i was not happy years I had done a few years in and out of car factories not the best of place to be in with a truck
When I eventually arrived at the car factory the parts I had on the trailer were marked urgent production line,i was told to park up and would be called in when they were ready i knew from previous car factory experience that once you got into the queue going around the production area that was you basically stuffed, end of it is like going around a supermarket following 2 mobile scooters ,with people who cannot drive.
After god knows how many hours i am still at Luton ,it was getting that i would not have time to drive back, there and then I made my mind up that was me finished when I get back , no way to ring anyone up no public phones within the factory for drivers use
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When I eventually got unloaded and out of the factory I was on my way nonstop straight to the depot, i was met by the boss, all full of sorry, i did not realise they said it was urgent ,i said no problem ,get some other mug, bye that is me done, he protested look I gave you a job a favour for Mr East ,i replied you get Mr East to come and do it then.
I went to the nearest phone box and rang Roklold at the depot at Oxford and told them what I had done ,and said thanks for the job, and whenever they want me ring at home
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Now started another episode of driver without a job, i first called in at S. T Challis as it was on the way home and explained my situation and could they help, they would ring, never did, I had to look further from home in the local paper for Banbury drivers wanted at Aylesbury ,that was nearly 35 miles away, however i thought i would ring, and asked for a interview, it was in a village called Aston Clinton, did not mean nothing to me ,i was given Friday for a interview in two days time, i have no idea what sort of work they do or anything but I had seen the lorries around and no way of finding out .
I arrived at the village and found the yard I drove in and looked around for a parking place, found a visitors one and parked. Little did I know that I was being observed to see where I left my car.
I reported to the office explained who i was and was told to sit and wait. I had dressed
with some smart clothes and a tie, a bit over the top for a drivers job but I wanted work .I was shown into a office and a youngish man sat at a desk very smartly dressed, he did not get up just looked ,and there was a chair pulled out my side, but I did not sit I just stood there.
He then said who he was ,and what did i want, i said a driving job if they have any vacancies, I had read from the newspaper advert he then said that advert should not have gone that far out to BANBURY as they only recruit from the local area ,where have you been working I said I can give you my full working record since i left school, and got out my discharge book with various bits of paper and certificates also my HGV driving licence, he said you have a class one licence ,all self explanatory
I told him everything from school until that day. while I was in mid flow a older man come in to the room. also very well dressed and sat on the edge of the desk ,never said a word i was still standing up I did sit down when I filled in the application form
When I had finished talking the other man Mr Fowler ,the boss said we never employ any men who do not live within a 10 mile radius from Aylesbury however if you can start tomorrow we will overlook that rule that was me at Aston Clinton Haulage, A. C .H.
I had to be at the yard for 6 am to start then take it from there it was a good 40 minutes drive from home on back roads, after a short time started to try other routes, but it was nearly always the same time of travelling.
The work was varied from local shunting to unloading in the yard ,and loading boxes of cereal for delivery, then delivering it you had no time at all, but I stuck with it, they were very long hours if I had known more then I would have stopped in the yard the odd night and slept in a cab ,with no pay it would have made life a lot easier ,as all the trucks they ran were sleeper cabs.ll on European haulage.
The drivers that were on European I did not see much of the trucks would be in the yard then gone again .
The son David who interviewed me was what you called unfair, thoughtless but that was his way, and people accepted it, me also, as I thought i would get on European, have a truck of my own and get some good work even with my limited European experience
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Sadly it was not to be, i had to leave, the travelling to far every day and expenses petrol . i had to do it right and not just finish one day i got half way to Aylesbury stopped in a village ,and rang the office told the yard Forman my car has broken down the engine failed i could not make it in and gave them the local phone box number so they could ring me back.[ no mobile then].
After time Dennis David’s assistant, rang the call box back, and said if you cannot get in you are no good for us you will have to finish, I made a bit of a fuss but said fine and would you send my wages and p 45 and that was that .It was what i wanted to happen in case ever wanted to go back in the future .
I arrived home, my car was working o k i decided to go around the local transport firms they were like “rocking horse ■■■■” it had to be labouring on building sites wherever I could get the odd days work one site near home the footings were in and concrete had been poured the breeze blocks were stacked a way away from where they should have been ,my job ,take them over for the bricklayers ,what they did not say were the blocks were concrete ,my god in mud a rain I earned every penny my Welles were so heavy I had a job to lift my feet let alone blocks two days I lasted I was shattered,
It was back to the scrap man tony, always good for a few bob if you did not ask, being adaptable money was manageable. However I knew we could not carry on like this you need a steady job
.Life was plodding on ,getting myself resigned to being labourer out of the blue my wife gets a urgent phone call from no other than Mr East, from the depot in Oxford, asking where, and what was I doing,and asked would I ring as soon as possible, urgent. It was 7 o clock at night when spoke to mr EAST.
What had happened Tom ,the first driver i went with had ,had a brain haemorrhage and passed away he was on the service station by Liverpool ,the trailer had been taken away to be unloaded however ,the unit was still on the service station the keys were in the mangers office was the any chance I could go up with another driver and bring the tractor and the trailer back down to Oxford some other company is unloading the trailer.
The lorry was leaving at 8 am in the morning to get you to Liverpool later in the day are you able to go with it ,also we now need a relief driver if I wanted the job it was mine on Rokold not the other company j.c.s. at Northampton Rokold on a regular basis
It was a chance for me not to be missed it could be the break for me to get into European work I accepted the offer .without hesitation
I left home at 6 am to get to Oxford before 8 am good job i did as the driver had slept overnight at the depot and was ready to leave when I arrived, after a very quick hello in the office the truck was fired up we were ready to leave.another new episode is maybe going to start .
We made our way to the Liverpool area i found out a lot more about the job ,some bits were good ,others I knew about the hours the driver who was Toms friend, also from Northampton still could not believe Toms death, it only happened yesterday, it was shock all round to them all , well not for me, but sad as he left a wife and children i think.
On the service station the unit was parked in a corner we did a walk around all the wheels were still there, i went to collect the truck keys from a office in the service station ,they knew my name but wanted some ID, my passport was good enough, i rang the office told them the unit was ok my instructions were to pick the trailer up at Trafford park Manchester at a refrigerated depot ,I was told check it over for any damage in the outside and inside, count the meat hooks that were hanging on the rails at the front, check tyres ,any fuel in the fridge . All the trucks paper work was still in the cab folder also the D.K.V. CARD and fuel card.
Also to record the hours recorded on the fridge, a dial on the front cover, gives the hours the fridge has been run, make sure all the lights were working, as people will steal the lenses and bulbs, yes, the bulbs. When that was done I rang the office and they said make your way to Dover and ring first thing in the morning from there. i knew it would be late by the time I got there.
I never put a tachograph card in until I left Manchester I had plenty of time ,I thought I had.
I made it to the last service station, on the A2 Farthing Corner, before Dover and had a break, by the time I got into Dover and parked outside the Agents office ,went in ,and the ■■■■ had hit the fan what I was not told i was booked on the 6 am crossing to Zeebrugge when I had phoned from Manchester [no cab or mobile phones] they had expected my to drive into Dover gone in to the Agents ,they would have given me my loading instructions but I did not know
Parking up where I did and i could have booked off once inside Dover, and by the time I had got off in Zeebrugge I would have had the proper break, also I would have had lots of broken sleep.! Moving on to the ferry etc I had no a clue that was what I should have done .i made what was called a “RICKET”
I rang the office to explained that I had been up since 5 am that morning they more of less said it was their fault but told me if you ever have to get to Dover you must try to get there, as there is always a reason why, I was not experienced at the European way of working yet.
I was on the next ferry I did not have enough money even for some duty free ■■■■ I had forgotten about cash to be honest I did not need any until I got back to Dover i booked into my cabin and had a meal at least that was all free, time to go to bed for about 3 hours, why not ,” a lie down is better than a sit down ,a sit down is better than a stand” you never knew who your cabin mates were as Pete told me, get to bed first top bunk and hope the others do not snore.
Once I had driven off the ferry the routine started as I remembered,it all went well ,even the fuelling up as the credit card all worked on the same pin number so long as you knew it ,I did not ,but Tom had it written down in the trucks book of paper workalso the office had told me,I was soon filled right up the fridge diesel was ok no coffee or sitting around and talking round the table for me in fact over the years to come I never did as I could not drink the coffee.
The loading place was the same one as before when I was with Peter I felt very confident that it would all be ok without any hassle I found driving on the other side strange at first but you cannot really go wrong you just follow the traffic, and you know when you get some confidence you stop gripping the wheel and maybe drop the window and light a ■■■, however there is always something to bring you back to earth very quickly if you start to drift over the lane you soon get a blast from someone’s horn, and my are “they loud” “I got to bloody detest air horns also the blowers.
The traffic coming on your side seem to want to push you out of the lane your are in ,if you have not got eyes on the offside mirror you soon have some trouble I must admit I said a lot of zb meees
I was so busy concentrating on what I was doing before I knew it I had sailed past the customs post as you have to go in to a lay by to do paper work but being empty I just cruised on thank god we did not have to have stamps on any paper work “good old Benelux ”it is not like other places where the barriers are across the road free movement.
After following signs and my memory of places it was not too long before I started to recognise where I was by the factories getting there was good I felt as I had at lest done something correct however lots of time to zb up
I was soon at the factory gates what a feeling of relief I have to pinch myself to think where I was with no money as such,i parked up walked in to the loading office,a Dutch man said in perfect English, hello you are late your load has been given to another driver you will have to wait they were not nasty they knew when I would be arriving I would put money on the office told them
What could I say but ok thank you [ any chancy of a sandwich] he said you can put the fridge on ,bloody hell I had forgot about the fridge ,that was me concentrating on what I was doing finding the place I bet he knew it was my first load by myself it did not matter what age you are ,there is always a first time for lots of things new, the office must have told him.
I never said another word fired the fridge up after a few minutes she was going barmy just roaring away with nothing to freeze only the air, it did not seem long ,when a loud banging was on the door and shouting for me to back on to the loading bay i opened the rear doors , shut- the fridge down, I had forgotten the first rule get the fridge temperature down as low as possible, if loading frozen it will never get to minus -20 as there is not product in the trailer to hold the temperature. But it helps once loaded as it is cold in the loading area.
Once frozen goods are in the trailer and the trailer is all ready cold it will soon be down to-2I i learned another thing, other people do not like to see you go and lie on the bunk and read a book “over time” I learnt it really ■■■■■■ other people off especially if you have had a disagreement with them and it was your fault, you have shown that it does not bother you at all .
Once loaded 19 pallets i was told to pull off the loading bay closed up the doors I went to collect my paper work from the office ,the customs will seal the back doors, and i was ready to go I did stop and think have i done all the right things ,I checked both diesel tanks. Fridge running ok god knows what I would do if the fridge stops I have not been told yet i must put that on a list of to” ask instructions” if a fridge breakdown occurs.
I made my way to the Belgium border I had no problems it all went well then on to a ferry port ,I had forgotten to ask what ferry to go back on,[zb]i stopped ,I looked at what the T2 customs form said ,and it was Ostend,
I now knew the office must have told the exporter that was my port of exit. I made my way there without any problems it was easy to find, the port as the signs were very good you just followed the sign with a ship on and it took you straight to the port gate as I had done before ,I completed all the paper work ,also asked for “a plug in” then went and queued up with all the other trucks, that was not hard to accomplish, as I had been shown before what to do if I had not It would have been a different story
Once on the ferry I asked the crew for a electrical” plug in” I was told yes o,k but wait for the ships electrician that is what I did however he came and sorted the plug in it worked the correct way it sucked in air and not blow it out ,eventually I got to the accommodation had some food then down to the cabins for a sleep, the cabins were located as if they were right down besides the engine
Lots of noise drivers coughing it sounded like a cattle market,
It was time to get up when someone was banging on the door i got up and dressed I did notice most of the drivers getting out of their bunks had slept in their clothes i followed the herd up to the coffee, tea and ■■■ bar, also more food to be had it seemed only 5 minutes before that i was eating, they all seemed to get stuck in, hard boiled eggs and some fatty looking round sausage and coffee , it seemed to me as if coffee was the same, for the Europeans as we have our regular tea at home
The announcement came over the tannoy, all lorry drivers to the car deck, do not start your engines please until told to by the staff, by the time I got down to the truck ,the rear door to leave the ferry was still closed and all these foreign drivers had the engines all ready roaring away it was choking, and they had no idea what pollution they were causing. some of the drivers had already taken the chains off their trucks before the dock workers got on board ,they must have known the system I did not, yet I pulled the electric plug from the fridge rolled it back up and left it,i switched the fridge to diesel but did not fire it up until I stopped for the customs.
The procedure once in Dover was still clear in my head I remember what to do regarding papers and customs i did all the right things i parked up .put my paper work in the agents box ,wrote on it where I was parked, and smartly went back to the truck and got into bed again.
Next thing I know there is rapping on the cab door, i jumped up pulled the curtain back and there was one of our drivers there hanging off the wing mirror with his arms, shaking the cab shouting something, I was not best pleased.
I got dressed opened the door and said nothing about the shaking of the cab ,however over time men I worked with knew not to shake the cab nothing worse ,the first thing he said are we cleared, what! I said, I have not long got in bed, he said he would go and collect the paper work I gave him the pass paper to get the exit stamp
He came back and said it has been cleared 1 hour-ago I said I have only been here 3 hours and not had my full break, he replied, that he was driving the truck I was to be the passenger, ok that made sense. well sort of until I thought about it. it did not matter any-more how much rest or sleep i have
I asked the driver how he got here and he said he came down last night with another of our drivers and went in to a bed and breakfast he got up this morning as he will deliver the load ,and take me back because the office knew I would not be able to drive for some time as my break hours .
It made sense ,as the load would be delivered, we arrived at a cold store at FRIMLY, i was off duty in the passenger seat basically it does not matter where you take your off duty break so long as you are not working
A few years later it was considered by the ministry that if you were in a company vehicle you “were” classed as on duty,” but that was much later in the 1990 s in actual fact if you were driving a company car to or from work of to relive another driver you were technically on duty, however who knew unless you had a accident in that car.
At Bejams Frimly, after a short time we were told to back on to the loading bay ,you got a green light when you were safely backed on to the loading bay you see it in your mirror you could not miss it to tell you that you were on the bay you would then feel the ramp inside the warehouse drop down on to the deck of the trailer they could start unloading.
First the quality control would take off the first 6 pallets then on the they would open the boxes to check for the correct temperature of the product and it had to be between minus-18 and -22 ,they would take all the boxes of the pallet and check the very bottom ones, just to make sure that the chips had been loaded at the correct temperature
After the unloading all was correct ,the load count and the temperature we pulled out of the yard making our way to the M3 where now for me i asked, we are going to Bedford for a truck and trailer service We arrived at Bedford, and the trailer was dropped in a service bay ,and the unit taken for a service next door, i was taken to see the boss of the workshops, and he asked if there were any outstanding faults on the truck or trailer ,i did say some of the tyres on the trailer were a bit short of rubber meaning the tread was low by my sight all the other gauges on the unit were working oil and water was good ,there was no more to say,I had only had the truck for 36 hours ish I was given the keys to the car I had to go home in and that was it,
I was away to go home it was the same old Volvo first thing was I checked the petrol, and it was nearly empty, what a surprise, why would drivers leave a car with hardly any petrol in thank fully a garage was close by,when I got home there was a telephone message written down by my wife for me to phone the office they never left you alone for any length of time it was something I was going to have to get used to
When I booked off in Dover as far as the office were concerned my time off stated from then, that meant by the time I had got home I was on my day off already or as near to dam it. My instructions from the office I had to be down in Lamberhust for 5 pm the next day and deliver a load of lambs the same run I had done with Pete before, on my own ,are you ok with that they said I remember feeling pleased with myself as they were trusting me with a Export load for the first time.
I would not be putting in a tacograph until I leave the loading place that I had one night at home as had to leave by 1300 however it looked as if I had had 48 hours off as far as my tacographs will show.
After a good drive to Lamberhurst ,i arrived in plenty of time, and I had brought a small gas burner and some food ,saucepan, tea ,excreta, just to keep me going and from spending any money on foreign food, the more I did not spend the more for me, well that was the thought .I had not got round to finding a toaster, but I would.
