Monday 19.00
Pick up trailer from “the Swamp” & take it to Fradley ( lichfield ) get it tipped & loaded & take to Luton ( vauxhall IBC trailer park )
Great, again I know where Faurecia fradley is ( back of my Moms ) & its a simple run then down to Juction 10 M1.
Left after checks @ 19.20 arrived Fradley @ 20.20, got tipped bt 20.50 but wasnt loaded & ready to go till 22.00…just got me laptop out & played Football Manager
Got to Luton 00.12 dropped trailer in there Trailer park, removed back lense covers & bulbs ( to put on trailer to bring back ) & handed in paper work by 00.25 then went on break.
Hooked up to mew trailer & left for Coventry @ 01.30 as was back to depot for 03.00…dropped trailer & handed in paper work 03.10.
Was asked to the pick up a trailer from UTL Rugby ( juncion 1 M6 ) left @ 03.15 solo ( no trailer ) got there for 03.50, & had to wait for them to finish loading it, But did ask if i could hook up 1st & was told that would be ok.
Loaded & left @ 04.30 back to Cov, took cab & trailer through the Wash & was finished for 05.30
Tuesday 19.00
swiped in, & could tell I had something new in store…“will do you know where Carnforth is?” 
Now I did know where it was, had heard other drivers talk about it & thought no probs!!! Straight up the M6 ( jct 35 )
Go & talk to Derek he will talk you through it!!!
Now this is where POLITICS come in!!! apart from 2 of us all the other drivers are on 4 days 12hours per day…right will, they are trying too see if you can get to Daventry - Carnforth - Daventry - Cov in your 10hrs 36mins
YOU WONT…so instead of bringing trailer back to Daventry put it in the trailer park Covenrty…ok no probs…i get it dont want to tread on toes etc
Also explaining that due to road works M6, advised me to stay on M1 to junction 24 & uesd A50 across to Stoke & rejoin M6 there.
Once @ Carnforth you’ll see loads of salvesen trucks you need to swap with GROG!!!
Really looking forward to the run. left cov 19.14 & got to Daventry 19.47 & waited for trailer, whilst waiting i got my laptop out & checked Auto route how long it would take me to get there…it came back with 3hrs 48m now I’d just taken 33mins to get to Dav so i’d only got 3hrs 57 drive time left.
So did start thinking about just going straight up the M6 ( @ this point started to think I was being set up ) Autoroute came back with a time of 3hrs 30mins so not a lot of differnce & there is a 40mph limit for about 7miles etc… so i did stick to the A50 route.
Left Daventry with a double deck trailer @ 20.55…again trouble free drive nice and relaxed, came off @ junction 23 tho folowing signs for A50 no real difference spotted tho.
Recognised where i was when saw the Little Chef by Alton Towers turn off, continued till rejoined the M6, got a phone call from TM asking where i was when I explained I was @ juction 22 ( i think it was ) but i had ony about 1 n half driving time left…“you’ll be fine you.ve got a bout an hour to go from there!!!”
Was starting to get me pretend whip out by now, clock watching like i’d never done before…saw Jct 34 pheww cant be to far away now 20mins left…my god was there a long gap between them junctions Heart was really beating fast now…i’d turned that white I could see myself in the windscreen.
Jct35- Truckhaven Carnforth luckily my trailer swap guy spotted me coming in ( probably tipped off NEWBIE ) said park it there Laddie loads of room for ya" thank God for that there was ( been told since I was lucky it gets really packed there )
Dropped trailer & put on break @…00.42 i worked out to 8mins spare
Took my hour break, met up with Derek who was on the next drop who showed me how to book in @ reception etc… on the way back to truck we watched in amazent ’ a Homebase truck who seemed to be trying to get out through the entrance…barriers to his left & a hieght restriction to his right he went through the middle a patch of Grass with some huge boulders protecting it…he managed to get out tho bleedin nutter.
Decided i’d go back straight down the M6 to Cov left Carnforth after hooking up @ 02.00 again no probs easy drive… no probs with roadworks & was back in cov trailer dropped for 05.30!!!
So it would have only left me 1hour to get to Daventry & back…just doable but would be very close.
Enjoyed it …but would have been even better had it not been dark…some nice scenery up there.
Wednesday simple night 2 trips 2 Daventry & back then after break I was to go with another Driver on the Leicester run to do 3 drops @ ford dealers.
