Why is it that you get a phone call saying it is urgent and you must get it off tonight and someone is going to wait for you so you press on to find every one has gone home, or the chap who has waited just unloads you and leaves it on the floor until the morning when you would have delivered it first thing anyway. All it does is mess up your plans for where you want to spend your night out and achieves nothing.
Ours is not the reason why!!!
One pallet from Tilbury to Wrexham, had to be there same day and I was the only driver with enough hours left to get it there, offered crazy money to do it so had to say yes!! (Owner driver BTW) Pallet was actually a very light half pallet with a few boxes on it. I had to be back at Tilbury for a load the next morning.
Loaded on the truck, went round the corner to where my van was parked and transferred it to the van. Managed to make it to Wrexham and back to Tilbury and had a good nights sleep in the cab before going to load the next day.
Daft thing is that when I went into the warehouse for another load later that pallet was back, marked “Out of date, return to supplier”!!
thetourist:
Why is it that you get a phone call saying it is urgent and you must get it off tonight and someone is going to wait for you so you press on to find every one has gone home, or the chap who has waited just unloads you and leaves it on the floor until the morning when you would have delivered it first thing anyway. All it does is mess up your plans for where you want to spend your night out and achieves nothing.
After driving for a couple of years and getting some experience you’ll soon come to realise that the “get there as quick as you can as they’re waiting/desperate for it” is 9.9/10 a load of BS. I now just say them “OK” and carry on driving at my leisurely 50mph. If it is one of the ultra rare occasions when they are in fact “desperate” for it then tough ■■■■, they should have organised it earlier; not my problem etc.
I reckon we have all had it at some time or another, my favorite was when I was doing Euro with a Sprinter, I had a call from a customer asking me to load from Zaragoza in Spain to Saltly, Birmingham, It is most urgent said the guy and holding up the production line, we will pay you what you want as long as it is back before lunch tomorrow! This was 8.30 am Spain time on Thursday, I was loaded by 10 (I tipped also at Zaragoza) and hotfooted it back with 225 kilo’s of gasket steel■■? A killer of a journey but I made it and I was on Saltly Estate by 11am only to be told by the goods inwards ■■■ to come back Monday because they are stocktaking, I explained the story and where I had come from and he signed my CMR, rejected the load mind but I still got paid.
Used to get it all the time with one company i worked for, even if you didn’t have enough hours left it had to be there, and on the majority of cases it was just the planners who wanted you tipped and either on daily rest or ready for a return load , as they made their commission on the return loads
bigtruck:
Ours is not the reason why!!!
couple of years ago i was working for a sameday parcal company o/d phone rings at 1pm ask me if i could go to scotland i said ok what price is it 850+vat gone to collect goods it was a package i have been to the company rang them ask if they were expecting a delivery of parts they said yes thsi is tuesday they were expecting it thur ok i said
went to post office stuck a next day del on it cost 65 quid stuck a invoice in to return and sign on it rang them following day got the parcel easy 850+vat
But sometimes is it urgend 
Had a Friend who got called on Saturday to drive the Foodstuff-Tank empty to Rom to get 24000 kg Wine for Germany.
Its a long Way,and he had a 300Bhp Mack with not much you could call Suspension.
Well,he was there on Monday at 08.00 with 30 Pallet waiting for him 
Lovlyperson:
But sometimes is it urgend
Had a Friend who got called on Saturday to drive the Foodstuff-Tank empty to Rom to get 24000 kg Wine for Germany.
Its a long Way,and he had a 300Bhp Mack with not much you could call Suspension.
Well,he was there on Monday at 08.00 with 30 Pallet waiting for him
That is a great one 
Lovlyperson:
But sometimes is it urgend
Had a Friend who got called on Saturday to drive the Foodstuff-Tank empty to Rom to get 24000 kg Wine for Germany.
Its a long Way,and he had a 300Bhp Mack with not much you could call Suspension.
Well,he was there on Monday at 08.00 with 30 Pallet waiting for him
LMAO.
In my early days of transport planning, I had just taken a new driver on who was also recently married.
I gave him a reasonably easy job that was ex ship in Hull. Sods law depicts that an easy job will go ■■■■ up
The customer was Armstrong Floors in Thornaby and they urgently needed this tank of polymer but it had gone Route One with HM Customs, so that meant a long wait before it would clear, the customer rang our commercial department, and arranged a late delivery, tell them when it is cleared and they would organise a shift manager to stay behind.
This lad eventually got the tank around 5.30 and the agent gave him his paperwork and gate pass. The agent knew the customer and she told the driver he must normally be there before 7pm. He rang me and I said that was fine as they were waiting for him, “just get there when you can.” and I rang the shift manager. He told me he was going home at 8pm and wanted to know why it had taken so long. I told him that we are in the lap of the gods with customs and he told me he would ring me about it in the morning.
