Another great run and well done.
Just one point to be careful on.
You said that you had tacho on break while connecting up cleaning pipes. Tut tut. Should be other work. Don’t get caught out. Remember though that you can split your break as a 15 and a 30.
Not having a dig. Just mentioning it for future reference.
Keep up the good work.
Dean.
(Somerset) 
I’ve got history on the “other work” point - I went back to the depot on one of my earlier jobs and told them that I’d had part of my break while unloading…they put me right! Fortunately on that one I was well over the mimimum breaks needed so still complied. In this case fortunately the guy at the dairy did all the work putting the cleaning pipes on but I got out and watched (never even got my gloves on though I had them with me to show willing). Even better the split worked out that I had just under 20 minutes, watched the pipes go on, then had a clear 30. But point taken and I’ll make sure it’s all noted.
One other issue on hours - I had 50 minutes on break after a couple of hours, so guess that would cover my 15 minutes break under the WTD for six hours work. My total shift went over 6 hours, so after I’d done more than 6 hours I stopped at the roadside for another 15 minutes, had a pee and stretched my legs and had a cup of coffee. Was I right to take another 15 minute break after 6 hours??
More night work this week. Thursday night started at 1800, a tanker with 27000l of milk up to London, nice new volvo FH500 with a comfy seat… (I just don’t know, if the agency offer me a job with an Iveco, whether I’ll have to turn it down…truck snob now. Newish truck, fully adjustable seats with armrests, aircon, auto box, cruise control, no hard work to load or unload…I just won’t go to work for anything less… I wish). Up to the dairy via the M25, M40 and North Circular. In to bay 1 which isn’t too bad as it’s near the weighbridge and a barrier one side and truck the other. Just - just- touched the truck mirrors as I backed it round (no damage but a sigh of relief) and took two tries to get the angle right as its a 90 degree turn back (so you have to get the trailer unit right round) but a relief when in and able to take the samples from each tank, open valves and connect up to unload.
Tacho by the book - on rest when on rest, POA when just about to get out and waiting for something to happen, other work when doing the pipes, and wrote it all down. This could get obsessive…
Then after cleaning out and weighing out and doing the paperwork out in to a queue at midnight on the North Circular. Several “must get past the truck at all costs” locals to laugh at, then out on the deserted A13 to M25 Dartford Crossing. Over the bridge (hells bells that is high and it was windy on Thursday - and the barriers are low when you’re in a truck!!!). Down in to Kent to a pick up near Lewes - narrow bumpy “A” roads which made me glad it was in the small hours, and lots of wind and rain and bits of tree everywhere. Found the place on a quiet little business park tucked away, job to find and so narrow that I got out and walked the last section between two buildings after a sign that said “no turning beyond this point”. It wasn’t true…
Fill up from two tankers with very friendly drivers and staff, even got a cup of tea at 3am. Then back up to the M25 - lots of mini roundabouts and roadworks and other stuff to negotiate on the way which were fun when full but kept me on my toes - and back home on the motorway in the wind and pouring rain for about 7.00 am. Fairly knackered by then and glad to finish.
Then Friday night - the same run! This time traffic jams on the A303 in to London, presumably people going home early because of the weather. Another easier bay at the dairy, the opposite end, so only one shunt! Weighed in at 42000k’s, quite full this time and explains why hill starts had been a bit of a struggle and downhills like falling out of a window even with the engine brake on a high setting to keep the speed down! Less wind and no rain so could enjoy the view from the bridge again, and could remember the pick up. Much less stress doing a run that I knew and in the dry. Had to wait for a while for the load to come in but one tanker so a quick transfer then back home, full, this time for an 8 am finish.
This time after three night shifts I was wide awake at the end, as my body clock had got used to it - in fact went out again to a 2 hour session of canoe coaching, but then had a short nap and tried hard to stay awake to switch the body clock around to days! Next week I’m spending the whole week doing the ADR course, with another short course the week after to get all my driver training hours in.
kvin:
Take the samples from the tanks and send them up the magic vacuum tube for testing. Bloke from the office comes and tells me that the front tank failed so I have to dip it again, this time it passes. (No one seems to know what happens if it fails again!).
