Mon 7 Aug 2006
Today’s job which was Fridays has been put back yet again 
, so hang around the yard doing a few odd jobs, check the tyre pressures (20 tyres) and wheel nuts (144), drop the trailer as the first job tomorrow is unit only.
Tues 8 July 2006
Bobtail into Liverpool to a low loader haulage firm, pick up a S/H low loader for an Irish customer who has bought it, then into Atherton, Manchester for pickup no 1, an old Toyota that’s going to Cameroon, then to Cheetam Hill for pickup 2, a Mitsi Shogun destined for Guinea, both cars are going via Tilbury Docks. Then back to the yard to swap trailers, reload the cars onto my trailer. The cars are booked on to Grimaldi Lines, and they close at 5pm and I’ve another collection that’s going to Romney Marsh in Kent, so no chance today, so put the tacho on break. The traffic news is coming back with the M25 closed around j4, so decide to go later and hang around for 3 hours. My 11 year old son has decided he’s bored and wants to come too, so it’s over to Whitchurch to collect the tractor bound for Kent. En route his mobile receives a text, it’s his best pal wanting to know what he’s up to, as he’s bored as well. So after a couple of calls his pal is going to catch us up and come along for the ride. Load the tractor and proceed to the meeting point, collect passenger no2, and off we go down the A41, join the M54, M6, M1, M25 with the two boys laughing and chattering non stop, intend to park at Thurrock but no chance as its heaving, so decide to continue but need a 45 first, so park by the petrol station and we go into the services for some tea. £18 lighter, we continue our journey, M25, M20 down to Ashford, then onto the A2070 out to Breznett, then cross country to the delivery point ready for tomorrow. I was here a couple of weeks ago, and I know there is a field across the road where we can park for the night. 10.15 pm, parked up we clear the junk off the top bunk for passenger 1, and make some space on the floor for passenger 2 and were all settle down for the night.
Weds 9 Aug 2006.
07.00 am I can hear the chains being undone on the gates, followed by the sound of a tractors being moved about, so quickly up and dressed. Unloaded one and reloaded one in less than five minutes, then back to the cab and put the kettle on. Make coffee for everyone and wake two very sleepy, slightly grubby looking dishevelled boys.
07.30, bright eyed and bushy tailed we’re on the move, back across to Breznett, then up to Ashford on the A2070, onto the M20, and then I suddenly realise its gone very quiet, and look across at the two boys. One is slumped in the passenger seat, the other flat out on the bottom bunk, both sound asleep 
. Onto the 25 round to Dartford, then onto the A13, then the A1089 to Tilbury dock gates. Stop at security to book the tractor back out, then round to Grimaldi to book the cars in and tip. Job done and back to the gate, waved through and down to the roundabout then into the first lay-by to get some brecky from the T-van. After a 20, and three bacon sarnies and three cups of coffee later we’re on the move again and back onto the A13 into London, then the A406 towards Walthamstow for our next collection, some pallet racking and other bits and pieces from a bankruptcy sale eventually bound for Ireland. It’s all palletised on four pallets, but the guy on the FLT is constantly answering the phone, so when for the sixth time he disappears into the back of the factory 
, I jump onto the truck and load myself 
. Strapped down were off again to the next pickup, three mini diggers again bound for Ireland from Slough, the sat-nav choosing to continue on the 406 round to the A4/M4. A bad move, an hour and a half later we reach the M4, then across to J7 and into Sluff. The collection point is a bit tight as I’ve been here before, so park on the road and walk down the drive and find only two diggers. Make a phone call and told the third is on its way over right now as we speak, erm yeh right . Crank digger no1 up, and start to move, get about 6’, then nothing. Get out and one of the tracks has come off the idler because basically it’s shagged. More phone calls to Ireland to warn of the state of things, and its decided to take it anyway, just get it on the trailer, doesn’t matter how.
So after shunting my way into the yard, put the tacho on break, and wait for contact to arrive with digger three. After an hour and a quarter he arrives, the ailing mini digger is dragged onto the trailer, along with the other 2.
Set off back for home, back onto the M4, A404, onto the M40. Need to find fuel soon, so off at J5, and onto the A40 as I seem to remember a keyfuels down this way, find a small filling station that does keyfuels, but its not the one I’m thinking of, and to tight so no chance of getting in, must have come off the M40 to soon, so continue, meet a large van on a narrow part of the road with a hedge right up to edge, and notice at the last moment a sawn off branch sticking out 12” into the road from a fallen tree behind the hedge, to late, BANG smash, the n/s mirror arm swings back and makes contact with the door glass, the big bottom mirror glass has totally vanished, and the wide angle is crazed over. Its scares the wits out of the two boys, I just brush over it and say its one of those things that can happen, but I’m bloody furious as it’s the first time I’ve done a mirror for years. We push back the arm and continue down the A40 and find the keyfuels station I was looking for, and it’s closed, with a NO DERV sign propped up against the door, bloody typical, still no fuel and broken mirrors into the bargain. So continue along the A40, then back onto the M40 and called in at Oxford Services and put 100 litres in @ £1.01ppl 
, to get us at bit closer to home. Stock up with sweets and crisps 
, then before we set off again, I borrow a mirror off one of the mini diggers and tape it to the shell of the big mirror, it’s not very big but it’ll get us home a bit safer .
