Good read and pic’s 
.
good read rob i like em…
i keep seeing these new archie wagons when are you getting yours all these new scanias and xf’s.
jessicas dad:
good read rob i like em…i keep seeing these new archie wagons when are you getting yours all these new scanias and xf’s.
I’m sticking with my little CF thanks. I am in line for either a new one in August but I’ve been reliably informed that they are fitted with trackers so there’s no way I’ll be taking one of those 
. No-one seems to know what motors they’ll be. Some say that they are XF’s and there’s been rumour that they’re FH Globe’s. I’d gladly take an 05-plate XF hand-me-down but until that time comes along I’m happy with my CF which is still pretty new as it’s an 04-plate.
If I was offered a brand new Scania I’d politely refuse it, unless it had a V8 lump it in then I might just be tempted.
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
Rob K:
jessicas dad:
good read rob i like em…i keep seeing these new archie wagons when are you getting yours all these new scanias and xf’s.
I’m sticking with my little CF thanks. I am in line for either a new one in August but I’ve been reliably informed that they are fitted with trackers so there’s no way I’ll be taking one of those
If I was offered a brand new Scania I’d politely refuse it, unless it had a V8 lump it in then I might just be tempted.
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
Bear phones and warns all European Security Guards
Rob K:
jessicas dad:
good read rob i like em…i keep seeing these new archie wagons when are you getting yours all these new scanias and xf’s.
I’m sticking with my little CF thanks. I am in line for either a new one in August but I’ve been reliably informed that they are fitted with trackers so there’s no way I’ll be taking one of those
If I was offered a brand new Scania I’d politely refuse it, unless it had a V8 lump it in then I might just be tempted.
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
i smell another prisoner abroad appeal here…
only joking of course…
Rob held prisoner, i don’t think so five minutes of Robs ranting they would let him out
Rob K:
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
Someone’s changed their tune then ■■ I was thinking of looking for it again, too. Make sure you tell me your motor and colours etc. 
smcaul:
Rob K:
This is what happens when you give newly passed drivers the newest wagons(oh and it’s had new bumper, headlight, door and steps already
And it would be cheeper to repair if it was an older wagon would it!!! Everyone has to start somewhere, and I have seen more expensive damage done by old hands.
I stand corrected actually.
The young lad was hitching up to a trailer and guess what happened when he put the red line on …
DAFMAD:
Rob K:
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
So did Rob get the £1000 a week and the £30 a night out for Euro work?
Monday 27 June saw an 0600 start from Morley with a loaded John Cotton’s trailer for a company called ‘Dreams’ which is in the Perry Bar area of Birmingham. I was carrying filling for mattresses.
M1 between J29 and Tibshelf, allus the same, every day …
Top of A42 I saw this Discovery pulling this rather large trailer, hmm …
I stopped at J11 for a sarnie and a sausage roll from the garage there and had 15 mins at the same time to avoid greasy steering wheel syndrome . The gaffer phoned up during this and asked how I was doing so I said I’d be at the drop for the 1000 booking.
Pulled out back on to the M42 and immediately found myself in the back of a queue so it was actually more like 1020 when I go to the drop.
M6
Didn’t intend to catch this, as I was trying for a better shot of the one above!
Had a real nightmare of a time trying to get this stuff off as it had been loaded through the rear but had to come off the side. Each of those trays extend over the full width of the trailer and trying to get them off sideways proved to be a real chore …
I was away about 1145 and ran 10 minutes down the road and parked up for a 45 break as I would need to take one at 1200 anyway. Left at 1245 and instructions prior to my leaving ‘Dreams’ were to go to Stone Market near Coventry airport for a load for Widnes. I arrived Stone Market around 1330 and left there around 1500 after having to wait in the queue to get loaded. I belled up chaos-control to let them know.
“Just leaving Stone Market now for Widnes.”
“You’re just leaving Stone Market now?”
“Yes.”
“Why has it taken you 5 hours to get from Birmingham to Coventry?”
“Because after I left Birmingham I had my break.”
“You had a 
break this morning on your way down’, said Mark, my gaffer.
'Yes, and?”
“Why have you taken another one then?”
"Correct me if I’m wrong but I don’t get paid for my breaks and according to the contract of employment I have here I am entitled to an hour break each day. I had 15 minutes on the 42 this morning and then took the remaining 45 minutes after I’d tipped.’
‘Right. You won’t get it off today now. You’ll have to take it in first thing tomorrow.’
Oh dear, what a shame.
Peugeot & Citroen factory at Coventry, just off the A45 …
Stone Market entrance just on the right hand side where the bent telegraph pole is …
Not sure where this was taken, but must be the M6 somewhere
Still can’t master getting these gantry messages to come out right. I think I need either a faster or slower shutter speed but don’t know which. Any photographer type people know? The sign says something along the lines of ‘keep to inside lane when not overtaking’.