I had done all I could so I went home too. At about half past ten my home phone rang, it was the head of our commercial department demanding to know where this tank was. I said he will be parked outside probably the manager told me he was going home.
Yes, going home for his tea and then he came back, no sign of this tanker and he has disturbed me at home. Well you have disturbed me at home too, but as the lad went into Hull at 6.30 this morning I doubt he will still be driving now.
He was ranting at me so I said night night to him 
The next morning the phone was ringing when I got to work at 7.30, it was Ian to say he was tipped. What time did you get there. He told me at 6.00 in the morning and still he got a bollocking. I told him about my bollocking and told him not to worry.
By 9am the commercial department were on the phone demanding an explanation. I said the explanation was that I had zb up and the driver did his best.
I was accused of sitting on the wrong side of the fence, of sticking up for drivers and not forcing him to deliver during the night. This was long before mobile phones, so we didn’t have much choice.
Not much changes in road transport, except now, we do have mobile phones. 
The best bit was that I outlasted the commercial manager, he zb up a lot more and lost a major contract later that year
Told this one before. Run empty for an urgent load of hanging garment for Swansea. Started in Swansea, arrived Casablanca all out of breath only to be told the load had been cancelled!
I as a newbie was told get this pallet there ASAP they are desperate,screaming for it,and should of had it yesterday. Well I arrived ran to the office exclaiming good news here it is, and was told sit down the forkies having his tea. They get their stuff when I get there.
Rob K:
thetourist:
Why is it that you get a phone call saying it is urgent and you must get it off tonight and someone is going to wait for you so you press on to find every one has gone home, or the chap who has waited just unloads you and leaves it on the floor until the morning when you would have delivered it first thing anyway. All it does is mess up your plans for where you want to spend your night out and achieves nothing.After driving for a couple of years and getting some experience you’ll soon come to realise that the “get there as quick as you can as they’re waiting/desperate for it” is 9.9/10 a load of BS. I now just say them “OK” and carry on driving at my leisurely 50mph. If it is one of the ultra rare occasions when they are in fact “desperate” for it then tough [zb], they should have organised it earlier; not my problem etc.
I think you may have me confused with someone else
I started driving in 1968 and have 43 years of experience in most Euro country’s with many different cargo’s and have come across more than my share of BS and know how to handle it. The point i was trying to make was they get it in the morning. I am sorry that i failed to make my self clear.
thetourist:
Rob K:
thetourist:
Why is it that you get a phone call saying it is urgent and you must get it off tonight and someone is going to wait for you so you press on to find every one has gone home, or the chap who has waited just unloads you and leaves it on the floor until the morning when you would have delivered it first thing anyway. All it does is mess up your plans for where you want to spend your night out and achieves nothing.After driving for a couple of years and getting some experience you’ll soon come to realise that the “get there as quick as you can as they’re waiting/desperate for it” is 9.9/10 a load of BS. I now just say them “OK” and carry on driving at my leisurely 50mph. If it is one of the ultra rare occasions when they are in fact “desperate” for it then tough [zb], they should have organised it earlier; not my problem etc.
I think you may have me confused with someone else
I started driving in 1968 and have 43 years of experience in most Euro country’s with many different cargo’s and have come across more than my share of BS and know how to handle it. The point i was trying to make was they get it in the morning. I am sorry that i failed to make my self clear.
Well, WADR, with 43 years of experience in most Euro country’s with many different cargo’s and have come across more than my share of BS and know how to handle it, why didn’t you? You posted it like you were new to the game and had never come across it before. 
Rob K:
thetourist:
Rob K:
thetourist:
Why is it that you get a phone call saying it is urgent and you must get it off tonight and someone is going to wait for you so you press on to find every one has gone home, or the chap who has waited just unloads you and leaves it on the floor until the morning when you would have delivered it first thing anyway. All it does is mess up your plans for where you want to spend your night out and achieves nothing.After driving for a couple of years and getting some experience you’ll soon come to realise that the “get there as quick as you can as they’re waiting/desperate for it” is 9.9/10 a load of BS. I now just say them “OK” and carry on driving at my leisurely 50mph. If it is one of the ultra rare occasions when they are in fact “desperate” for it then tough [zb], they should have organised it earlier; not my problem etc.
I think you may have me confused with someone else
I started driving in 1968 and have 43 years of experience in most Euro country’s with many different cargo’s and have come across more than my share of BS and know how to handle it. The point i was trying to make was they get it in the morning. I am sorry that i failed to make my self clear.Well, WADR, with 43 years of experience in most Euro country’s with many different cargo’s and have come across more than my share of BS and know how to handle it, why didn’t you? You posted it like you were new to the game and had never come across it before.
Memo to self : must learn to make my post’s clear to avoid any confusion
What does WADR mean Rob?
dessy:
What does WADR mean Rob?
WADR I think you should quit being so simple.
dessy:
What does WADR mean Rob?
With all due respect you could always Google it if you don’t know these standard internet abbreviations.