The unit was the one I had driven the day before 2800 DAF, after the service the driver was already ther he wanted to get off home I did ask him why he was not doing the job instead of me ,he gave me some story about his wife I left it at that, it was nothing to do with me ,he told me the trailer was ¾ loaded and the last lot would be soon loaded when the lambs are down to their required transit temperature the fridge was working hard but the rear doors were open to the abattoir.
What I did not know was one of drivers from the abattoirs own trucks was also going down to the docks on a export load he was going direct delivery at Liege and then into Germany i was to follow him down to Dover the ship over to Calais [F] and follow him through to Belguim then we would go our different ways, this was new to me ,apparently all things change when meat is involved ,the office knew what was happening I had no idea
I was to pick a French permit up from the agent in Dover ,and the driver was going to show me the route out of Calais, and how to go through the customs at Calais all straight forward well it is supposed to be.
We were ready to go and he said we were going the back roads down to FOLKSTONE, then on to Dover I did not have a map with me it was a switch back ride ,where we went I did not know I did not let his rear lights out of my sight, he warned me that when you get to Folkestone we will go up this very steep hill if it is wet and you miss a gear near at the top you will be stuck, as the steepness of the hill lets all the weight of the lambs hang back at angle ,taking your traction away from your drive wheels as if you are skidding on ice
We parked outside the agents after booking in to the ferry office for our tickets and i collected the paper work for me and a permit for transit of France we drove round to the customs ,this time we had to queue up to go into the customs sheds for a seal check the fridge’s were making hell of a noise under the canopy so we switched them off , a port health check, ]MAFF],to make sure we were veterinary sealed up ,we had queued up the stairs for the customs paper work to be checked lots of banter on them stairs but not from me I did not know any one.
That all done we queued up for the next ferry to Calais, they were every 2 hours ish leaving Dover we were loaded on to the ferry we had to ask for a Electric Plug as no diesel engines were allowed to be run, once that was sorted and it was working the correct way we made our way up stairs for food in the drivers lounge.
We were on Sea-link ferries and the food was good Jimmy asked if I had any French money at all, and no i did not,he said we would need at least 5 French Francs for the customs as you go out of the gate for the bung, for the excess diesel we had, you are only allowed 200 litres in France.
I changed £10 sterling and received just over 10 Francs Jimmy told me do not give that much you must change it as they would take it all that i am learning more ,we talked about my delivers and he told me about the Belgian border so as i was sure where to go he was a great help i did remember when i was there with peter i would have been struggling without the recap, but that is why they sent me with him.
Once the ferry docked we were about the last to get off we unplugged the electrical cable ourselves switched the fridge to diesel,there was a massive queue waiting to get out of the dock after the customs.
Once in the customs hall I just followed what jim said and I did not speak, there was no need to, the customs men all looked the same in massive coats stinking of French ■■■■,and laughter they were in charge ,after the stamp on the permit backing paper Jim said he hoped they would stamp that, and not the actual permit as it could be used again I will explain later
I watched as the trucks drove up to the last barrier where you gave them the money ,[they called it coffee] the man jumped up onto the step hung on the mirror arm and looked at the fuel gauge on the dash board to see what it read ,full, or half full they still had the coffee money whatever, and when it was my turn I drove up, stopped, and he got on the step looked in the cab and took the 5 francs.■■■ was a long queue driving out of a part of CALAIS TOWN
That was my first of many giving of French francs to the customs men, only in Calais no other French port bothered with the fuel coming in to the country they were the French Mafia that practice carried on until the customs frontier controls finished in the 1990s.
Once clear, before I was let loose on my own Jim gave me my last instructions we crossed the same border in to Belgium as when I was on the other ferry, not to far away however I had to clear the customs there as it was my final boarder of destination, but Jimmy was there so it went well.
AT all the deliverers they will be waiting for me they will soon be out as they were local Butchers shops, in towns this was a regular run.
I found the first delivery more by luck than judgement however I had remembered the name of the first town we delivered to when I was with Peter what a stroke of luck,once they had their meat I would be taken to the next delivery by following a car, I think this job must have been another test as it was nonstop full-go.
,At the first delivery one man jumped up on the back of the trailer to take the lambs of the hooks and pass them down i was given a white coat, to get up and do the same, as two men were on the road taking the meat inside, no lay down on the bunk, and that was the pattern of the nights work,
i had lost track of time.
I ended up somewhere near Brussels Airport with a empty trailer the inside needed a wash out, that was my next move find a truck stop with a high power hose, it was normal in Belgium as they seem to think of everything, Jim did tell me that I should ring the office by 11am our time and get loading instruction, so sleep was the second priority.
I did find a truck wash .no soap just cold water but very powerful it did get most of the fat off the walls of the trailer although I did have to use a plastic ice scrapper [brought from the shop in the service station that was my 5 French francs gone] apparently the use any currency in Belgian
The office told me I was loading tonight not far from the in Belgium, make my way there, as the load was ready a full load of frozen vegetables ,after 3 hours in the bunk I got up , went in the services brought a hot –dog [frickadela] with the French they even took coins, I found that unusual however I had no idea. all new to me
I was ready to leave, heading towards Antwerp you will pick up the signs for IPERS the office had given me directions, on the narrow roads some of the back roads were cobble I was told the road eventually you would drive in to a factory AS EASY AS THAT [NO]eventually after a few turn abounds i picked up the signs for the company in large compound ,other trucks were there, I parked up, went into the office they knew who I was loading for, I was given a loading bay number to back on, I had forgotten to have the fridge running again.
Wait in your cab ,or in the rest room here as the load is handball [meaning not on pallets ,in paper sacks it will be a while before it is finished they would knock the cab when it is finished, it was time to get a brew of tea on then lie down and get some rest ,sleep.again.
After about 3hours and I was woken up ,and told to go to the office ,to collected my cmr andpaper work ,and customs paper, after I had pulled off the loading bay closed the rear doors ready for a customs seal ,i fired the fridge up set it at -25 they told me that the my office said I was to go to Zeebrugge for the late night ferry ,it was not far in distance to the ferry ,that was good and I would be able to fill up with diesel ,unbelievable but it all worked out. even for the ferry, and another time to get in the bunk I had already worked out that if you can get a lay down do it.
Once the ferry arrived it did not take long for the off load of trucks we were soon brought up from lanes for loading ,it is not straight forward ,as heavy lorries have to get put in different places, the loading ticket office know all the trucks weights when booking in .also I wanted a electrical plug in, so I seemed to be kept waiting to load with other fridge drivers as we were all on the same level where all the plug connections are or sometimes you go up the top deck with the hazardous loads it is open to the elements so you can leave your fridge running on its own ,once you are loaded and the dock staff chain the trucks down you go inside to get your bed number/cabin, no single berth, so you have 2 choices either go straight to bed or eat a dinner. Some drivers stay in their cabs .
For me it was a no brainier /bed, before the snoring started, and just hoped you did not get a cabin with foreigners.
All went well ,the crew wake you up in time for breakfast nice full English, then the unloading starts passport control/ customs, all done on the dock ,as before I parked up ,after driving around trying to find a space away from sleeping drivers [ some drivers used to close their curtains so as no fridges park near them and they would not be in their cabs]my paper work lodged at the dock agents in box i wrote on it the number of the lane I was parked back in the bunk again. I have started to realise that a lot of drivers have no time for fridge drivers on account of the noise.
After about 3 hours, I got dressed again, went and collected my paper work ,all cleared that allowed you out of the dock gate and on my way to kings Lynn again to get the load off loaded I knew it would take a while as it all had to be put on pallets ,a long job.
After getting parked up in the Frigoscania yard I report to the office and they told me to ring my office as soon as I can Once again I was told that a driver was coming in the car to relive me and I could go home and ring tomorrow it was a waiting game, the more time I spent here the less at home.
Another driver I did not know, arrived ,and I told him what was going on and that they would let him know when to get on to a unloading bay, and that was me, away, petrol check seemed ok, so home for me.
Hiya Peggy, first off, I’d like to express how much I’m enjoying reading the account of your work history. O.K., the grammar ain’t brilliant, as I’m sure you’d be the first to admit, in fact, you’ve already stated as much. But that doesn’t matter as far as I’m concerned, what shines through for me is the honesty contained within the dialogue. Keep it up mate, youre doing a top job, but if I could just make a little constructive criticism here, and I sincerely hope that this doesn’t come across as being patronising, but just for future reference, and trust me, I’m not trying to have a cheap laugh at your expense here mate, but if you’re trying to say etcetera, then this is how to spell the word. I realise it isn’t vitally important, as we all know what you mean, but the word excreta has a different meaning altogether. Excreta in fact, is what most of us lot have been up to our armpits in for the best part of half a century. All the best pal, and please don’t think that I’m trying to take the proverbial.
Regards. Eddie.
Eddie no offence taken whatsoever,one of the reasons i am putting this writing out on trucknet is because my grammar and spelling,is not A1 that is why ,I am not saying that all members on here do not deserve the very best you do, as i have done mine.another chapter is on its way .
The next day from home, I phoned for instructions at dinner time to be told to go to Bedford service depot 7 o clock in the morning, I was to take the truck that was there to load a load of lambs from Canvins abattoir near Bedford and ring from there I thought another euro trip just what I need ther more experience I get the better for me
Before I arrived at the Abattoir I had the fridge going at +2 I looked in the back and it definitely wanted a good wash out before loading I have no idea where the trailer had been previous or who drove the unit .the inspection by canvins veterinary was the most through you could have, at lest the wash was very high power and hot ,if you washed the hooks first you would get soaked with the dripping I knew i would not be loaded for at lest 1 hour after ,it was a new trailer with the air bags suspension ,”very new” you let the rear down so the water ran out they had a large squeegee for removing the excess water from the floor, also you could do the trailer wall sides as well.
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Directed on to a loading bay, loading started there was a never ending rocking around as the loaders were walking in and out of the trailer this abattoir only slaughtered lambs and ewes they also had their own trucks but only uk deliveries I was told.
The trailer was loaded I was told to start the fridge up ,at set it to +2 then pull off the bay close the it is some sight looking at maybe 3oo lambs all hanging from strings from the hooks nearly down to the deck a lot of food ,also a lot of swaying about if you start trying to move the truck around to quick,[believe me once you have had a scare you don’t want another]that was for me later.
The veterinary came in to the office gave the office whatever they needed to, the office filled their own c m r out for delivery all the paper work for the Dover agent named A.G. was in a envelope I asked to ring the office before I left the abattoir my instructions were to take the truck back to the Bedford garage, leave the truck ,the fridge going at the correct temperature ,the car would soon be there for me to go home again ,and the other driver would be taking the load,
That seemed for a while the pattern of work i was doing, unloading or loading for someone else and it was sort of getting to me ,i thought i was permanent and the 2800 daf was mine to drive apparently not
I asked to speak to the boss the office men tried to keep fobbing me off that he was never in the office ,I let it go for 2 weeks and one Friday I was home with the company car I rang the office they told me to come to oxford on Saturday he was there on Saturday morning in the yard ,well it was in a forest, called Tubny wood off the Swindon road out of Oxford, it had some hard standing for a few trailers and a wooden cabin type office .I spoke to the boss and asked if I could have a truck of my own soon or I will be looking for another job I have been doing the relive for about a year, with the occasional run abroad I would like European on a more permant basis please.
I was told they would be getting another hire truck a new Scania i would be driving it on a permanent basis in 2 weeks, however it would be on European work and I would have to do the same as the others and go anywhere I was told, if I could not do it they would have to let me go .a catch 22. Situation.
It could be 3 weeks away at a time, i knew some of the other men were very rarely home for long as the export and import ruled, it was a no brainier i asked to phone my wife to see what she thought I could do it or leave and go to nothing as the work driving was very limited around my area
also at that time obliviously I wanted to do it anyway however not my own decision we decided to do it and take a chance i suspect my wife relented as she knew I wanted to do it also the monthly check was there and that was important it was no different than a man being in the services or at sea however I did have a choice and I made it I do not think I moaned about the job at all as I knew what I was getting in to.
The 2 weeks went into 3 and I was getting slightly cautious were they telling me the truth, when I did bump into other drivers they said yes the fitter at Bedford had been told another truck was coming and it was the first Scania not a D.AF I carried on as normal unloading other peoples loads day or night[ not at the same time].
One load comes to my mind that nearly came to my down fall while waiting for the scania also me getting to big for my boots ,it is funny how life puts you down to ground very easy.
I had the company car I had to go to Bedford to deliver this load of frozen goods at 12 midnight at Bejams frozen foods I knew it very well as a lot of our loads ended up there I knew some of the workers however it was different at night ,different people but they knew the company well [as regulars] we had no problem getting in past the security to get parked up at times it was very difficult to get on the premises ,if you were early, or late but Rokold seemed to. have a little priority
This trailer I collected was brand new it had a new system for the brakes called “progressive breaking” meaning when you put your foot on the brake pedal it sent air down the air line to the brakes on the 3 axles like normal the brakes did not all come on at the same time there was progressive breaking one would come on then another then the last one, so as there was no skidding, gently braking however it used the air in the system up quicker whenshunting in tight places the engine needed to be at a high revving speed to keep the air cylinders up to maximum pressure. I am no fitter I was told all this after.
When you were moving slowly shunting around using your brakes the air would be going out ,but the brakes would not be jammed on, one axles would stop you. I was told to go on to a loading bay, it was very tight there was a truck parked both sides for unloading after a lot of manoeuvring and shunting the rear of the trailer touched the loading bay-dock a green light would come on and that was you ,[you had opened the back doors before ] it was tight getting in as their own company trucks were parked everywhere where you wanted to be ,another driver got out of his cab and help me back up to the bay.
I was still chatting I jumped out of the cab with the deliver tickets walked up the 10 steps at the corner of the loading bay into the freezing warehouse, as you walk up the steps you are as high as the roofs of all the trailers parked on the loading bays so it looks like a flat field of roofs ,and all the fridges are off.
All the drivers ,some known and some strangers are drinking coffee and eating sandwiches, mostly homemade, the meal for the night workers does not start until 3 am in the subsided canteen ,I hope I get away before the workers eat as it all gets later and they get slower the longer they work.
The odd driver gets told he is finished, and new ones arrive, at last they call me to say all is good and the unloading is finished just wait for the empty pallets to be reloaded, off I go down the steps, talk to driver next door to me, jump in the cab, put the key in the ignition ,start the engine and let it tick over i jump out the cab again, say something to the driver again [being cocky I expect as I was unloaded before him] I make for the steps again in to the warehouse to see if the pallets are loaded ,and collect the paper work, I was told 2/3 minutes and they will be ready I waited like all the others do. they were that good at this particular delivery
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At that moment I was a happy soon be away and home, i was given the paperwork CMR all signed correct I opened the door to go down the steps and looked over the trailer roofs again and there was a empty loading bay where I was parked, i thought well what a good chap ,the driver next to me he had pulled my truck off the unloading bay so as someone else can get in to the space
. That was what I thought.,as I got past the truck alongside the walkway it was quite as I got further round I could see the Rokold unit parked on a strange angle I thought oh no!he has hit another truck, as I run round the front of the Rokold cab it is empty!! no one is in it, I run back around the way I had just come and Jesus, the left hand side of my trailer door was stuck in to the mirror arm cab of the truck next to me, what has happened ,i run back to my driver’s side jump in the cab, and there is the evidence looking at me, the hand brake was not on!!!ohh no that is me stuffed. In the mean time out comes the driver who s cab I have just hit he is going he is going bananas
He said he had only just had it repaired “look mate its happened it is a accident I did it, sorry I turned to sharp” I will back up the truck and you hold the door open then I will park up over there and come back and sort it out what the blessing was the chap parked next door had gone to see another driver so no one knows what actual happened if the truck had not stopped and got caught up on his front, parked up were 3 trucks of Bejams units dead in line where it would have rolled into, now that would have been a major incident [ no health and safety yet]phew lucky or what.
What happened is that when I reached the loading dock doors and the green light came on just by luck or unlucky the air has all gone out of the air reservoirs connected to the trailer brakes and they are firmly on completely empty so it means that all the brakes on the 3 axles are on, I forget to put the hand brake on I was too busy talking!!
After I had sorted all the paper work out ,truck numbers names extra I had to go and tell the night foreman what I had done if they had a inquiry they would know. i eventually got away and made my way back to Bedford no damage to our truck and trailer I was a different person going back than when I was going there subdued
I parked back up at Bedford i wrote out all that had happened on the back of a envelope [a big brown one] and stuck it in the window also left a note for the the fitter if he would tell Mr East what i had written down I would ring the office after dinner, no more I could do I drove home and expect the sack, at least I had given the office a heads up if the other driver rang first thing ,they would know what had happened.
