Another Animal Feed Diary

[pimmer73]

well since my last diary i have had a change of jobs i left Mole Valley Farmers and moved to lloyds animal feeds, so thought i would do a diary of me new job for ya all !!

Part 1

Monday 29/10/12
ok well 04.00 start in our mill in Langport, mondays are probably my busiest day of the week so got to keep on pedaling today !! My lorry has been in for repair this weekend they had to weld the auger tray up and plate the frame of the body near where the pivot of the tipper is , so aswell as doing all my cheaks and inspecting what the fitters had done i had to put all my stuff back in place in my cab and put the clock back an hour so didnt leave until 04.30 not good Late !!
Right off to Wales first place is a chicken house at Mamhilad just north of Pontypool , 6 ton for them 15 mins to blow that off now up to Llantillo Crossenny north east of Y enni , another 6 ton for them

we normally do another house on this route but he had a full load on saturday so no need for a top up today,all blown off and on my way back over the hill throught Llanarth back to Raglan and back down to the bridge by 08.30 i get as far as junction 25 of M5 before i run out of time so its a nice 50 mins kip in lay by at thornfalcon. right then back to our mill to load for the second load of the day which is 4 little houses on a farm at castle cary then over to a farm at over compton just outside yeovil on the sherborne road to pick up 19 ton of wheat to take back to our mill , when i get back i find out my load isnt made yet and the hi pro soya they need to make it is waiting to be tipped and theres a lorry before it waiting to tip so thats going to be 3 hours so off i go to get the wheat first save waiting around , find the farm and get loaded within minutes and back to mill by 13.00 got told to blow it into one of our wheat bins

got 3 of the houses today a 2ton 5 ton and a 3ton

all done nice little drive back to our mill dieseled up quick chat with our night loader on what order i want tomorrows in and clocked out at 17.45. 8hrs07mins driving, 452 kms, 185lts diesel, 13hrs work .

Tuesday 29/110/12
um 04.00 do checks and leave at 04.15 Oakfordbridge first today down near Bampton 3 houses 3 ton in each normally but only got 2 today strange i thought off i plod nice steady drive down there bit tight and narrow place to find, you drive up a track until you find the furthest house then blow in that bin then work your way back up the track blowing in the other 2 houses before you end up back at the beginning of there track

i soon find out why i only got 2 houses the other had burnt down (bet that smelt nice ) so both done arrived at 05.20 and on my way by 05.55 next is Week St Mary down between Holdsworthy an Launceston so i choose to go B3227 to south molton then north devon link (40mph lol) and atlantic highway until kirkhampton were i turn off and head down the B3254 to whitstone and turn off down to the farm i arrive at 08.30 afta a crafty 30 mins kip enroute !!

ten minute chat with the farmer like every week blow off the 5 ton he has and on my way by 09.10 got an hours driving time left so down to launceston and back up the A30 have another 30mins kip on the way and arrive back at our mill at 11.45

ready for second load of the day which is 2 bins at Yetminster tother side of Yeovil loaded in 15 mins , 40 min drive down the the houses

once empty i am off up to North Cadbury to collect 19ton of wheat for our mill i went there last week and didnt ring them before and had a good hours wait so i phoned them today and gave them plenty of notice got there at 14.15 and have to wait about 5 mins for the loader to turn up as its only a store there farm is a good 30mins away

[pimmer73]

Part 2

19 ton of wheat loaded and sheeted down and on my way by 14.55 back at mill by 15.30 check the wheat for moisture content and bushal weight all fine good bit of wheat for a change this year then blown into bin wont tip in our intake cause its so slow !!

all finished and clock out at 17.05. 7hrs 52 mins drive , 456kms, 183lts diesel and 12hrs 20mins work

Wednesday 30/10/12

Rest Day (we only do a 4 day week)

Thursday 1/11/12

04.00 start first load down to Fovant today 4 bins on one of our breading sites arrive down there and unlock gates by 05.30.