That bit is easy, you just keep taking samples until the front pot is empty.
Seriously good novice diary though, whether you exist or not!
Well I might persist for a bit if anyone wants to read a novices diary, if only to prove I still exist. Just done a weeks ADR course, costly and not much chance to earn but it gives me 28 hours CPC. Went OK, a real mix of guys doing it including several drivers who now sell or repair trucks or supply truck companies. The regulations look a bit daunting but as its multiple choice questions in fact it’s largely common sense, worth taking a bit of time to learn the marking systems and had to sit and rote learn the categories. Mind you I’ve got a bit of experience of learning boring rules and regulations.
Not sure it will lead to any more work though. Nor that I’d want to tug a tanker of acid instead of milk, and as for the palaver of unloading dangerous materials…give me milk any day. The only plus is that milk seems to pay badly and maybe chemicals will pay a bit better (ha ha). We’ll see if anything comes of it.
Rang both agencies at the end of the course to remind them of my existence. The one that has only sent me class C work asked me to go in and discuss my experience so far as they might be able to get me an assessment for more work locally. The ones that have got me artic jobs gave me a tanker job, starting at 3 saturday. On balance I’ll go for the real jobs before the discussions about possible jobs.
Turned up at quarter to 3 saturday and the depot gates were closed, waited a while then rang to ask them to let me in. Waited another 5, then rang and said that I was sorry but I would be a bit late as I was stuck outside the gates…they let me in. Usual form filling exercise, given a set of van keys and told to go over to a nearby dairy to take over a tanker that was in the queue. Even taking a van involved filling in a sheet with the details, then another sheet in the van with names and start milages and times and destinations etc…
Found my truck in the queue and took over, got my card in and did all the checks so I could tick off the checklist, and waited. And waited. Read a really good biography of Eddy Merckx (for about two hours). Eventually got to the bay and connected up and remembered how to operate the machinery to tip, waited another 30, moved and connected to the cleaning pipes. Cleaned and weighed out and then had a drive! All of 30 minutes back to the depot, to drop my trailer and find and pick up another (full) one and take it all the way back again. Wayhay, 30 miles driving there and back, aint this the life! More experience reversing in to a tight space, dropping off and picking up.
Then spent the rest of saturday night in a dairy connecting up to pipes, dropping trailers, picking up other trailers. Won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say much waiting around, dairy staff fairly unhelpful, other drivers usually knowledgable and came up with sensible suggestions for getting cream out of a large outlet valve without looking like a very large swearing trifle, and various ways of getting tankers (that had been dropped off when it was busy) tipped when it was quiet in the small hours. Interesting that when it came to sorting things out the drivers worked it out and got on with it with not a “manager” in sight (I guess they were all at home).
Eventually another driver turned up at 3.30 am in the original van to take over the truck I was in so I could drive back to the depot - so 30 miles truck and 30 miles van, in a shift that ended up, after the remote debrief, at 13 and a half hours.
Todays lessons in life. On balance I still prefer driving to reading a book. Lots of money and driver time could be saved if dairies were a little more efficient. Found out how to unload cream using steam. When the panel says the receiving silo is full they can squeeze another 5000 litres in (I was hoping milk would run down the outside). Don’t put your tacho card in the number 2 slot and get cross when it won’t eject from number 1. (Indeed if on your own don’t put it in number 2 at all - having an off day obviously). If you get six inches off to one side of the pin on a fully laden trailer it won’t move sideways so its best to go forward and get it straight. Remember that torch. Eddy Merckx was a demi god (I remember seeing him in London at the Eastway cycle circuit in the 1970’s, grown men were wailing and shouting like Bay City Roller fans). Still prefer even sitting in a dairy in a truck all night to being a solicitor…
Seems like you had another good day yesterday. Plenty of practice with hitching up and dropping trailers. And just think you got paid for reading your book too.
Maybe you will have something come up with your ADR qualification. Let’s hope so (just for a little change of scene).
I only just found this thread and it makes for fascinating reading. Kvin - my other half is a legal sec. in a small practice so I understand some of the workload issues etc. and I worked in music/education for 25 years so I appreciate the moving from one profession to another totally different one. You seem too have been lucky getting some great experience from agency work and have coped with it really well. A really good read and should be compulsory reading for all new drivers!