About 2 pm I made the dreaded telephone call asked for the boss, I was told he was out ,but not to worry the insurance would sort it out ,have the rest of the day off ring tomorrow i could not believe it just like that, all the thinking I was going to get the sack and that was that.
I rang the next day, all seemed ok I asked if Robin wanted to speak to me and the traffic manager so no, all ok here is what we want you to do, I think it was Wednesday[ not sure] I had to drive the car to Guildford and go to Steve Chitties abattoir there is a trailer that will be loaded with beef for Rungis, market Paris,
Jesus Christ, after what I did, they have given me a load that I have never done before , only briefly in France once, i have no idea what to do where to go, out of the pan into the fire .I thought it is a joke they know I have not taken a load of beef before, let alone deliver it, it is either a test to see what I do ,if I take it or not.
I arrive at the abattoir the other relief driver said thank god you have arrived, he thought he was going to have to go with the load and he had less experience than me, I thought well that is two of us but i never said a word,
The load had all been sealed up and he gave me the papers I put my gear in the cab checked all around checked both diesel tanks and the fridge was set at +1 the correct temperature, the engine was ticking over [normal sound] I did jump up on the rear of the unit to open the front of the fridge doors you have to slightly jack knife the unit so as the fridge doors can be opened to see the engine to check to see if the gas bubble was ok in its tube,if it is floating the gas is ok if the bubble sits on the bottom of the tube it is of of gas the fridge works but not correct ,all seemed good .
It was the new Scania basic white rental the cab was empty of any personal goods I made sure the company book was in it with all the relevant company credit cards for fuel etc I had my company cash float that they gave you, all was good the Scania was a low line cab 112 if I remember correctly I think it was a twin steer I made my way to Dover once through the ticket control i knew what agent to go to once there.
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I had to park in the customs bay, under the canopy once I had the paper work I went to the agents they handed me a envelope with customs forms for me to produce ,also another one marked with my name and it said open in Paris with loading instructions after you are empty.
I found space for parking [customs] lots of other fridges there, roaring away, very noisy i queued up the stairs to present my paper work like the other drivers up the stairs, feeling a bit lost and apprehensive, a shout behind me called Rokold! i looked behind as you do ,another driver a few behind me said ,we are going to the same place ,i will see you on the ferry.
It turned out he had also loaded at the same place but left before me he knew that I was a first solo tripper as he was a sub contractor to Rokold they had told him, I was pleased he proceeded to give me as much information in a short time, however he did say that if we got split up he would wait for meat the last service station before the peage [toll both] he would then lead me through Paris, I said how will I know if it is the last one ,he said it will be chocker block with cars and lorries the service station is just as you see the toll booths. And it was as he said. manic, but that was just the start.
We both had plug ins on the ferry no beds on the Calais crossing there was a drivers restaurant drivers seemed to be more talkative than in cafes at home, over time it was a place I would avoid It was easier
It was only the second time I had been to France once off the ferry the mad rush up to the exit gate I noticed a lot of drivers did not lock their doors we produced to the customs the permit plus its backing paper to be stamped also the T2 forms all in order, we drive out towards the fuel checking customs man for his 5 franc bung it is like a slow snake all the traffic ,cars mostly gone in front all the lorries winding our way out of the Calais dock and through a part of the town as well as us going out on the same road as all the traffic going in to the dock it was very busy .it will be years later before CALAIS is like it is now in 2018 back to 1984/5
After getting clear of the houses we start to go down the main road in to PARIS the auto route has not arrived yet two way traffic ,I think it was PERONE area we got on to the pay road however I could well be wrong.Once I had got through collected a ticket it was all very new to me thank god I managed to keep up with the lorry I was following, it was the first time I had been around this area I was doing more looking around than I should have done.
Eventually we came to the pay booth I had changed some float money in to French francs as I was told I would, need a certain amount also for the return journey I do not remember how much it was but I got a lot of change from a 100 franc note.
I was told to keep up his arse do not let any lorries get in between us the first fascination was going under the airport runway and a aeroplane was going over the top I could not believe it I was astounded the traffic it was very busy it was unbelievable then I spotted a train it was the coaches for the orient express ,also the large overheads signs saying places I had never heard of
Paris city has 2 ring roads they are called [peripherque] one outer for all the transit traffic and a inner for local the outer has 4 lanes like a race track and that is what it is,as our trucks are right hand drive ,it was the only time it was to our advantage as the 4 lanes has no hard shoulder, masses of twists turns tunnels ,some dark some bright and all exits on the same road as the entrance and being on the right we always had a better view as to what was going on than the normal left hand drive.
After years of using that road I used to enjoy going round the peripherque all the exits are named as [a-port-de -lyon or similar ] it used to get really fast and dangerous as the French would never ever give way in their cars they would just keep going, what they did not know was we could see them in our driving mirrors, as being right hand drive not left sometimes they would have to go back ,the up to join the main road again because we/I would not let them in. as they could see they would go under the wheels they would just be hanging on their hooters ,and if you were left hand driver you would slow up and give way because you would not be able to see them.
That was the rule in the city [give way] to cars trying to get on to the main road from a minor road. it was only our ever victory over the French driver, it was even funnier if two of us truck were very close together. Sad but true all the bumps would be in the fast lane not ours all though it was a free way, we always stuck in the slow lane I will speak for myself.
I was given the insight of what to do and very pleased I was ,of having been given information, by the other driver he told me the Motorway signs are very different from ours in ENGLAND because they will show you mileage[in kilometres] and place names miles/kilometers away from where you are however they are excellent to follow if you are going long distance example signs showing all routes as if to give you the chance to turn around and go any direction.
What I am trying to say is that so as long you know your final destination you will never go wrong they all give you a Chance of turning around ,and when you enter France from other boarders Paris is always signed from wherever. Sign posts in to the Rungis market you see when you are right on it
now the nightmare does begin.
As Rungis is the biggest wholesale market of all the products imported into France by road
it is like its own city, with restaurants/bars buses ,we had to go and pay a entrance fee, at a barrier it was all very new. Once done at the barrier ,we went down to the customs parking bays, well !it was like the biggest area you could imagine all numbered with a letter then a numeral. I later over time, found that there were maps of the market in the bars but the locals did not need them.
I was taken up to the agents office about 5 floors up and presented the paperwork and we were both told we could be to late for to days market, meaning the customs had stopped clearing trucks for today [.clearing ]means processing the paper work and making sure all monies have been paid by the import
SOME ANCILLIRY INFORMATION MAYBE USEFULL I DO RELISE THAT DRIVERS WERE DOING HANGING MEAT LONG BEFORTE I STARTED THIS IS HOW I FOUND IT. ALSO MAYBE SOME READING THIS MAY NEVER HAVE SEEN A MEAT TRAILER.
MY HISTORY CARRYS ON AFTER THIS
In the trailers built before 1983/4 had just a fridge unit control box on the front side of the fridge and all the workings and blowers on the inside of the trailer if you looked in side the trailer from the back doors ,at the front you would have seen a metal blower fan unit sticking out, just about the size of a modern set of two Chester draws hanging down from the front sticking about 2 foot out ,meaning that you were not able to push pallets right to the front flat they would have to be half size, if you had boxes you would have to take half of the front pallet off in the trailer push the other to the front under the fridge blowers ,then try to re stack the taken off boxes around the blowers , the ones you were left with you would re-distribute on the pallets as they were in the trailer .meaning no matter how tired you were you had to be with the loading all the while.
The next awkward thing was the meat hooks, each fridge had meat hook rails but i had no idea how or when they were used and by what or why, i knew that there were about 330 ish meat hooks hanging down along 5 rails in the roof of the trailer, what was holding them up I do not know [I still wonder today what was unseen in the fridge roofs]
FRIDGE SIZE AND WEIGHTS.
The first fridges were on 2 axles,[4 wheels] on the rear a Fridge unit[ the cooling system] inside on the front . A steel ribbed floor , thick heavy doors and side walls,Overall weight with tractor 17.000k gs[17 tons]
around 19834/5 new ones arrived.=3 rear axles ,singular tyres ,refrigerated unit outside on the front, lightweight chassis, flat [not ribbed] chequered steel floors, visible screw heads,a thin steel holed strip attached to the side wall to put restraining bars in [ to hold loads back from falling] about 4 foot high off the floor .also later they built under slung boxes underneath the trailers to hold 24 empty pallets and the meat hooks in plastic boxes. and various other features as years went on and of course the lighter they weighed the better. in the end there was no chassis as of now ,very lightweight, that was the ultimate aim years ago lighter net weight higher pay load.
I AM GOING A BIT FORWARD IN MY STORY,HOWEVER IF I DESCRIBE THE USE OF THE FRIDGES,AND PRODUCTS WE /I CARRIED AND TRAILER DEVELOPMENT YOU WILL HAVE SOME IDEA ?
I will just start with the loading all meat was loaded, not by the driver at all it was done at the abattoirs by loader ,it was a very hard job ,you would not have wanted to have loaded meat then have to do your driving work like we used to do with bricks and cement it was all ways very clinical ,we had to wash the trailers out with high powered jet washes, and cleaner, either before arriving at the abattoir , or there ,also the temperature and to be cooled down in the trailer before loading as you backed on to a sealed loading bay, temperate controlled , next to the massive fridge s within the abattoir where all the meat is being cooled down in the fridges for loading , the trailers were meticulously inspected by [ 1] the VET, [2]A MINISTRY OF HEALTH INSPECTOR NOW [ M. A F. F] before any loading took place at all.
DIFFERENT MEATS EXPORTED][ I] CARRIED
BEEF=fore quarters [front legs /shoulders.[2]
Hind quarters [rear legs[ 2]…1animal could weight 1 ton [1000gks]
COW BEEF,= OLD MILKING COWS. AS ABOVE SLIGHTLY LIGHTER.
SHEEP,LAMBS= to FRANCE SWITZERLAND, BELGIUM .HOLLAND GERMANY. ITALY. GREECE.
EWES = MUTTON. LARGE for ITALY SPAIN. A very fatty product.
PIGS, FAT OLD SOWS,LARGE. For ITALY, SPAIN. GERMANY. FRANCE. a
PIGS=SMALLER =BACON,HAM. For SPAIN. ITALY ,AUSTRIA .FRANCE
BOAR MEAT, HAD TO BE TRANSPORT SEPARATIVE FROM ANY OTHER MEAT, AS VERY ODOROUS .Mostly loaded in Germany for ITALY
BULL MEAT=ALSO CARRIED ON ITS OWN. MOSTLY to Italy
SOME TIMES BOXES OF ALL GAME BIRDS, VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF WOOD -PIGEON fresh ALSO VENISON NOT HUNG UP BUT STACKED IT WAS FROZEN
IF YOU WERE LOADED FOR ITALY, FROM ANY COUNTRY YOU HAD TO LEAVE THE MIDDLE HANGING RAIL EMPTY,SO AS THE VETS COULD WALK ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THE LOAD TO CHECK WHAT YOU HAD ON THE LORRY CORRESPONDED WITH THE PAPER WORK,THEY COULD HOLD YOU UP FOR HOURS.
It was because the way the meat markets were going if more imports were in the country, the local prices would be higher. Without imports it would not be only me waiting there would be up to 20/30 lorry s, waiting to unload all over a ITALY .however if you were in Transit ,going outside ITALY for delivering you would soon be out of the customs /vet .the Italians call their vets doctors.
We transported hanging meat to any country , also frozen meat some that was what was called INTERVENTION [remember the butter ,wine mountains] there was a meat mountain it all went abroad ,we never got the benefit of it, when ROMANIA was freed, we took loads of meat to GERMANY to cold stores close to the old east German boarder that was then transferred from the cold stores to the ROMANIANS very poor lorry s back to ROMANIA. when you saw what a sorry state the men [drivers ]were in and their lorries
CONTINUE OF MY HISTORY THE NEXT POST.
Great bit of story telling and writing Vic, really glad you took the time to go through it all again… I noticed you started short this time and missed out the stuff about the unions which I thought was a great bit of writing. Even if it wasn’t as polished ( you know what I mean Vic ) as the stuff you just put up, it was an endearing warts and all rendition of a point in history that most folk would ( should ) be embarrassed about. But you just went along hitting every nail squarely on the head.
I kind of liked that sort of manic way you had of just writing the stuff down, and I always said to my wife a professional editor would just kill the natural flow in the name of grammar… as I’ve mentioned to you before I thought it was a great way of writing.
Jeff…
RUNGIS MARKET Paris
All we could do is just look at each other ,we could not do anything ,it was starting to getting light, and John the other driver said I know what is going on, the importer has got to much meat today and he cannot sell it so he is holding us back, he said it has happened before ,they always do it to the English, even if we had been earlier at midnight ,they know what is going on and you have not control, we just have to wait ,so he said let us walk around to where the meat is loaded at unloading shed numbered V2P.
That is a number I and many more will never forget if you have ever been to the dreaded Paris market V2P that our importers pitch for unloading, and when we got there, 3 trucks waiting to get unloaded, John ,new one of the drivers, he had been waiting for 2 hours he was not next, we had no chance to get unloaded today, we went to the agent and in their usually manner basically did not give one zb, I asked John what happens now ,he said he will ring the office on the night number tell him what is going on, and ring them later when they get in the office ,in the mean time ,go to bed.
Once the duty office man AT HOME rings the exporter ,to tell them what is going on, Rokold then talkto the Dover agent who processed the export paper work to check all that was in order ,also they are 24/7 and have French language speakers, they will ring the agent in Paris and get a update
,We are parked up and wait for the nights unloading to start, however the French will all ready have their nights schedule worked out it means that they will get to unload us when they can ,as we will be classed as extra loads as being custom cleared the meat we have in the trailer could have all ready been sold on to another buyer any where in France, but will they tell us ,no!.the scenario is ,one of us will unload in Paris and one will go else where
A delivery in or around Paris once we know, whose going we have to phone the night office [Rokolds] man again ,and let them know where and who is going We use a phone from in a cafeteria, in the market, the noise is horrendous, they are always full no matter what time, when the market is open. As you know the French are very loud the place is full of smoke, you pay the barman as the phone is on a meter. and you get a hand written receipt[which is normally altered to our advantage.
After sleeping it seemed for a short time there was knocking on my cab not the best way to be woken up ,it was John he said he had rang the office and it is all still the same as before you either unload in the market or go elsewhere and I must ring whatever time it is when I am empty,
That was it ,back for another sleep ,what with loads of noise and my fridge roaring away I was soon awake again so I decided to get up .
I found John next door also awake ,he decided we would take a walk around and get a coffee somewhere to kill the time, and it was a good time for me to try to get all the information I needed for France that I could it seemed to me as if he knew what he was doing, it worked out a good day from a bad one he said we must go back and try to sleep as we both could or would be working all through the night and maybe the next day he said you must keep your tachographs in order even here in the market as the police have full power in here.
Just before we went to bed again I asked John what to do about this envelope I had got and should I open it as I was not empty yet, he laughed and said what envelope ,I showed it to him ,and he opened it and laughed again and said you knob did no one tell you” I said what! And he replied it is a Spanish permit ,empty in and loaded out, “meaning I said” when you are empty from here you are to drive down to Spain for a collection load up and come back…zb me is that all I said Jesus how the zb am I supposed to do this when I have not done nothing much within Europe, and he replied now is your chance. End of…
And it gets better, they have been having problems at the FRENCH SPANISH border with the local Basque- Terrorists called ETA, where I have to go whoever unloads in or out of here and then head for Spain at least John has done it all before and gives me the rundown of what to do and what not, I write it all down ,and he did tell me all, well sort of.
I was supposed to go to sleep, no chance !I had to get this load out of the way, one thing ■■■■■■ me off ,the office knew and never said a word about the Spanish permit it was testing time again or they would not have given me a permit for Spain,although it was better this way to be thrown in the deep end and wait for the outcome. I expect some men would have said no to Spain…
John did give me a old AA map of his ,for all Europe, the old book type, it did give the main roads through- out Europe at least I was not blind, also he said wherever you unload if it is more than one abattoir ,you must not on any account leave the last premises without using their trailer washing facilities ,as you will never get a truck wash in Spain and the trailer must be spotless ,they will let you use the wash. on no account leave with out having thoroughly washed the trailer then run the fridge cold to keep a chill in it but not all the time…
Also money, he told me that I would need a small amount of Spanish currency only for myself for eating as Rokold has a account with the Agent in Irun the customs boarder post for trucks, for when you return to pay for the paper work.