So up to the trailer park to find me trailer…stuck right in the corner with another trailer sticking out @ a right angle to it!!!
Oh [zb] ere we go…manouvered for a while kept getting out having a look…wasnt happy & got another driver over to advise me…told me to go at the pin @ 45dg angle…did that & hooked up ( in the mean time shunter had come up to watch )
Still sweating as pulling out because of other trailer sticking out…gently pulled her out watching my nearside missing Trailer pheewwwwww… oh [zb] the trailer on my offside which did have a gap for me to walk down had disappeard…when i noticed the Curtain pole handle was sticking out … 
[zb][zb][zb] I had a scratch the whole length of the trailer.
Felt a bit sick but had to report it…awaiting bollocking but they weren’t too bad on me…luckily some had said how tight it was, but I know i should have paid attention to BOTH mirrors…won’t happen again.
Rest of the night passed away no probs…the leicester trip, which I think they are getting me used too is to cover for driver on hol next week…just got to sort out scanning items on & off & entry into the Ford dealerships.
Thursday real good night - felt like i never stopped - 19.00 did checks left @ 19.23 took trailer to Rugby UTL dropped @ 20.03 then back to Cov solo 20.30
Then took a trailer to Daventry @ 20.53 dropped @ 21.30 left with new trailer @ 21.55
( had to do up the cutrains 
which should have been done, but could see why when i came to do em…they were in a right state )
Back to Cov & dropped on Bay by 22,39 ( the reversing is definatley improving )
Then asked to take a trailer over to the Northampton depot, explained i’d have to take my break there, as i’d be close to the 6hour rule if i tried to get back
Left @ 22.58 got there for 23.42, asked for an easy bay been there before & had a right laugh…even having to blindside with help of course
Gave me a nice simple bay @ 00.05, dropped & undid cutrains for forkie by 00.25 & went on break
Gave me a new trailer to bring back…curtains all undone but hadnt come across this type before■■?
Had a look & sussed it was the Air type, just hook onto sliding bar underneath the pull out button & they tighten 
left @ 01.25 stopped @ 01.26 to the sound of trailer legs grounding
woops got out lifted up the truck suspension and wound the legs up
Got back to Cov & dropped by 02.22…then back off to UTL solo to pick up a trailer ( on the way in could see a german driver lookin a bit lost, stopped for him, he got out & just showed me his paperwork, luckily he was going to the same Ind est, so explained as best as i could to follow me there, he was well chuffed @ 02.28 got there for 03.08 but had to wait for security guard to come back from walking the dog
Picked up trailer & was back in Cov for 03.48 & was asked to go back & get the other trailer… no probs there & back al done by 05.15 Finished
Friday 18.00
was asked to start early ( shortage of drivers ) here we go again was told i was doing an IBC, no probs …take trailer to CovPress get tipped & reloaded then take to Vauxhall IBC Luton ( not the Trailer Park )
Ok picked up trailer from the Swamp, left @ 18.20 only a 15min drive to covpress when I get the phone call…" what trailer have you got on "
a Vauxhall One, "is it a LU trailer " YES “you got the wrong one it should be an EPC” oh crap…
Now it caused no real probs apart from my embarrasment, the other driver looking for it just came & got it…I was expecting him to bring one for me but said there wasnt any in the trailer park they were already here.
So i’ll take half the blame for this one, I should have been given better info…but I should have checked which number trailer to take.
Left Covpress for Luton @ 19.39 on the way i thought i’d better phone the TM, & confirm exactly what stores inside IBC I was going too, as I had only been inside there once before ( WITH THE SLEEPER, who by the way is now back @ work )
No probs he said, also reassuring me about what i’d done earlier told me to go to 025stores.
Gets to IBC @ 21.12…around the one way system & saw 025 stores to the right ( just didnt look right so i carried on round to 026 stores) luckily it was the right decision
Gets out & the driver in front told me they’d only just agreed to tip him, they’re going home.
Went inside kept smiling, but they were’t having it…but they agreed to let me drop trailer there…phoned TM explained situation, he was expecting it & said leaving the trailer there was not a problem
left @ 21.25 & was back to Cov for 22.50…then went on break @ 22.55
Was told I was going out with Ray on the leicester trip again…I drove remembered the route ok, the scanner seems alright i’m just worried on returns but hopefully i’ll be alright if they do put me on it next week.
Finished for 04.30
sorry no pics this week, but will find some google earth pics of some of the depots if i can
wills