Call at Sandbach services for derv, then back to the yard, home then bed for everyone.
Thurs 10th Aug 2006.
04.00am, and I’m wide awake, so decide to get up, make a coffee and call the Merc Dealer at Warrington to see if they’ve got mirror glasses in stock, and they have so jump into the car and down the motorway, relieved of £71 inc VAT, I’m back at the yard for 05.30am. 06.30 the new mirrors are fitted and I’m tipped, just leaving the tractor onboard, so off on my way to Whitchurch. Tip the tractor, then off down the A49 to Ross-on-Wye for the next job, a tree harvester that’s going to Horncastle in Lincs. Stop at a lay-by T-van just outside Leominster for a 15, a coffee and bacon sarnie, its very quiet on my own again, as the two boys kept themselves and me pretty well entertained with their jokes and ■■■■ takes of anybody or anything that moved and the world in general. I meet the one of the guys who is loading the machine at Ross services, and he takes off in a pickup with me in hot pursuit, weaving through Ross town, with me thinking “how the ■■■■ am I going to get back through here with a 9’4’’ load?
Machine loaded, with directions for a route with more width, it’s onto the A40, M50 Off onto the M5, M42 and into Rowton to finish my 45, M1, A453, and A52. Get to Bingham and the A46 low bridge sign lights up, and as I’m going down the 46, I skirt through Bingham on the high vehicle diversion route and rejoin the 46 further up.
Stop and to call the delivery point, but no answer, so put the tacho on rest boil the kettle and keep trying. After about 35 mins I make contact, and am given directions for a rendezvous, I wait and finish my 45, then proceed to a place called Baumber on the A158, and follow another speeding pickup down country lanes, through some very nice countryside
to the delivery point. Harvester unloaded, the guy gives me directions to my next collection which is at Immingham Dock. He recommended a road numbered the B1225 which was a pretty good run and was used by the tankers running south from Immingham. So off headed for the B1225 with a good run up to Immingham, it was a bit like the A75 to Stranraer, but with loaded petrol tankers flying along instead .
Into a wet and rainy Immingham, where the next load is two new Muck Spreaders.
After waiting for 30 mins,
a forklift and a tug arrive, and I’m quickly loaded,
chained down and onto the M180 and down to Doncaster Services for the night.
Fri 11th Aug 2006
06.30am, and off again, onto the M18, M62, its just starting to getting busy between Leeds and Bradford but I’m early enough to miss the jams, over the top and down into Manc, round the M60, a bit slow and busy leading up to Worsley but once back on the M62 free flowing, onto the M6, M56, M53-A55, swap to the A41 down to Whitchurch and tip, then reload with Mondays job, two tractors for Cambridge. Back to the yard, tip the tractors, take a 45 and nip home for lunch. Then it’s back to work, out onto the M6 down to the next job, a combine from Kidderminster to Heysham, for onward shipment to the Isle of Man. Get down to M6 j11, and its crawl all the way to j8, then M5 to j4, the farm is only 6 miles from there and easily found. 1700 and its loaded and back to the M5, get an attack of munchies, so call in at Woodgate for some nibbles,
then back off again into the queue back onto the M6, then from the toll road its stop and start all the way to Stafford then things start to flow freely up to j18 Middlewich. Get to the yard and its home.
Sat 12th Aug 2006
Busy day today, first job is drop my trailer and load the low loader going to Ireland. The three mini diggers from Slough and some of the items from Walthamstow plus a FLT and dumper, all strapped down then it’s into Birkenhead Docks, book in, drop the trailer
In and out in 10mins, then bobtail back to the yard, hitch up my trailer then onto the M6. Busy and slow from Wigan up to J32 where a lot of the traffic heads off down the M55 for Blackpool, then a good run up to J34 and into Heysham Docks, round to the slipway and unload,
help the tug driver hitch up the header trailer, then sit on the combine waiting to be called forward.
Eventually called forward as the next to last boarding, directed into place then leave the ferry
and back to the truck. Time for a 45, coffee and lunch. Watch the Ben-my-Chree cast off and slide out of the dock towards IOM,
then its 45 finished, back through Heysham onto the M6, then hightail back home.
