Rob K's week at work

[kitkat]

Glad you got sorted

[wheel_nut]

Who can spot what the problem is in these two pics :

Should the trailer be closed like that Rob?

Or is it that there is a plastic drinking cup missiing from the other corner castings

[gazzareth]

“Look, if you don’t leave site immediately, trailer doors closed or not, we will get the police in to physically remove you and your vehicle from site, understood?”

Never been in a situation like that, but you would expect any half decent copper would be more inclined to do him for wasting police time ■■ Then again they are going to carry at least basic tools so they would probably be more helpful than that moron !!

[wheel_nut]

There are too many morons with delusions of grandeur and power.

We load steel out of a steelworks, the company had discussions with the health and safety team in the steelworks and came up with an agreed plan.

Before we arrive on site, we must park on the road outside and open the sliding roof, this normally means loosening the tension on the side curtains.

Drivers are not allowed to climb on their trailers to secure loads

Drivers must not drive on site with rear doors opened or not properly secured, see above, about roof.

Earlier this week, I went into the steelworks, to load for France. I had already opened my roof at the previous customer as i had to unload through the roof.

I weighed in and reported to the office, the load you want is at another site within the complex, she explained. You follow the map and keep to the internal roads.

I drove down around the site, and found the loading bay, I then proceeded to get dressed up in full body clothing, safety boots, dayglo vests hard hat with chin strap, ear plugs, full safety goggles and leather gloves to walk into the office

I was followed by a bloke with a dayglo vest and it said security on it.

“Is that your truck driver?” Do you mean the one I have just parked outside?

“Yes, have you just driven from the top yard?” I have I reply. Than you will be aware of site regulations, you have not secured your doors properly.

He showed me a letter stating that all drivers had to abide by the site rules, I then showed him a letter from his company telling drivers that roofs must be opened before entering the site.

That letter is wrong he said, Well if I have a letter form the company I am loading at, I have to follow the insructions, I have never seen the site rules you are showing me. what do you want me to do?

When you come on site you must report to the traffic office, they will tell you where to load. If you are loading in the top yard, you must open your roof, if you are loading down here you must open both curtains. But you have driven down from the top with your doors not secured.

I have actually driven from Manchester like that, I told him, but the doors are closed. But because the top lintel is part of the sliding roof, he decided that the doors are not secure. I had to close the roof before he would let me have loading tickets

Im still waiting for a definitive answer. That particular load consisted of 8 pallets from the bottom yard, then secure the load without climbing on the trailer. Then close the curtains and doors,

I then had to drive to the top yard, climb on the trailer to open the roof and then load 4 coils.

To say im confused about the loading procedure is an understatement

And how they can refuse access to my trailer to secure my load for which I am responsible for. They let you use a wheeled stepladder and a gantry system to allow fastening the load on. Who the hell are these people who invent these stupid rules?

[rob_k]

Dunno why you put up with it Malc. I wouldn’t. I’m utterly fed up with this kind of and it hacks me off even more when you phone your gaffer up for support and they just tell you to do whatever the customer wants because they need to be kept happy, so you just wind up with all the agro anyway while your gaffer washes his hands of it.

I was at Exel at Tamworth, aka F.X.Coughlins and I just had two pallets for them which were both just inside the back doors and had been loaded that way too. The FLT driver saw the rear doors open but told me I needed to open the curtains.

“Why?”
“Because we only offload from the side.”
“Tough . Both pallets are there in full view at the back so there’s no reason to open the curtains.”
“It’s a Health & Safety issue.”
“Health & Safety issue regarding what, exactly?”
“I don’t know. I just know it’s a Health & Safety issue and we are only allowed to unload you from the side.”
“Well the stuff will be staying on then. I’ve opened the back doors for you to take the pallets off and there’s no reason whatsoever, Health & Safety issue or not, why they can’t come off through the back. That’s the way they were loaded and because there’s stuff in front of them you won’t be able to get them off the side anyway because of the rear corner posts.”

Anyway he went and got the warehouse manager and told him I was being awkward but after a big argument and I’d returned to the cab to phone chaos-control about it they’d magically disappeared from the back of the trailer when I came back.

Flaming arse holes they are .

[convoy]

Nice read and pic’s rob

[wheel_nut]

Anyway he went and got the warehouse manager and told him I was being awkward but after a big argument and I’d returned to the cab to phone chaos-control about it they’d magically disappeared from the back of the trailer when I came back.

I have had a similar experience Rob, The French try to keep hold of all the Euro Pallets they can, and we normally get all the cast-offs. I loaded 26 pallets for B & Q.

