Yesterday should have been a nice and easy day. Run from Rugby Truckstop to Thetford. Swap trailers, then run back to the depot near Huntingdon for a drivers meeting at 1000. 
We have these meetings every six weeks or so, to discuss pay, conditions and any gripes that we have. Our URTU stewards are present, the General Manager is there, as is the Transport Manager and most of the transport, fleet, and planning teams.
The meetings are generally very constructive, and the company provides free filter coffee, to go with the free bacon rolls and sausage sarnies. 
Anyway, I set out from Rugby a little after 0500, planning to be at the depot by about 0900-0930 ish. I found my trailer in the yard at Thetford, and eventually got the required paperwork.
I then set off back along the A11, through Elveden, past Red Lodge and joined the A14. Came round the Girton Interchange, past the Cemetery, then just as I was passing Bar Hill at 0900 — BANG — and the truck started wobbling about all over the place.
‘Hello’, I thought to myself, ‘something up here.’
I got it over onto the end of the entry slip and stopped because by now I could hear metallic scraping noises. I bunged on the four-ways and clambered down out of the cab to find this was what was left of my front, off side trailer tyre:
About 500m behind me I could see that the remains of the tyre and mudguard were scattered all over the road and cars were swerving about to avoid hitting it. They were still doing 90 mph, mind. I mean it’s not as if slowing down would help, is it?? 
I called the police and told them about the debris, and then my office. asking them to get Hill Hire to call ATS out with some new rubber.
Within fifteen minutes two HATOs turned up in a Discovery and stopped the traffic to clear up the mess in the road. Then they parked behind me and switched on their flashy lights to stop any muppet running into the back of the trailer, before coning my vehicle off.
I’d like to say to anyone who has no experience of HATOs what thoroughly decent blokes they are. They are not at all cocky or smarmy, they just make sure you are OK, and find out what is happening regarding recovery / repairs. They were a little concerned when I told them I was fully freighted with chemical based cleaning agents, so they told Hill Hire that a 60-90 minutes callout was not good enough, and to get a move on. 
Within twenty minutes the man from ATS arrived and changed the tyre in about another fifteen, without removing the rim.
This was the bugger that spoiled my morning:
As I was leaving, one of the HATOs asked me if I’d like him to stop the traffic while I got myself going, because I was heavily loaded and had nothing in the way of any acceleration space. I declined, but it was nice that he offered. 
I arrived back at the depot at about 1100. I’d missed the meeting, but the worst bit about the whole thing? Despite all of my ‘brothers’ in that meeting room being aware of my predicament, and that I would be there as quickly as I could be, not one of the buggers had thought to save me a bacon butty!!
, if it is I had problems on Sat morning too, not so much a blow out as a blow off 
, heading down the M6 on sat morning, with an elderly JCB digger on board.
and dialled 999, its already been reported, the HATO is on his way, and within 2 minutes I could just see them blocking the carriageway and dragging the roof onto the side. Then they drove down to me to check things were ok.