A Slight Mishap

[simon]

This is a snap of our Euro fleet, ready for the off, one Sunday morning. Sorting things out and waiting till after another coffee .

This week, as I was coming towards the start of the dual carriageway section of the A69 at Hexham, I saw a couple of pheasants walk out of the nearside hedge towards the kerb. I thought to myself, “please don’t go for it!”, but saw one crouch down slightly and jump into the air. This was about 6 feet in front of me. I thought, “ah well, you’ve had it”. I was right too, but what I didn’t expect was this.

After my nerves had settled and I realised that my windscreen wasn’t going to come in, I phoned the boss and informed him of what had happened. He asked me if I could carry on, which I confirmed I could, provided that I wasn’t stopped by anyone. If I was, I wouldn’t be allowed to because the screen was so bad.

I wasn’t stopped at all, so did my trip to Germany and back, slightly nervously. 2500 kms later I arrived back at the yard, having done 5 drops, 3 collections and done a delivery in the UK, on the way back in.

I am paid on a weekly salary and the TGA windscreen is bonded in. That means its a 24 hour job, because the glue has to go off, before you can drive the wagon. That would have meant an extra day out on the roads for no extra money and our customers wouldn’t be very happy about their goods being delivered a day late either. If I had been just out of the yard, I could have turned back and taken another wagon (we had a rented Merc Actros in the yard, ready to go back to the rental company on Monday). But a 2+ hour trip back to the yard and then the 3:30 trip back to the port would have meant missing the boat. There wasn’t even time for the boss to meet me half way.

[marcustandy]

Been there - done that! Although it was a pidgen that hit my screen, it did the same amount of damage, and yes, I also zb’d myself!!

[kyrbo]

You have nice mug on a dashboard but what has happened to the windscreen

[wheel_nut]

I think I would rather face the wrath of an irate BAG man than drive an Actros too Simon

I hit a pheasant on my motorcycle doing about -----* well it scared me , I hope the pheasant learnt from its mistake.

[tonyb_1]

If that happened in one of our motors.you wouldnt turn a wheel till it was fixed.
Missing boat or not.or upsetting customer.

At the end of the day your driving a vehicle with a serious defect.
Not only you would get in to trouble,but it also goes against the companies O licence.

We get a bollocking even if we go out without a number plate or even a bulb out.

If ANYTHING is wrong it must be repaired.

Tony b

[convoy]

Nice fleet of trucks

[Lasurazes]

Nice motors Simon, looks like a nice little outfit to work for M8!

[simon]

Cheers Mal n Convoy, they are nice motors, both to drive and live in.
They are looked after, defects don’t need to be reported more than once, the boss expects and trusts you to get on with the job, so the phone isn’t constantly ringing off the hook. I think I used it 4 times all week.

I don’t think the pheasant will make the same mistake again Wheel Nut .

I’ll assume you’re trying to take the mick tonyb.

[deaks]

Wasn’t you heading up the A1 through the roadworks around Pontefract-ish area yesterday morning around 9.15 was it, Simon?

[simon]

Not this week Deaks, I was on the Europoort Freighter into Hull, which gets in for about 11. That would have been one of my stable mates off the Love Boat that you saw.

[deaks]

Simon:
…one of my stable mates off the Love Boat that you saw.

Sounds a bit intriguing Simon…Don’t suppose you’d care to divulge any more info would you?!