Not as interesting as some but here goes:
Arrived in the yard at about 17.40, reported to Transport office to pick up unit, tacho’s and paperwork, at last! Someone I recognise, there seems to be a bigger turnaround of transport office staff than driver’s just lately. 
Get out to unit, an 03 plate FM12 — 420 BRS hire unit, open it up and set about my checks. Inside it whiffs a bit of stale smoke so out comes the air freshener but apart from that its nice an clean inside and out, the only gripe I have is suzi’s are in a tangle so set about untangling them, find that very annoying, just downright lazyness, but at least this one has been diesel-ed up, that makes a pleasant change just lately. 
Get over to the cold store to find out tonight’s running order, first drop is a transfer load from Belle Au Park to Brake’s at Gonerby Moor, then empty to Bishop’s Stortford and on to Brighton again, again. Trailers not quite ready so head for the coffee machine and pass the time of day with the shunter and one or two others. Get back out to truck to find a green light and paperwork on the Driver’s seat, check calendar, no it’s not my birthday, oh well who am I to reason why? 
Pull off the dock fit my plate and go to shut the trailer doors to find that one of the clasps on the trailer that the handle slots into has one bolt missing and is all floppy and loose, came prepared, got my trusty adjustable spanner out and tightened the bolt enough to hold, not too worried as it is the inside door and the out one is secure so no danger of it flying open, will defect it later.
An uneventful plod over to Gonerby Moor and a quick turn around at Brake’s. I like this drop as they are always waiting for it to load it onto the Peterlea wagon so bay six is always empty for us, straight on, in with keys and paperwork, tipped and ready to roll within ten minutes. Had a quick chat with the Shunter at Brake’s, lovely chap, always smiles, always seems happy enough and there’s a lass on the FLT that would not have to ask twice. 
So happy chappy, set of A1 southbound for A14, M11, etc. Has anyone noticed the poor state of the A1 through the Lincolnshire section from Newark down to the Stamford bypass? They always just patch, patch, patch, it’s had no decent money spent on it for years, the up side is you can drop it in the ruts and let go, like being on rails.
Approaching the new M11 Road works section southbound, traffic grinds to a halt about ¾ of a mile before the cones, turns out to be some poor lass broken down in the road works inside the coned off section where the hard shoulder and lane one are the only ones in use, so chaos reigns. This car is stopped in the carriageway, side lights on, hazards on, lass standing beside it behind the Armco but still there are those that drive up behind it and either stop dead or just panic and pull out forcing everyone else to brake quickly, idiots. 
Remainder of the run south is uneventful and arrive at B/Stortford at 21.15, book in and pull around the back of the building to the cold store to load frozen, usually on this run just swap trailers but no spare dual available to keep the one I have, OK by me. As I arrive another of our pulls in to load for Aylesford/Park Royal, the plan is that we load frozen and then go around the other side of the building and wait for a transfer load of chilled to put on the back, anyway I pull around but the other driver swaps trailers and promptly sets off towards M25, forgets chilled, does’nt say anything to anyone. Now I have a dilemma, has he just gone to the shop, the chippy or to see someone, (Nod Nod Wink Wink), leave it for about twenty minutes, still no sign then security comes to ask me where’s the Aylesford Driver? Sorry don’t know says I suggest you ring the dark tower. When by the time they do get through to him he was already south of Dartford so he’d made some great time, anyway now says he does not have enough hours to come back and collect chilled. By this time I’m loaded and off, don’t know the outcome I beat a hasty retreat in case they tried to get me to do it on the way past.
Pretty uneventful run to Brighton, usual spate of road works, etc on the M25, Clackett Lane looked sparsely populated just the usual weekending foreign motors.
Arrive Brighton at 00.18. The lads there are on job and knock so no messing about, straight on the bay whip the chilled off and start sorting into delivery trolley’s, frozen into store no messing. This yard is a very tight blind side reverse, never designed for an artic, you have to pull in forward drop onto the bay at 45 degrees which is just possible to do and get the tractor in line with the trailer with about three feet left up to a very high bank in front of you. To get out you have to jack knife the trailer and literally drag it round being careful to manoeuvre between the abandoned delivery vans.
Always stop just outside here for a 45 and then strike for home in one stretch, 4 ¼ hours back to Bilsthorpe. Sometimes I’ll have a stop and a coffee on the way home depends how tired I feel by then, on odd occasions I’ve had an hour in the bunk, better safe than sorry.
I have to say I don’t mind this run, it’s just do-able at night providing there are no major hold ups. In the Spring, Summer, it’s nice warmer nights, window open, Pink Floyd or Cream on the CD and no-one bothering you. Round Trip 697km, 11.5hrs total, average overall 8.9 mpg.
. keep them coming.