How about we see you in the Professional Drivers’ Forum - I’m sure you must have a professional contribution to make by now?! (In fact, I know from what I’ve read that you have more than that to offer!!)
A great thread - stick with us - there’s as many nutters as you ever saw in your office, but at least most of us can drive a truck 
good experience again matey , like your posts as always positive , mabe get some pics on next run eh ?
keep on going your a pro driver now
jen x
Thanks for the comments! Not so sure about being a pro yet after today!
New job this time, call at 8 this morning can you start at 10, different (nameless) company…not a tanker job…so toddled down there and found the transport office. Guy was on the phone moaning about one of the trucks being broken again, when he’d finished he laughed and said to me “you’ve drawn the short straw this morning - not sure this one will get you there but I need it out of my yard so it doesn’t have to be fixed on my budget…” (can tell this is going to be a good day).
So keys, reg no, sheet of instructions, timesheet, check list, and two maps - go to depot in the midlands, drop truck for repair, pick up replacement, drop 14 pallets, take same trailer on to shropshire, swap for another trailer, come back…
Off I go and find a 56 plate MAN that’s seen better days. Insert card then carefully fill in damage report with many scrapes dings and missing bits… aircon doesn’t work, seat broken too - then go and find trailer, fridge unit but not refrigerated today - ditto to many scrapes and dings. Hook up and check everything, navigate twisty factory avoiding bollards and hand over paperwork to security and set off. At next lights there is a more than 90 degree left with bollards, at which I discover that fridge units with the pin a long way back step out from the side of your unit a long way - I swing left, trailer sticks out a couple of feet to the right. Blimey that was close to that traffic light!!
Next excitement is a 14 foot low bridge, with a 14 foot trailer… the guy in the office said it was ok, but I slow right down and ■■■■ off following motorists by hanging out of the window just to make sure. Mind you I’d have looked a right plonker backing a quarter of a mile to the next turning point…
20 miles in comes a red warning light and a big STOP sign on the dash. Gearbox it says. My left leg is hot, so I assume something is wrong, so stop and phone the depot. Carry on he says, keep going. Probably just an electronic issue. I make a note and do as I’m told, after all breaking down on the M5 M6 junction or somewhere similar will get me on the radio. I’ll be nearly famous. We do however keep going - long enough for me to have another moment, pulling in to lane 1 and at the last second seeing a silver astra in my top mirror, sitting exactly in the blind spot next to my passenger door. Plonker…must have just caught sight of him out of the corner of my eye in that top mirror. Traffic news says truck broken down on the M6, look around but I’m still moving so it isn’t me yet.
Get to the motorway exit, come off and sail past the road to the depot as my map flies out of the window…perfect timing. Good thing I checked it and saw the name of the pub opposite, and find a roundabout to do a u turn rather than trusting any of the side roads. Up a narrow road and in to the depot. Park the trailer, find the transport office, unload 14 pallets (this involves using a pallet truck for the first time in a fridge unit…and working out how to deal with a restraining bar and how to get it off and on again…).
Go and find my replacement truck, drop trailer, switch gear, start new truck, pick up trailer, stop for break. Academic question here. After 32 minutes on break you turn the ignition on to open the window and accidentally put the tacho on other work and don’t notice. You then sit eating lunch and enjoying the scenery on break for another 15. Then you set off. When you realise what you’ve done do you (a) swear and stop for another 30, or (b) swear, take a print out and write on the back that the 15 on other work was in fact break with a short explanation.
Set off in new truck. Gearbox warning light comes on (orange this time) and it refuses to change up in auto. Go to transport office then to maintenance yard. Engineer gets in truck which (of course) changes gear. Fortunately however it then refuses to, gives him warning light and when he stops it refuses to start again. He tells me what to do. If it stops (imagine at very busy traffic lights in rush hour) and won’t restart, hold the throttle down for 15 seconds while turning the ignition. It should start and if you’ve not been assaulted by other motorists you can continue. If it won’t change up use it in manual. Sorted. He suggests that I don’t turn the engine off or take the truck out of gear at any time and departs. I knew this would be an interesting day.
