Thanks for all the responses - you asked for it so here it is !!
Turned up at 7am on Friday, feeling better since at least now I knew roughly what I was doing, although the problems from the second drop on Thursday were still playing on my mind - mainly if could have actually managed to get the truck onto the site or was that pushing my luck ■■
Whatever the answer to that one I still had a job to do, and given the paperwork I saw that I had 4 jobs in Birmingham, 3 in the town Centre - so quite a contrast to yesterday. First was a collection from SGB in Liverpool St, then drop of what was already onboard and the collected gear. Back to the yard after that, then a drop in Selly Oak and finally a collection at the back of the “Mail Box”. I was already loaded so I strapped everything down, did the checks and then headed out - much less time wasted dithering about at the yard.
Liverpool St was an easy run from the Coventry Road and only took 20 minutes, although when I got there I noticed that SGB had two entrances and everything looked fairly tight (nice start). Thought about reversing in, but since there was another truck parked up next to one of the entrances there was no way I could get round. I think I need to get out of the fear of (possibly) having to reverse out of places - and start driving in. Since there was traffic behind me I took a quick spin around the block and came round again - the truck that was parked up had just reversed up and then driven into the yard so I followed him in, which was easier than expected.
Parked up and was directed to the office by one of the guys on site. Problem, the stuff I was meant to be collecting would not be there until 10:30 at the earliest, so on the phone to the yard and told to do everything else I had onboard first - explained I had nothing else on board so had to go back to the yard.
Driving into the yard at SGB was obviously the right decision as they also had an exit AND (just about) enought room to go around the yard and use it. So shuffled out and reversed my route back to base, reversed into the yard and back into the office.
By now it was just before 9am, and the heavens opened - bit of a contrast to yesterday but at least it was cooler. In the office I was told that I now had another 2 drops on Dudley and Wolverhampton but I could rearrange to do them in any order I wanted. Fine by me, I figured to work towards Wolverhampton from the Selly Oak job and then return to SGB finishing in the City Centre - hopefully before rush hour started. By 0930 I was fully loaded and went out to strap everything down, it was quite obvious that I was going to get very wet today - especially since the first job would have to be unloaded by hand. Since I was well loaded any advantage for rear visibility driving a flatbed had pretty much vanished.
As I needed to make sure I was in town before the site I had to deliver to shut I decided to make more use of the GPS. Set that up, entered the street name for the first job and off I go (again) at about 09:45. Rather than heading all the way into town the GPS tells me to turn left at the Mosque roundabout - then a right shortly after. Took the left, but the right looked like I would be going into the tighter residential streets which I wanted to stay away from. Carried straight on instead and, after 30 seconds or so Jane stops nagging and plans a new route. Straight onto the Warwick Road, then A34, a quick left and things are looking better and it was a good run out on the Bristol Road until I turned into Weoley Park Road. The entrance onto the Campus looked tight as there was a bollard in the centre of the road 10-12m before it, so I pulled up just after it and phoned the contact to check it was the right one - it was. As the road was quiet I reversed back and across to give me a decent angle to get in - although I didn’t take quite enough so it took a shuffle to get around, made slightly easier for me as the phantom post mover had obviously been there before me.
The contact was waiting for me and directed me into a car park to make the drop, the rain had died down but it was still nice and cool - so 8 sections of fencing and footings was not too much trouble by hand. Just as we finished unloading it the rain came again, I still had to resecure what was left on the truck so by the time I have finished I am completely soaked. Whilst I am doing that I notice that someone has left their rear window down in their Freelander - obviously they will be returning to a nice swimming pool in the back !!
Jump back into the cab and program the next drop into the GPS. I have been given directions by the guy who took the drop, but they involved a U turn on a dual carriageway which, after yesterday is something I plan on avoiding. This time I am heading up to the council depot off Leys Road in Dudley (GPS does not recognise the estate but can find Leys Road…). Since the car park I am in is largely empty it is an easy reverse and out of the campus.
Straight away the GPS takes me a different route to the directions I have been given and I end up in streets that reminded me of those that I had been learning on around Garratts Green. Not too tight, and no restrictions so I went with it ending up on the main road into Dudley. This time I had not even consulted a map so I didn’t realise I had to head all the way through to the other side of Dudley - but trusted the GPS to get me there. I was watching the distance display closely, and as it counted down to zero (and Jane announced we had reached our destination) there was a sign for “Leys Depot”. Right turn down there where there was a sign saying you need to book in before approaching the barrier - vans and cars were scattered all over the place so I pulled over as much as I could, put on the hazards and abandoned the truck.
Booked in quickly and then approached the barrier, which turns out you nearly need to hit it before it goes up. Then swing (and shuffle) into the yard, find the FLT driver and get offloaded - he can’t sign the paperwork though you have to get that done in the office, even though the “office” has no idea what has been dropped. Makes sense I suppose (NOT). Reverse up, manouver out of the yard, through the car park and traffic at the exit (waiting while idiot car drivers block a van driver who is trying to reverse). At the top of the road there is a good sized parking bay where I can take 15 and work out my driving time.
To my surprise I have only used about 2.5 hours so I grab a bite to eat - unlike yesterday, since it is cooler I am starving. Have a quick look at the map for my next job and turn on the GPS, yet again I am looking for an “unnamed road”. In my head I was sure that I needed to turn left onto Leys Road (obviously if I had navigated there manually I would have known which way I was facing) - the GPS insisted I needed to go right, the only problem with GPS being that until you start moving it has no idea which way you are facing and I have seen it have some very dodgy starts (+/- 100m at home). In the end I elect to go with GPS Jane since she will correct herself if things go wrong (for those unfamiliar with TomTom “Jane” is the name of one of the “voices” you can use I have not gone mad - honest).
