Just a quick diary of yesterday’s driving.
I had a feeling that something was wrong about the day almost as soon as I’d agreed to the booking - I wished I hadn’t taken it. However, it all turned out OK in the end.
The reason? The depot is nearly an hour’s drive from home, and the start time was 4am… 
However, once I got out on the road in the truck, I felt OK, especially as the day wore on and it became light.
Anyway, after a bit less sleep than I would have liked, I got up, jumped in the car and drove to the depot. Found it OK, parked up, reported for duty, and had the usual "go and have a seat in the canteen until we’ve got something for you 
1/2 hour later, I get given my run. I pick up the unit, find the trailer (it’s parked right behind another one, so it’s a tricky manouevre to get into coupling position, but it’s OK, I’m good at reversing rigids 
)
Off down the road for my first drop, which is in Wellington, Somerset. There are two roads I can use to get into town, and the first one has a sign saying “Light vehicles only”. Never mind, the next turning is only a few hundred metres down the road.
I get to the shop, and the loading bay area is off a car park. This is a newbie artic driver’s dream - the car park is totally empty, and there’s no significant street furniture in the way 
so it’s a simple U-turn, then a straight reverse onto the bay.
Unloading was pretty easy, as the bay is on a significant downhill slope, so the cages didn’t need much persuading to leave the trailer. Reloading with empty cages was a bit more tricky as they kept trying to roll out themselves, even though I’d set up the suspension to counteract the slope as much as possible.
Anyway, it eventually gets finished, and I’m off up the road again.
Next drop is in Bridgwater, which I’ve already been to anyway, so I know where it is. By this time, it’s about 7-8am, so there’s the odd car in the car park, but it’s still OK. I arrive just as a British Bakeries artic is leaving, so as I line up for the reverse, he pulls out, and I reverse into his space.
The ground is flat this time, so it’s a much easier drop. Also, my final drop only has 4 cages, so I rearrange the trailer to put the empties at the front and the next drop’s cages at the back.
Back on the road, and the final drop in in Glastonbury. This store has a separate service road that you have to reverse into. I follow the advice which I was given - to go past the turning, and into the car park beyond, do a U-turn, and come back to the service road, so I can reverse on the good side. Even still, it’s a tight corner, and it takes a few attempts to get round.
Back to the depot after the drop, I switch trailers, and this time I’ve got a collection from Westerliegh, which is on the North edge of Bristol. After finding the trailer and picking it up, I set off up the M5. By this time, it’s 12:30, and I stick Radio 4 on for The News Quiz. Funniest moment:
A letter seen in a local paper:
Lost: one black and white female cat, approximately one year old. Not neutered, lost in Barton Hill Road area. Very nervous. Answers to the name “Boo”.
 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:Â
I’m approaching the hilly section around the Nailsea/Clevedon exits of the M5, and the heavens open. I see quite a few bolts of lightning, and at some points, it’s even hailing. The rain is so heavy that the cars are avoiding lane 2 next to me because I’m chucking water (not just spray, but masses of water) all over their bonnets, even though we’re all doing 30mph
I missed the turning for the collection point, but fortunately there’s a suitable “dog-leg” turning further up the road (where a road splits into two as it approaches the end, creating a triangle. I stop before the turning, and get out for a look. It looks like here’s just enough room to turn round, so I get back in, and yes, it just about fits. Phew.
Into the collection point, and they have some proper loading bays 
. After a few goes, I finally get it on bay (even though there’s masses of space either side of me 
), and they start loading me. Whilst I’m waiting, another driver turns up and puts his trailer straight on bay in one go. [zb].
Back to base (another torrential thunderstorm on the way back), and I fill up the unit & trailer, and chuck the trailer on a bay (not too bad this time), and finish up for the day. 278 km, and 11 3/4 hours booked.
