Im sorry you will have to imagine most of this, as I said in last weeks post, our office can mix 2 loads up, when you give them 3 it totally confuses them 
I had West Brom, Telford and Reading, must be loaded in that order. ok says I.
West Brom, no problem 7 metres against the headboard 
Telford, 2 metres, crane booked 11am 
I got to factory and saw this rather large crane, it had at least 6 axles I went to see the export guys and asked what I was loading, He went to get the paperwork while I opened the roof. When he came out, he asked me to open the side I must have looked confused because he asked me why I had opened the roof. Well for the crane I replied, what crane? That crane there I pointed. Why go you want a crane? he asked.
Right lets start again, said I. I have come for 3 crates for area 37 in France. Yes, but they are for Paris he said. I said that my company had told me to meet a crane at 11am. and then to be at Reading to finish off before 3pm
I dont know about a crane, but I have these 3 cases. He lifted them onto the trailer through the side while I closed my roof, and the crane driver rang his boss 
3 crates weighing 700 kg each
Slightly embarrassed for my company I went to Reading and loaded another 6 pallets of engineering parts!
I sent my loading list through to the office and they immediately asked me if I could get the night boat, as the Paris delivery had to be in DHL at Tours for 8pm the next day.
23.59 Poole Cherbourg, no problem.
Split break using ferry time let me leave at 10.00.
First drop was in Le mans with the 6 pallets for a bus garage, Bus garages dont have fork lifts normally, so they had to borrow one from a builder working nearby.
Had a break in the bus depot canteen and then went to Tours. DHL Worldwide, they are just the same worldwide. totally crap
Sorry we cannot unload trucks between 5 and 7 , we have to load the night trunks. OK said I, in French of course 
At about 19.30, I wandered back to the office. Oui?.. I have a load for Paris for xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Ok, one moment. she then took me into an office with a girl who spoke less English than her tried to tell me that they didnt unload lorries between 5 and 7
You mean in the morning, oui, oui,. But the delivery has ro be made to Paris in the morning I explained. Yes it must be loaded on our truck tomorrow evening she said
OK, I rang my boss at home, he said it would be tipped and he rang them. After about an hour 3 men came out to me and told me to back onto bay 117.
I said that you will need to take it from the side as they are too wide for the doors. We cannot bring the fork truck out in the rain one explained.
So to unload I had to shuffle my trailer between other trailers so they could keep their precious fork lift dry. I had to move the truck for each lift, I reckon 4 of us could have lifted 700 kg
…
My next delivery was Chateauroux near Limoges. 55 pallets which I tip myself. It is now Wednesday morning at 0900. Im booked off for the weekend to go to the bike racing in Snetterton Within an hour of tipping, my reload has come through, I have to load for Chester and Wrexham from Clermont Ferrand, dont worry, you can load it and take it to Hilton on Friday, the night man can tip it
…
My first collection was loaded by 15.30 on Wednesday. 4 x 15 metre lenghs and 6 small pieces to load for Wrexham afterwards. No problem, till i reached the weighbridge. A message to ring my boss 
We have a problem, can you swap trailers with a Frenchman in the factory? he said my phone and computer were not working. I went round and found the Frenchman, he had loaded a trailer but had a problem with the paperwork he said.
It turns out he had no problems with paperwork, but he told the office he had lost his identity card. and could not go to England.
This actually suited me better I thought, tip iin Redditch and Birmingham, Friday, I could be home for Dinner
No such luck, The trailer had to ship through Portsmouth as we had to make customs clearance. The customer had sent details of the load, I had import certificates, radioactive tests and bundles of invoices. He had also sent the wrong trailer number to the agent. I was stuck in Pompey for 13 hours, at least I got free parking instead of the 8 euros an hour it normally costs.
It turns out the reason , I had to swap trailers was this Frenchman who lives in Calais always carries his dog with him. He had not lost his passport, but the one for the dog. He couldnt drop the dog in Calais as he had to ship Portsmouth so he told them he had lost his passport ID card.
I got cleared and tipped in Birmingham by about 3 pm, then surprise surprise, I had a reload in Sheffield. No motorcycle racing, no early finish, no supoport from the office or anyone else.
I like dogs, so I will get my own back on the driver somehow!
I got home from Hellaby this morning.
No one has mentioned the cost of the crane hire yet
One thing that really annoyed me this week was when i went into the Centre Routier in Chateauroux and they tried to charge me 30 euros extra to use my credit card to pay for my meal.
That is off the favorites list now. I think it was sour grapes for losing the olympic bid
. And the server is a bustling hermaphroditic individual who seems to have been there years. Not quite as long as Manuel at Hautvillers though 