I am having a week on days this week for a change today was my first experience of daytime driving in a lorry for about 3 years.
I left Worksop at 7 a.m. got to 5 lanes end and had to wait in a queue to get on the A1 south heading for London, I then had a steady cruise down to Grantham and had to wait yet another queue to get past Gonerby cruise on down to the A1/A52 where some idiot decided he was more important than anyone else and decided to join the little gap between the guy in front of me and the one in front of him ■■■■■■■ idiot which of course caused me and everyone behind me to brake and slow the lot of us down.
Some might say I should have left a gap but a precious little gap in front of me would soon have been filled by someone so there would have been no advantage to it.
Then I plod on down towards Colsterworth and blow me straight across the doughnut no problems I couldn’t believe my luck so then I saunter on down towards Stamford passing a few older and slower wagons on the way and I start to climb up the hill to the Stamford/Burghley roundabout passing one or two on the climb and got stuck in the biggest ■■■■ queue I have ever seen at that roundabout, The story continues like this ALL the way down to Radlett when I got on site reversing on to bay was a nightmare as there were wagons on every other bay, probably not hard for many other people but I have been doing it in the dark for 3 years.
The route back up wasn’t much better there were other vehicles on the roads at the same time as me not a nice feeling when you have been used to having it to yourself, some ■■■■ pulled across the A1 near Grizzly’s on to the left lane in a car full of (politically correct)large people and decided his acceleration didn’t exist not nice for me as there was traffic on my right so not a lot I could do but brake and drive up his arse and give him some horn to which he replied with his his middle finger I mean as if it was his fault joining fast moving traffic and driving slow surely it was mine maybe I should have slowed down and gave way to him?.
Then I got to the A1/A14 split and an army lorry had been on fire at the slip thinking it wouldn’t effect me on the North I was wrong, I personally think rubber neckers should be removed from society the great thing about accidents at night is they cant see much so they tend not to slow down much and they seem to be cleared a lot quicker too, thne theres the roadworks at Newark 2 lanes down to one and theres the token ■■■■■■■■■■ in a lorry who has to block the merging traffic in the outside lane WHEN will they ever ■■■■■■■ see sense?.
The rest of the route back to Worksop was fine until I got in my car about 15:45 and tried to first get out of work and then get on the A1 South at 5 lanes end again…
The conclusion of this story is that I have full respect for you day men I can’t handle all that stop/start traffic, idiotic driving, selfishness and congestion so I’m back on nights next week for good.
Well said that man , these day drivers are fools i tell yer fools …
I wouldnt be driving now if i had stopped on days . I came off the road for a year , got back chucked my keys on the desk and told my boss not to expect me in ever again …
Started back on the road after my gap year about 5 years ago and been on nights for 5 years now .
both days late finishes. sunday down to hoddesdon held up by all the muppets leaving the british grand prix then on the way back all the folks coming out of the bon jovi concert at milton keynes
last night 3 hour wait at burtonwood whilst the trunker from cockermouth come down passed the accident at jnc 35 on the m6 last night where some driver was involved in a accident with a fuel tanker causing all three lanes blocked south bound and what the local radio says was a 40 mile que .
up to eaglescliffe tonight so no doubt the a1 will be shut somewhere
I’ve been driving class 1 for 2 years now. In that time I had 2 weeks on days about a year ago. I was delivering out of Manchester into yorkshire in the morning, and North Wales in the afternoon. I never knew what a 15 hour day was until then.
I’ve only ever done nights. Its funny how you take it for granted though. If i get held up once in a week, perhaps at the Roadworks on the M1 at Luton for half hour, I feel I’m hard done by. Apart from that its as if the road is mine.
I’m getting grief off the wife because of constant nights, but in all honesty I’d rather put up with the grief than go back on days
I should imagine if I went into the office and asked for days they would sort something out but as I try to explain to the wife its the best of 2 evils
I Can do nights as I am doing now, 12 - 15 hr shifts and she only see’s me on a morning between breakfast and me going to bed 1 hr and then maybe 2 hrs on an afternoon before I go back to work.
Or
I can do Days which would probably entail doing a Scotch load up the A1 with morons cutting you up on the single lane stretches stuck at 45 mph, then going around doing collections then facing the morons back down the A1 doing their evil kinevil overtakes, arriving back home stressed out after another 12 - 15 hr shift having summit to eat then bed then up and back out after breakfast.
I was doing the week 1 run for agency and it was easy work. Nights paid £22k days £18k. … … At the time I couldn’t take the job, but since then I have been after night work and found so much less hassle !!!
jammymutt:
I am having a week on days this week for a change today was my first experience of daytime driving in a lorry for about 3 years.
I left Worksop at 7 a.m. …
I’m in exactly the opposite situation and i must have just missed you this morning. I pulled into there at the same time. Even though it’spracticvally empty and i only went the RU i got a cab search on the way out!!!
I just started for them (B+Q) at Preston Brook. Done my induction last week and first night was last night (Monday) on all week 22.00 starts. Ist one always the worst though and i didn’t finish till nearly 12 today!! just doing inter depot trunking i believe, no store deliveries.
My mistake, didn’t read proper. I reckon B&Q, yes.
I’m currently based at the Exel site just behind there, the one with the Volvo Buck and Truss workshop in.
Next time you come out of work stop at the gatehouse and look DIRECTLY in front or you there should be about 40 B&Q untis and over 80 B&Q trailers alongside a HUGE warehouse witha BIG B&Q sticker on the side, its orange if that helps,.,…,.,.,., you have to drive round it to get to work and if you look real close in the car park where you work you might even see a couple of B&Q lorries as they are serviced at your depot.
My mistake, didn’t read proper. I reckon B&Q, yes.
I’m currently based at the Exel site just behind there, the one with the Volvo Buck and Truss workshop in.
Next time you come out of work stop at the gatehouse and look DIRECTLY in front or you there should be about 40 B&Q untis and over 80 B&Q trailers alongside a HUGE warehouse witha BIG B&Q sticker on the side, its orange if that helps,.,…,.,.,., you have to drive round it to get to work and if you look real close in the car park where you work you might even see a couple of B&Q lorries as they are serviced at your depot.
My motor is one of the two white DAF 85’s with Blue Tibbitts trailers parked up. (Usually on site between 0300 -0500 and 1500-1700). Continental shift 24/7 trunking between Reading and DIRFT on Gillette contract, but based at Radlett. Not for long though, it’s terribly inefficient and we expect to either get the old heave ho or moved to Reading soon.
And yes you are right, while nights are hard on the old driver, it is a much easier shift and pays a bit more.
.
My mistake, didn’t read proper. I reckon B&Q, yes.