Monday-
A late start for me today, well if you call 6.30am late lol.
I had loaded 8 pallets of slate on Friday afternoon and was told to be in Oban for 8am.
The run from home at Inveraray to Oban went without any hiccups.
Weather wise it set the mood for the whole week ,Pouring rain 
.
I arrive at the small builders yard at around 7.45 and manage to get the ropes off and a cup of coffee poured before the yard man arrives.
The yard is very small and the companyâs 6 wheeler is still parked inside , so the forklift driver gets me to pull across the yard entrance and tips one side , then reverse back and he does the other side (with me on traffic control).
Once tipped its a short drive to meet up with Iain (Alphaman).
There are 4 of us on hire to Iain,s boss today.
Our job is to shift specially modified containers to Lochinver.
The containers are all part of a new fish farm harvesting station.
This one is a much newer and more compact version of the system used at Portavadie.
Dave Reynolds is the first to be loaded, well if you can call 2 pipes a load LOL.
Dave has to go to a factory at Barcaldine to pick up the rest of his load of pipe.
Then although i was the last to arrive i reverse along the road , till i am alongside Iain,s 8 wheeler.
My container is virtually empty and Iain,s crane makes short work of loading it.
While the guys put some loose bits of metal and a couple of pallets in the back of my truck , Iain sets up for the next lift.
This container when on site is to be stacked on top of the one i have.
It is one of the larger one,s and it is decided to put it on Kevinâs, Mid lift Daf (the Mid lift sits lower than the two tag,s).
This allows us all to get under the bridge on the A85 outside Connel (achnacloich).
The guys that have fitted out the container assure us it is under 4 tons, and Iain sets up to lift. Didnât realise there was so much involved with getting ready , too used to just working with timber cranes (just whack the legs out and get going).
Finally Iain is ready to lift ,the crane starts to lift and then all sorts of buzzers go off !.
He gives it another go and gets the same result.
Plan B -Davie Cameron reverses into the site and Iain sets up to lift a 30ft box onto him.
This box has part of the side cut out and when lifted on has a small fuel store is placed behind it.
Davie pulls out and parks next to me.
we secure the containers and contents as Kevin reverses in as close as he can to Iain,s wheeler.
Closer lift means more weight can be handled.
With that on he pulls clear.
Allowing Iain to finally get himself loaded.
An IBC on the wheeler.
And an aluminum table on the trailer.
Talk about keeping the best for last lol.
Finally the convoy is ready to leave.
Wee Davie takes the lead , followed by Kevin ,then myself ,with the Alphaman taking up the back door.
Iain does not have a Cb radio in his truck and mabey thankfully misses out on the bizarre and ridiculous conversations that take place as we follow the A84, then the A82 north.
A thoroughly enjoyable run to Inverness and we all head for âWoodiesâ in the Longman ind estate in Inverness.
It is decided to get some thing to eat as by the time we get to Lochinver we might not get anything.
As we leave Inverness the running order changes , Iain,s out in front as he has been on the A835 more than any of the rest of us.
We head for Ullapool and the darkness draws in.
We seem to drive for ages till we finally get to Ullapool and turn off to Lochinver.
Iain phones me and lets me know we will still be nearly an hour till we get there ( Deep joy ).
Finally at the back of 7 we reach Lochinver.
Dave Reynolds has been parked since 4 pm and has the parking sussed out.
My boss wants 2 of the motors tipped so the guys can get away sharp in the morning (2 loads to pick up at Fortwilliam).
So we have to get sorted out.
The load i have on can be tipped and Wee Davie,s can be lifted off.
But Kevin and Davie are going to get the loads ,so Kevin and I change trailers.
Finally we get done and thankfully its a short walk to the pub , where we sit down and relax.
Tuesday-
7.30 start today.
Dave Reynolds has the coffee already made and we sit and look at Lochinver in the daylight.
First things we see are these immaculate motors owned by Hunter Haulage.
A pair of 620,s and farther along an equally impressive 580 is parked.
With the hills we came through last night ,the power rating is not over the top.
Make our old timber motors look scabby .
We walk down to the pier to get an idea where the containers are going.
Not much to see.
A pair of French trawlers are â â â â â â â .
Dave gets his load of pipes lifted off first.
They are stacked at the side of the pier.
Iain has to tip the Ibc and move the container i originally had on.
With this in place its time for my load to come off.
I am guided into place and the container is quickly lifted off.
By this time it has started to rain even harder and everyone is fully suited up with their waterproofs.
I say my goodbyes to Iain and the guys that are building the station.
I am heading south again.
The landscape is amazing in the daylight , they have proper mountains up here 
.
If it had just been a nice summer,s day instead of a â â â â â November morning.
My back load is a full load of large straw bales from outside Tain.
I have loaded out the farm before ,so donât need any directions.