I must have slept well as John was knocking on the cab door, once I was awake he said the customs and the doctor[ veterinary] only called that in Italy ,and France, [vets.]are ready to look at the load to check the temperature and that it is beef…and not some other meat[horse, donkey etc] once that completed they told us to wait for our papers. About 1 hour later the agent appeared ,no hurry, all the time in the world typical, zb you attitude. I was to deliver in Tours ,and John , had to deliver somewhere here in the market then elsewhere outside ,so we both had the rough end of the stick.
Good thing was it was a regular out of market delivery so thankfully John knew where it was ,and he gave me directions, well in the same area, that was a tremendous help as I would be right out of my comfort zone and driving with no idea where.
After I had eventually found my way out of the market a sort of idea where to go ,well the names of towns to follow, not good in the dark however hardly any traffic to worry about if I was to go the wrong way ,past the junction I needed to be at then that would be bad, luckily TOURS was up in the top order on the massive auto route signs, once I got on to the pay age[pay motorways ,dual track but not free] I was settling down ,bad sign, once you start to feel to comfortable ,I would guarantee something will go ■■■■ up… however this time I was wrong, and TOURS started to come into view ,it was light now, so I was looking ahead for industrial signs. Large chimneys, and factory’s, and the sign for Abattoir… in France it is the same as English well near enough.
Once the right sign was spotted off at the pay exit ,paid my money, and kept the ticket, and found the Abattoir after a few about turns I eventually pulled in to their yard, it was very quiet ,I now had to wait and see what type of reception I got, as I do not know if they were supposed to receive the meat the night before and god knows what they are told, by the agents in paris,
I try to find my way in, lucky the side door was open I went in with my ever magic paper the C.M.R and the Bon- de-reme, from PARIS, I was looking for the boss or “Chef “[chief]as the say in FRANCE,and I soon found him , a massive half chewed cigar with ash ,hanging from his mouth sleeves rolled up up ,blood and snot ,all over his apron a massive man in size, and a big Bonjour, Sava! From him and the same reply from me. [fluent in French speak now he eh, ]well he seemed pleased to see me ,made a change, so he showed me the loading bay at the back to back on to then made a sign ,as for me to go and sleep and I patted his watch and he held 3 fingers up, so that was 3 hours to unload and sleep for me,
I must have soon slept as the rule of thumb it takes a while, however the fridge is turned off, that has been going non stop since I left with the load from the abattoir in England ,it seemed a long time ago .
“THE BON-DE –REME THE pink piece of paper you need to travel out side the market to deliver else where ,in France is like a authorisation to do “cabotage” legally. where as a French truck should in theory be delivering the meat.”
After it seemed like 5 minutes the cab was being rocked, and the door knocked and shouts of guttural French ,so I assumed the load was off and I was needed to move off the bay ,with a quick jump out of the bunk ,clothes already on…the curtain pulled back and a large Frenchman hanging off the mirror arm ,and a foot on the step of the cab, telling me to move off the bay well I knew what he wanted ,[how do they keep that little ■■■ end in their mouths] just what you need when just woken up ,but I knew the best thing to do was start the engine ,pull the other curtain round ,so now a clear view in the mirrors, and pull away and that is what I did well away from the loading bay as other trucks were waiting to un -load…
All done ,C.M.R. Signed with a clear signature, and a company stamp, now I asked about the use of the wash for me to use lots of huffing and puffing, in the end the gesture I got was I was to pay for the hot wash ,and I gestured I would like a receipt, that was a strange look, from the boss however in the end it was all sorted [nothing seems to be easy and straight forward ]then it clicked, it is a foreign country, not home. I was learning every day.
The hot wash was the only way to get the fridge clean and get all the fat and grunge off the sides of the fridge walls if you like snot and grease bits of fat where all the meat carcasses have been swinging, for my first time I think I done good, as at least got my first unload without any major ■■■■ ups [yet]
I had to push all the meat hooks back to the front of the trailer as the were now all at the back, after the meat had been taken off also there is lot weight in all them meat hooks, they are held in place by small clips that have to be clipped down on the meat rails, or else they will be sliding up and down the trailer .and they needed washing. good job I had brought my wellies
Once finished I made a brew and a sandwich as the time was getting on and I had not eaten much in the last 24 hours, now I was ready for my first venture south it may not sound much to all the men who were already well established in European haulage and driving further, like to the East into commie block countries and into Russia ,but for me going into Spain from France on my own, yes empty I was quite pleased but all so a bit “apprehensive” of what zb ups I would put my self in, time would tell,I had got used to driving on the wrong side of the road ,but not got to cocky, because I know what will happen, ill lose concentration and zb up at lest I was driving with the window down that was a good sign. I made my way back on to the Auto route and made for Poitiers enroute Bordeaux .
.I was surprised on how flattish the country was around the area I was travelling, to be honest I had not got much idea on what to expect as far as the countryside would be like as I have never been bothered at all about areas of France, I will no doubt learn it time…
Time was ticking on and sticking to the speed limit I think was 86 ks or 90 was going a bit slow .I then tried to work out that when I got to the loading place, would I be in time to load in the day time .to be honest once I have had a break I will try to phone the office from a service station to find out.
After getting lots of change I telephoned the office number I got through they asked for the telephone and code box number and would ring me back, good plan.after time they did ,they new I was unloaded and had left Poitiers and told me that the cold store will load me when I get there ,they told me tp go past Pampalona follow the Madrid road out, and you will not miss the food factory it is on the main road [something] there is one of our subcontractors all-ready there ,waiting to load, and he will wait for you to take you back through the customs…that was the best news, Pamplona Madrid ,bloody hell.!!
I only had to get there now.
I thought I would get past Bordeaux, but to be honest I did not have a clue, I had dumped the tachograph card that I used from Paris to Poitiers, and started afresh when I left Poitiers so I had about driving time left it was all hit and miss for me I did not really know what I was doing as regarding times and distances so I thought this was my best bet just crack on.
At last signs for Bordeaux it was starting to look like urban town all the house roofs were tiled terracotta, not like our flat tiled roofs at home god knows why I noticed that but I did, roads were starting to flow in to the main road the last thing I need is a bump, the drivers of cars seemed as mad as them in Paris perhaps it is a French thing being suicidal they had no fear of a 40 foot trailer.
I followed the route around the city, or it might have been through the city ,you followed the river and went past massive palace type buildings like our houses of parliament very touristy I thought this cannot be right had I taken the wrong road
I just carried on, eventually I emerged from the busy scuttling cars my analogy of French cars and drivers are like “bees trying to get back in to their hives” they seem to at the last minute know where they want go and they go for it, and throw caution to the wind ,”completely barmy” over the years my opinion did not change, however who was I to criticise.
Once I got away from the city traffic, it started to get quieter, time for me to be looking around, but not getting to flash ,I had got my elbow on the window edge, shirt sleeve rolled up trying to get a bit of sun the area was so flat it was unreal the fields stretched for miles and there were large water sprayers moving on their own I had never seen anything so large ,god knows what crops they were watering.
I soon found the service area, I was so very close to the boarder ,I walked up to the road and looked and it was about ½ a mile away. At least I had not been stopped by the French police today so that was a bonus all I had to do now was have a good break on the tachograph card, doubt if the Spanish were bothered ,but that I did not know ,yet.
I thought I would get up early ,and maybe it would not be busy, after tea and toast ,[my last English bread the margarine had melted like water,]also I had my very first visit of Mosquitoes during the clammy night, like a novice, as I was,I left the tops of the windows open to get some air in,Jesus what a bollock to drop all I remember is going slightly mad trying to kill the little ■■■■■■■■■ what a waste of effort and time, I should have just laid in the sleeping bag head covered and tried to sleep .another lesson learned ,get some thin sheets and shut the windows…
So I was now ready to face my first boarder crossing ,slightly nervous if the truth be told, sI dropped down the big hill.in front of me was a massive piece of steel work that went right across the road with all kinds of different signs in FRENCH AND SPANISH b I knew I was to drive over to the right,to some offices [French customs and imagination, ]and they were just for the trucks that were empty and for Spanish trucks going wherever .There was no order in parking very few trucks nearly all Spanish,were just left where they where ,and you sort your self out.
So I gathered my Permits ,one French [to be stamped as exit] and the Spanish as entry and of course passport,For a time I just stood and looked at the windows within the building I could not read any of the signs, I just watched others as they walked in and there seemed to be a sequence of going from one to another .
. After a while I went to the first French office and give him the lot, not the right move,I remember him saying CMR, over again and again, so it then clicked ,he wants to see my CMR, from my delivers, I had not got it, so back to the truck got the CMR, and I took another CMR with me with no writing just the companies address on it,It was for me to use when I had loaded in Spain .
Back to the office the same man is not at the front working I had to give it to another man not the one I had seen before, so I pointed to the chap sat at the back and then pointed to the paper work, he said something to him ,they came to sort me out.
I did not, know what I was supposed to be doing, but he said something else, what I do not know, but next thing, he is out of the chair, then the office told me to follow him with hand gestures, and gestated where is the truck ,is hands were flapping like a swans wings , I pointed to it and went to the cab thinking he wanted to see in the cab, no wrong end, he wanted to look into the trailer to make sure ,it was empty,he then said to me “Vide” I had no idea what he meant, he then pointed up to the signs above the toll booths a picture of a lorry, with Vide in French ,and something else in Spanish.
We went back in ,he stamped the permit and ,passed it along to another uniformed man ,he stamped it ,looked at my Passport, unstamped he gave it back to me ,and that was that. .flipped his hand as if to say go on zb off.
I had realised I would have to do the same the same procedure once through the border with the Spanish I picked out the nearest entry type barrier to drive through ,it was opened the and I went in through to Spain, first time ever, well on land. The same procedure this side of the boarder
What I found out over the years trucks going into Spain were all ways loaded, very rare for a English truck to be EMPTY well I was I pulled over to the Spanish block of offices looked around and it seemed to be deserted ,it looked run down bare concrete walls open doors, scruffy curtains hanging ,different from the next door French. The EEC money had not started to make any difference yet to the country ,maybe the offices were last on their lists of next to do??
After time two uniformed men appeared ,■■■■ in the mouth ,stomachs bulging over the baggy trousers, they looked like well dressed bags of charity clothes in one, but they took the permit and passport ,stamped the permit, not the passport, and motioned me, with a flicker of the hand ,like the zb off gesture, to go to the truck , they slouched along besides me after they had put their hats on, I knew they wanted to look in the back ,I opened doors ,they check it was empty that done they gave me my passport and permit back ,they turned around ,and glided off not a care in the world.
So, now I was on my own in Spain n not really knowing where to go, the traffic was flowing quite fast, not very many trucks at all ,I was thinking there is something not right where are all the trucksbut that was just me.
I remembered John saying to me , come of the main road at the very first turn you come to just within the boarder area it is a gravel type road ,a fence all crushed down but take the road ,and it leads to a t junction ,and remember to watch for massive heavy trucks overtaking near the junction and then follow the signs for Pamplona also you will never have been on a road like it before, and my god he was 100% right, this was the main road
Jesus it was a mass of sharp hairpin bends, the gradient was nothing I had ever seen before, absolutely unbelievable, the bends in the road were rutted where the weight of the trucks had lifted the road suffice in to gravel. the trye marks on the road were thick with rubber
The room when trucks were coming down at a snails pace was hardly any at all ,at least if they hit you we, as right hand drive were away from them, mind you that would be a lot of good rolling down a mountain side. There was a eating place, maybe it was half way up some trucks were parked up but no chance of me stopping. Later I did see some photographs of English trucks parked there right up to the cliff bank.
I was going up the mountains and did not know it ,talk about ■■■■ clenching ,I thought Jesus if I have to come back this way loaded, the brakes will not hold the truck I knew about the exhauster brake but I had never used it before , creeping down at nothing miles a hour, that was to come later.
After a time, wo hands gripped to the wheel I started to cut the corners going up I could see that no one was coming down it soon got me to the top ,a flatter area as high up you could go and able to see for miles. like looking over the whole of Spain, this road .I do now remember it so well that is why I can write a little about it when anything is a first.
Having got over the first hour I starting to make progress, and the driving through villages on a main road ,was like driving on B class roads back home it was only single track in places and a debatable 3 lane in others the passing of trucks coming the other way towards me was quite twitching, how many times I said [,zb me ]I would not hazard a guess, I can tell you I never once took both hands of that wheel, full of concentration, and no way did I overtake any trucks if there was a funeral procession I would have stayed way behind it.
I was making ground in distance, I had to be, it was time I had a brew, there were no lay bys just massive open areas of rutted grass, rocky ,pull off’s, the next one I pulled over ,it rocked the truck about as if it was a yacht at sea, thank god I was empty, as I am sure if I had meat on it could have rolled the truck over
another lesson learned…
I was starting to think, this driving in Spain was no joke if all the roads were like this [no autovia yet] as I got nearer towns I did not seem to be going down hill signposting this way to Pamplona. Hoping the roads were getting better, but I did not hold my breath, in the distance once you could see another town/city and plumes of drifting smoke or dirty chimneys the culprit came in to view
A lot of steel type foundries/factories were around the clue was trucks going the other way were 8 wheelers plus they had a dolly 1 axel, plus tri axles trailer a bit like the [Australian doubles] with god knows how many coils of wire on them, viewed as some were parked up but most were slowly moving along the engines were roaring you can tell after time, when a motor is heavy, and they were ,the engines were screaming they were going down the mountain where I had just come up,
Time was moving faster than I was and I was starting to get slightly anxious about how was I doing as I had no yard stick I just wanted to pick up the sign for Madrid from Pamplona I kept pinching my self I never in a million years thought I would be up in the Spanish mountain area looking for a bloody factory the road sides were like slag heaps from the pits ,it certainly gave the trucks a hammering with it was unrelenting, and I was empty.
Moving on, then at last [phew] the magic sign came up “Madrid” it was not a great tour around Pampolna but I did it ,[so what you may say,] when that safety blanket of being sure ,is not there and you are still not sure you are on the right road, it got a bit disconcerting ,well for me it did until that factory came in to view .[but never believe all you are told]there could have been another road out of the town to Mardrid
After a time I was beginning to doubt what I was told ,how close it should have been to the town/city had I got it wrong, the next place I can stop I will , I will show the address I had written down ,well the name of the factory and the village that the office had given me.
Another mistake!! I made, it was a small type fuel stop, 2 pumps little shack, I thought these will know ,so typical English,[ I kept forgetting where I was] I jumped out of the cab like always paper in hand , I rushed up to the door of the shack/ office, pushed it open ,then ■■■■ myself ,I had not only pushed the door open, and right behind it was this zb ing massive Alsatian dog. It was just starting to rise and pounce, at whoever dared to push the door open on him,
I started to pull the door shut, the dog was going ballistic, the owner was in slow motion rising from his desk, some type of words shouting, there was me closing the door while waving my piece of paper .
Thank god I closed the door, but the best yet ,it set another dog barking, that was round the back not chained up loose, I did not know just what I needed I only “wanted directions”, and all hell broke loose, I flew back to the cab in record time, jumped up ,got in shut the door and then ■■■■ myself again[not really]the dog was loose yapping/barking like a bloody banshee.
That was not to be my only frightening experience with dogs] I thought zb the directions I fired the engine up ,with a massive cloud of dust I roared away and thought ,zb the dust ,that was close, never go into a place again like that you, ■■■■■■
I was now calmer I was chain smoking now once myself down in the distance, I could see on the top of a hill it looked like a massive black bull, i thought what the [zb is that] and as I got closer it was the biggest hoarding you have ever seen it was a big as a house, well a outside wall size. Massive, as I got closer it was held up by limited scaffold poles, advertising brandy ,whatever, you could see it from miles away. After many other trips to Spain the [bull] was a main feature of the arrival and exit of many towns.
I was now starting to get a bit worried where is this [zb] factory,[so close to the road they said [you cannot miss it]. Wanna bet,. have I missed it??
