Penfold's Diary

[penfold]

Well, here we go again another diary

18th July
Forgot camera today so no pics
5am start, double manning to Poole (Goole to Poole, rhymes eh?). Arrived at drop at 10.45 for 11am booking, but told that they are having a machine commissioned so couldn’t tip us until 14.30!! Anyway, got tip and away by 15.40 and back to yard for 21.30. A 16.5 working day

19th
8.30am start.
On my own again (ha ha). Unit in for service at Scunthorpe. When I arrived was told that “it would be at least 3 hours driver”, “no probs” said I and went straight next door to cafe
One of Benton’s spit & polish boys.

Cafe

Garage

Smart recovery truck

Left Scunthorpe at 12.40 and had to pick up trailer at Goole and take to ATS to have tyre re-cut.
Outside ATS

Then it was back to factory to pick up loaded tilt (loaded and fastened up ready for me, now that’s a change ). This load was classed as ‘missionary work’ as it was for a drop at Rutherglen next morning (Only joking)
Set off and parked up at Lesmahagow truck stop at 21.30 (great food and plenty of it)

Heading up A1 from Ferrybridge.

Roadworks for new A1, new road is terrible with patchs and bumps all along it. The contractor should be sacked.

20th July
Start 6.30
Heading north up M74

Heading through Rutherglen

In and out of tip at Rutherglen in 1 hour, then back to Goole.

Heading back into England

Picture of “The King” on back of Kingsmill artic. Do you think that they got permission to use his image from the Presley Estate?

Reloaded at Goole for 8am tip in London so set off down M1. Crash just past J12 so parked up at Toddington services at 19.00.

This wasn’t the cause of the hold up but a side swipe further on.

Volvo VN70 (?) at Toddington

06.15 start.
Headed to my tip at Park Royal, London. Arrived 7.15 and left at 10.40. Got back to Goole at 14.20 and loaded again for London for tomorrow at 7am but this time at Weybridge, so back to Toddington for the night.

22nd July.
05.15 start.
Arrived at drop at 6.35 and away at 9.35. Back to Goole and home for 16.00

These next 2 are of the famous (infamous) Staples corner so often mentioned by Sally Traffic. Luckily at the time I go through it it is fairly quiet.

Fancy VW dormobile

Roadworks on M25 near Heathrow

[rob_k]

Excellent Penfold! Well illustrated!

That’s Volvo is the same one I saw a few months back. I was rubbing Pat Hasler’s face in it on the Ex Pats forum a few months back about it. He’ll be jealous when he sees that .

[kitkat]

Good read m8,Rutherglen look’s better on camera.

[deaks]

Nice diary and pics Penfold. How are those trailers unloaded though? Forklift, or is the glass on rollers or something?

[porkifer]

the packs of glass are stood on end on a frame that makes up the bottom of the trailer , you lower the trailer then carefully back up under the frame then lift the frame up and put pads on the glass , these are soft felt coverd pads that are air powered and tighten up to the glass , shut the back door and away you go , when you arrive at drop , take pads off , lower frame therefore leaving frame stood on floor then pull away in a straight line untill you are clear of factory then leave it up to them to tip glass , when empty pick up frame and back to factory

[penfold]

Managed to download pictures from camera from beginning of August, so here is another week at t’mill

1st August

Start 5am
Load at factory with tilt for Bedford. Arrived at drop at 8.40 for 9am booking. Tipped and away by 12.55 Back to Goole for another tilt load for next day at Tower Hamlets, London. Parked at Alconbury truckstop at 19.15. Truckstop extremely busy and I was lucky to find a space. First time I have stopped here for the night and probably the last, wasn’t impressed with grub and as you leave site bloody great sleeping policemen to drive over, fantastic when you’ve glass on.

2nd August
05.15 start

Drop is right among scrap yards with great big guard dogs, very dodgy area

View across to business area of London

Tipped there and wawy for 10am, then onto reload in Luxembourg so straight to Dover for ferry to Calais.

Heading into Dover

Dover Castle

Driving towards booths at Dover port

Heading along E40 towards Brugge

Looking down at Brussels from ring road

Stuck in traffic on ring road due to chemical tanker going over on E40/E411 intersection right where I needed to turn off. Held up for 2.5 hours!!

Finally made it to services on E411 nr J12 at Namur and parked for night at 19.45.

3rd August

Started at 04.45 and drove to the glass factory at Bascharage, Luxembourg arriving at 7am. Dropped trailer as due to a mis-understanding with the UK office they expected an inloader trailer and not a tilt So picked up one of Lux’s inloaders and waited 3 hours for load! Fuelled up at our yard nearby and had the truck and trailer washed while I waited. Finally left at 10.30 (11.30 cet) and told to catch 17.00 (cet) ferry from Zeebrugge to Hull. Got to Zeebrugge at 16.55 due to car fire on E411 near Wavre and told ferry doesn’t sail till 19.00 so no need to rush then Boarded ferry Pride of York (apt that is as I hail from York) at 18.40. First time on this ferry and very impressed. great buffet food, nice cabin etc, hope I go on it again.

