For those of us that deal with boxes… you arrive at your drop, open the doors and get told “good 3-4 hours or so drive”…what’s your means of entertainment? How do you find it?
I’ve had one this morning. Went for a bit of a walk to the local shops for a paper (20 mins each way), came back & read it over a brew, watched a few programmes on iPlayer, spoke to the Mrs on the phone and before I know it I get a knock on the door. As someone who can’t sleep during the day, I find it amazing how easily I manage to kill whole mornings/afternoons doing absolutely nothing. The long tips don’t faze me at all, yet many other guys seem to not be able to stand it.
rob22888:
For those of us that deal with boxes… you arrive at your drop, open the doors and get told “good 3-4 hours or so drive”…what’s your means of entertainment? How do you find it?
I’ve had one this morning. Went for a bit of a walk to the local shops for a paper (20 mins each way), came back & read it over a brew, watched a few programmes on iPlayer, spoke to the Mrs on the phone and before I know it I get a knock on the door. As someone who can’t sleep during the day, I find it amazing how easily I manage to kill whole mornings/afternoons doing absolutely nothing. The long tips don’t faze me at all, yet many other guys seem to not be able to stand it.
Once you get your head around the waiting it’s the best job going.
I have a mate who is pushed constantly on general haulage he says he loves it but you can hear his tone change when I tell him I’m just catching up on last nights telly
I like the drops near towns where I can get out for a while.
Maybe if boy get a couple weeks of long long ones a week now…the rest I seem to be done in a good hour or two.
Depends where you are tipping/loading. This morning I was at an army barracks for 3 hours, so it was feet up and YouTube on. Monday I had a tip by the old test station at Edmonton. Went for a 5 mile walk along the river, down to Tottenham Hale and back, then popped into Costco for a coffee and a new pair of work jeans. Gone for 4 hours and the last pallet was on the box as I got back. I’ll be doing my Christmas shopping during work time in a couple of months too.
rob22888:
For those of us that deal with boxes… you arrive at your drop, open the doors and get told “good 3-4 hours or so drive”…what’s your means of entertainment? How do you find it?
I’ve had one this morning. Went for a bit of a walk to the local shops for a paper (20 mins each way), came back & read it over a brew, watched a few programmes on iPlayer, spoke to the Mrs on the phone and before I know it I get a knock on the door. As someone who can’t sleep during the day, I find it amazing how easily I manage to kill whole mornings/afternoons doing absolutely nothing. The long tips don’t faze me at all, yet many other guys seem to not be able to stand it.
I’m the same can’t sleep, but the time seems to fly past. keeping the thing clean seems to take hours these days as all and sundry drive it the week I’m off so it takes a couple of days to get it clean again. I’m learning to play the harmonica, I watch music vids on you tube, go on music, motorbike sites, go for a walk, time flies past.
I used to envy the box jockey who was watching telly on an industrial estate in Farnham everytime I was handballing flour into the unit a few doors away. Love the way the container game is just “here’s your sodding delivery, you deal with it.”
Bit like tippers really in hot weather “there’s your gravel, have fun shovelling it.”
chainmailguy:
this may be a daft question. do none of you box jockeys actually help unload it?
NO! they’ll want you to put it in the racking too! nip to the office and man the phones for orders, box them up and go and deliver it as well. the DRIVER has done his job getting THEIR stuff there. thank you, good night.
knight2:
My company tells me to keep out of the containers, it’s not my job and I’m not insured. In what way I’m not insured I don’t know.
Same & i’m glad of it. For all those who haven’t done boxes, you have to trust me when I say it’s better customers don’t expect you to help.
The load I tipped today was a 20ft full to the brim with small cases of tinned fish. I exchanged an awkward look with the depressed lads who had the task of handballing it all off onto pallets and retired to the cab, not a chance I would ever want to be getting involved with that. Tipping handball container loads has got to be up there with one of the most boring, monotonous, depressing jobs on the planet.
There is this. Long tips are great unless your in a health & safety mad RDC where your trapped, thankfully most handball jobs in RDCs tend to be drop & swaps in my experience, but i’ve done 9 hours on a bay at Next in South Elmsall and it wasn’t fun. The office seemed happy enough though because the demurrage was rolling in.
There is this. Long tips are great unless your in a health & safety mad RDC where your trapped, thankfully most handball jobs in RDCs tend to be drop & swaps in my experience, but i’ve done 9 hours on a bay at Next in South Elmsall and it wasn’t fun. The office seemed happy enough though because the demurrage was rolling in.
I could have written this!!! I’ve had exactly 9 hours there a couple of times!
knight2:
My company tells me to keep out of the containers, it’s not my job and I’m not insured. In what way I’m not insured I don’t know.
Same & i’m glad of it. For all those who haven’t done boxes, you have to trust me when I say it’s better customers don’t expect you to help.
The load I tipped today was a 20ft full to the brim with small cases of tinned fish. I exchanged an awkward look with the depressed lads who had the task of handballing it all off onto pallets and retired to the cab, not a chance I would ever want to be getting involved with that. Tipping handball container loads has got to be up there with one of the most boring, monotonous, depressing jobs on the planet.
I used to feel really guilty sitting in the cab while other’s grafted, then I got my head around it, so that now when the loaders might walk past my cab, and I’ve got my feet up doing diddly squat, and this has happened now and then, someone might say “alright for you sitting there doing nowt” I simply reply with something like “true, but to be fair, you weren’t sitting on the quay at 2 oclock this morning to get this container and be here for 8, enjoy” then shut the door and go back to sleep
nomiS36:
rob22888:
OVLOV JAY:
Depends where you are tipping/loading.
There is this. Long tips are great unless your in a health & safety mad RDC where your trapped, thankfully most handball jobs in RDCs tend to be drop & swaps in my experience, but i’ve done 9 hours on a bay at Next in South Elmsall and it wasn’t fun. The office seemed happy enough though because the demurrage was rolling in.
I could have written this!!! I’ve had exactly 9 hours there a couple of times!
Kerching , get them hours in drive, My record 21 hours at Manvers Next Rotherham, though I did leave site overnight(solo), and return the following morning, to find the Container where I’d left it, not yet on a bay
they’ll want you to put it in the racking too! 
the DRIVER has done his job getting THEIR stuff there. 