I was now thinking, maybe there were 2 roads to Madrid from Pamplona I was going to stop and ask someone I had too just for that bit of reassuring that I was on the right road once you start thinking that you have gone wrong, although you do not know, you start looking for places to turn around if needed, and you start putting pressure on your self, but you do not realise it
.I was right and it was not long before that happened out in the distance a factory started to come into view .yes…thank zb for that .that was always the response to myself I just hoped it was the correct place there was a Rokold trailer parked up
It looked like a farm with massive greenhouses that was the best sight since sliced bread [the trailer]but no tractor unit on the front. I was so pleased that I had arrived. my first load from Spain…well later.
Once in the yard it looked like a desert, I slowly turned my truck around and parked next to the Rokold trailer. First thing I noticed were that the back doors were open and the fridge was not going, strange
I stopped the engine jumped out of the cab,and walked back to have a look the office had told me that the load was waiting for me we would leave together…strange.
I walked over to the office it was empty , back to the cab ,no one around. I did the favourite thing “put the kettle” on…after time I heard a lorry ,and it was the tractor unit,I was pleased to see someone, when he parked up he came round to me as I got out of the cab ,we introduced ourselves he was Roger a owner driver
He the told me what was going to happen and when Apparently the green beans are being picked to day from the fields ,processed tomorrow, bagged up in paper sacks, and loaded whenever they are ready. The load is not frozen but will be the time it gets back to the uk fingers crossed
My first question was why would the office tell me you are loaded and waiting for me to get here,…
He said,[the office] [1] they wanted you to get here so you would get enough break in on the Tachographs once loaded we are none stop-ISH to Kings Lynn cold store.[2] they did not know if you would get here or turn around and go home ,that has been done with other drivers, with other companies best to push you and see what happens…and you made it,i I will phone the office to tell them you are here.
I said what do you do now , as a contractor and the unit is his he does small maintenance, changes fuel filters etc, ,because he does not get the truck serviced like a company does, which is fair. also he said would I help him wind up the trailer brakes before we leave ,I did know how to do that task I told him but never bothered on here [yet] as they are supposed to get serviced. that was what we did also my trailer brakes as well and I can tell you, if we had not done it, I would have had problems going back down the mountain ,they needed attention being empty on the way here I did not notice…another lesson learned, get myself a good ring spanner and hammer .also some [Olives] for the air lines to make a tight connection ,no Olives no air lines .you could be stranded just for the lack of not having some[olives] not the eating type [for the non driving reader ] also two large open ended spanners or adjustable to fit the connector ends.also a ring spanner and a hammer for the brake arms under the trailer.
When we had finished Roger gave me a lot of useful information for when loading from [Pack houses.farms] the produce is never ready on time, just get used to sitting around maybe 2/3 days do not pester the office because they will know before you when you will load or so they say…
Make sure you have enough fridge diesel ,also diesel for the truck as it could be late night or early morning when you have to leave ,no set rules, you have enough food for yourself ,water bottled ,or from home in a water container with a plastic tap on the bottom, on no account use any Spanish water for anything ,not even cleaning your teeth, ,you will be ill.enough bread, tined food, whatever you like, packets of dried pasta etc,
Buy it from the supermarket back home, you will want, sun cream .mosquito bite cream, soap powder ,a bucket, a hat, flip flops, a wash leather , shorts, string ,pegs, headache tablets tablets for a upset stomach, plasters, a sharp knife ,cooking pot ,frying pan toaster .you have to be 100% self sufficient as you are on your own. And yes [I did carry all just mentioned for years] also helped other men out.As sometimes it could stretch in to 4/5 days waiting over a weekend especially in the south of Spain where most fruit, and vegetables are exported from.
If you buy vegetables, to cook up, wash them thoroughly with bottled or your UK water ,French water is ok ,but not for drinking. It seemed as if I was on a mission of survival, however if one man on all my driving career gave me the most sound advice and truth it was him he was spot on.
I passed the same information to many young men starting out ,however ,most liked to just go to bars and eat out, to lazy to do it ,but if you offered them a meal they would never refuse in all the years I did European I do not think I had more than a few meals in restaurants in all EUROPE wherever I went especially on the meat.
He was well travelled within Europe as a owner driver ,he went where the big money was supposed to be made …did they ever make money .
Loading the French green beans they were in large thick paper sacks it was a art in itself how the loaders alternated the rows they put very thin pallets on the floor,for the air flow then the sacks were laid long ways across the bed with a least a 2 inch gap between the sacks ,and the next row was reversed and so on and on so it had complete air flow from front to back of the trailer ,it was like a large honey comb, about 2 foot from the ceiling just under the air flow -trunking that took the air to all of the trailer, and the hope was that by the time the truck got to England the whole load would be FROZEN down to -20.
Once loaded the fridge thermostat was set at minus -25 the lowest it would go so it meant that the fridge engine was roaring away ,and it seemed it was no stop ,going through the fridge cycles in the end but the product was frozen and down to temperature I found out later you can bring the temperature down in degrees like minus 5 first then minus 10 then so on until the fridge gets down to the –minus you need over time it got to be a work of art
THIS information was told to me , and learned by me ,by experienced fridge drivers
especially loading warm fruit you are working on a fruit temperature of plus+ 15/18+ straight from the fields
once all the big cold/chill stores arrived the fruit is already down to the correct temperature ,built with EEC money
To get the temperature down to plus +3 first you hope can find/ have ,some sheets of cardboard handy from the store where you are and you cover the tops of the back pallets ,where the air flow is blasting out of the air trunking it will freeze the top layers of fruit if you do not start to bring the temperature down in degrees
IE how–you find out the LOAD temperature if you did not have [probes] [i did not then ]once loaded and doors closed, you fire the fridge up ,set the temperature control dial to the highest temperature +25 then wait until the fridge engine shuts down to tick over look at the dial see what it reads set the dial down to say+ 15 let it run, then do the same all day it will go through its cycles you may have to stop every 2 hours to check eventually the fridge will tickover at the temperature you want +3 for fruit…not melons[ a basic summary sorry if it is not 100%correct] but you get my drift back to the story.
The drive down the mountain was very slow and ■■■■ clenching at times, never before had I been subject to zb me going down hill I hope these brakes do not fail if they did that would be it it is so steep
.
I was following Roger down behind him , some places all i could see was the roof of his trailer with the step gradient and hair pin bends, the engine is screaming, using the exhaust brake
Spanish trucks up your arse like trying to push you on faster. after a while Roger pulled into -parking area ,one to let the engines cool down a bit and to let the traffic move on and for me to breath…they say the first time for everything is a bit hairy to me ,it was blimey I thought I could drive ,it appears we are only playing at it back home up and down the motorways theses old foreign boys have my respect
.
It was quite strange when we were parked I said to Roger I seem to have seen this place before , but I thought how come,he said it is a popular stop for the UK drivers going this route to Zaragoza Madrid route s Apparently the quickest but the hairiest ,he was not wrong there
.Once inside there are loads of photographs of English trucks on the wall and there are Rokolds trucks then it clicked in my head, Pete, on my very first trip was showing me photographs of him in Spain and I can now remember him saying how dangerous the road was.and here I was in the very place he had been Photographed.
I did not have anything to drink, brandy seemed to be the drink of the day everyone had a small glass with whatever else they had…not for me…it was only dinner time.
I have never liked trying to speak any foreign language at all, my English needs attention. people say over the years …[ohh ,they like it ,[the foreigners] if you try to speak their language,[ who says so]… as any foreigner ever said “well done ”you, you tried but [zb]it up. No! . After years of driving in Europe I am still the same,. just got on with it…with hand gestures. drawing bits on paper and you get on…look at the Italians .they [wave the arms] around, people think that is great I dont, stop bloody flapping around ,and stand bloody still.
They want my mum behind them she would tell them and she is 99. Haa she used to sew all my pockets up when I was a kid to make me walk straight “keep your hands out of them pockets and I used to have to sit on my hands when in a chair…how about that. Discipline, I grew up to hate it .but had to abide by it just like driving.
Once we had left the parking we had to get into the customs compound, we did not have to do [revision ]that is only for fresh produce Roger warned me in advance once parked that loads of men would come knocking on the cab doors looking official, saying [give me your papers] ignore them, they are only Agents runners, people touting for business to get your papers processed by the customs .they will go once you say [carlos]
He is the man who will come to you introduce himself and he will know you are new ,as he knows 100% all the drivers who work for Roklod and other well known firms running to Spain…and Roger was correct .also he will not forget your name and that was also correct over the years he would always greet you with the correct name, even if it had been months since you were there .good man to know…
I then realised that things were not that hard to do at borders posts ,if you got the right person who knows a little English .if you have to have customs papers made up. also the price is the same if you use the same company. I found out over time. when I used to hear men say [-yes I got myself cleared ]at so and so border, now I know [■■■■■■■■]everywhere Agents do the business in transit it is different you can do yourself but clearing[ no]. well as far as I know but I could be proved wrong…
After about 4 hours where every tom ■■■■ and harry have helped their selfs to the produce before it was sealed up, it seemed normal practice ,some with different uniforms some with different hats and some just bloody thieves
We were cleared to go, make tracks, out with the old tachograph and In with the new one ,the one we had used from the factory to here was thrown away, now it looked as if we have just started another days work “from a long rest ,who was to know, if we get stopped by the French police on our way back, it looked as if we have had a good long 3 days -ish rest .so long as I wrote down the mileage from where we were leaving from on the new tachograph
I made sure that I put that mileage down on the one that I had finished ,to look like when I first arrived, we had been standing still. The law then was you had to show a tachograph card with a complete 24 hours ,no movement on at all, that was it …so long as the written mileage corresponded with the card you were starting with it was ok . There were no electronic methods of checking cards then it was really a free for all …now completely different ,for the better…
I just followed the back of Rogers truck ,what he did I did, I knew he would not be legal ,but he-ho needs must .I could not hang behind .I can now see why are paid a Monthly Salary
no way could you be paid hourly on this job, we get a daily tax cash allowance ie [night out money] but the company’s do not look it as that ,it is just a perk ,so they think ,however that is what makes the difference ,is it worth it.? So in theory we now had a 10 hour drive with one 45 minutes break to do , then park up for 9 hours rest.[sleep] Roger said we will be just south from Paris when we finish today.
I just kept up with him all the way, at times we were going over the FRENCH speed limit at that moment it did not bother me, because I was green at the job to be honest ,however I would learn another lesson.[not this trip]
Where we got to I could not tell you but I was glad to be finished, we checked our fridges ,[diesel and our trucks] and Roger said that we had enough to get fuel to, transit around Paris and fill up at a service station on the home run, apparently once the fridges had settled down and the temperature was getting colder inside they went into a slower ,mode and the fuel consumption was slower,[how I do not know ,it turned out to be ■■■■■■■■]
It all worked out, after some tinned food [Rogers beans again] and good sleep even though the fridges are roaring way not 3 foot from the cab, you are so knackered ,you sleep. It was afternoon when we were ready to leave, Roger rang the office and gave a progress report, it looked as if we would be in Calais early morning .
The reason the office want to know where you are, they try to work out when you will be back in the UK it is so as they can book loads in to factory cold stores for unloading, they already have preliminary bookings [but do not tell you] they let you get on with it as they know you will, and want to go home for a couple of days you will go all out to get back to the ferry. The old ca rrot,…so long as you have had 9 hours rest ,you could break that rest by a movement on and off a ferry .
Mind you every one made their own rules up you would not get two drivers agree what was legal and what was not, also the companies they all wanted you to look legal and keep the cards straight however What you had done abroad was not there problem.
They new that every driver would do his utmost to get the job done and get back in fact a lot of drivers did not really want to be where they were, as if they wanted to be home before they had left… and the Europeans really did not give a ■■■■ legal wise so we were on a hiding for nothing
We arrived at the fuel stop after a hair raising trip around the Paris ring road we were about 4/5 hours from Calais we both had French sticks with a nice brie cheese ,and some ■■■■■■ coffee, I could not be bothered to brew up , that was the last time I did that!! I brewed up whenever now.
The service station was full of trucks from all euro countries , [well it would be ,]as I could see no other English trucks back then there were limited firms that actually did European it was NOT until the customs border post came down then every tom ,■■■■, and harry, got on the band wagon all the hassles had gone from the job but that was not for a few years yet…
Arrived in Calais ,no police stops ,or customs, it was not unusual to be stopped by the customs not the police just before you got in to the outskirts of Calais they would not open the doors but check trailer lockers /boxes also a cab check for wine and tobacco you may have come into France from Belgium via Lillie over time that happened a few times to me before the new roads were built
The customs exit procedures were done, then on to the ferry ,well to park up and wait, you had to be booked on by the company, not like now any ferry any time. Waiting at Calais was not long this time [only sea link and p,and o ] were running then from Dover to Calais.
At the booking office we had asked for electrical plug -ins they told us they have all been taken by other trucks, if we wanted we could wait for another ferry ,or switch them off, as the goods were frozen not fresh ,Roger said it would be all right that is what we did a meal on the ferry then to the duty free shop, I had enough money for 200 cigarettes no credit cards then for me .
We had a meal in the drivers lounge ready to get off. Once the ships tannoy told all passengers to go to the cars and trucks you realise how many people actually use the ferry After docking procedures, the ramp is put down , by the deck officer within the ship then you are told when to move towards for driving off, the lorries were already started up so lots of lovely diesel fumes for the ships crew, I had my window up once off the ramp you have a drive towards the immigration, and formal customs proceed ,when completed you are told to go the parking, most of the fridges all try to park together as the noise is horrendous .if the customs want to check your loads or your cab you are told where to park, near some unloading bays and wait [it is all done by walkie-talkie hand held radios] you are not privy to your papers can not be handed in to the Agents to start getting the customs clearance until you have been cleared once the inspection is over.
There is no guarantee when you will get told to back on to the unloading bay sometimes it takes hours, if they want the whole load taken off so they can look at the very front pallets, that is what is done.
However the unloading is done by the port dockworkers [shift work] so if you are unlucky you just as well go to bed and forget it day or night. believe me .this time on my first from Spain we were both lucky and not inspected but numerous times in my driving job Dover was a pain in the ■■■■. especially for load inspections the trouble was if one truck from the same company has been pulled and goods are found even just extra ■■■■ or spirits in the cab, or worse in trailer you can guarantee that company trucks will be looked at .i do remember being told that your job is driving, and the truck is mine it is not for any ones use to bring in contraband [smuggling no matter how small]
Especially if you have loaded in Spain or Portugal and come back into the country via Calais ,it is the longest way back [ road] to England from Spain ,the most used route is from Cherbourg to POOLE, or ST -malo to Portsmouth or even Le- harv,e to Portsmouth so the customs would quiz you why you come back the long way round .,and the usual answer was we were doing as we were told, however it was a smuggling route so they treated every one the same.
We were both customs cleared and ready to drive up to up to Kings Lynn to the Frigoscania -cold store one ,not that many in England, I think it was Thursday night ,we had a delivery time for 12 noon Friday, we made good time and arrived early ,booked in and told to park up, they would get us when they were ready, the local in house customs man broke the seals on the doors and the quality control took bags out of both trucks to check the temperature of the goods and the quality of the beans [French] it did not bother me, straight in to the bunk.
.After a time the door had the unwelcome raps, and shouts, normal.,…once semi awake curtain threw back a fork lift driver [fat ■■■■■■■■ shouting bay number 2, they used to love waking drivers up, so I made a mental note I will never ever sell him any duty free ,ever if I ever get the money to buy extra as time went on I did, sometimes we would get a turn round either to load in the uk or stright back empty to Holland or Belgian for the frozen veg or chips
W hat I used to do was keep all the big manila envelopes used for paper work and wrap 200 ■■■■ in them and find a post office there are some around I would look for laybys near a village then park up run around and hopefully find a post office or where I was unloading, I always got them sent home to my wife ,the last thing you wanted to do was take them back out with you again, because when you come back in again on the ferry you would be over the limit if you brought some every trip
How they unload is they have a elevator.[a revolving track] pushed up to the open back doors ,and the bags/boxes are put on the track, sending them out of the truck to people loading them on pallets on the ground, then they are taken away when by forklift
Roger told me this where the selling of the duty free comes into its own ,no ■■■■ =slow unload…oh zb another lesson, this time Roger had sold his ,so it was o k, next time I will know, apparently most cold store and unloading warehouses work on the same principle with import loads, they know you will want to make some money some men had a good business going ,as I was to find out much later on.
