Monday-
A long lie today ,6.30 am start today.
Still find myself wakened before 4am.
As i tipped Saturday , i am loading this morning.
I am loading high above the village of Lochgoilhead.
The job goes under the name of Cregan Crom ( the slightest mention has all the guys swearing and muttering).
They have been trying to fix the road into the job,and so far this morning it seems to be a lot better.
As i am ahead of Donald in our Volvo loader i park in a small laby and walk into the job to see how it looks.
Its all looking good ,till i get to the top of the hill, then i am faced with this!!!
Driving across a ploughed field would probably be a better bet !.
The problem with this job, is there is not enough room for the forwarder to run alongside the road (has to trundle up and down ,dragging lots of mud out onto the road).
The forwarder has a long haul till it reaches the road.
you can see where it has been weaving its way up the side of this very steep hillside.
The harvesting squad have not arrived yet.
The forwarder is parked off the road.
As i wait i have time to look at this bit of kit.
The business end of this !
The harvester grabs the trees, with the head.
It has a power saw blade in the center of the head,which cuts the tree down.
Then the rollers run the tree trunk down through the pincers (they have a sharpened edge that strips the branches off).
As it runs the trunk through the rollers the on board computer measures the length of the tree and works out the different sizes of logs that can be cut from it.
The tree trunk is run through once more and the saw in the center of the head cuts the trunk to the predetermined sizes.
Nice bit of kit for quarter of a million quid !!!
Donald arrives and i follow him in through the mud.
It is decided that putting the front bolster of 3meter pulp on the trailer on my way in will help with traction.
I manage to get alongside the loader at a wide bit and get the front thrown across (you can see where my front tyre has been in the mud).
I manage to spin my way through the mud ,till i get to the turning area !!.
I use the words turning area very loosely lol, its just a muddy wide bit of road !!!.
Like most turning areas in the forest it it on your blind side (think the road builders think we are in Scandinavia with LHD motors).
I slowly manage to push the trailer back and then get my unit shuffled round.
As you can see this lovely turning point (LOL) is also too bloody short !!!.
I have to push the trailer that far back ,the rear wheels are nearly out in space (to infinity and beyond lol).
The drop at the back of the turning area is considerable (this is about 20 feet along the road).
Once round i pull forward , to straighten the truck up.
Next i have to reverse back to another Bing of timber.
But alas i ain’t going anywhere !!.
The drive wheels are spinning (even with the tag full up and 8 ton on the front bolster).
I admit defeat and call Donald on the cb, he reverses back and positions the wheeler close behind my trailer.
You can see the large rubber buffers used to push us and the handy chain hooked into the draw bar hitch.
I hook the chain onto the back of my trailer.
Another shout on the cb and we are off,
Donald pulling me backwards and me in full reverse mode !!.
We get back to the wood and i get the next 2 bolsters on the trailer.
I actually get 5 Min’s to study the view,
The village looks tiny from this height.
Donald keeps the fourth bolster on the loader to give me a chance to get out ,also it give him some weight on the wheeler if he needs to push me.
I take off like a man possessed and manage to get half way out the job before grinding to a halt (bloody ridiculous and dangerous !!!).
Donald manages to push me out and loads the rest on me (i am on my way lol).
I leave Gavin to do the same stunts!!.
After the antics in the wood ,my run to the paper mill at Irvine passes easily.
Both weighbridges are now working and i am soon weighing myself in.
The machine lifts a full bolster in one go.
I give the operator a guide ,so he doesn’t catch the side of the trailer with the gab.
That picture looks more dramatic than it actually is lol.
I get out the way before it clears the top of the pins.
Its a short run and the pulp is dropped into the mill.
I am tipped and weighed out again within 20 Min’s.
I call the office and am told to head to the coal yard at Hunterston.
I have to pick up a load of prepacked bags.
This is a good load , well shrink wrapped but the yard is a black hole.
I get the load on and pull out the yard to net it down.
Its much cleaner round the corner.
The load is a 26 ton load, this means that 2 pallets go on top !!.
It does not look the best of loads,but i strap it well down (and rope it front and back).
The top pallets sit well (i stop and check the straps quite a few times).
The large laby at butterbridge on the A83 is one of my stops.
I am heading for home as i will be in Oban too late to deliver, when i get a phone call askin me to keep going.
The guys in Oban are desperate for the coal ,and will wait back for me ! (had i wanted it off ,no doubt they would be away home at 5 lol).
I reach Oban by 7pm and the lads give me a hand to undo the nets and i get a quick tip.
20 Min’s up the road sees me parked in the forest (another morning load).
Tuesday-
Late start again.
