Started the day yesterday at 7 am with a nice easy run to Spalding and back to base (newcastle) ,tipped at spalding and i get the dreaded phone call.“Can you just pop down to Stansted airport and pick up load and take it to Prestwick airport” .As i happens i didn’t mind being self employed but it was the way he said “can you pop down to” that made me laugh .Got my own back anyway ,i used the fuel card to pay for stay at the Hollies 
I used to get an “easy day” on the tippers. Normally a few locals to builders merchants/builders yards and the odd muckaway as a backload. I’d take it easy, extra break etc only to get back with plenty of time to wash the lorry, and find that an extra load had been allocated. Alternatively, a hectic day of timed loads and Oxford city sites that looked like 2 days work would be finished early afternoon, only to be told “run out of work, go home or wash lorry,”
Running out of work on a busy day really meant “we’ve panicked and take on too many subbies and we don’t want to annoy them, thus they’ve got your work.”
Double bubble kerching!
…tipped in Midlands on Wednesday evenining, phone depot and get “Can you load tomorrow in Worksop and do a quick Scotch?” There is no such thing as a “quick scotch” unless you are in the bloody pub!
martyh:
Started the day yesterday at 7 am with a nice easy run to Spalding and back to base (newcastle) ,tipped at spalding and i get the dreaded phone call.“Can you just pop down to Stansted airport and pick up load and take it to Prestwick airport” .As i happens i didn’t mind being self employed but it was the way he said “can you pop down to” that made me laugh .Got my own back anyway ,i used the fuel card to pay for stay at the Hollies
Went the long way aswell.
I did an early down to Portsmouth yesterday and sat there waiting for an hour and half for the tardy buggers to open up, back to the yard and just a quick round trip to Southminster and it was looking like an early day on a Friday. Just got unloaded when I got asked “could you pop back to Southminster and collect from that other site” 
10 minutes later and I got told “don’t bother with it, may as well start the weekend early” 
Makes up for all the times when I’ve just dropped off something early to mid afternoon, and about to head back when the phone rings after I’ve travelled about half a mile, not that they watch on tracker or anything.
based at dunstable and did 3 drops around oldham yesterday,empty at 11am phoned for backload and told pop to blackburn load ready,good for a bank holiday friday then i got the name and address an asian company shut until 1530 for friday prayer!! got there and joined the queue didnt load till 1800 and only made it back to corley services in my time,peed off or what,90 mins from home
Snowgo:
martyh:
Started the day yesterday at 7 am with a nice easy run to Spalding and back to base (newcastle) ,tipped at spalding and i get the dreaded phone call.“Can you just pop down to Stansted airport and pick up load and take it to Prestwick airport” .As i happens i didn’t mind being self employed but it was the way he said “can you pop down to” that made me laugh .Got my own back anyway ,i used the fuel card to pay for stay at the HolliesWent the long way aswell.
I know the A14 /M6 route is slightly longer ,about 15 mins i was just sick of the A1 .It was a good run no snarl ups even around Birmingham