After a fare amount of time, we were both unloaded , the next instruction was to go home, for how long only time would tell., after a while doing the job permanently ,I used to find out it was not worth going home just for 1 night, it put my wife out of her routine no sooner were you home you had to leave again it caused more trouble, than the night at home was worth.
After time the driving laws changed and we had to have 36 hours off in one go ,so we did used to get home ,sometimes in the middle of the week however it was home ,also I had room to park not to far from my house. on waste ground
This time I had a 2 days also the truck at home I had a call saying that the truck would be loading at “Canvins ”Bedford a abattoir that was mostly for lambs and be there for 8 am ,the next day I knew that that would be a long job loading however you had to be there early so as the veterinary could pass the truck inside clean and ready to load, but you had to wash out first at the abattoir so it was a early start and be washed out ready…
.That Tachograph will go out of the window as I knew it would be late afternoon before I would be ready to leave and I did not know where the load was for once on the loading bay i was on the bunk for a sleep…I think it was about 1pm when the cab was shook and I jumped up, told to pull off the bay ready for the veterinary ,customs seal on the trailer rear doors.
After the paper work was sorted it was now after 3pm so in with a new Tachograph card with the name of the place I had left this morning so it looked as if I had just left home and the mileage
After the paper work was sorted the fridge nicely ticking over at +2 in with a new Tachograph card with the name of the place I had left this morning so it looked as if I had just left home and the mileage was about right.
It was the Belgian run, from a different supplier I thought thanks a lot I did no more and just got on with it and for once it all seemed to go the right way for me, I must be doing some thing right, some of the trips were getting routine a lot into Belgien for frozen vegetables all back to Frigoscasnia KINGS LYNN. You would be amazed of how much vegetable produce was exported from to England, I never did get that ,I expect it was cheaper
All the same procedures with the agents, customs ,and queuing for the ferry after the seal check,and off to ZEEBRUGE no matter what time it was there was always food on the ferry.Just something, nothing to do with my story …every time I was on either Townsend Zeebrugge ferry one of my old ship mates was a A.B deck hand on duty as quartermaster and never would have seen him. Well it was park up and eat and bed…
The trip went well the same as before, I was knackered as usual, and I was looking for a change of scenery. More FRANCE OR ITALY ,OR BEYOND I knew I was the new meat man however I did realise that I would like to go different places most of the time, story of my life…after time I did ask if ever the was a chance to do deliverers south, spread my wings…some of the young lads were content with the Benelux runs, not enough for me…so I had to wait …
It must have been a least 8 months ,I was clocking up lots of European work and getting in to the swing of things , more and more confidant with the work and different place most of the time ,lots of long days ,in fact mega days and it got as it was normal to be on the go 15+ hours a day not always driving but being around your truck and on duty or waiting for someone to turn up to takeover from you or vise -versa in fact it was never ending, I should have seen the light and pulled the plug then ,as me and others were getting as if we were owner drivers not working for a company, but that was the game . Say no more…
I think someone was sick and I was told to go to LAMBERHURST wash out and the next day load for a GENEVA run, well at least it was a change i had no idea my mission was to get as much info off who I could without sounding like complete novice, but in theory I was.
I hoped one of our drivers was loading there as well…
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As luck would have it one of their own drivers was there so he briefed me on most not all of the trip to Swiss. I looked as if I had taken it all in ,what I did know about my self I would listen, but not listen, if that makes sense and as something unfolds that I have been told about it would come back to me as if a film is rollinbut I would never be able to recall anything once I had been told straight after.
However all that I have typed down and recalled and are recalling without any diary, is how my brain works…
There were more things the driver did not tell me he should have…once loaded, sealed up paperwork all sorted ,fridge running fine ,temperature correct + 1 to 3 …fridge tank half full of of diesel .all the lambs had been slaughtered the day before so they were well down to the proper travelling temperature ,away I went, when i left LAMBERHURST it was no easy driver down to FOLKSTONE then on to DOVER,
As soon as you left one village you would hit another in the SUSSEX countryside, one that you had to be on your A game was “Sissinghust “yes the famous place, the double z bend around the churchyard was a tester! After that all back lanes but you got used to it over time lots of trailer swaying as all the meat settled down swinging on the hooks , and you could guarantee that all the stops were put down.
When the meat is loaded the first lambs are put on the hooks through the sinew at the backs of their hind legs that are high to the trailer roof, then the next lamb on the same hook are hung down on string,and sometimes if I remember right then another on string so that means on one hook there could be 6 lambs 3 each side of the hook
When you have more then one delivery string is wrapped around the lambs on the hooks when the others before are taken off you then come to a load of string wrapped around the lambs you know it is another delivery .unless as sometime s it did happen that some string would brake and lambs would be on the floor,[not good] so then who s were they.?this delivery or another ,but they did stay most of the time where they dropped…so long as the customer signed the CMR correct I did not give a monkeys.
The trip from Calais ,down around Paris ,the clock ticking ,good fun around the ring road,out down towards Macon we used to park around this area a very short brake ,never once do I ever remember not being able to sleep ,waking up was the problem ,even with the fridge constant banging away, a nuisance to other drivers ,but I was used to it if it ever got turned off or a problem over the years I would be awake in a flash.
Once awake and up out of the cab checked the trailer doors seal if that broken you would have to call the police ,fridge temperature, fridge diesel see no one had siphoned the fridge diesel, tyres all the checks you had to do it ,others may say ,no you did not, but yes with fridge work you did because any ■■■■ up and it was down to you. also you had your own reassurance that all was ok, when you checked it.
The actual freight customs clearance in GENEVE AIRPORT French side is accessed by a horrible road from FRANCE called to FERNY VOLLTER ,now there was a road ,it was the back and beyond…if I remember there was a town called ELOSIE .before or after the MONKEY HOUSE… RESTAURANT
I am not sure you made your way out of the town/village the road got narrow and I started to think ,this is not correct, but turning around was no way and I was told that is the way so on you go lots of ■■■■ being smoked. at the the end of the track/road you came upon a very small customs house and it was a house, small parking area on the verg rutted tracks where to park .once in the house permit stamped t form I think it was a T2 transit form.[not sure]or T1 for Swiss then on to clear the swiss veterinary you climbed a little higher and right in front of you was the GENEVA airport.
There were agents offices that I was told to use ,the swiss people in authority were not the most [have a nice day] kind of people in fact in fact arrogant ,bossy,well if you have dealt with them as drivers you know…after time I was put onto a inspection bay, vet inspected ,all cleared temperature ok,that was the main thing, ok to go
After you had paid the days road tax,15 swiss francs I f I am right, now that is not for 24hours that is up until 10pm when trucks stop…[well then it was] 15 francs was a good sum ,and I never used to have much foreign currency as I would self cater so I never needed much .
Once cleared I was told I could go to my first of many deliverers they pointed to the car park and said wait there and a car would come for you and follow it, nice one .
Once a car arrived , [ a white van] the drivers left arm waving out at me that ■■■■■■ me off straight away, not a word ,I would not have understood them so I followed him we arrived at a like public car park he parked me up and I thought right brew time, but they had different ideas this big fat cigar smoking chap got out ,massive gut, stupid hat, waving is arms about to the back doors ,he wanted me to open,[ yes ok ],there was no one around that if you have ever opened a fridge door and you are standing on the road looking up in to 300 lambs all hanging on strings it is some site and I how do they unload them they wont unload themselves.
I am puzzled ,another van rolled up then another then another it was like a white citron van convention, some with 2 people in some single they all have white abattoir coats on like a load of cricket umpires ,all got ■■■■ on and talking ,well shouting over one another looking at the lambs as if they had come from outer space . then they were pointing and looking at me .so! Me in my perfect English shouted what the f-ck are you are you lot at looking at
,Then the big guy suddenly spoke English and said C M Rs I knew I had a lot .so I gave them all .more chitter ,so after time one chap climbed up in to the back of the trailer lambs all around him and started to cut the strings from them lower once to make room at the back as he passed the lambs down to the other men and started to put them in their vans, I am stood there gob smacked in a car park…
That was only the start ,after time other men got up into the trailer and started to pass the lambs down ,the big guy had a tally card on the deck,[ mr checker ]asked me to switch the fridge off, that I did after I made it clear it was down to him at further drops…if the temperature was not right.
.
After time half the load was off and they had come to a load of strings around the lambs that told them that another deliverer was next .I shut the doors, start the fridge and follow the van man and the same happens again a car park…
Only 2 vans and 2 women driving them ,same white coats blooded so the must be butchers like the others so the big man comes knocks on the cab door holding a white coat, I get out and follow him to the back open the doors, after knocking the fridge off and go to get back into my cab, but he has different ideas ,he wants me to get into the fridge cut the lambs down and pass them down to the ladies waiting, what he did not realise I was the worst bloke that he could have asked to do that I went ballistic I f—ed him up hill and down dale
I still remember what I said =the richest country in Europe and you want me, a driver, to get in there and do some on else’s work …etc .etc blah blah I said I want a phone ,I closed the fridge doors up, and told him I want to speak to the agent and my office ,guns blazing.
He took me over to a bar spoke to the agent on the phone ,who then spoke to me and calmly said ,we have never had a problem before with all the other drivers, we have these loads every week, and the driver gets up and hands the lambs down he said that was part of the deal the man pays you at the end of the day, [are well] ,no one told me anything about this I reply d that is a bit different now
I said that should be ok then ,I was now fast backtracking if I caused a stink ,work could well be lost, so I know went on charm offensive ,[I was wrong again ].however I always have hated anyone being taken advantage of. So reluctantly I jumped up with my white coat on and did the job ,after about 4 more drops the trailer was empty and now my reward I thought I would get a nice wedge, 15 swss franc the tw-t gave me, he was all smiles, it only repaid the road tax say no more,
I realised this is how c licence company’s men,[own account] and owner drivers work, I had still got that old mentality from before, still in me one job and that was it but I was changing, now I had to ring the office, I knew the agents would have told Rokold what had happened so I knew I had to get in first to turn it around to my advantage, so rang the office and the receptionist answered and I asked to speak to MR EAST himself, so luckily he was there and I turned it around and said the traffic office failed to give me clear instruction what to expect in Swiss as I thought the man was trying it on himself -if I had known we had to get in the back and unload all the lambs that was ok however did that mean it was other duty,s on the tacho setting or what , I am now EMPTY, it worked… it turned out he did not know that was going on ,and he did not like it himself so it turned out good all round I never did that load again…however I did know that I must now do whatever asked within reason…
I washed out the trailer at village near Cluses that was lucky, thank god it was a hot wash I used the dkv card you would not belive how much lamb fat gets rubbed on to the side walls with all the movement because they are moving all the time with the natural road swaying then ,it did not bother me at all ,after cattle trucks it was a piece of ■■■■.
On towards Mt Blanc another first [flying blind] I came off the auto route at Cluses that was the customs post, cargo area transit area, get you T forms /Permits stamped area, eating, showering, etc if you wanted to gather information that was the place to wait OR NOT for me over the years NOT in and out. I was told to go into Cluses by our drivers before or else I would have flown past transit was quick if you could park up
It was a place after time I never much used. as we used to diesel up half way up the mountain ,IDS …after [I finished with fridges.].in the mean time I was still the novice/new boy but who knew, no one.
Once I had pumped a English drivers for advanced information ,I had not yet acquired…I left the compound area and felling more confident I struck off up to the mountain ,the ski slope was not yet finished it was under construction .
As I progressed up being empty I came across lorry s struggling at a slow pace, and to be honest I did not know if I should overtake or what ,as little traffic was coming down so after some very bad bends the road widened and I stuck my front end out all eyes on mirrors for cars or even another truck to take a chance.
All clear ,pull out ready to flip back in smartish all clear and away not a practice I was too keen on I drove on as I was nearly at the top I did see some trucks in the dstance stopped in a lay-by type place with a wooden hut i took no notice and went driving past I was not speeding next thing I hear is this almighty blast on a whistle I looked in my mirror and a police man was going mad waving, at me i pull over, good job I had the window down as I would had never heard him.
I managed to pull up and park on the gravel verge also a big ditch ,and he waved at me very nicely, like get the fu-- down here …the trucks I had passed before were not behind me and I managed to back the few meters on to the parking near the hut,
well I had no idea what was wrong it turned out it was the chemical stopping point for the mount blanc however all trucks had to stop and show the CMR to the police /customs…90 francs fine for my incompetence, the biggest mistake I ever made and now I have made it public it was about 1984/5 I think ,I have no diaries so it could have been earlier
That was the best learning thing that happened to me .also that was all of my French money
It took me a while to get over it money wise ,how would I get that back ,tell the truth and see what happens.
MOUNTBLANC TUNNEL ,well I had never come across anything so long as tunnels go ,made the Dartford a bit small ,once out of the brightness and fresh air into the tunnel the trucks coming the other way seemed awful close I was pleased to see the light at the end although there are lights in the tunnel I was to busy concentrating once through I stopped again and went into the customs etc I was told before what to do , I started off down into Italy [bloody hell] steep road sharp bends the scenery was a first, as it was still snow covered , I thought how do you go down here loaded.
I was so new ,a Dutch pig transporter came roaring past me blowing his air horn .so I thought right I will follow him my god he flew down and I did after him
Once we enter the compound at Aosta, as I was transit I was in the wrong lane but in the end it worked out ok after a walk around the compound I changed up some money, trying to not look new, I walked over to the exit to see what was going on I thought I might have sussed it out ,it was easy to get back to the traffic lights where you turned right for TORINO AND MILANO.
I did have a old map page rescued from someone ,not a full map enough I should have brought one from the compound but did not if I spotted a English truck in the service area and the curtains not drawn I would go and ask for more information I think in the end I was confusing myself .I had so many bits of paper with all kind of instructions .
I arrived at the outskirts of MILANO I passed santhia ,cariso the most well know truck stops /parks /eating houses for all non Italians even they used, them ,however at that point of time I had completely no idea what they were or took any notice I was to busy looking around thinking how did I get here and bloody rice paddy fields ,I was amazed I had no idea they grew rice in Italy I did not connect,[rice/pasta] they way the fields were ,some were flooded some were dry just like the far east films of rice paddy fields I expect American troops to pop up like Vietnam ,also where did they get the name[paddy!! Fields]from ,as we all know paddy is a christen name for men in Ireland a shortened name for Patrick I think.
I was expecting for all the country to be a mass of mountains that was my view because I did not know any difference as Aosta is surrounded by mountains but it does not take long to be on flat country
Iwent past about two service areas ,the mileage,[ kilometres] signs for Milano was getting closer also the traffic was building up, and I was starting to get slightly ,not worried but apprehensive trucks were flying past if I miss a turn that will me being zb, it was only me who did not really
I’m enjoying this Pdb - keep it up mate
Great read, Paddy field I think comes from the the Malay word for rice which is Padi.
Thanks Dave.
Eventually the roads take you around the “tangenziale around Pero area the signs say BOLONGA ROME that made me feel a lot better to be honest it was quite straight forward ish follow the sign to Bolongna easy i was getting to confident I knew it was time to get my proper head on if I miss my turn off I have no idea if you can just come off theses roads and turn around like a round about I have not noticed like two bridges when going under a junction coming up,I will soon find out no doubt.
It was the main road south I mean all the way down this coast road goes all the way down past Bari .Brindisi on to Taranto if you needed to go that way, over the years I got to know that road like hundreds of other uk drivers for catching the Greek ferries ANCONA was not the route then.
However their driving skills ,believe me total confusion ,the Italians can make 3 go in to 2 in their driving however a after time I did get used to it and ignored all the horn blowing they were mad speeding
I did find my way you could not go wrong really but it was all new I did arrive at the loading place Faenza just above Forli something like that ,a peach and nectarine pack house, other UK and Irish fridges were there all rear doors open, drying and letting the air in to cool the fridge they were .all empty
At the office I left my CMR and went and joined the other drivers lots of leg pulling and banter ,I did listen a bit and found out some had been here for 2 days the weather had been to bad for the fruit to be picked.
Do I ring the office ,I asked the others how long to get loaded and they said it was normal when collecting fruit you could wait for at least 3/f the weather is not good once the fruit is in it the pack house it gets washed and sorted and packed in trays it did not look good there were at least 8 trucks waiting to load, the buyers in England want it like yesterday day, I rang the office after a performance getting to use a phone ,[you paid for the call] I just let them know what was happening ,good job I did ,they stopped another of our drivers coming here they told me , ring when you are loaded and ready to leave .
