How many times have you gone to tip at some pretentious crap hole where as a driver you are about as welcome as herpes, and looked at as if you are ■■■■ on their shoes.
You know these places, you hardly get your arse off the seat and feet on the ground, before some wonker tells you to put on your hi viz, or that you are not permitted to wear shorts or whatever.
The first thing you see is a sign saying ‘No overnight parking on premises’ followed by ‘No eating or drinking’ 'Drivers not allowed in canteen ’ etc etc…and the list goes on,… ■■■■ holes of the highest degree.
Anyway I got to a cold store in Spalding (Bowman and sons) I was not even delivering direct to them it was for some contract outfit doing some building work.
It was 5 o clock pm so I was admittedly pushing my luck.
I went to reception, the girl got the boss who arranged for one of his guys to tip me for the contract firm.
I asked him if it would be ok to park up after tipping expecting the usual …‘We don’t allow overnight parking’ but no, he said ‘No problem driver’ showed me where to park, and said ‘Use the canteen for a coffee, there’s a shower over there, and I’ll show you where there is a good pub around the corner’
It was like a breath of fresh air to be actually made welcome, pity a few more places were not like this co.
Trouble is there’s always one who spoils it for the rest when hospitality like this has been offered by leaving everything in ■■■■ order resulting in future offers being withdrawn.
Glad you got a good night ahead, enjoy.
The fact you could string a coherent sentence together and looked like you had a wash sometime this week probably helped.
Seriously though, decent places do exist, and that decent treatment of you will be remembered and paid back in triplicate should they ever need a favour, that’s what the other sort don’t get and never will.
I’ve had a couple of nights out at Bowmans. To be honest, one of the big reasons I do boxes is because I spend most of the week tipping at small firms, who are less health and safety mad. I wore a hi viz twice yesterday, once was on the dock, and it’s been in the locker since. I’ve got to wear it at the gateway tomorrow, along with my bump cap, but I’ve got 3 jobs to do where I won’t need to put one on again.
Get spoken to and treated decently. Even at the Asian wholesalers, always greeted with a smile and offered a tea or coffee. I went to a farm near Royston yesterday to load flavourings. They couldn’t do enough for me. Cup of tea, 2 toast and a load of skirt to perv over in the office, after I’d used the nice clean toilets. You can shove your rdc bs up your arse
OVLOV JAY:
I’ve had a couple of nights out at Bowmans. To be honest, one of the big reasons I do boxes is because I spend most of the week tipping at small firms, who are less health and safety mad. I wore a hi viz twice yesterday, once was on the dock, and it’s been in the locker since. I’ve got to wear it at the gateway tomorrow, along with my bump cap, but I’ve got 3 jobs to do where I won’t need to put one on again.
Get spoken to and treated decently. Even at the Asian wholesalers, always greeted with a smile and offered a tea or coffee. I went to a farm near Royston yesterday to load flavourings. They couldn’t do enough for me. Cup of tea, 2 toast and a load of skirt to perv over in the office, after I’d used the nice clean toilets. You can shove your rdc bs up your arse
I like containers for this too. I did some little Asian firm in Blackburn the other week, couldn’t find it for love no money, ended up getting their phone number off Google & phoning them. Phone was answered by a nice Asian woman who asked where I was & offered to have someone drive down the road to get me. No high vis required, all the lads unloading were nice and chatty, enjoyed having a big wagon maneuvering around their yard, drink offered… makes the day so much better.
At the marquee company I worked at we had a delivery of canvas come from Scotland and the driver was all out of hours stuck in the arse end of West Wales, so we let him park up in the corner of the yard for the night, he didn’t half looked relieved. It’s not that people would have a go at him for parking at the side of the road round here, it’s just that if you do, you take up the entire road and the local tractor boys might just decide to tow you out the way…
peterm:
Nice one Mr Rob. Did you wipe [zb] up the walls and graffiti all the mirrors with yer lipstick.
Don’t know about the lipstick Peter , things must have changed since you were on the road, or maybe it was just you.
Yeh I ■■■■ up the walls, left as much mess as I could and had a crap under the trailer for good measure…that’s what you are meant to do aint it so everybody on here can blame the foreigners.