Jane got things right (phew) so I was quickly to the A449 and follow that up to the Wolverhampton ring road, then out towards the M6 looking for “A Plant” on an “unnamed road” - really helping. Once Jane told me I had reached the destination I noticed a left hand turn that looked like it was an industrial area - so I took that, no sign there so I stopped and asked a FLT driver - turns out they are back on the main road, so I back into the entrance he has just come out of and as I turn right see a “A Plant” van come out of their rather obvious entrance - possibly shielded by a railway bridge as I came through it. I didn’t quite take enough of a swing turning in, but at least I went in forwards without worrying about it (that’s a first).
Turns out that they want the fencing in the back yard, and I can’t drive through the warehouse as it is full of stuff, so I have to turn in the car park which I had been concerned about, but with one of the guys watching me it was no problem and then round the back to do the drop. “A Plant”, despite their name do not have a forklift (marvellous) so it is handballing 35 fencing sections and footings - at least this time it is not raining. Do a quick time check and I still have enough time to get back to SGB and take my break after that.
Once I hit the M6 and the usual stationary traffic between 10-8 my mobile goes, it is the office chasing up when I will get back to SGB - they seem happy with 25-30 minutes. The traffic clears and I get there pretty quickly (no need for GPS now as I can easily navigate the Birmingham jobs - I think). No problem getting into the yard this time.
Straight into the office where I am told there is a problem with the account and they are sorting it out - no problem, I’ll wait outside. The lads in the yard decide that (being Friday) they will load me up before I get the go anyway, having quite a laugh since it is Friday afternoon, and after a bit of headscratching as to how we are going to get the 7.3m sections on board (ending up very wedged against the scaffolding tower that was already on) I was loaded and ready to go. Since I was still not clear I had a chat with the lads in the yard and admitted the reasoning for my dodgy reversing earlier. Then the phone rang, it was the office asking what time I would be at Aston University with the drop. Dunno I can’t collect because your account is knackered and they are trying to sort it out. OK just make sure you are there for 3:30 - well, if you sort your account out I will be, if not I won’t. Back into the office - where the manager is very appologetic, no problem if they / you can’t sort it out then it is no skin off my nose. A couple of minutes later I am cleared to go 3:05 so just as well I was loaded before, but there goes my break.
This time the yard at SGB was blocked so I had to reverse out, don’t know why I was so worried about it as I managed it in 2 (there was some scaffolding on the floor in the way otherwise I would have done it in 1). This time there were a lot of parked cars around the area so I had to mount a kerb to get back down to Gt Barr St and out to the inner ring road. I used to spend a lot of time drinking at the pubs around the university so finding Holt St wasn’t a problem - left into Lister St from the ring road (I didn’t take enough of a swing there but since there was no traffic waiting to come out it was not a problem) and then right into Holt St.
Well Aston University is on Holt St, but no sign of a construction site. I pulled over and rang the contact - no answer. Now 3:15 I headed to the end of Holt St and down towards the Fire Station (lap one) there was obviously a construction site in the middle of the University, but no visible access from Holt St. Stupidly trusting the address I had been given I headed back around (there was a small section of Holt St that I had missed. Back around and through there - again no sign of a construction site, so I headed back round again. This time I stopped at a different construction site behind a transit - put on the hazards (causing chaos even though I was on a dual carriageway) and asked a couple of construction workers - need to turn left after the fire station and it is down there (this is a restricted road - so I had not been down that before) - nowhere near Holt St then !!
Back around the Fire Station again and bingo - that is it 3:25. Pull up just before the entrance and collar the FLT driver. Unloaded in lightening quick time as they were waiting for me to shut the site for the weekend. Ten minutes to sort out the straps and then have to make a decision - total driving time 4:25 so I am not moving very far. There is a pull in on double yellows just in front of me, and as it is in front of the construction site I figure I should be safe to take my 30 minutes there. Fortunately I am ok, have a bite to eat and then head over for my final job at Upper Gough St.
No need for GPS I am straight there, unfortunately the FLT driver has gone home and the 3 road plates I am to collect weigh in at about half a ton apiece so no joy. Had to do a little bit of shuffling to get around all the parked cars and back onto Holloway Head, quick run around the ring road and out on the A45 to the yard. Getting there at exactly the same time as the other driver (who is in a much newer Hiab equiped Merc). He flashes me in, so a quick reverse into the yard and the end of the day.
Hard work, but less frustrating than the previous one. Unfortunately it turns out that their drivers are back on Monday so I will be trying other agencies if I have no work come in. I drop my timesheet into the agency on the way back home and have a chat with the boss about who they have in for training at the moment, and my class one (when I decide to do it). Half way home I realise that I have left the charger and the windscreen mount for the GPS in the truck - guess where I will be going 07:00 on Monday !!! … …
Overall I have to say I have really enjoyed my first two days, even though the work was nothing like I expected and the truck itself was very old and underpowered (which I guess is a fault rather than by design). Definately a contrast to my previous work (in IT) as most of the people I have met have been generally happy and friendly - unlike the miserable gits I used to meet in my previous job, I also get to see the sun which is nice !! Hopefully I will get a couple of weeks at another company so I can then consider when I want to do my class 1.
Hope you have enjoyed reading it - and it gives some encouragement to those that fancy a change !!
G
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