Weather has been a hindrance this week.
4am Monday morning I left the yard in very slippery conditions,around 3cm of snow had fallen on Sunday night and the roads had not been salted.
My destination today is Reutlingen and I have 8 coils of stainless steel on pallets to deliver,totalling 23 tons.
Joining the E40 the motorway there is only one lane open,it seems the gritters don’t start as early as the rest of us,but as I enter Germany through Aachen-Lichtenbusch the roads are much clearer and I make good time and am soon joining the A61 at Kreuz-Kerpen.
It’s easy going and I pull in to the services near Worms for an hour’s rest and put the coffee on.The BAG are cruising the parking area,but don’t bother me.
I was going to go A6 past Sinsheim to Heilbronn and then down the A81 past Stuttgart,but the radio warns of a truck accident at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen and a 20km queue,and a few seconds later the satnav re-routes me down the A5 and A8 past Pforzheim,so that’s the way I go.
The actual delivery address is just outside Reutlingen,at Gönningen,and I arrive there just before midday.In fact just in time for them to have a lunch break.No worries,it gives me time to open up the trailer and take all the straps off and put them away.
Within an hour I am empty and after a quick phone call to the office I am informed that I must load two pallets of automotive parts in Egesheim,which is in the middle of nowhere!
Egesheim is quite high up,and the amount of snow piled up on the sides of the streets in the small villages I go through is like being on a slalom,in fact,one slip of the wheel and I could rip the bumper corner off.
I arrive at the factory and they soon have the two small pallets loaded,then it’s another quick call to the office for further instructions and I am told to load in Rodenbach the next morning.
I make my way across country to re-join the A81 and pull in at the first services for a hot shower and make myself some dinner.
Tuesday morning and I am on the road at 4.45,and it’s -6c.Even this early in the morning the traffic is building up as I approach Stuttgart once again but it’s not that bad yet.Continuing up the A81 I pass Osterburken,where a week previously the weather was really bad,and I had big problems getting in and out of the factory where I loaded.In fact the exit from the factory is quite steep,and I came down there sideways.With a bit of careful steering and a light throttle,I just managed to avoid jacknifing it.Not easy with an auto-box.
I join the A3 near Wurzburg and am making good progress past Aschaffenburg then onto the A45 to Rodenbach.
When I arrive in Rodenbach I remember I’ve been here before,several months ago,when I delivered the goods I am to load,which are two large steel frames on which hang thick steel plates which are used in metal presses to make car panels.
The plates have been modified and repaired and are ready to go back to the factory in Genk.
It takes just twenty minutes to load them,but,they are slightly overheight and rather top-heavy,so it takes another 40 minutes before I am satisfied that they are well secured in the trailer.
I make my way to the A3 and settle down for a steady ride home.The office wanted me to deliver in Genk and Beringen this afternoon,but I tell them it won’t be possible,I’ll maybe get the Genk off,but won’t have time to get to Beringen today.
At Frechen,on the A4,I pull in for a break and make a sandwich and another pot of coffee.As I pull out,the office phones to see how things are going and I tell them I have just under two hours driving left,so they tell me to come to the yard,unload the two pallets for Beringen into the warehouse,then tomorrow morning drop the trailer at our parking in Genk.
I unload the two pallets,fill up with diesel,and am home by 15.30.
Wednesday morning and another 4am start.
Half an hour later I am in Genk dropping the trailer,and picking another one up loaded with a stainless steel coil for Sersheim.
Having first had to go to Genk this morning to change trailers,I know I won’t make Worms again for my break this morning,so I’ll get as far as I can before I take my 45mins.
On the A61 it all goes horribly wrong.Just as I pass Dreieck Sinzig the traffic comes to a standstill,this is a three lane uphill section,but with an overtaking ban for trucks right up to the Brohltal services,but all three lanes have come to a stop.
A few minutes later I hear on the radio that a fuel tanker has overturned between Dreieck Sinzig and Niederzissen and the road will be closed for 3-4 hours!
I send a message on the computer to the office to inform them of the delay,though it’s only 6.45 and nobody will be in the office until 8am.
So I settle down,put the coffee on and turn the night-heater on,it’s now -8c.
I phone the office at 8am to give them a progress report.There is no progress.If I am not in Sersheim before 14.00 then I can forget it until tomorrow morning.
At 9.30 the Polizei walk along the lines of traffic to tell us that we must turn around and go back to the last exit and go through Sinzig to join the B9 to Koblenz.The A61 will be closed for the rest of the day.