Full marks to that firm, I hope somebody tells them about my post on here…not the ■■■■■■■■ bit obviously.
It is nice when you get such an unexpectedly helpful response.
I had an issue with my lights the other night. Put my nearside indicator on and everything would light up like a christmas tree. Not great when you’re in the middle of a job as an OD. Anyhow, my local dealer (truck, not gear) was a few miles down the road - head there and get help.
I pulled into the yard at 2205 hrs; they officially shut at 2200. I asked if they could do some head scratching and problem solving expecting to be told to do one…
Nope, out came the tools and an hour later I was back on the road. All out of the generosity of the evening shift lads. Pretty bloody awesome. So a couple of bottles of whisky heading their way.
Condale Plastics in East Grinstead always made me feel welcome when i was doing general.Full use of their facilities and a good night’s kip in their yard.
OVLOV JAY:
I’ve had a couple of nights out at Bowmans. To be honest, one of the big reasons I do boxes is because I spend most of the week tipping at small firms, who are less health and safety mad. I wore a hi viz twice yesterday, once was on the dock, and it’s been in the locker since. I’ve got to wear it at the gateway tomorrow, along with my bump cap, but I’ve got 3 jobs to do where I won’t need to put one on again.
Get spoken to and treated decently. Even at the Asian wholesalers, always greeted with a smile and offered a tea or coffee. I went to a farm near Royston yesterday to load flavourings. They couldn’t do enough for me. Cup of tea, 2 toast and a load of skirt to perv over in the office, after I’d used the nice clean toilets. You can shove your rdc bs up your arse
Yes I do boxs and it really is a lot better with companies you deliver to
One of the many reasons i like going to little Asian run places, none of this H&S bullshine, no bugger bothers you just leave you to get on with it, but then they don’t ■■■■ money up the wall employing otherwise pointless people trying to justify their non jobs.
I used to jump in the back of the trailer and help the lads bollock used washing machines off for refurb, good laugh it was, right on a busy main road, the other drivers that did the job wouldn’t help just sat in the cab and hated going there at all , but then they didn’t get what i used to get, proper large latte brought to me from the cafe next door and a £20/25 tip for an hours work (which i was being also being paid for) from the gaffer there , and if we as often happened were there when the loading restrictions timed in before we’d finished the lads used to stand in front of the trailer number plate so the camera couldn’t read it, good people, always polite always pleased to see you.
I also like our Asian friends, 5 hours to load then drop the air when they ain’t watching and tell em it’s overloaded but for £20 I will chance it.
£20 later I ask em to pull the lever on the back of the trailer while I press the ‘load override’ switch in the cab, if she goes up give us a wave and I’ll pull out sharpish if not you can have your £20 back…
Never done this myself but heard stories of these shenanigans
Can’t for the life of me remember where or what company it was but once had a load of cheese for a small family run firm. When I got there they were just locking up so asked if I could come back in the morning. I said sure as I was going to be parking up for the night anyway so they said I could park there and actually gave me a key to their office so that I could use the toilet and kettle if I wanted. Was definitely a change from the normal.
Did a house move and the lady asked if I could wait with her dog while she fetched her Mum.
She locked me in the house…
I thought that this was going to be either a very good day or a very bad one.
Anyway she was all apologetic and was just a force of habit to lock the door.
Obviously slipping into something more comfortable crossed my mind but it was quite an old woofa.
I went to a Homebase in bournmouth one day,driving a Homebase vehicle I delivered then asked to use their toilet,guy took me to the manager who said customer toilets are locked,i asked to use the staff one and he said no because of insurance,it was upstairs and it was in case I slipped going up the stairs,no other stores had this problem and I was busting,so I replied no problem I will pxxs in your yard then,i beg your pardon he said,i replied that if you are refusing to let me use your facilities I have no option but to urinate in your yard as I am desperate,look on his face was priceless,i didn’t do what I said but went to the next delivery where they had no problem with me using their facilities,lucky for me as by that time I really was desperate
We get treated with respect by all our customers, the boss won’t allow anything else, on the same score we have to respect our clients wishes and behave accordingly. no harm or effort to do that. leave the place clean an tidy no worries.
, things must have changed since you were on the road, or maybe it was just you. 