I am supposed to be loading for Workington, but when i go to get the load there is not enough wood for the load.
I end up loading for the Bsw sawmill at Petersmuir.
Over sized 6.2m logs again.
As i wait to cross the old rail bridge at connel , the sky grow darker (looks like more bad weather).
Sure enough,by the time i reach the rest and be thankful ,its sleety snow on the windscreen.
The rest of the run goes well and i get a good tip in the mill.
I am told to run to the block plant at Crossgates and pick up a load for Campbeltown.
I know the deadline for loading is 4.30 pm, so i have a bit of a push on !!.
Our office phones and tells them ,i am on my way and i will be there at 4.30 (no problem).
I manage through the traffic and pull into the yard as the clock turns 4.30 , as i go to get out the truck the fork truck driver walks past the front of my truck.
He doesnt even look my way ,jumps in his car and buggers off out the gate !!!.
I go to the office and get told that i am too late !
The girl in the office is very apologetic,but the forky is in a stinking mood and wouldn’t wait.
My mood at this point ain’t too good, but i have to accept that it will be a 6 am load now.
I go to the nearby services ,fuel up and i an back in the brick yard parked up for 5.30 pm (time for the telly).
Wednesday-
Different forklift driver this morning.
I reverse into the loading bay at 6am and pull out loaded at 6.09 am (still have to net down ,but the bloody load is on in 9 Min’s GRRRR ).
Wonder why they couldn’t do that last night !!.
It takes me around 15 Min’s to net and i am on my way by 6.30.
This load is for Campbeltown (don’t know if i am taking it all the way though).
I head back to Stirling ,then across to balloch ,then its the usual A82 and 83.
This allows me my break at home.
45 Min’s allows me a shower and my breakfast ,then its on my way again.
I call the office and am told i am taking the load all the way.
As i drive between Ardrishaig and Tarbert the sun breaks through the cloud (shows Loch Fyne in a better light lol).
I cross onto the west side of kintyre and in the distance the isle of Islay is just visible.
The roads become narrow ,but they are fairly straight lol
Next stop out there is America !!
I get to the builders merchants as the guys are returning from their lunch.
They are soon tipping me and i am retracing my steps.
The wind has got up a bit now (no wonder the area is popular with surfers).
I am reloading between Ardrishaig and Tarbert.
As i get near i give Donnie a shout on the cb and am told to wait in one of the labys till Bob has loaded.
For once the road is a good quality and no 9 inches of mud.
I manage to turn first and pull alongside the loader (nice wide bit ).
Donnie loads me with 2.5m logs for Lockerbie.
I would normally just go home tonight ,but as i am taking Friday off (we only get Monday off),i decide to head as far as my time allows.
I manage to get to Cairn Lodge services and call it a day.
Thursday-
As i get on the road this morning i am glad i went the extra distance last night.
There has been a very bad accident on the M8 and the traffic is a nightmare !.
45 Min’s sees me in the mill.
The mill is very quiet today ,so i get a quick turn round.
I manage my breakfast at the Lockerbie truck stop .
I call the office and am now heading for Bathgate ,a load of fish food.
When i get to the fish food plant , find Bud has already been in and loaded.
After he has weighed out ,i get in the yard and parked in one of the loading bay.
The fork truck drivers are zooming around today (looks like they are trying to get an early Finnish as well).
My load is already made up and i am soon loaded.
Although it is dry it is bloody windy !.
I manage to pull along side the building and get the cover on without too many drama,s.
The front of the load is half ton bags and the back is made up of 25kg bags on pallets.
It makes it easy to get the sheet square.
The sheet is slightly short ,but this allows me to get it nice and tight.
This load is for a fish farm on the shores of Loch Craignish ,between Lochgilphead and Oban.
To get to it you need to go over a forest road (funny that lol).
It has some narrow and twisty corners (nothing we are not used to).
I get into the yard at the fish farm and get the cover pulled off (this allows the guys to start tipping me,while i fold the cover).
The cover looks even bigger when it is spread out on the ground.
Both sides are quickly folded over and back.
No Wind lol
Quickly i fold both ends in.
Still no wind !!!
Then i manage to roll it from one end and get it ■■■■■■■.
LOL Still no wind phew
While i am doing this the fish farm lads are tipping me with 2 forklifts.
I manage a quick walk down the slipway.
The Loch is still ,but i bet it is bloody cold !!.
With the two forklifts i am soon tipped and on my way back to the yard.
I am leaving the truck at the yard over the holidays , so i fuel it up and park in the corner.
A short week ,but still a fair bit of running around.
Thanks again for looking,
Niall