So off I go in to Wolverhampton at rush hour with a duff gearbox. Then the tractor abs light comes on too. Then the gearbox decides not to change down until we’ve stopped, so no engine braking. Prolonged braking causes white smoke from the trailer tyres…I pretend I’m driving a full tanker, take it carefully, anticipate as far as I can see and keep off the brakes. And stop just to make sure the tyres and brakes aren’t red hot - they aren’t that hot (so far).
Wolverhampton inner ring road rush hour is fun, I take a two lane right in the right hand lane with a car inside and realise belatedly that I needed both lanes, indicate left and begin crushing the car which has to stop and just, only just, heart in mouth miss bollard and railings with the back of the trailer by inches… at this point the tacho tells me I have to take a break (this is where I find out about the 15 minutes on other work…) so I must get to the next drop quick. No pressure…
Find the next drop, back on the bay which I somehow manage, and drop the trailer and pick up another. There’s another driver there who is short on time and rushing me - not his fault and he helps me but I probably annoy him by double checking everything. On the way out I’m stopped when he comes by and he asks me which way I’m going back to the M5 - I tell him and he says no, follow me…
Naturally this means that every junction is busy, every traffic light changes to red as I approach. Given the lack of engine braking, the gearbox issues and now an abs warning light and a bulb out warning light, this is fun. Eventually I stop to double check suzies, lights, hot trailer wheels and tyres and anything else and after that rely on the map. By Birdlip hill (where I put pedal to the metal, try manual but end up at 10mph), we have gearbox warning light, abs warning light, bulb warning light, a “change air filters” warning light, and strangely the foglights are coming on and going off and the hazards keep clicking in - and the phone (which doesn’t work) is bleeping at me. Oh and I’m up to three and a half hours with perhaps forty minutes to go, only another hour on the clock till I have to have another break. Someone is trying to tell me something. Don’t drive Man or Iveco trucks springs to mind. Orange warning lights are ok if reported in. Make a note, keep going…
However, after another paranoid check on the 14 foot bridge (what if the 5th wheel on this truck is higher than the other one?) I make it back to the yard. Drop trailer, drop unit, and fill out paperwork including detailed entry in the report book…many orange lights.
An interesting shift. During which I was offered more work by two agencies both of which want me to drive for them. And it seems the two year rule can be waived and both can offer me artic work. So I have work all week, tankers for the next two days and a “guarantee” of two more days after that and the weekend too. Fingers crossed that I avoid warning lights…get a gearbox that changes gear for me, remember to check that top mirror for the blind spot specialists. Double check the tacho is on break and not defaulted to other work when I wind the window down. Keep calm and remember to take both lanes if I need them for a turn - even in Wolverhampton city centre. Don’t let the driving go out of the window just because the dashboard is flashing at you. Stay calm and carry on…
Let’s try a picture: (I hasten to add, I wasn’t working for them today, these guys are very much more professional!!)
Blimey what a day , personaly if that company came up again to work for , I think I would be busy that day and unable to work had similar myself a few weeks back , but was lucky the company was good about it and i just brought lorry back swapped everything over and carried on ok , the second lorry was road worthy !! ,
let the agency know about this day as its not very good sending people to work for people who dont care about the saftey of the drivers , I think after seeing the smoke from wheels that would of had me parked up and not moving until maintance had sorted out a road worthy veh , hopefully you will be kept busy with other companies now as you have proved yourself to be a professional driver and as you have found out ,if you are good the insurance issue dosnt seem to matter any more , ive been to comapnies that the agency has said wont give you artic as havent got 2 years down the line only to have a chat later with a tm and find that they would have rather had a class 1 driver and the insurance hasnt been an issue, makes me wonder who is making the 2 year rule agencies or companies , maybe the agencies have theyre own insurance for drivers , I always thought it was the company your insured with , but as you have been getting work for artics , good on ya and hope you dont get a company like that one again eh 
nice pic by the way , keep havin fun
jen x
Think you’re right Jen - I may be busy next time that company comes up, and have told the agency (though I suspect that so long as they get paid they don’t really care).