It then takes me until 12.00 to drive the twenty odd kliks to rejoin the A61,the B9 is solid and very slow going,though the radio report tells of 20km’s of traffic still sitting on the A61 before Sinzig!
At Hockenheim I have to pull in for a 45min. break,it’s taken me almost 4,5hrs from Sinzig to here and so I call the office to tell them I won’t be in Sersheim until 4pm.
They say they’ll call ahead and arrange to get me tipped today.I can’t see that happening,they’re pretty strict at Sersheim.
I arrive at the factory at 3.45pm,there are two trucks unloading inside,the last to arrive before the deadline of 2pm.
I am told to go to the parking and come back at 6am tomorrow morning.Another call to the office and another promise of a phone call to get me tipped.I know it’s fruitless so I go to the parking and get settled down for the night.I don’t hear anymore from the office.
It’s now snowing heavy too.
Thursday morning 5.45am.
I pull out of the parking to wait outside the gates for them to open.If not,several trucks will appear as if by magic and be in front of me.
But,before they can open them,they have to get the snow-plough out and clear not only the yard,but the entrance too and it’s almost 7am before I am allowed to enter and get the coil lifted off.
At 7.20 I pull out,it’s too early for the office to be in yet,so I slip and slide a few kliks down the road to a tank-station,though the road is blocked here and there by cars that have slid off the road.
I call the office at 8am and am told they’ll send the loading details through on the computer,so I nip over the road to the Lidl supermarket for some shopping to take home.
I have to load in France,in Arbreschviller,a load of timber for Herstal,Belgium.
This is one job I really don’t like doing,it’s full weight and loaded right up to the roof,which also means it’s top-heavy and you have to open the roof to climb on top of the load to put the straps on.It’s that tight!
And,it’s usually either 30c,raining or,as today,snowing hard.
I make my way along the B10 to join the A8 at Pforzheim.Joining the A8 from this junction is dodgy at the best of times as it’s a short entry slip at the bottom of a steep climb,today it’s made worse by the amount of snow and ice on the autobahn.
It’s stop-start all the way to the A5,which isn’t any better,in most parts it’s down to two lanes,sometimes one,and I can feel the drive axle sliding away on more than one occassion.
Not too sure what the rules are on German autobahns regarding trucks using the third lane,but this German Actros wasn’t taking any prisoners…
…he was passing everything,at top speed too!
I opt for the B500 to cross into France,but the roads are no better here either…
I take the A4 from Brumath and,driving up some of the inclines I have the distinct feeling I am slowing down,though the speedo is registering 85kph.I then realise that the wheels are spinning,though the road looks fairly dry.
The road from the RN4 to Arbreschviller twists and winds through several small villages,and the roads have not been treated at all,despite this route being used regularly by heavy traffic.
I manage to get to the loading address without having to stop,which means I don’t get stuck.
As I feared,it’s a full load of 24t of sawn timber,right to the roof.
Half loaded.
Thankfully,now I’ve got some weight on,it’ll be a bit easier to get some traction on the small roads leading out of the sawmill…
…but,as I come out onto the main road progress is halted due to a Frenchman trying to get up the hill…
…so,I wait here…
…until the Frenchman,and the German behind him are clear at the top.Then it’s my turn,so with the traction control off,and the diff-lock in,I manage the ascent.
Instead of going across country,as I usually do,to Metz,I backtrack and re-join the A4 to Metz,then through Luxembourg.
I would normally stop for the night at Relais St.Christophe,just off J27 of the E411,but I decide to push on and park in the Ardennes on the E25.
Friday morning 6.30am.
It’s cold again,very cold.This winter seems to go on and on.
I arrive in Herstal just after 8am to start the unloading.My gloves are still wet from the previous day and they are freezing to my fingers.
Unloaded,I call the office expecting to load from just around the corner,but am told to go to Genk and load a coil for France,then call again.
So,having loaded,I drop the trailer in our parking just around the corner,pick an empty one up,and go and load another coil.
After loading this one,I have to load a couple of pallets from another place in Genk then back to the yard.
At the yard I back onto the door to put a few more pallets on,diesel up,fill up with Ad-Blue and finish for the week.
Normally I’d run the outfit through the wash.But it’s frozen.
Next week I start in Autelbas,Belgium-Strassen,Luxembourg-Metz,France and finally unload the coil in Pont de Roide,France.