This weeks adventures

[rob_k]

Wednesday night. I’m still trying to figure out if I actually did any work .

Back at Roadways again at 1800 and,

"There’s the keys for X235LBJ [FM12 380]. You’re relieving the day man shunter up at Next at South Elmsall. Go up unit only and there’s 3 trailers up there being tipped. If any of them have been tipped then get the day man to bring one back and then sort the other two out. If they’re done in time, pull one off and park it up and then bring the other back with you.

After that you’ve got a 2359 booking at Ciba (Allied Colloids) at Low Moor, Bradford so leave yourself enough time to get back down here, swap over and get over there okay?".

No problem. Got up to Next at 1840 and after a few words with the day shunter he disappeared with a 20fter and I was left baby-sitting a 40 and another 20. The 20 had 3 different drops on it and was to be re-sealed when they’d taken what they wanted out of it. At 1850 it was ready to be pulled off. I asked what time the 40 had gone on the bay and it was only at 1815 and the estimated tip time was 8 hours so realistically, that would be staying there for the night.

I pulled the 20 off and sealed it up and then got my head down for a good 3 hours kip . The bell rang at 2215 and it was Paul from the office.

“How you doing up there?”.

“The 20’s done which I’ve pulled off. Just waiting for the 40 now”.

“Okay, I’ve got someone else to do the Ciba job as it’s quiet so get your head down for a bit”.

“Okey-dokey. What time should I pull out of here if the 40’s not done?”.

“Ring me or I’ll ring you at midnight”. . Excellent, more sleep.

Got my head down again and set my alarm for midnight .

Checked the 40 again and still a red light so I belled Paul.

“Okay, it’ll have to stay where it is then. Back down here Rob, there’s a 40 to load at Scottish Courage at 0300 for the train so whenever you’re ready mate”.

Trundled back down to the container base, dropped and swapped, picked my note and bolt seal up then off to Normanton.

Went in to see the Hayes lads and the load reference number was wrong. No amount of checking and re-checking would rectify it so I had to pull out empty and return to Leeds. .

Nothing else to do so I was away at 0300 having done absolutely nothing for 9hrs but lined my pocket with £76.50 at the same time. More! More!

[rob_k]

Back in Thursday at 1800 and back in a Scania 94L 310 P-cab again .

First job was to take the Vauxhall Brava? van and run up to Volvo Crossroads Truck & Bus at Birstall to pick up another agency guy who’d just taken an FM up there for service. I thought Vauxhall’s were fairly good, having always had Vauxhall cars and vans myself in all my years of driving but this thing was horrendous to drive. The gear stick is about 3 ft away from you when you’re sat in the driving seat and they’ve no power whatsoever. Even with only me in it it wouldn’t maintain 70mph up the M621 to Gildersome (no ‘lose some weight’ jokes necessary cheers ).

It later transpired that they’re actually Isuzu vans with a Vauxhall badge on them which would explain why the indicator stalk was on the wrong side .

Back to the container base and then I took up my shunting duties again. He was going to send me home at midnight after only 6 hours as they were quiet once again but then he decided to let me do the 0300 booking for Hallmark Cards on River Street in Brighouse . The box was out of Freightliner so I needed to get myself a 20ft skelly. I soon found one and it was one of the old orange UT prefix ones with a tandem axle configuration.

As I reversed under it it started moving backwards which was a bit of a shock. I jumped out to find out why and then saw that they’re not air park brakes on them but the old style ratchet and cable ones and it hadn’t been put on . It’s a good thing the trailer was on the flat…

There were only 3 lines on it too. Primary electrics and a red and yellow line. Hitched it all up and fitted my bulbs, clusters and rego plate on the back then I was off . I don’t know why but I like 20ft trailers . Went and got my box on at Freightliner and it said 25 tonne on the sheet but this doesn’t usually include the weight of the box which is approx 2 tonne.

My little 310hp Scania was proper struggling with it and I was down to 25mph up the M621 but hey, no rush . It must have been full up to the ceiling in the back because it was really unstable round the corners; nice and steady coz those 20ft’s go over real easy .

Had a bit of a wait on at Brighouse as one of ours was already tipping. Got my head down for an hour and then I was ushered on to the bay. I sat there with the engine running waiting for them to cut the bolt seal off but after 10 minutes still no action so I went in to see them.

“Are you ready to start tipping yet?”.

“Yeah we’re on with it now?”.

“Well don’t you want the doors open like?!”.

“Yeah”.

“Well if you take the bolt seal off then I’ll pull forward and open them”.

“Okay”.

So I went back and waited for them to give me the okay to pull forward but it never came. I heard the door handles clattering and was thinking to myself ‘why are they trying to open the doors with it backed on the bay?’ so I got out and went to see them only to find that the bay was low enough for them to manage to open the doors where it was . ‘Fine do it yourself then’ . So I got my head down again for another hour . Finished and pulled out at 0200 which necessitated another hour on the bunk then I got on my way and called at Asda Morley to do my shopping and headed back to Leeds and that was me done and away for 0430.