I’ve got four days milk tanker work this week - I say days but from 2 in the afternoon for 10 to 12 hours. Just back from the first, driving for a sub contractor and using their tractor unit to pull the milk company’s trailers up to Oakthorp. Fortunately they have volvo’s - 480’s - so all the switches are in the same place and better still I know where they are!! Minor hitch having picked up the relevant trailer that I couldn’t find the number plate for the unit, then found several in the two very large cupboards in the side panels behind the doors (that I didn’t know existed…).
Heavy traffic as hit the North Circular between 5 and 6, so a bit late at the dairy, and also had bay 3…which is not easy. Took three goes to get the angle right, as you have to get the trailer at 90 degrees in between two other units so you skim the front of one and then have to turn the trailer sharp, then straighten up without hitting the fence at the front…
Once connected up I could then sit and read a book for an hour! Not a luxury I had on Monday. Uneventful journey back down the M3/A303, apart from a near disaster at Fleet services when a numpty in a VW pulled in front of me and slammed her brakes on, presumably having decided at the last minute to take the exit. If I’d had a full tank I reckon that could have been a disaster, fortunately as I was running empty I could hit the brakes and avoid her. Even when driving defensively you can get caught out, though with hindsight I was close to a car in front and so she had a small gap to brake in to and I should have left a big gap. Not defensive enough for this particular idiot.
Yard at midnight, but by the time I’d filled up and washed truck and trailer it was gone 1 am. Now gradually calming down and thinking about sleep, then back at work for 2 this afternoon. Trucks in good nick, no warning lights, another company that initially said no to less than two years experience but have now decided that they’ll take me. Maybe this is spreading?
Second and third days of the week turned out tougher - Somerset up to North London and tip. Again got the tough bays, 2 and 3, though was chuffed when the bloke in the office told me that they shouldn’t cause a problem to a professional driver like me!! He obviously wasn’t watching out of the window when I got the trailer completely stuck, unable to go backwards without hitting the trailer in 3 and unable to go forwards without hitting the shiny new volvo in bay 1. A crowd gathered. A bit of sweating and a lot of swearing later and somehow it went in…
After tipping the milk then a run empty up to Chelmsford to another depot, to drop trailer and collect one full of cream. Had started at 2pm. Wednesday with a volvo got to Chelmsford at 11.30, thursday with a smaller scania semi auto I was an hour later… Had what seems to be fairly typical scenario first day, bloke at the gatehouse had no idea and sent me to a transport office. They sent me to the main company transport office. They told me they didn’t handle the tankers, go to the milk bay. They gave me the paperwork but didn’t know where I should park the trailer, told me to go to the first transport office… eventually found a driver and he and I agreed where I’d put the trailer and he helped me connect up the cream tanker. Second day I knew what to do and made up the hour!
Then back round M25 all the way over to wiltshire to drop the trailer, pick up an empty and back to base. First day had to stop at Membury for a second 45 minute break, and was up to close on 10 hours driving, second day ditto, and each time right up to 14.5 hours so that by the time I’d done the debrief and paperwork it was the full 15 hours, 5 in the morning.
I struggled with the semi atomatic box in the scania to start - clutch to start and stop but not beyond that. I discovered that you have to let it change down through the box before you stop, if you coast with the clutch in from 5th or 6th you end up in neutral and have to stop, reselect drive and start again. This doesn’t go well on a wet hill with traffic behind you, a mistake I’ll only make once… After a while I got it sussed and began to enjoy it especially when I worked out how to flick it up and down the gears on the move, made hills much easier! Going down hill in torrential rain in a smaller truck with 27000 litres of cream is a bit like a fairground ride though. 20000 litres is even worse when it sloshes, I was bouncing up and down for miles and began to feel seasick.
