Once did a double manner down to birmingham and back … the other bloke only had three stories (and two of them were about forfar athletic) he never shut up, he hardly took breath, I really really wanted to go and sit in the trailer … It felt more like 14 days than 14 hours. never ever ever again
I was an amature by thoses standards, if winding clocks back and forwards goes, best I managed was Italy to Southampton with only the kip on the ferry, oh and then Southampton to Newcastle.
My motors fitted fridge stopped working and I had to VOR the unit, using the same company philosophy they apply to lights of “If its fitted it should be working” etc.
Got a call from head planner asking if I was taking the ■■■■ (he knows me quite well), told him ive broken h and s rules by fixing it myself (suspect fuse). Gold medal award in the post or probable disciplinary for fiddling in the truck.
Longest day was a one hitter from bham to benidorm, 28 hours on the road. Didnt get a medal for that either but discovered my limitations as I was a bloomin liability after passing valencia.
Also got my finger stuck up me own arris on shap, not a bad night to be fair.
Just glad you lived to tell the tale, old bean!
When i worked in the ■■■ tankering game, i had to go on call out tuesday afternoon, got back to the yard Friday evening. That job had 3 differant ■■■ firms working there…It was grab sleep/food when you can. Those jobs happened quite often…Glad i’m not doing it anymore.
Back in the day when one was a young spunker used to load coke from Cwm coke works in bedda, South Wales.
So in for load at 3am, pull out at 3:45 ish with load still steaming hot. Head straight up to central Scotland, stopped once for some breakfast at the old Moss. Tip then head for a load of waste paper in Gartcosh. Load then head off back down the road, destination, Ellesmere Port mill. Met up with 2 mates heading in the same direction and before I know it I’m tipping the paper. Took a big chance even coming near the A580 as old robbocop on that stretch of road hated us as a Company and would stop us on site.
The 2 mates I ran with were swines, they were in Winsford having a few beers and met some tarts, so since muggins here was on a roll once the paper was tipped I headed of to Winsford like a dog on heat. Ended up with nothing. ■■■■■
Could do it in those days just had to take a chance and be as bold as brass.
I was even that stupid one Friday I parked up my lorry and went home. Had too pop to the yard on the Saturday for what ever I had left, where’s my motor I asked, O it’s at Newbridge for a service. F##k my heart sank, I had left the wire in place. Shot of too scania breaking the land speed record on the way making up some excuse once I was there about needing something from the lorry which inside being worked on.
Crazy times. 20%earnings back then.
Started at 4pm in Gloucester off to London Hyde park, tipped plants off and collected some empty trolleys. Back to Gloucester swapped into another lorry on paper disc (previous lorry was digi) set off at 1am to Birmingham markets, tipped some trolleys there, then off to do 3 sainsburys stores around the m42. Ended up back at the yard at 11am, slept in a spare lorry and started work again at 4pm.
I used to do about 80+ hrs a week over 6 nights, sometimes worked all 7 days so would go for 13 days straight without a break. This was only 6yrs ago probably. Not like the rest of these stories from the 80’s.
Once defected a unit cos the bits of string attached to the mirror arms to keep them clean was missing, a total disgrace.
26 hours,loaded with double pallets of newspapers , up a hill newspapers dropped to back of trailer taking traction off drive wheels, wrecker pulled up hill, Sheffield front axle snapped
Needed to catch the ferry from Dieppe once or be weekended in France so ran for it from Spain, longest and most worrying 19 hours I’ve ever done in recent years !
Some interesting stories in here, driving to Saudi, as in Saudi Arabia?! That must have been an interesting journey and how were people not beheaded by the mujahideen driving through Iraq?
Back in the days of the Shah and when still called Persia, and the bucket hanging of the front towing hook was an international passport and safety to transit permit 
My longest shift started when I had a call at home to get in ASAP as a driver had put the petrol and derv in the wrong tanks at a supermarket in the Welsh valleys. I left Avonmouth at 8.00 am with an empty truck to go over and get it pumped out with the instruction that the truck had to be back tonight. Got to the site and every tank had to be tested to find the contaminated ones and when the pump did start it had the power of a garden hose. I filled every compartment of the 38 tonner to the top and had to wait again until they could find someone to take the load. This was on the Thames near Dagengham so off I went.
It was about 9.00pm and dark when I got to London and I decided to drive through the middle along the embankment. I got as far as the Houses of Parliament and the road ahead was closed so i had to go down Whitehall into Trafalgar Square and then got lost in a multitude of side streets trying to find the A13. Got to the drop and I was well over 2 ton overweight. The unload point was a threaded pipe and I only had clip on pipes so off again to my firms depot at Purfleet to borrow a fitting. The watchman there did not want to know so I had to ring my boss who was in bed and get him to speak to him upon which he said borrow whatever you want as long as you bring it back. Dropped the load and returned the fitting and left Purfleet for Avonmouth arriving at 4.15am a total of 20 1/4 hours.
Also had a week of long days working out of Coryton when BP delivered dodgy derv to all there customers and it all had to be brought back and replaced. I remember going through the Blackwall tunnel twice but most of all the stripper at truckworld
sitting on my lap and boxing my ears with her ■■■■■. Retirement is relaxing but so boring.
raymundo:
Back in the days of the Shah and when still called Persia, and the bucket hanging of the front towing hook was an international passport and safety to transit permit
A bucket hanging off the front tow hook? This is beyond me lol I’m 29 and haven’t yet driven a truck never mind through the middle east.
Could’ve ended up there though if I’d got in the army 
bucket hanging from the front tow hook…as previously stated…international passport,safety to transit permit,seat,lavvy,sink,washing machine,beer cooler,truck wash,to the vehicle in front it was a ( kindly move over as im coming through at a vast rate of knots sign) if it was metal you could light a nice diesel fire on top of it at night to keep the bogeyman,diesel fairys,macodougalls,or any others of dubious parentage at a safe distance when sleeping in dodgy areas.an absolute must have addition to the requirements of the experienced international logistics jockey.even in the uk it was a sign of instantly recognising some other sad git to swap stories with of similar border tales of woe and derring do.it also gave you and extra 3mpg uphill,plus 10 mph downhill.all tried and tested and true. todays equivelant is why all the tangs wear checked shirts,super hamptons and gold belcher chains. you can spot one at 100 paces and instant pals. 