This is my first of many ,many, stops at pack houses. After many years I learned to forget the phone until you are ready to leave unless specifically told to ring
All loading went well lots of ladies in the back of the trailer with little wooden mallets it was all hand balled loaded no pallets and the ladies tapped all the wooden boxes up nice and tight it was a unusual sight
How they worked out to finish right at the back doors I will never know, I was told by another driver to put on top of the fruit ,where the trunking for the cold air from the fridge comes on to the load cardboard sheets, so after about being half loaded you had to be in the back of the trailer doing that as once finished you were unable to climb on the load, it was to stop the very first lot of cold air from the fridge freezing the back pallets as it would be roaring like made to try to pull the temperature down, I did not let on that I knew
Bring the temperature slowly by the control dial on the front of the trailer, I could bore you to death how you did this step by step, it was like using your central heating gauge at home gradually…once THE FRIDGE got to a normal fridge working noise not going daft you would be about right if you have never done it before it takes a while to get it done right ,it is not like the trailers you see at the supermarket depots just switch on and leave. There was a lot to it. other may not have know about.
The local custom clearance then up to AOSTA for the main clearance that would be the next day lots of roaring fridges getting the temperature down to the correct transit temperature
Later onthe fruit started to get palletised boxes were put into a chill store before loading however you cannot be sure as to every pallet loaded will be the correct temperature, what they do is send out the first pallets at the correct temp then the rest are warmer ,no loading docks, all are pushed in by pallet truck after being lifted up I learned all this over time ,not in the first trip. I was green. And soon learned
I did latch on to a owner driver who was subbing for Roklod and we had the same delivery so that was good, what he did I did however he kept jumping off the French auto routes me thinking this was a better way ,however he was saving money I did not realise that
. I was learning a different route .there was a different route around to miss Paris both ways I think they called it “THE HO CHE MIN I never used it it was mostly drivers saving a few shillings the office told me when I started there was a reason why the autoroutes were built use them…
.How he worked his tachograph i have no idea as mine was shot away it looked like a child had scribbled over it thankfully I did take it out a few times just to look at it ,we never got a pull In France next stop Calais
All went well shipped over to Dover ok custom cleared and away It sounds all nice and easy it was not ,my eyes were hanging out ,to be honest I was having serious doubts as do I want to carry on doing this job, stupid long hours we always seemed to be on the “hurry up”not getting paid for all the time you did, but accepting a salary i had to convince my self that the time off in the pack houses was” my” time and it was, however sit in the sun was all you could really do and hope you got enough time off at home to compensate ,the money was the same, the old carrot if its to hot in kitchen get out ,there was no one making me stay in the job, only me,was ,it better than being covered in cow ■■■■■ ,yes.or shift work yes.did i enjoy it the work i do, yes.i am the best man in the world to think ,yes i/we will do something, then i can talk my self out of it, a good quality to have ,who knows,over years to come i certainly tested my self “press the self destruct button”
We both ended up tipping in a supermarket main distribution Harlow if I remember correct , sometimes there would be more than 2 trucks loading for the same people and from different pack house however you would have no idea ,that is why lots of drivers threw running legal out of the window, to get back to clear first and be first.
Trying to stay legal was getting a problem the bosses wanted good clean tacho cards but wanted you to be just like owner drivers ,because the firms were saying we do not pay speeding fines, they all said it but still wanted you to do it and we did like lemons, [off your own back] because you wanted to get home quicker. It will never change.
After time the work got varied you could never tell what and where you would be, doing any load you would get sent from the north to the south if you were needed ,sometimes I would wonder how on earth is this paying, not my concern you knew the loads would be regular ,lambs from the Midlands and the south
.Beef from Midlands ,west country, home counties .
.Pork Lincolnshire area regular work loading at abattoirs. How it was all decided who had what I have no idea.
We also had a lot of uk work cold store movements too much to go into detail however I did not like it at all, to me it was like van boy work the odd pallet here and there just like shop deliverer.
If your face was not the flavour of the month 2 weeks of uk work would sort you out, some liked it and some did not.like me Then out of the blue would come a cracking load ,and the office would make you think that they were saving it for you ,total ■■■■■■■■ I never refused any load ,how could you but some did…
We had a lot of dairy type connected work and it was very good, yogurt was very popular and of course the milk marketing board sourced the products from European country’s cheese also. As the trailers were now coming in with no meat rails and much lighter and able to get 20 pallets on the floor.
I am not sure when the lighter trailers came in I am sure someone will know ,later on they had no proper chassis ,who would believe that.
I was now a permanent Rokold driver also the fleet increased with drivers as well as kit, however it seemed as if there was always a driver or two without a truck, some drivers always had the same one, however a few of us seemed to have to share, ,not the best of worlds the main thing was once you had one keep it ,you could end up doing your job because you liked 3 to 4 weeks .
We did have some good work though we used to go all over EUROPE and back load in most of the country’s you were unloading in ,or sometimes you would transit 2or3 other country’s to get to your loading place you would go to many out of the way places
Wine collections from most of the wine regions in france ,you would have the address of the first collection given to you by the office mostly the biggest wine producer in the [VINE-DE-ROUTE] AREA that is what you would follow ,once at the first you would receive a massive “telex it looked bloody frightening a mass of names addresses number of cases ,to be collected then, when you got to the vineyard the count would be different more or less cases, there were at times as many of 15 collecting points along the vin-de-roue the tourist trail At each small village there could be ,
Two collections, from vineyards the way in and out all meant for a horse and cart sometimes it was like going in to some ones garden ,not a new forty foot trailer I soon learned to do the walk in to the property first, go up to the big old doors ring the big bell and wait, sometimes a zb dog would come bounding round from the back some of the dogs learned English[ zboff] then the owner would arrive and go in to speaking FRENCH not a word did I understand I would just shown them the telex and pointed to their address ,like all foreigners they wanted to look at the whole lot, just being nosey so a tug of war would then begin ,id would say for zb sake ,and point at them then at the address, they knew ,I bet they thought lets zb the English man today and they usually did, so I might have dropped a case or two of their wine touché
I did notice the french trucks doing all the collections were not the trucks you will and did see delivering wine in to ENGLAND they used small 4 wheelers Some towns did have a main collection point and useda Danzas depot where all the customs was done but in the country no. also you had to handball every case of wine in then ,the owner would gently put the cases on the floor at the back of the trailer while you had to lift every one stack it up you had to decide how high to go ,layering it downbecause you never knew what the next collection was ,the telex was old by the time we got it orders changed.
You tried to keep each collection together if not you made sure all the labels were showing to the front once you started loading the front of the trailer looked like a mass of church steps ,not knowing how high to go best rule was stack it high because once before I never had enough room at the rear and the front was lower and I had to make a hole in the layers of boxes and move a lot to the front in fact the loading order was well and truly zb up by my inexperience but a good lesson learned
W herever you went to the small places they would want you to have a shot of their product you had to keep your[not silly head on],I must say I have collected from most of the wine regions in France and it still tastes like diesel .if you were lucky you may get a one hit wonder collection all on pallets loaded at a large vineyards warehouse where you got treated like normal just another driver no samples ,.but no handball also you may have a custom clearance near you or you would have to go miles to the next major city and find Danzas.
Danzas cleared most of the loads sometimes you may have had to load out of a Danzas depot or top up the load with extra drops if the trailer had room it was all worked out before you even got the telex
I got to learn to check all of the pallets going on ,for damage ,also missing cases they were nearly all shrink wrapped but you would not really know, by doing that ,they new you were aware of what went on, also they let you in the warehouse to walk around your load, no intensions of picking the odd case up “by mistake” it was mine-sweeping exercise, cases have !! been known to be taken off other [trucks] while on loading bays. if the warehouse goes for the dinner, pull off the bay ,and shut the door…just a tip,
One trip I had a full load of ice cream from Tewkesbury to Lisbon it was a regular run for some companies but new to me and I was allowed to take my wife with me we had paid for our own insurance [holiday]the only trouble was the ferries, and my wife did not mix .
Poole Cherbourg Truck line used by myself countless times
just a point =
Before I started they used to load the lorry’s on the ferry ,then fly some drivers over the next day as there were not enough cabins. The tales were that the plane would buzz the ferry at sea ,yes it is true but I never seen it ,.back to the trip…
After the crossing and my wife sick all the time I felt like flying back .no sleep looking after her.
Once docked and on our way it all seemed to go well until as in transit I do not think I went into Irun compound I honestly do not remember. I could have done However as you come through the border either from Irun or transit through ,you end up on to the same bit of road with not a care in the world until I start going up the hill ,very close to the border
You are now in the redcaps -Basque area the usual 4x4 with the police Basque, not garde civil they were waiting like money sharks ”come to me you foreign driver, they pulled me I think it was a parking are ,[all you regulars will remember I do not ] a foot bridge went over both tracks of road just where they pull you in I had been pulled before no problem.
Forgetting i had a replacement Mercedes hire truck in their normal dull white colour with the normal ROKOLD trailer i was sure there would be no problem, I had all the paper work, got out the truck paper work folder all checked then they went for the insurance green card ,no problem ,it covered all the lorries run by ROKOLD, however I had not got a backing sheet with the number of this [registration ] hire lorry it never crossed my mind well I would not have known, I had a typed form stating that it was Rokold hire , Captured ,.over the bridge I go to a little green hut, many drivers have been here before it was just for that purpose. Insurance office, they new .
I was fined and had to pay for transit insurance the amount eludes me I knew it put a hole in my money as I only used to have our float money also 2 euro checks in case of a emergency and a few quid for-our selfs, .as I was a self caterer i only wanted water money and the very odd meal out
.I remember when I got back to the truck with these 2 nice police men my wife said is it all right so I threw my wallet on the ground and stamped all over it and said these Ba–ards have taken all our money…they looked gob smacked but to no avail I was waved on…
It was down through Spain a round Victoria ,Valladolid ,Salamanca, on to Badajoz the border then in to the “lovely” compound in Lisbon ,my wife could not believe the shanty town and poverty .pre EEC membership.
It all went my wife had blond hair ,well you would have thought she had come from out of spacein a restaurant the kids all wanted to touch it .we did not go very far
The bog was a classic in the customs compound it looked as if elephants had been backed in and dumped their loads ,worse than Greece.
I was on sh-t house guard whenever she needed it ,there were other English drivers regular to Portugal they were helpful some liked their drink more than me I would put money on some supped as they drove.
.We got cleared no dramas’ and unloaded ok ,temperature perfect, minus 25 the product was “funny feet lollies” once unloaded we were up around near shanty town I still could not get my head around the abject povety ,in such a city stepped in history ,there was a definitely them and us in their society
The temperature was very hot and that poor old fridge had been knocking its nuts out at -25
peace at last, it had stopped, although to be honest the noise of the fridge did not really bother me I think my wife was pleased all though she did well every night it was blasting away never switched of from the minute I left we were top deck on the ferry so that was ok.
I cannot remember where I phoned the office from maybe I went back to the clearing agents, for reload instructions, the return load was go across Spain to Valencia, what I repeated it again and it was yes to the airport Valencia you have been to the pack house before I was told.the directions would come to me once I was on the airport road I new that.
Jesus right across Spain in the middle of summer no air-con then ,not good, all I had was 2 of them small fans on the dash, very popular ,they run off the ■■■ lighter switch about as good as chocolate tea pot ,it was like a convector cooker they just moved the hot air around, I used to have one of those plastic air catcher things that sat on you window glass and you wound it up tight to the top of the window it deflected wind-air in the cab but soon broke.
I doubt many have seen, a ships portholes with like half circle of metal sticking out of the port hole it was to catch the air to go in the cabin the same type of thing for truck windows did not last long.
I would put the fridge on -5 when we stopped get up inside the fridge and sit in our chairs in side it was job to get my wife up in to the back of the trailer ,no lifts but I had put some rope hanging off the meat rail just for the initial pull up in to the trailer from the back bumper bar. not for long as the flies would somehow get to know where you are ,yes I have forgot to mention flies and mosquitoes what a pain in the arse they are when your trying to eat out side and in .they put the mockers on the job ,until you get back home, forget about them ,and come back again for more…
No European driver went anywhere without a folding chair summer or winter]…however we made across no big hardship to be honest, once I got there ,c.m.r. to the office there was no produce picked for today nothing to load until “ tomorrow ”just what I did not need the heat was getting to my wife the hazards of having them with you, I thought quick load ,big licks out of Spain next stop DOVER well not quite .
I got permission to drop the trailer and we bob tailed around town just to get air bowing to cool the wife down-ish the massive Valencia has a wide ring road with flood culverts just like America massive in width
, Mc Donald’s was the next stop it was the only shop where there were guards, armed security…a bit off putting however it all worked out ok that day
I drove back to catch the office they told me that there was only enough strawberries for half a load they were processing them then the rest tomorrow so long as it does not rain tonight rain we were praying for rain ,but that brought humidity ,another close night, windows up to keep the mozies out, not happy bunnies
Then in the after noon of the 3 rd day a massive gang of workers arrived and all the action started it seemed the produce was already in the fridge all the time I suspect the price was the factor… they had just got to box it how I suspected I had not one tractor or lorry arrive with any produce ,unless it did when we were out.
The only problem I had was that , I had been up all day again with very little sleep and I was told that once loaded they would fire me off to clear near the border at Figuras- roses, and not first at Sugantu that would have been normal…then on to Figuras -roses .I let the office know what the crack is and at I am chasing through the night to get cleared the next day then chase on up through France.
After getting loaded “strawberries “it was well late the papers were given to me and the T form or T2I it said FIGUARS ROSES]
I think it was about 7pm when I finally got away the fridge set about +5, to see how the temperature went, I would stop in a hour to check it if it was on tick over, I then knew that all the load had already been in the chillier all the time ,I set the gauge at +3 and the fridge engine went straight to tick over .
By the time I was rolling my wife was fast asleep on the bottom bunk, cool air coming through the windows at last, I needed a jumper next stop the customs just before the border at figuars roses it was another bloody night mare getting parked up it was dark when i got there getting parked up finding the agents you could not afford to be asleep, as every one will pass you and block you itime for a good brew.
If you have never done revision, it was the same as I explained before in IRUN the quality of the fruit the sugar content etc is all checked by the Spanish authorities they all take what they want ,you cannot back on to a unloading bay until you have your agent there with you with all the paper work its a [bun fight]also being right hand drive you are always backing in blind side all bays are geared for left hand drive I can tell you it is a pain in the arse no one gives you any assistance unless another English driver is there .it is/was not all honey you had to stand your ground .
Imagine your in ENGLAND and you are next in line for whatever a Spanish driver wants to get in front of you, there is your answer zb em well that is what the Spanish were like . not all, because some established firms doing uk new that you would all be in DOVER at the same time or even a market at the same time. revenge is swee the rest of the trip went as normal my wife had just about had enough and ready for home, one of the main reasons we would travel together was that we would be together 24/7 10+ days would be enough for us both…then I would do the next year without much hassle
We had one memorable trip just before I changed jobs the office told me the truck was going to Greece and it was my time off coming up the alternative was I could take my wife if I wished
After she had done some sorting out for getting the lads fed at home my mother livid in the same village and they were working so no problem. I went home changed my gear picked the boss up and away ,night markets. B/ham, Wolverhampton Manchester. Liverpool ,the best to last… you wanted eyes in your eyes…the art of market work was do not get distracted from the back of the trailer once you do you have lost…and when they come for a pallet you ask the fork lift driver “what pitch you for mate “as loud as them just to let them know you are no mug…because any fork lift passing will just drive up to the trailer and lift one off while you are in the back turning one around to be lifted off…believe me , I would do the same…
.
The instruction were go to HARRY YEARDSLY cold store Rochdale load a load of frozen beef from intervention the “Government meat mountain” well the EEC mountain like the wine and butter mountains I remember correct there was a inspector from MAFF there and lots of labels being put on now, this is years ago however I send my wife out on a shopping trip just for the tins etc. and most of all the bread the plan always was if you have a frozen load loves of bread are god send when you are empty ,Warburton in Greece
. So ,the loafs are up the front ok by the MAFF man and not on the paper work ,loaded up, sealed up -25 fridge roaring away it would soon settle down to the correct temperature as the beef was solid blocks all the paper work done and there was a lot C.M.Rs all done. By the look of them I must have 3 to 4 delivers however that will no doubt all change
Last check to see that I had not forgotten anything [as if I would] I had two stops down to Dover all went well ,The ticket for my wife seemed as if it could be a problem as she has no licence at all she could not be booked as a second driver ,after a call to the office for confirmation for travel with the truck and me round to the agents and get parked under the canopy for customs and MAFF inspections, last ring to the office usual banter , like get there as soon as, ship Brindisi Sunday ,ring when empty, that is just the way I like to work given instructions then left alone.