Quite stressful being up against the clock. It’s tempting to rush everything and panic. I made myself double check everything, walk round the truck again, I think its when you’re being rushed that silly mistakes get made and if the job takes a certain time to get done properly that’s the time it takes. It was really useful having a set of notes on hours with me, so I could work out exactly what the limits were and was able to get both shifts in with the mandatory break between them! (I sat at each stop checking that I was fully legal and not doing something daft). Kept lots of notes which I keep in my diary, I don’t like having to keep a full daily time sheet for myself but when you’re up on the hours you need to know what you’ve done so you know what you can do…
Then last run of the week just a load up to london and back empty - luxury. And this time a volvo, the dairy only had one truck in it and as a treat I got to select my bay (I went for the easy one with nothing either side and of course missed it. But hey it didn’t matter and no one was watching so I had another go for the practice).
Had to have a full 45 hours break so a weekend off, and waiting to hear about work tomorrow. One of the agencies is putting me forward for a full time ADR job - although I haven’t got the result of the course yet - and again surprise surprise if my face fits “they can get round the two year issue”. Whether I want to work full time is another question, but I reckon I’ll go for it and find out what’s involved. Fingers crossed I get the gas and the tanks modules on the ADR…
Your diaries are an inspiration , glad your getting plenty of runs in , you can tell from your posts that your enjoying it , I did my first blind side reverse the other morning well 20mins later finally the trailer was dropped inbetween the other two trailers and a very dry mouth and sweat trickling down middle of back 
ive gotta laugh otherwise it would have been tears !! but like you Id rather take the time than rush and either damage or forget something important , and a few mins double checking normally saves hours of sorting out a problem later
take care enjoy your rest
jen x
It is so much more difficult working out distances in a mirror isn’t it! I’m ok if I can lean out of the window and look but can see why you’d want to avoid blind side reverses like the plague. You got it in there without hitting anything though!
Another milk run yesterday, but civilised - start at 5 am, up to London, got bay 4 which is ok as there’s room for the tractor unit to swing and so I got it in first time - YES!! Mind you so did everyone else. Until a new bloke came along and got bay 2 and spent ages shunting backwards and forwards which made me feel a lot better about my efforts. And a drive in daylight with no rain and gales - luxury. Even got back to the yard within 11 hours, so made it home by 5. Comes to something when an 11 hour day is a luxury but that’s how it is!
No job today, so have to go and sort timesheets and go see the agency about this full time job. Then off to do sponsored bike ride, 700 miles in 7 days through Peak District, Dales, and Cheviots. Stupid idea. Safe driving to you guys and girls, I’ll let you know if they offer me the job!!
Have fun on your bike ride , by the time you come back you will need a rubber ring to sit in driving seat
hope the job works out
all the best
jen x
Oakthorpe is an inresting place to reverse in too and having too much room or empty bays either side dosnt always make it easyer.
i know the agency drivers out of frome are on a good crack up to the dairys in london/Hat,pev and pick ups afterwards , glad your enjoying it
run in their a lot with the farm collection tankers at least ive the bonus of rear stear
Survived 700 miles on a bike, interesting up in the wilds of Scotland contending with the log trucks!!
Having been back a couple of weeks have been sent out to drive a merc rigid with an 8 speed slapover box (and an analogue tacho), a merc truck with a curtainside trailer and a sprinter van on successive days…then a stint in a volvo with milk (another 14 hour shift) and tomorrow a milk tanker run from Somerset up to Nottinghamshire at 4.30 am. All good fun and got today off to watch the Tour de France on the box, luxury.
I’ve now driven trucks 7500 miles since I passed my cat E test in March …still a novice but hopefully getting a bit better at it!!
Only just come across this myself being fairly new to this area of the forum and I think your story is fantastic. Far from being a fool I think following your dream like this is brilliant, stick with it. And don’t listen to the neysayers, just because they hate their jobs they want everyone else too. I’ve had drivers trying to drag me down since the day I started saying you’ll soon hate it but 15 years in I love it more than when I started so good luck, ths job is what you make it.
switchlogic:
Only just come across this myself being fairly new to this area of the forum and I think your story is fantastic. Far from being a fool I think following your dream like this is brilliant, stick with it. And don’t listen to the neysayers, just because they hate their jobs they want everyone else too. I’ve had drivers trying to drag me down since the day I started saying you’ll soon hate it but 15 years in I love it more than when I started so good luck, ths job is what you make it.
you shouldnt be a stranger luke i read your posts in pro forum and you have a lot to offer here not as harsh as some
jx