all 4 bins done 9ton in one and 3 ton in each of the others by 06.45 then off to Wiltshire Grain up at Shrewton to collect 19ton of Barley for our mill, arrive at 07.15 and all loaded and on me way by 07.40 quality !!

had a 30 min break on way back to Langport arrived at 09.30 checked barley and blew 14 tons off until the bin was full so then had to tip the rest in the intake.

once done load for 5 houses at a farm at Milverton . have another 30 min break on my way and arrive at 12.50 do 2 houses then the egg lorry arrives so we work out who goes to what house in an order that we dont interupt ourselfs.

job done by 14.10 and a nice gentle plod back to the mill arrive by 15.00 and give me lorry a really good clean.

clock out on time tonight at 16.45 . 5hrs 37 mins drive , 259kms, 140lts diesel and 12 hrs work

[pimmer73]

Part 3

Friday 2/11/12

yeap you guessed 04.00 start again got 2 houses at Sixpenny handley first today then 2 bins up at Hallatrow, on my way to first drop i get up on top of zig zag hill i can see loads of lightening out over the south coast . leave sixpenny by 06.00 and have a nice gental drive up thro frome,radstock to hallatrow (cant get in until 08.00) arrive at 07.25 so have a nice little kip until they wake me to get in , one of the bins has a very small pipe so it takes a good 4-5 mins a ton to blow.

so its time well spent playing bubble shoot on my phone ! done by 09.00 have me break on way back and arrive at 10.25 for 3 houses at a farm at Loxton the otherside of the M5 to the Webbington Hotel between junc 21 and 22 .head up the A38 from bridgwater as i hear theres a smash just past junc 23 arrive at 12.20 get my instructions he wants 6.320 ton in bin 1 ,

6.250 in bin 2,

and 6.250 in bin 3 , all done and soaking wet by 13.50 and now its off to cannington grain to load 19ton of wheat ,

load it out of a shed as instead of loading out of a bin , left by 15.00 back our mill whilst blowing it off i clean my pipes ,

all done left instructions for how mondays load to be loaded clocked out at 17.00 6hrs 58mins drive , 336 kms and 12hrs 15mins work.

so this week i drove for 28hrs 24 mins , done 1502 kms , worked for 49hrs 35 mins and used 660lts of diesel.

well thats a week in the life of my job Monday ,Tuesday and Friday are near enough the same every week so with the other days always something differant if gives the week some variation,its a job you can relax with and be able to enjoy instead of non stop chasing your bum like alot of you guys have to do.

well i hope you all enjoy the read and the pics and remember if any of you down around this way give us a flash !!!

[john_london]

Thanks, I enjoyed reading that. Nice to see what other jobs involve.

[dave_the_renegade]

Good pics and an interesting read.

[dentonkarl]

Great diary pal. I used to go round with my dad at ABN so know how to work blower controls and connect pipes etc. is switch for hydraulics and pto in cab? They used to be on a Volvo fm but not sure on daf.

[pimmer73]

thanks for coments john and dave and yea karl the PTO and hydraulics controls aswell as weigher are in the cab

[hammer]

Good diary, a good read.

How come you only do 4 day weeks? Does someone else drive your wagon on your day off?

[coreysboys]

Used to work for ABN and we were always chasing our tails to get done. Really heavily planned. 13/14 hours most days, then big commute!

[pimmer73]

hammer:
Good diary, a good read.

How come you only do 4 day weeks? Does someone else drive your wagon on your day off?

company dont recognise POA so 4x12 hour shifts 48 hour week mate !! yea the guy who i took over from retired, and he comes in and does my day of each week

[dentonkarl]

coreysboys:
Used to work for ABN and we were always chasing our tails to get done. Really heavily planned. 13/14 hours most days, then big commute!

I agree. Which depot mate? There all on 4x12’s now

[hairygorilla]

thanks for posting good to see different jobs