Some sort of tower in Belgium

Parked at Luxembourg/Belgium border heading back

Heading along E411 through Ardennes

Along E40 towards Zeebrugge

My bed for the night, the Pride of York

Superfast ferry leaving berth.

4th August

Disembarked (is that the right nautical term?) at 8.15 and arrived back at Goole factory at 9.20. Reloaded for Rutherglen for 7am next day. Went home for 1.5 hours and set off to Lesmahagow at 12.30 parking up at 17.30.

5th August
Start 6am arrived at drop at 6.55 and away back at 8.20. No problems or anything untoward on way back.
Parked up at 15.30 in yard, cleared out cab as I am off work for 2 weeks

[kitkat]

Good read m8,one of these day’s we’ll meet up in Rutherglen and you can buy the tea’s for the pleasure.

[mad28]

Great read and pics Penfold.
I went on the Hull crossing monday night, was impressed aswell, thought the cabin and food was really good, and you get your own cabin.
Was my first time on that crossing aswell.

Keep them coming

[brit_pete]

i have just read both posts and do agree with kitkat excellent read and good photos a lttle tip why do you not use the route via lille,tournai,mons,
naumur,lux, this might save you hitting the traffic jams onthe ring at brussels,

[convoy]

Good read and pic’s penfold

[wheel_nut]

A good diary for a goolie

Well Done, If you had stood a little bit further to the left outside ATS, you could have got a picture of Alexandra Street and the Burlington I lived at t’other end for a while

I have seen Holts pulling a Luxguard / Gaurdian trailer, is it Paul who drives it?

[penfold]

Thanks Kitkat, I may take you up on that as I am up that way quite a bit

Brit Pete, thanks for that info, this was only my 2nd time to Luxembourg and was only told about this way. If I go the way you suggest can you tell me where to purchase vignette on my Shell card. Ta.

[brit_pete]

WHAT about dover docks before you go onto the ship, if you go on to this site, www.ages.de you will find out about the locations of the eurovingette the way to use it is as follows put the RED square on the map, EXAMPLE!!! ------ DOVER AREA–this shows 4 -red spots
at dartford,harwich, euro tunnel, and EASTERN DOCKS, ticket sold here
at the NORFOLK LINE BOOKING OFFICE; ---- YOU need to get this vingette before you enter the countrys that it is valid for as the fine is
bloody large and the belgian police and customs will just take your money
Do you have a DKV card as the majority of places it is sold at may not take your shell card, also when getting the card be sure to get the correct amount ofdays tickets ,better one day too many as this is cheaper than a fine when caught out, if you have any problems use the site drop me a pm and i will help out

[penfold]

Wheelnut, I only live in Goole under protest, the wife’s from Goole .
I didn’t think we subbed out work with inloader trailers only the tilts to Sharron Pattison. Seen Holts pulling for Saint Gobain at Eggborough though.

[trucking482002]

Thanks for a good diary and the photos,
regards derek

[jacqueline]

penfold:
Picture of “The King” on back of Kingsmill artic.

Eh?
Breads destination = Gracelands?
Elvis spoke beyond the grave to ask for…bread?

penfold:
Do you think that they got permission to use his image from the Presley Estate?

Yes i expect they had to give the Presley Estate lots of dough for the privilege.

Lovely diary.

[spardo]

jacqueline:

penfold:
ld"]Do you think that they got permission to use his image from the Presley Estate?

Why would they need to? He can be contacted via Steve Wright, in the afternoon of course.

Salut, David.

[super_dan]

jacqueline:
Picture of “The King” on back of Kingsmill artic.

Eh?
Breads destination = Gracelands?
Elvis spoke beyond the grave to ask for…bread?

Yes i expect they had to give the Presley Estate lots of dough for the privilege.

Lovely diary.

Its come from the kings mill

[bigron]

transmerck just off the corridor for your vingette

[jacqueline]

Super Dan:

jacqueline:
Picture of “The King” on back of Kingsmill artic.

Eh?
Breads destination = Gracelands?
Elvis spoke beyond the grave to ask for…bread?

Yes i expect they had to give the Presley Estate lots of dough for the privilege.

Lovely diary.

Its come from the kings mill

Ahha…
Ta.
Could i ■■■■ solve it.
Oh dear. That ad is about as humorous as say, watching a petrol-soaked kitten being lit.