The wife is a seasoned, very sickly ,person on any ferry the part of travelling she does not like, even over to CALAIS this trip is no different but I know what to expect. It would be late by the time we get off in CALAIS I will park up inside the dock and do the customs transit in the morning I worked it out we had 3 days to get to Brindisi as the saying goes [■■■■ it] its around 1.400 miles
I did not bother with a plug I knew how frozen the goods were we are off and she has to go and sit down she does not ,yet know about the overnight ferry to GREECE if she did ,
Once clear of the dock and paid my 20 French francs for the diesel bung to the last customs man ,we were all clear to make our way down to PARIS once we got clear of the town of CALAIS it does get busy at times if you do not manage to get a quick clearance at the dock with the permit stamps you will end up following the tail end of the cars from the ferry, that are also trying to get through the town to however since I stopped for a break I transited easily ,hardly any traffic.
After st omer heading down to the auto route direction PARIS I decided to have a brew break before we hit the mayhem on the Paris ring at the last services ,the turn left ,under the runway at Charles -de-gal airport the runways go over the auto route some site first, time after that you take no notice then after a time you drop down on to the ring road, the dreaded[ peripherique ]
some drivers hate it I do not ,you follow the signs to LYON, all exits, on the road are named [port de] something ,once clear of Paris ,you are on autoroute all the way .after a lot of near misses a bit like on the dodgems cars at a fair ground.
We parked up close to bourg en breese there was a shell garage for toilets if I remember correctly good shift I could have pushed it more but it was time to eat in “the cab” I do the cooking it is easier ,something out of tins for now, after a 8 hour break ,toilets attended to, tea and toast ,check the fridge temp ,diesel, ,usual kick the tyres a general walk around there were other Brit registered motors parked here, at least no one tried to switch the fridge off, back in England some other drivers have not got the sense to leave the fridges alone, here I never have had a problem ,if it is ever switched off you know who done it ,.our own jolly jack.
My sights are set to get in to CLUSES do the French transit customs, up the mountain ,through the tunnel ,in to the auto port at Aosta then out again and get parked up ,big day planned.
It could go well so long as no bad weather ,no breakdowns on the narrow road up, they are in the process of building a 2 way piece from the bottom of the run up, like a ski slope on stilts to cut out a very bad piece of road ,narrow.
Up the mountain ,I stopped at the police /customs wooden hut , ihad got used to that,through the tunnel the pipe as some say,then drop down into AOSTA auto–port as easy as that ,as you all know things never go as planned, however this time it did I could bore you to death with the customs at Aosta however in transit it is very straight forward ,no inspections ,a quick through thank you very much is [addio], we are out and on our way, back to the traffic lights turn right and head for MILANO or TURINO,
Most Brits have the usual popular stopping for the night ,places for food, and showers ,security called [watering holes] the first on en route to Milan is the sisters at near Santhia, then Cariso ,the most popular ,then Novara services .
Novara services for me another good day no problems it all seems to be going to smooth the next day the traffic will start as i reach PERO then turn off to the A1 BOLOGNA and then you do not turn off this road ,direct A 14 to BRINDISI ,you just keep plodding on, and by divine intervention and hard driving you will arrive very late, tired out zb,at BRINDISI.
Now the fun begins just what you do not need ,first you drive into the town follow the port signs and leads you to the dock
Outside and you will guarantee at such a later hour all the parking will be taken the gates, are closed, and they will not let you in to turn around ,so the fun does begin because your fridge is roaring away ,most truck curtains are drawn, and you now jump out ,make sure no one is up behind you ,peace of mind, that you checked now the reverse begins ,great .and yes you got it ,the only place to turn is on your blind side, ohh well, here goes ,I tell my wife keep quite !unless I am directly going to hit anything, and I successfully make my turn.
After parking up ,on the end ,next to another fridge [turned off ] maybe its empty ,no lights on the control panel ,.ahh well mine stays on ,zb other fridges were roaring away on different cycles In the morning after the quickest brew .windows shut, roof hatch open covered in fine Muslim cloth ,no old tights.
It is a open quay side not in the dock town side as they say ,my first call is to lodge my papers in to the [captain -de -port-o] a large white building with two sailors dressed in rig, outside with rifles, with a massive wooden door, grilled windows, double bars on them ,as if a prison, , you step on the step and hand them ,the papers, they open up and go in,i get a glimpse inside it looks like a war room ,it is only a customs and immigration ,i get a paper receipt ,i am told 4 oclock to return. They love their uniforms some have more epaulets than a admiral and they are only clerks.
We go and have cool drink and a pastries, it is so hot, there are men riding around with cooler boxes on bikes full of ice and soft drinks and beer ,not this time but other times the old beer does not touch the sides when I am on my own
Iam dreading the booking hall for the ferry, it gets so humid, and hot, unbelievable. i went to the shipping company we use, do the usual dance explaining why I need two tickets for one driver one truck, etc. etc. 2 people ,for the ferry in the end I shouted my wife to come in to the office and pointed to her wedding ring ,they got it at last.they do love to shout ,express them self’s ,their arms waving around they seem to like to make things dramatic over zb all
That over I am told the tickets will be at the ferry office at 5 o’clock- believe me it does not go as smooth as I have just said ,however you cannot write it it is like queuing for a flight but no ones got a ticket ,you just get used to it
Eventually with all my paper work in order ,tickets collected move in to the loading area on the quay there is a lot of truck movement on the docks ,other ferries are in loading it is all roll on and off…very busy port
Down on the dock it is a sense of more disorder, men acting as loaders in uniforms, radios in their ears, papers waving about ,arms lifting high in the air, tugs going in and out with dropped trailers others trying to back down with irate men guiding them ,i must say, you must at all costs do exact ally as the man who is telling you which way to turn your steering wheel ,he backs you down and never look in your mirrors, it will scare you to death, however theses men are skilled
You leave it to them .and once backed down you will be so close to the next trailer, you have the biggest job to get out of the cab ,you are so close, well as for the the fridge plug in ,forget it, they made lots of gestures to switch it off ,and and I did the same for a plug[ ZB it], trailers backing down ,me checking where the wife is I took her on the ferry and to wait by the doors going up to the accommodation we both had ,a small type grab bag ,toothbrush ,pants ,so I leave the fridge off.zb it idid ask in the shipping office as well might as talked to the bloody fish.
At the pursers office for cabin tickets, and tickets for food ,you pay ,there for tickets I told them about the fridge ,they looked as if I was mad. so I just hoped all would be well ,if it was fresh meat I would have made a fuss and got a plug, but being a deep frozen load it would survive ,I hoped .more pressure I hope it does not goes ■■■■ up
We shared a cabin with 2 other men ,god knows who ,but they smelled very nice !!.After food ,a walk about ,not a lot to see, we soon went to bed as my wife is the worst sailor ever and in the BOTTOM bunk ,i think I slept with one eye open .
We arrived in Patras around 3 pm ish usual performance getting down to the truck let alone getting in I had visions of water flowing out of the back doors seals , why I do not know as I could not open them anyway.
The ferry was on the dock, lots of movements the first lorries were off the ramp while I took my wife to the end of the ramp and told her to keep there out of the way ,do not move for anyone, and wait for me to drive off I would be a while. The ferry crossing was about 16 hours with no fridge going.
My time came to move off I fired the fridge up as soon as possible she roared away for a while but soon closed down to minus -20 i picked my wife up ,only a small procedure on the quay with papers as we had a onward clearance in the TIR Athens ,what a ■■■■ hole. To look forward too
I knew my way out of the port it is strange, as you drive down a street full of big houses, nothing like many port area all dust ,junk, roughness.
Patras was very nice and clean. it does not take long to get out of the port area and you are soon on the main road ,the service is a smooth as glass, tarmac all gone ,just tar no chippings ,you cannot go wrong as you drive towards Korinthos, the road takes you over the Korinthos canal one of the wonders of the world , it is like a army steel bailey bridge, once we had crossed I stopped, there is a parking area a few stalls selling evething you would not want, I asked my wife would you like to go back and look over down the canal, “no way” she said it was bad enough driving over it as she was on the side seeing the most. I thought then I think maybe she has had enough…soon to be home but she cannot do heights
WE make our way to ATHENS up the massive hill with enough signs telling anyone not to take any photographs if you get caught your own fault…and not so long back some did get caught and I think they were Brits.
Arriving at the compound was not the best of joys because it is a dump, the toilets are the worlds worst like the elephant house in a zoo ,not good I will leave it at that.
A truckers type cafe is across the road well know by all , a telephone ,food beer ,TOILETS the name of it escapes me .lots of photographs of all nationalities lots of Brits, there are a few Brits who only do GREECE …mostly owner drivers.
I do not think that large companies would be able to withstand the time a trip takes ,also a lot of ex Brit trucks are running over in Greece most look ready for the knackers also living in GREECE and operated by Brits did not ask ,leave it at that however it looks a good type of life it that is what you want ,maybe some cannot come back??
Next morning after a cafe visit the agent was found, papers were in they said about 4 hours, today. What he meant ,it will be tomorrow , another wasted day ,however we did walk about the area ,but the heat was to much, so the cab was more shady ,and lots of dozing off that was not a bad thing, as I was all ways tired but just carried on like all the other drivers.
The load was cleared that day the agents runner came to me he explained that it would be tomorrow before delivery he told the veterinary would be in the morning I would be following a car to 2 deliveries ,after the vet and customs had opened the doors up, once that was done, all ok to go.
Around 8 am in rolled a van with the agent the vet did their checks he got out gave me my cmr,s and out I go following a mad hatter to my first delivery a cold store after going round and round I had completely lost any sense of where I was this time I just give up and followed him, down the narrow streets arriving out side the cold store.
It was the wrong way round ,the “entrance” it was very narrow if you get what I mean ,by being geared up for left hand drive tucks ,[if that makes sense] the bays where awkward to get on even for the locals, I could not turn around and back in my side ,it is hard to explain it meant I would have to wait until the truck on the end went and then I would get on a bay…so time for the kettle.
After a hour trucks moved ,I backed on however the doors had to be opened before you got on the bay as they where to high and narrow ,so that done after a scrabble and no assistance from jack ■■■■, I get on the bay it was not like our cold stores at home ,I took my cmr,s into the office the agent had given me two cmr,s back from the original 4 so that was a bonus ,as I went passed I looked at the boxes of meat and they were frozen solid there was a lot of hand ball for the un loaders to do I had no idea how much they were taking off I was not bothered, there were stacks of pallets scattered around and I seen one electric pallet truck .
After about 2 hours reading ,and doing a crossword with my wife [I might get one right] I asked her do you fancy a brew and some nice fresh toast without butter just jam the butter had gone to liquid[ no such thing as a cab fridge well not for me ]could not afford one I used to try to keep butter in cold water in a plastic bag ■■■■■■■ but not a good idea
.I climb out of the cab jump on to the loading bay/dock pallets strewn every where there looked like ,little checkers type huts on the loading bay
The blokes are getting down the load about a 3rd empty there were 3 men in the back loading a pallet they did not say anything to me in the trailer but they said something to each other and as I walk in .
There were no lights on in the trailer from the unit only day light so as the further I walked in on the load the darker at the front of the fridge, I went to get my bread ,and it is not there, so I spin round and in perfect queens English shout “who the zb has got my zbing bread you ■■■■■■ they look at me as if -what you on about…i made gestures of eating and they still said nothing ,by this time I was pumped ,out of the trailer down the bay to the office, and zb me there are 4 blokes sitting around a upturned electric toasting my zbing bread,
What come next even surprised me, I went ape ■■■■ screaming at them ,i pushed one bloke he went over into his mate ,the table went over, the bread ,my bread went on the floor, all hell had just broken out, boy was I mad, other men came running up, I come out the office, ran through 2 blokes in to the other type hut and ■■■■ me they were toasting my bread ,I did the same there ,Jesus I had lost it
.I picked as much bread up as possible SLICES still frozen, shouting likeZB ,
my wife was just getting out of the cab, to see what was going on ,seeing I was coming back I said get back in the cab, these zb ers on the bay have had our bread and are toasting it they were like chickens with there heads cut of ,wondering what did we do.
After 5 minutes I had calmed down a bit, and we where starting to have toast ,and a tap came on the cab door and it was the chap who I first met when I arrived at the store in his hand he had all the bread they had picked up off the floor even the toasted bits, and he gave me them back.
I could tell by his face he was sorry, but I told him what to do with the bread,[ I think he understood me]and sheeply walked away. And that was my first drop in the Greek cold store… could it get worse ?
Luckly the cmr was stamped and signed I made sure there were no comments written down they had half the load ,I fired the fridge up I did not want the next drop to say that the truck came in without the fridge going , the agent s car came back they must have rang them and obliviously told them as he did not say a word getting out was another test , if you ever see Greek fridges look to see if they have any corners left on them ,because I now know why they are knocked about to zb
It was another tight ride to the other cold store ,until we got on the main road and zb me I started to recognise where I was I could see the LUNAR PARK FERRIS WHEEL all mr fowlers, merry trippers will remember that.
I had no problems at the delivery I though they might just zb me about but they did not it went ok a clean signature I was now empty it must have been 5 pm their time so our office would be openI rang the office, I told them I had clean signatures ,never mentioned the bread, no need ,i was told my collection is write this down,we have no idea what the load is all we know is it isTHE COLD STORE BELGRADE. A full load take what they give you as the load ,papers will be supplied by them to transit to the Austrian border .use your own c.m.r. Get T, forms made there for A andG DOVER, that was it nothing more of less. Ring when loaded if you can.
There was no customer name ,no load name ,.no product, no address well I did not mind I liked wandering but it was not a good start i had to find out a few things before I got through the border ,when I get there .like , currency, diesel ,any road tolls, i had enough food, water etc to last another week at lest
Luckily I did have a Michelin map of the whole of Europe it was about time I had one , but it was not define also a DKV booklet with basic maps ,and a thermo king, booklet with maps, just to give a general idea where countries are ,also places if you needed assistance, breakdowns etc however the DKV card we had was only to be used in dire emergencies as we had a shell card ,for diesel, and to pay agents if they took it
Belgrade ,Yugoslavia as it was then ,i did not know that we were transiting so many so called states ,it was just Yugoslavia then, as we were all to find out later that the SERBS, were not the best of people. this will be new for me as I had never been anywhere near there I do like to learn so now was my chance again, with a little bit of the unknown.
I sussed out that the border to make for was Niki, it is now Macedonia it looked better than a long way to go up to Theselonikia.
The time it took me to get up to the boarder I do not remember I do realise there was very little traffic coming the other way ,not a good sign, but I was past the point of no return, ie go another way
I did eventually get to the boarder and I had made the right choice, as there were a few trucks coming out no BRITS .and just me going in, so ,I did the usual ,sus it out, make out as if I knew where I was going we my wife with me and a booklet with my lorry papers .
I had opened one of the trailer doors and tied them back so it was showing I was empty ,i had no idea how to say empty ,after I had filled up with diesel at the last shell garage I think it was a shell at the border there was no parking compound, all trucks ,parked along the road side ,it looked just like a proper border.
There was a restaurant up some stairs ,and a link span over the road with a covered walk way for all the different agents to work the paper trail as for me it was easy passport, police, customs, and out…
by both sides, the most thing I remember was all the GREEK statue type Greek god type .with massive ■■■■■ they were grotesque. Like phallic symbols
The store had hundreds of them, why? It was time to leave ,no one spoke a word ,i did not know if they where Greek or Yugoslavia people.
I look forwards to reading your life stories, pdb, I now realise that it took a special type of driver to do European driving in those days, I just cant imagine just going off to places like Greece on your own and trying to find places without being able to talk their language, I take my hat off to you mate, keep on posting the stories, cant wait to read the next instalment.
Boyice 49 Thanks, but what i did, was the job, also hundreds of other drivers did far more than me , middle east,commie block all the time ,you had to be at the right company that had the work ,that was the key. then the right area.i am pleased that you are enjoying reading it.lots more already written down i cannot believe i started in 2014 ,just odd memories.dbp.