Back in 2000 they had such a driver shortage because the wage structure was crap/old fashioned; In came agency drivers, one or two were great blokes who could jump from one type of driving job to another and never bragged. Then there were the others 
One I remember was the âIâve driven for Tescos/ASDA etc so donât tell me how to drive a tipper etcâ sort; he didnât heed my warning not to drive onto the tip and turn around-but to reverse;and he went down like a poor rent boy on Hampstead Heath The shortage was probably why I was allowed to move from the quarries to haulage with no experienceâŚ
Priestman VC20-15 âLong-Reachâ loading an ancient Volvo A25; When I drove this in '98 it was ancient! The long reach machine was a strange cross-over between a dragline (knavvy) and a standard 360 excavator. I had a few drives of it; the controls were identical to a 360 yet you treated it like a knavvy- I found this out by stopping the bucket over the screener, but due to itâs length it carried on slewing and the bucketfull of ballast missed the screener and landed beside it 
Saw Andrew today , now he keeps his wagon nice and clean , not like muckaway .
JAKEY:
Saw Andrew today , now he keeps his wagon nice and clean , not like muckaway .
Andrew gets nice clean jobs,
, I DONT LIKE GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY AS WELL .
hey Muckaway , just been to Lechlade and on the way saw lots of your lads chugging along , also âOL PHILâ who looked like he was on a mission !!!
JAKEY:
hey Muckaway , just been to Lechlade and on the way saw lots of your lads chugging along , also âOL PHILâ who looked like he was on a mission !!!
âOl Philâ was probably on type 1 from Wickwar unless he had the bag trailer on, the others were probably running out of Bekstone Pit; Thought youâd like to know I spent over 2 HOURS 
washing mine this afternoon as itâs in for a service tomorrow. Iâm driving a proper fibreglass cabbed Foden tomorrow, the one on a W plate-gears are great fun 
I think Iâll get some pics as itâs already found a buyer âup Northâ according to Workshop Manager so it should be the last time I drive one like it 
YOU WASHING YOUR WAGON 2 HOURS , âown time I hopeâ
JAKEY:
YOU WASHING YOUR WAGON
Yep, but in firms time and under their instructions. We have to wash down completely before our lorries are serviced. AND I spent 15 minutes washing the spare down this afternoon
Backloading with the old girl (stone in, muck out) at Steve Claridges Scrapyard in Carterton.
Another quality motor F519 RBY. Long gone-around 2002/3 I believe. The sister truck F518 RBY ended up trying to mate a tree near Chipping Campden, where you come down the hill from Broadway to the junction for Campden and the old Stratford Road, an agency/temp driver decided to jump the ditch and scrump a few apples from someonesâ orchard. Driver was ok but wasnât seen driving a Smiths lorry againâŚ
Smithsâ Leyland Super Comet and Guy J8 trying to pass on Station Road Eynsham, between the now closed Railway Inn on the right and the Swan on the left.
Muckaway:
Do you do any ramp work with lime Nathan 
.
I havenât personally and Iâve never seen our lorries do it. Itâs normally look for bit of coloured plastic tied to a gatepost, back in and tip and wedge ticket into the lime with the time it was tipped written on. Isnât ramp work for loading spreaders and bags?