I went around to tip them and backed up to a loading bay, this bloke came screaming at me to see why I had gone straight onto a bay, we dont tip cutainsiders on the bay, you have to open both sides and park under the canopy.

But you will have to unload then from the back doors, I said “Dont tell me my job driver”. OK, I wont say anythiing else, just trying to maqke life easier for you

I opened the curtains and he came round on his forktruck to find the full load was on 2 way pallets with a blockend facing his forks

But rather than make it easy by using a ramp, he insisted on tipping them through the back doors with a pallet truck and with me smiling at him to wind him up more…

As you say, Arse Holes

[yeti]

Top diary and pictures Rob

Never had to deliver to a Tesco RDC before and judging by your diary I never want to. Although if they’d have threatened to get the old ‘only doing our job, sir’ brigade onto me for not leaving the site , I’d have just sat there and said “bring it on”.

[v8_karl_v8]

Nice read Rob

[betz]

Good Read again, dont worry about Betz photos, i got that same number serial already one.

Ben

[penfold]

Good read and pics Rob as usual

[mad28]

Great read and pics again Rob

[super_dan]

Rob, I’ve read you diary from the beginning and even the missus pops on to read it now!

I was reading it at work the other night (Ambulance) when a couple of the other controllers wanted to know what I was reading so I showed them and now there all following it every week!

I’ve got a picture of three of them sat round the computer reading it but its on the PC at work and I keep forgetting to post it!!

Can’t wait till next week now!

[rob_k]

Super Dan:
Rob, I’ve read you diary from the beginning and even the missus pops on to read it now!

I was reading it at work the other night (Ambulance) when a couple of the other controllers wanted to know what I was reading so I showed them and now there all following it every week!

I’ve got a picture of three of them sat round the computer reading it but its on the PC at work and I keep forgetting to post it!!

Can’t wait till next week now!

[dafmad]

It’ll go straight to his head, we’ll have to call him swell head.

[mrflibble]

Rob K:
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’.

You want a slower shutter speed.

Gantry signs like that don’t illuminate all of the bits of all of the letters at once - they “scan” the image they want across the display.

i.e. they will display the letters one vertical column (or horizontal row) of dots at a time. They cycle through all of the columns (or rows) fast enough that it fools your eyes (since human eyes don’t react that fast), and you think that you’re actually seeing the whole letter displayed.

This one shows it very well:

You can only see one or two vertical columns of dots for each letter; that’s because the shutter isn’t open long enough for the camera to see all of the dots displayed.

It’s a similar mechanism to a TV (well a traditional tube one at least) - when you watch TV, you’re not actually watching a whole picture, or even a whole line - you’re actually watching one single dot cover the whole screen by moving across in lots of horizontal lines.

By using a faster shutter speed, you only capture a partial picture of the letters, and if you use a slower shutter speed, you’ll get the whole picture.

However, there is a downside - if you use a slower shutter speed, you’ll be more prone to “camera shake” - where the picture gets blurred because you move the camera whilst the shutter is open. Of course, this won’t be a problem for you, as you’re not taking the pictures whilst you’re actually moving, are you?

[coffeeholic]

Just caught up with your adventures Rob, nice read I enjoyed it.

[kitkat]

Coffeeholic:
Just caught up with your adventures Rob, nice read I enjoyed it.

Really

[wylie]

tescos middlewich ha ha ha ha hahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahhahahhhahhhahhahhhhahaahaahahaah
wot can u say
they cant get jobs anywhere else so u have to have a bit of sympathy for them r bless them

[rob_k]

THE FINALE.

I was off on Monday & Tuesday and so arrived in the yard as planned at 0700 Wednesday morning.

No sign of my unit anywhere though . Upon speaking to Alan, it turned out that it was up at Chatfields at Pudsey having a new tacho head installed and is now ready for collection. I’d noticed that the trace had been getting a bit ‘blurry’ but just put that down to my excellent work ethics in being such a superstar and working so fast that the tacho head couldn’t keep up with me .

Alan then informed me that there were 3 very urgent drops to make as soon as I’d collected my unit and to go to John Cotton’s at Mirfield direct to get the trailer. My immediate response to this was, ‘what about my night out tackle?’.

After much discussion I very reluctantly agreed to do as asked and then pick-up my night out tackle when I arrived back in the yard, which should be around lunch time as all 3 drops were all locals.

Got my unit and of I went to Mirfield to get my trailer on but alas, it wasn’t to be found. Turned out that the paperwork for the load was there but the trailer itself was up at the depot at Euroway Ind Est, just up the M606 there. No further probs encountered except a fresh dent in the trailer door and straight into Leeds to tip my first one. Next one was in Bradford, just off Mayo Avenue and my third was in Batley.

I was nicely tipped for 1245 and ran down to Brooklyn’s burger van in Ravensthorpe Ind Est for my lunch and break. As soon as I pulled up the phone rang which I stupidly answered.

“Rob, Mark, where are you?”
“Dewsbury.”
“What are you doing down there?”
“Having my break!”
“Right. I’ve promised Mamma’s & Pappa’s you’d be there for 1200 to do the shunting.”
“Best ring them back and change that to 1400 then!”
“I need you to go there now to do the shunting though.”
“Tough !”
“Well why can’t you go there now?”
“Because it’s 1300 and I started at 0700 so I need a break.”
“Well I’ve told them you’d be there for 1200.”
“Like I just said, tough ! You shouldn’t go about making promises you can’t keep, should you?!”
“Well why’s it taken you 5 hours to do 3 local drops?”
“Err, small incidentals like the unit not being in the yard at 0700 so by the time the taxi came and I collected the unit it was gone 0800, then all the rush hour traffic trying to get down the M62 to Mirfield, then hold-ups at the drops as I’m not the only wagon on the country’s road network trying to make deliveries …”
“Right. Well just have a half hour break now and take your 15 minutes later so that I don’t get Mamma’s & Pappa’s on the phone chewing my ear off.”
“No! I’ll be having my hour break here and then going to the yard to drop this trailer off as it has 3 defects on it, 1 of which needs rectifying immediately as the retaining clips for the electric suzie’s have broken off and they fall out every time you go round a corner and the other is that there’s a big hole in the rear door so it’s no good for Mamma’s as it’s not water-tight!”
“Well, quick as you can, I’ve got another job for you after that.”

Went back to Morley dropped it off and defected it then ran bob-tail down to Hudds to do the shunting only to find it had already been done as one of the Birch driver’s was there .

Back on the bell to chaos-control.

“Yeah, you’re picking up an 0700 tomorrow morning for Baby Direct Warehouse in Barking.”

Got my trailer and was on my way …

Got to just before Colsterworth and reached in my bag to get my camera out … Where’s my stuff .

Of course, with all the rushing around helping them out with yesterday’s jobs, I’d completely forgotten to remember my night out tackle as it’s not something you think about in the middle of the day - allus putting it in your wagon first thing when you start your shift . Great …

No change of clothes, no wash gear, no charger for my phone …

I pondered on it while I thoroughly enjoyed a lamb shank dinner with cabbage, carrots, boiled spuds, mint and gravy - just SUPERB and a pot of tea thrown in for £4.65.

Belled Richard up at Birch and explained what had happened and told him wherever the back-load was going to be from tomorrow, I would be coming back to Morley, regardless of where the load was destined for as I couldn’t get a wash/shower and would have to wear the same togs tomorrow, yuck. No problem says he and promised to leave a note for Mark for the morning.

Left Colsterworth about 1950 and ran down the A1 until the traffic came to a halt at Stamford . Strange. Must have sat in the queue for around 30 minutes before I got to the front to discover that they’d completely closed the A1 southbound due to roadworks and a diversion was in place. No problem thinks I, thinking I’d be back on the A1 and on my way in 5 or 10 minutes. Just under an hour later we joined back on just south of the Shell garage at Wittering . Have a look at the map. They took us off at Stamford on the A6121 where we were turned away from Stamford towards Ketton. All the while, low bridge signs were flashing up 13’0 warnings as we’re going along. Just before the railway line we were diverted down a narrow road to North Luffenham, then a sharp left down another narrow road, over the level crossing back up the hill to the A6121, straight across and down the other side to join up with the A47 . Left on to the A47 all the way back to the A1 near Peterborough . Of course with all the foreigners not knowing what the hell was going on and puzzled car drivers, we were dawdling along at no more than 30mph for the most part …

Parked up in my secret spot at St.Ives for the night and got my head down.

Thursday got off to a good start, considering. Had a trouble-free run down the M11 and on to the North Circular down to the A13 then off at River Road. Hand-balled off a full trailer front to back, floor to ceiling of prams, push chairs, cot beds etc etc which took us nearly 3 hours between us. I did get a nice tip at the end of it and free pots of tea all the while so that made it more bearable.

Came out of there and had my break. Reload details were given to me by Mark : reload out of Rowan International / 8 Acre at Basildon for Nottingham and Sheffield for tomorrow morning.

“Who’s delivering these then?”
“Err, you are.”
“Well I’ve got to get back to Leeds tonight.”
“Why?”
“To get my night out gear, a shower and a change of clothes.”
“Tough.”
“Sorry?”
“It’s not my problem that you’ve forgotten to pick up your night out gear.”
“True, but who was it that was rushing me about first thing to do Tuesday’s late deliveries and then promising Mamma’s shunting, rushing me about again?”
“Yeah, well we have to work you driver’s like that else we won’t make any money.”
“Did you get the message from Richard this morning?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you’ve had the best part of 24 hours to plan me a back-load which will bring me to Leeds or close to Leeds so that I can get my stuff.”
“Not my problem.”
“No, you’re not listening to me Mark. I’ve got no clean clothes and no wash gear and I’m absolutely stinking.”
“Well after you’ve done those deliveries tomorrow we’ll see if we can get you back to Leeds.”
“Ha! I see … Well I’ve got some news for you, I will be back in Leeds tonight, no matter what. Is it any wonder you can’t keep driver’s when this is the way you treat them? I’ve done my bit for you in rushing around getting your late planning sorted out so the least you can do is meet me half way, but of course that’s too much to ask isn’t it. You just want more, more, more every time and it isn’t happening this time.”
“Well get over to Basildon, get loaded and ring me when you’re loaded and I’ll see what I can do to do you a favour.”
“Oh, so that’s what you’re calling it now - a favour. Like, you’re helping me out ?”

Anyhow, got over to Rowan’s and straight on a bay for 1315. If I told them once, I told them a dozen times that I needed to be loaded and away from there for 1700 at the absolute latest so that I would have enough time to get back to Leeds.

Got chatting with 3 other drivers there and we had a good yarn like you do … 1400 comes and goes, 1500 comes and goes, 1600 comes and goes and the ramp isn’t even in the back of the trailer yet …

Made a call to Mark and told him that if it wasn’t ready to go at 1700 it would be coming back empty.

“You can’t do that.”
“Okay… I shalln’t tell you again.”

He said he’d bell them up to gee them up a bit. Five minutes later the first two pallets (of 26) go in the back and then nothing.

1700 comes and I’m back on the phone to him.

“Right it’s 1700 and I’m going. There’s only 2 pallets on the back.”
“Well you’ll have to wait until they’ve finished loading you.”
“Nope. I’ve been here for nearly 4 hours now and they were told right from the word go. You don’t give a about your driver’s welfare, circumstances or anything else and just on them time after time after time and now I ain’t taking it anymore. You’ve had plenty of warning that I needed to be back today. I’m not going for 3 days in the same now mucky and sweaty clothes I’ve had since Wednesday morning. It’s just not on.”
“Well you’ll be on a disciplinary when you get back.”
“I couldn’t give a about your disciplinary; I’ve had it with you lot. I quit - find some other mug to run circles round you.”
“Well you won’t get paid.”
“Oh, yes I will, because you won’t get the unit back until the money I’m owed for yesterday and today is in my bank account.”
“You can’t do that, because if the unit isn’t back in the yard by the weekend I’ll report you to the police for theft.”
“Okay… We’ll see.”
“You’ve got to stay there until the stuff is ready anyway. We nearly lost their business a few weeks back because a load was late so it needs to go otherwise we’ll lose them. Phone me when you’ve decided what you’re doing. You’ll have to stay there anyway if they’ve put some of load on already.”
“I’ve told you, I’m coming home. End of. Finito. T-ra.”

I told the warehouse lads to lift the ramp up for me as I was pulling out.

“You can’t do that, we’ve only just starting loading you.”
“Exactly. How long have you had?”
“We’ve only got a skeleton staff in today.”
“What do you want? A medal? The trailer is going so either take off what’s on it please or lift the ramp up as I’m pulling it out as it is.”
“You can’t do that as we’ll report you for theft as you’re taking a load without any paperwork.”
“Fine, okay. No problem. NO PLOBLEMO AT ALL.”

With that, I got up on the cat walk, disconnected the lines, put the legs down, pulled out and set off for Leeds, switching both phones off at the same time.

The only problem was, although I had an excellent run out of Basildon, round the M25 and up the M11 it all came to a grinding halt where the A14 merges, even though it was nearly 1830 by this time. I got fed up of sitting in it after half an hour and came off on the nearside lane just after the cemetry and joined up with A428 then joined back on about at Huntingdon. With that hold-up I knew I wouldn’t get back to Leeds before 2130 so I reluctantly stopped at Colsterworth for another thoroughly enjoyable lamb shank dinner and mulled over my options.

I decided that there are more ways than one to ensure you get “paid” as such for work you’ve done and being a driver has a few added bonuses in such circumstances. Needless to say that I re-established contact with chaos-control and told them that the unit would be in the yard for lunch time Friday and it was.

Wagon emptied and had a long chat with Alan who’s a nice bloke I find and we bid our farewells.

The end .