Civil tank transporter going the other way
Lunt’s Heath Road on the top side of Widnes. Nice…
Lunt’s Heath Builder’s Merchant’s where I will be tipping in the morning …
Just stopped to check their opening time tomorrow which is 0800.
Parked in this lay-by for the night just off the M62 on the A57… and it absolutely wreaked of urine too 
. I wish drivers would use either proper facilities or urinate in a bottle/down a drain rather than on the tarmac. It’s truly disgusting.
Wheel Nut:
DAFMAD:
Rob K:
To be honest, I am currently in discussions with another party about doing European work as the package on offer is very attractive but it’s early days yet. If everything pans out as I hope then I hope to be out of Archies within the next month or so.
So did Rob get the £1000 a week and the £30 a night out for Euro work?
It’s still in the pipeline. The company concerned is trying something new and the gaffer is waiting to see if it works out alright first.
Good read and pic’s Rob
Tuesday 28 June got off to a good start as I could have a lie-in, not needing to be at the builder’s merchant’s until 0800 and it was only 5 minutes drive down the road.
Soon had the fancy stones tipped off then over to Birch depot to drop off the trailer and get washed/showered/usual mundane daily tasks. Next job was a full trailer with car parts to go to Exel at Birmingham for a drop and swap.
Nice new trailer with me coupled up to it in Birch yard…
Through the roadworks on the M6 again, and Tinnelly’s T-cab came stonking past me …
Did my drop and swap at Exel and then instructed to go to Daventry for a load. Stopped at Birmingham airport for my break.
Brum airport…
Instructions changed before I got to the M42 and I was now going to Rexam at Circle City for a load of empty coke cans to go up to Rexam at J41 Wakefield.
The top of the M40 southbound was absolutely and I was sat still with the engine switched off for nearly 15 mins at one point. This was the reason for it, yet another collision involving a foreigner …
Rest of M40 : Dull …
Nice scenery though…
Off at J11 for to head for Buckingham and Circle City …
Don’t know what route they take to Circle City but according to my map it’s off at this one!
I stayed on the A422 all the way to Circle City, although there is a ‘we don’t want trucks coming past our front window’ pretend weight limit through Buckingham town centre. Never mind eh.
A422
A422, Circle City end …
Into Rexam and self loaded myself with cans as they were a bit busy.
This poor chap was really spitting feathers. Owner-driver too 
. He’d brought in a trailer which wasn’t tall enough to accept the height of the load he was picking up by around one inch ! He had to wait until next morning for someone to bring him another trailer which was big enough. Nice motor though. I think the XF’s look superb in silver and especially with the bottom spolier on them too …
Just shows that a truck can really make a visual impact without bolting 10 spot lights to the front of it. A full set of polished alloy’s would have completed it though imho …
I went over to give the guy a hand as his motor suffers the same problem as mine does in that the fifth wheel pin jams and won’t pull out when you’re trying to unhitch a trailer. With enough rocking of the unit forwards and backwards it usually frees itself but the guy had tried 4 times already and he was losing his rag so I told him to get up and ‘rock’ it while I pulled the pin and that combo worked a treat. Any of you CF/XF guys/gals have the same problems with yours from time to time? Naturally, DAF said they couldn’t find anything wrong with it when I defected it.
Rexam, Circle City …
Came out of there and headed for Aldi’s car park at Long Eaton where I parked up for the night and watched a pretty good thunderstorm for a while, whilst having a natter with Trev on the bell.
M1 …
Spot what’s missing …
The road off J25 into Long Eaton with storm brewing up above …
Fifth wheel trouble, yes, can help to lower the air suspension to try and get some weight of it, when pulling the pin / handle. So, wind down the legs a bit lower then norm, drop back suspension, pull handle and away - hopefully. Sometimes it works anyhow. Also, 
letting off the unit handbrake can do it too, obviously as safe as poss, in gear or get someone else to pull handle, ya know what I mean, this is presuming the trailer brakes are on of course. 
Good read and pic’s Rob
Wednesday 29 June I slept in a bit and didn’t start while 0730 but as there was no booking time on the delivery other than ‘am’ then I wasn’t going to get up unnecessarily early for no good reason.
Got as far as the ramp on to the M1 at gate 25 and came to a halt. Took 2 hrs to get from here to gate 30 through the roadworks. Absolute nightmare. I’ve since discovered that the 3 lane contraflow through the roadworks between 29 and 30 finds that lane 1 moves fastest although initially it seems that lane 2 will be the quickest one to be in.
M1 … Zzzzzzzzzz…
M1 at gate 35A where this bus was cooking nicely and about to blow his radiator up judging by the clouds of steam coming out of the filler pipe …
Soon arrived at Rexam at Wakefield and had the load off …
Nice globule …
From there I was instructed to go as fast as my little wheels would carry me to Allied Glass at Stourton in Leeds for a 3pm delivery to HP Sauce at Brum and considering it was 1100 now I needed to get my skates on.
I was away from there at 1210 and arrived at HP Sauce at 1430, unbuckled the curtains then undid the straps underneath which were holding the load in and then negotiated the bay which I’m pleased to say I managed to get straight in first time without needing a shunt, ha 
I’m actually off-centre here; when I’m lined up correctly the lines are only just the width of the wagon so it looks deceptive in this pic making it look bigger than it actually is …
From here I went and had a break and then instructed to go over to Stone Market again for a load for Cannock Woods and Cheddleton which is near Leek in Staffs.
I couldn’t make it to Stone Market before they closed so went and parked up on Coventry airport industrial estate where I watched another thunderstorm although not as good as the one last night.
Check the sky …
i had the same problem on my cf with the 5th wheel also took me a while to find out how to pull it out as 90%of 5th wheels you pull the handle forwards but on the cf it goes backwards.
Thursday 30 June saw me round the corner and into Stone Market for 0715 to see the cute-as- (bottle) blonde lass to book in and collect me notes.
Soon had my two drops on and I was off on my way to Cannock Woods, E H Smith Builder’s Merchant’s to be exact.
Had 2/3 of the trailer off here then up the road to Cheddleton to tip the rest at Silverstone Builder’s Merchant’s. It absolutely teemed it down with rain enroute and like a big kid, had great fun driving through all the roadside puddles as fast as I could to make the biggest splashes, much to the annoyance of the car drivers behind me .
Sat in Silverstone’s yard …
The weather dried up pretty quickly after that deluge and I was northbound up through Leek and Macclesfield to Manchester to get on the M60 for our Birch depot.
Few pics en-route as I’ve never been along this road before …
Into Birch and a drop and swap was soon sorted. The trailer I’d picked up was fully loaded with pop for Morrisons at J41 for 1730 and it was 1730 now. I opened the back doors to check that at least the rear two pallets had been strapped to find that straps had been draped round them to appear strapped but in actual fact they weren’t at all . Consequently, the rear nearside pallet had started to collapse and I knew that Morrison’s wouldn’t take it.
I went in to the office and collared the gaffer to come out and witness it before I moved it as I’m not taking the rap for it. He said the pallet would be okay and they’d take it no problems. Okay, fair enough …
The guy who’d picked it up from Macaws had side strapped all the front pallets but not the rear ones; has he no idea about physics and where the forces apply most ? Obviously, the rear end of the trailer is going to be most vunerable to load shifting, not the front. Fool.
I removed half a dozen straps from the front and applied them to the rear 6 pallets then rear-secured in the back 2 pallets as best I could given that one had already started to collapse. This wasn’t the end either; I then couldn’t get the offside barn door closed as the eyelet’s wouldn’t locate. Tried moving off rough ground on to hard standing but it made no difference and even changing camber didn’t improve the situation. Had to get the garage to sort that out for me.
Even with all this messing around and 28 tonne on I managed to get to Morrisons for 1830 which wasn’t bad going although we won’t scrutinize my tacho’s too closely from M62 gate 22 onwards …
Plenty of time to take pics here as I was only doing 35mph …
Tipped Morrison’s in the usual hour and a half it takes once you get your notes back (with the rear nearside pallet being refused due to it being “unsafe”) then back to the yard for the night.
Blue eyed company man gets the one and only XF480, MX05DWA …
Friday 1 July saw me up at the unearthly hour of … 0600 taking an empty trailer down to Mamma’s & Pappa’s near Huddersfield. Dropped that off then picked up a loaded one for Boots, London Rd at Nottingham for 1030. In there at 0915 and after a short wait, tipped and away for 1000.
Instructions were to go up to Kodak on Oakham Business Park in Mansfield for a load for Asda Washington 0830 Saturday morning which I was to take back to the yard. I met one of our other drivers there who I hadn’t seen before called Paul; he used to work for Winteringham’s where another 2 of our drivers have come from (the rest seem to be ex Gaffer’s). We got chatting… and chatting … and chatting … and chatting, then loaded and ready to go. Paul was going back to the yard too. After all this hard work chatting we decided we needed a brew or two so went over to J29 truck stop and chatted and chatted, and chatted some more . Come 1400 we decided we’d better go and do some work and drove back up to the yard where we chatted some more and had more brews .
Paul was working Sunday so when his lesser half turned up at 1600 to collect him I finally got round to the phoning chaos-control and seeing if there was anything else to do . Just an empty to go down to John Cotton’s at Mirfield then bob-tail back to the yard, finished and home.
Nice read and pic’s Rob