Once at the farm, the lad on the load all takes me along the road to what would have been a ww2 airfield.
It takes a while to get loaded today.
The last time i was at this farm i got a great load, but this time it ends up a rite dogs dinner.
I get the lad to push it and square the load up , but it still ainât great.
Eventually i give up.
The ever pouring rain has me beat !.
I strap the load down as well as i can (the belts are that wet they start hitting the load and sticking in the top).
Lots of swearing and a bit of sweating and i eventually get done.
With no where to put the cover on the trailer ,i struggle to get it tucked in the back of the unit.
Eventually getting it strapped down.
The rain is still falling.
This afternoon ,for the first time in ages ,i question wtf i am actually doing !.
At this point my thoughts that anyone with those romantic thoughts of ropein and sheeting ,and working with flat trailers ,need a swift kick in the knackers !!!
There have to be easier ways to earn a living.
I get back into the truck and end up having to change every bit of clothing i have on .
The mood still ainât good as i hit the road.
To add insult to injury as i cross the Cromarty bridge ,the sun starts to break through.
I head down loch Ness and as darkness starts to fall i pull in to let traffic pass.
One car actually pulls in in front of me and i go to see what the driver wants.
Turns out the lady driver thinks my load has shifted !!.
I thank her and wander to the rear of the trailer and have a look , doesnât look as if it has moved , just think it looked that bad when it was put on LOL.
I head for Fortwilliam to have a 45min break and Get various comments about the state of the load .
I point out if anyone wants to try and do better they are welcome.
I throw another couple of belts over it and head off.
I actually have enough time to get home but by the time i reach Dalmally ,i am that fed up i pull into a lay by and pull the curtains.
Tomorrow can only get better.
Wednesday-
Once more i am wakened by the constant rain on the cab roof .
I head for home and get a shower and breakfast.
The washing bag is a lot heavier today ,due to the added weight of water.
I set off for Campbeltown and encounter some heavy flooding on the way.
The Atlantic ocean is showing its force today , lots of big waves !.
I finally get to the farm,and have to reverse off the narrow road into the yard.
The young farm lad soon starts tipping me.
with the machine lifting 2 bales at a time i am soon tipped.
There is nowhere for me to turn when i come out the farm ,so i have to turn in the farm yard and reverse out.
I am now facing the rite way .
Its back to our yard,get my digi card and the tacho head downloaded.
Then off to the nearby windmill factory to load scrap steel plates.
The plates have lain that long they have become rusty and have been deemed scrap (rust wont shot blast out them).
What a waste ! nearly 400 ton to go ! have they never heard of a cover.
With all the rain the stock yard is a bit off a mess.
This fork truck lifts 3 plates onto my truck.
One lift ! works out at 27.5 ton !!!
I chain it down.
And take it along the road to the yard.
A quick trailer change see,s me back for another load.
Another one lift and i am 27.5 ton better off again.
I chain it down and head for home.
Still full of the black depression ,although the weather is starting to look better.
Thursday-
Off to the scrap yard in Glasgow.
I actually have to cross Glasgow first to get rid of 2 small pallets of chain and then back to Govan to get the plates lifted off.
I remove my chains and stow them and the dwangs in the side locker.
By that time they are ready to tip me.
one crane pulls along the rear of the trailer.
Then another arrives at the front.
With the large magnets ,they lift one sheet at a time and i drive forward.
Three lifts and i am on my way.
I now head back to our yard at Struchur ,Sinclair is bringing a load of logs out for me.
A load of 4.9m logs for Carlisle.
It does not take him long to throw a neat load on me.
The âDucksâ ,wheeler and drag sits parked up as the crane motors are a bit quieter this week.
He is on a flat this week.
I have a nice run to Carlisle today, the mood is starting to get better.
After tipping ,i phone expecting to head north again.
Only to be told to head for Durham.
A load of fancy blocks tomorrow morning.
I cross the A69 and make it as far as Seaham docks (have parked here hen loading out the docks and have found it safe an quiet).
Only i forgot it is Nov the 5Th and its like a war zone lol.
Good job i donât have any logs on ,might end up a mobile bonfire.
Friday-
I am glad to finally reach the end of the week.
I arrive at the block plant at 7.30 and find only one truck infront of me .
By 8.30 i am loaded and on the road north again.
On my way over the A69 ,i see this load of straw on the back of a large tractor.
Makes my one from earlier in the week look rather good LOL
I manage something to eat at Lockerbie truckstop and then head for home.
I do a change over at Inveraray ,with âRoyâ and he heads for home in Campbeltown.
I am left with an empty trailer to do a load of fish on Monday morning.
It has been a long week and i am glad to hang the keys up.
Next week can only be better weather wise (i hope).
Thanks again for looking
Niall.
.
i know which one i preferâŚ