Delivering Building supplies (Diary)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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Delivering building materials isnt the most glamourous HGV job but it pays the bills i also get to see lots of the countryside that many others dont, cracking view down toward Loch Etive in Argyll

One wheel on the verge here and you might not stop till you get to the bottom!

With the last load of blocks off its back to the yard for another run

Another of the drivers is back and getting ready to head out with a load of block paving.

The forklift boys keep the yard in good order and its well stocked

Im headed for the Island of Luing, the ferry here is tiny and takes a couple of shunts to get on and off, for the 3 minute crossing

This looks like its going to be fun!!

With a few bits and pieces to drop off its not long before im heading back for the mainland.

All ready to go in the morning, 3 Pallets of K Rend and 352 dense blocks for lochgilphead, easy day.

Forklift drivers have an easy life… this one is saving up for a hair transplant! :stuck_out_tongue:

Its far from the best paid job but its enjoyable.

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Thanks very much for your write up and pictures
it is nice to hear about other types of work that is carried
please keep the posts comeing as it is intresting
and as said different to the normal days work.

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Impressive photo’s :smiley:

Got anymore of that ‘ferry’ ? :laughing:

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That’s a good picture diary Alba, thanks. Some nice scenary and some interesting places to take a truck, I can see how you enjoy it.

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Great scenery there ALBA.

I work for a builders merchant also, as an area relief driver (covering the midlands and east anglia).

I must have driven 50 odd of our companys wagons.

The thing is, they all have front mounted cranes on 'em. I’ve always been of the opinion that rear mounted cranes must make the job considerably easier with regards to the positioning of the vehicle at awkward sites. Obviously, with a front mounted crane you can only go over the sides (if the sensor hasn’t been tampered with).

Do you agree?

Are there any Build Centers up in your neck of the woods? There are many Keyline branches round 'ere.

Cheers,

Paul

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hiabman:
Great scenery there ALBA.

I work for a builders merchant also, as an area relief driver (covering the midlands and east anglia).

I must have driven 50 odd of our companys wagons.

The thing is, they all have front mounted cranes on 'em. I’ve always been of the opinion that rear mounted cranes must make the job considerably easier with regards to the positioning of the vehicle at awkward sites. Obviously, with a front mounted crane you can only go over the sides (if the sensor hasn’t been tampered with).

Do you agree?

Are there any Build Centers up in your neck of the woods? There are many Keyline branches round 'ere.

Cheers,

Paul

Hello Paul

Yeah we had one of those front mounted cranes, it was useless for this area. The rear mounted is far better. The 03 Daf has remote control for the crane and its horrendous. I personally hate the thing very dangerous. At least with the lever you get a feel of the pressure, the remote has nothing no feedback at all. The guy who drives the truck has benn knocked off the bed a couple of times. We have another Keyline depot 40 miles south of us and a TP 40 miles north, so well catered for in this area, we run 3 trucks out of Oban, we cover a large area including the islands. We do have a build center up this way as well as a jewsons and a Rembrandt Timber Yard

Alba

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Great diary, looks like a nicer place than where I spend mine. The ferry looks a bit iffy though.

Obviously, with a front mounted crane you can only go over the sides

Depends on how it was set up, mine is front mounted and you can crane round in front of the have if you have to. It’s a bit of a ballache though because it wont keep going round, it’ll go just past the middle in either direction before it stops.

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I have driven a few that’ll go over the cab 8wheels, but even then, visability isn’t great when you’re stuck behind the cab at the controls.

When delivering timber, if it’s a relitavely small lift, i’ll pinch it off with the grab rather than buggering about with slings. Is this lazy? Same with tonne bags too. A full load of 14 jumbo’s would take forever to hook up. Grab 'em and 'yer laughing.

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hiabman:
I have driven a few that’ll go over the cab 8wheels, but even then, visability isn’t great when you’re stuck behind the cab at the controls.

When delivering timber, if it’s a relitavely small lift, i’ll pinch it off with the grab rather than [zb] about with slings. Is this lazy? Same with tonne bags too. A full load of 14 jumbo’s would take forever to hook up. Grab 'em and 'yer laughing.

If you had to sling everything you would be there all day. It still amazes me wher people ask you to put stuff. “Over the shed and down by the patio” oh yes hold on till i get Doctor Who on the blower with his teleporting machine!! Just because it will lift 2 tonne off the bed and over the side doesnt mean you can manage to get it to the exact place they want it before the controls lock out. As for puting stuff on scaffold, did it once and wont ever do it again. :blush:

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I know exactly where you’re coming from ALBA.

Once, upon arriving at a job with 3 packs of bricks, two tonnes of sand and cement and various other bits and bobs, I asked the chap where he wanted it all.

“Round the back garden please mate”

Me - “Oh right, is there a service road or summat then?”

“Err no.”

Me - “How do you suppose I get it round there then?”

“I thought you’d handball it through the house” He wasn’t joking

Me, rather incredulously “Sorry m8, kerbside only”.

Sad thing is, this is a fairly regular occurence.

I imagine the best thing about your job, being out in tthe styx, you don’t have to contend with half the muppets on the road you’d get in a city/major town. It seems many car drivers have poor road awareness when it comes to observing a lorry during a manouvere.

For example, today, whilst getting ready to back down a side street off a main road:

Approach side street.

HAZZARDS ON.
SLOW TO A CRAWL.
ATTEMPT TO ENTER RIGHT HAND LANE PRIOR TO BACKING IN.

Some twerp overtakes me, whilst muttering obscenities.

TRAFFIC COMING THE OTHER WAY (despite the line of traffic behind me) HAS NO INTENTION OF STOPPING TO LET ME PROCEED.

EVENTUALLY MANAGE TO SWING TO THE RIGHT PRIOR TO BACKING DOWN.

Cars behind me then bloody undertake, without the common sense to realise i’m about to reverse.

Some bloke eventually cottons on to what i’m attempting to do.

It’s just things like this that make my job a real pain at times.

I’d love the relative peace and quiet ALBA that you presumably get.

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I never said it was ideal going past the cab, really only a last resort to get you out of (or into) trouble.

Slings are a pain, some of my work is collecting pallets of steel jacks from site. If they are stacked close, they have to be slung, moved, unhooked, wrapped, rehooked and loaded usually on my own with manual controls. This would definately be easier by remote. Thankfully we have just got another batch of stillages that can be chained from the top and don’t need wrapping. Did 12 lifts today in about 3/4 hr.

I agree on the feel of the remote, we have another vehicle with a 39t/m crane rear mounted. I had to drive it for a week back in July, didn’t like it much.

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very nice diary alba - enjoyed that :smiley:

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Yeah Paul quite lucky up in this part of the country, the pace of life is a wee bit slower, especially on the islands. Islay is by far the most laid back place i have ever delivered to. Was storm bound over there at the begining of the year, plenty of “extra work” to be had if you know what i mean. We dont get that many idiot drivers.

We do get many close shaves with the wildlife

Ive had a couple of accidents involving Deer early in the morning. They do a fair bit of damage. Just today i witnessed a car striking a Stag, it made some mess of the car. Didnt have the camera with me or would have taken a few pics. They boy racer whos car it was wasnt happy :wink:

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Good read and pics :smiley:

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I’m coming hame! :cry:

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It looks a healthy enough life. Dosh isn`t everything. ( Unless you live in Essex ) :laughing: