sorry double post 
where 
neil46:
where
here
Hi Neil
Its been a while since I posted on here, I read your early posts on this subject, and I’m glad to see you’re enjoying every minute of it. I’m also glad now that you ignored all those like myself who warned you not to go, but it seems this is a once in a lifetime experience, a chance to earn some great money, yes its a risk, but then driving on any road in Britain is a risk everyday.
Thanks for all the photos man, much appreciated, I wish I’d applied to go now 
oh well I’m sure there will be plenty more opportunities. What’s next? Syria, Iran?
Take it easy dude
Allrighty
just when i thought i was gonna be on my 4th day off i get a call last night out today at 12 non for 5 day mission with some hets as well. 
well got a call this morning go to office turns out i am supervisor of 40 trucks this time 20 TCN,s and the rest mostly south africans.the probablem i am gonna have is that most of the SA,s dont have the right pass to get into the camp to load so i have got to mess about getting them to drop the mt trailers and the bobtails and a few more taking them in to drop again and hook up loaded trailers then take them out then go back in and do it all again. 
and as i said in earlier post its my 13th mission 
well i hope to speak to you when i get back god willing.
best wishes
neil
well as i mentioned in my previous this was mission 13 and it lived up to its name i will tell more tomorrow but it involved trucks catching fire trucks getting stuck trucks not wanted and various other things
as promised a report of my thirteenth mission.
I got to the bus at 11.45am with my list of drivers and what a right shower they were. 
we got to HL5 and i discovered we were going on a self escorted trip empty up to CAMP BUCCA which if you have seen the news is where they discovered the iraqi tunnel from the prison camp.
One of the guys who had been a supervisor before said why dont i send them off 5 at a time so we dont have to go the long way up to the border so i said make sure each truck has someone in the lead who knows the way.quite easy as it is the same route we take when we come back empty.anyway i and my other bobtail were in the last group just in case anyone got lost ahead.
Off we go with this guy up front and due to him listening to music he makes a turn to early and we end up in a sort of residential area with no trucks alous off course we had to do a u-turn running over pavements. 
Back on course we headed in the right direction but as we got along the rd i noticed the bob tail seemed to be smoking anyway he suddenly pulled over with me behind him just as i got out he pulled away so back in the truck i go.
I called him on his mobile and he said it had got stuck in gear but after stopping it cleared as he was telling me this i saw flames coming from the right hand side so told him to pull over.
I jumped out and grabbed my extinguisher from the side locker and proceeded to try and douse the flames having to use his ext as well.
I called HL5 and they said they would bring out another truck.i then called the convoy and told them we would be there asap and to get parked up.
after about an hr we were on our way and got up to navistar about 6pm.
i then had to find out what time we could leave in the morning and it was 8am.
Next morning i met up with the ■■■■■■ commander and it turns out we had to have cars and other trucks of various descriptions from other companies.after a security we had to wait on one of my drivers to return before setting off it turns out camp BUCCA was only across the border running parrallel and was only 20k distance.
what i didnt know was as soon as we got there the ■■■■■■ just left everybody to there own devices and i had to try and find out where to go.i sent my guysoff to park up on the side of the road one of the HETS got stuck in the sand and had to be pulled out.
I finally found an office that could help me out and the sargeant was very helpful and contacted the guy who ordered us,well when he turned up he only wanted the 4 HETS and 2 flatbeds the other 12 wasnt his.
Well back to the office i went and after a lot of phonecalls we found a leiutenant who owned up to wanting us thank god.8 of us went off to load humvees and their trailers while the other 4 had to wait till 1pm for containersso i sent them off for food.the others managed to get loaded before DFAC closed so got them fed as well.
We were told that we were getting the 4.30pm convoy back to NAVISTAR so the guys got a cple of hrs kip before we set off.
As we got to the border the usual happened the rd there is full of potholes and u have to slow down and thats where the kids run out open the sidelockers of the trailers and steal whatever they can get without getting run over.
We got through that only to have the container trailers stopped by customs who wanted to open them but i said no as they were sealed and padlocked so big argument which was sorted out in customs office by US captain.
i contacted our office and told them we had arrived and managed to get us in the trash yard for the night.the soldiers whose gear it was turned upat 7am next morning said they would meet us at CAMP VICTORY to unload so after they left i got the convoy up and we left at 8am.
As we had military gear on i wasnt certain wether we had to get a police ■■■■■■ nearer kuwait as we did not have any army greens with us but erred on the side of caution and pulled in.normally i found out you have to phone ahead to book one but as instructions on this trip was non existent i didnt know that at the time.
Ispoke to the US soldier there and he said i did the right thing although he said i did not need one the kuwaiti police said they would lead us.
Off we went and soon arrived and we had to go across the central reservation to go into the camp and this is where my finally ■■■■ up happened.the police pulled across the road to stop the traffic and i thought the entrance was further down the road so went off that way to my horror i saw my convoy go straight across into the entrance which i had failed to spot .
So i see a gap in the trees to get back on othe rside of road to turn back but of course it was sand. yes you guessed it i got stuck
well the police werent to happy but managed to appease them with a cple bottles of water and one of them went off over to a rubbish dump and i was pulled out b a dustcart,oh the shame.
Anyway got into the camp soldiers turned up got unloaded and back to HL5 and on the bus to the apartment .
And that is the story of my thirteenth trip
Thanks for the update Neil, I for one never fail to be amazed and amused by your very well written accounts of your exploits.
Take care.
nice one neil, having to be pulled out by a dustbin lorry
Well done Neil. as for the tow what is the answer, Don,t Worry be Happy
and All Ways Look on the Bright side of life, take it easy mate and just
think not longto the holiday away from it all.
feel no shame neil; afterall, it was the 13th trip.
postscript to my 13th trip is that i was on our free bus tonight to go into town when one of the drivers i had on the trip and must admit i thought was a bit of an arrogant so and so turned to me and said it would be a pleasure for him to have me as his convoy supervisor again.well blow medown with a feather
What does this show ,the following Neil you know what you are doing
and are doing the job the correct way , well done mate take it easy and
enjoy yourholiday,
well i am out on the 5th april which will be my last mission before my 2week break so i hope it goes ok.
neil46:
well i am out on the 5th april which will be my last mission before my 2week break so i hope it goes ok.
It will be good to have you home I bet your family can’t wait stay safe. 
Keep your head down Neil, and enjoy your 2 week holiday.
peace
Hi guys and girls.
well just got back off my 14th mission and now looking forward to my 2 weeks R and R.
REPORT LATER
Enjoy that R&R Neil. Get to UK and appreciate some cold & wet spring weather!!
is this the furthest the logo has been
got it done over here after checking with ricki that it would be ok.
i am going to wear it home and see if it will get me an upgrade on the BA flight i am taking.
THAT is a first class T-SHIRT and a excellent advertisement, nice one Neil
Enjoy your vacation, and take it easy, and try not to overload your suitcase
with extra treasures for better comfort when you return,
all the best and have a enjoyable time off Neil.