I’m surprised insurance companies permit so much of what we do. Up ladders entrenched with pre historic woodworm, down steep celler steps etc. Having said that it’s free fitness training, no need to waste time and money at the gym, and I go all over the country. Tend to find the further north I go the more helpful the customers are.
I’m a baker at present and always felt a bit sorry for the flour lads. Compared to what some of you do though they have it easy at mine. Normally we have about a ton 1500 at the very most. Can back the wagon up to our garage door, drop it on the tail lift and shift it about 4 feet onto a pallet. Used to be able to just use a pump truck and roll it straight in till my boss had a new floor lol.
Often get complaints off ingredient suppliers about going upstairs to our flat. Bfp point blank refuse and it’s only 150 kg if that most weeks lol.
I’ll be the other side of the fence in a few weeks Al being well though, although not doing bakery work.
Talking of BFP Carl, I’ve seen one refuse to stack sone salt and sugar sacks onto racking. The same I wss hand balling onto. I can sympathise re the new floor, but make it difficult then the customer should do it themselves. Actually had one woman say “why do you use that thing (sack truck)? Everyone else carries it up the path”.
Muckaway:
Peirre, who did you deliver flour for?
I do some work for RH.
Muckaway:
This is open to adjustments as some handball jobs need two people.
There is scope for having a drivers mate but not often.
There is one loft drop outside Lincoln which requires 2 people, 1 on the truck bed, the other in the loft, however the majority of 2 man jobs are on the drawbar rigs (6 wheel rigid prime mover and A-frame drawbar) these are usually combo of 5-11 handball and forklift drops. the 7.5/18/22T four wheeler rigid`s rarely get a drivers mate, its usually when I run a 6 wheeler without a drawbar do I get a mate
Muckaway:
Personally I think you should have a second man if there are 1t pallets to move, and deliveries should be left at the doorstep or the customer provide assistance.
1Tonne/65bag pallets take me around 20-30 minutes tip, depending where the customer wants it, Ill break half the pallet down and stack them 6 high down the side of the bed, carrying 2 sometimes 3 -16kg bags at a time on my shoulder, the other half of the pallet will then be just at the right height to slide the other bags off the pallet onto my shoulder. Theres a regular drop on Chorlton-■■■-Hardy (Manchester) who has 100+ bags 3 times a week, and its a 70/30 chance against me having a mate. so the 100+ usually takes me 45-60 mins as they want it stacked high 
I won`t mention wet floors …
I always tell customers. “You tell me where you would like it, and I’ll tell you how it is going to get there.”
I will bend over backwards for you, but only as far the Manitou goes, after that it’s up to you.
Another cracker I get is the instruction, please phone the customer so they can meet you/be in at the time of delivery. What are they going to do? Drive the Manitou for me?? 99 times out of a hundred they could just as easily give you instructions over the phone without all the ■■■■■■■ around waiting by them or me.
I kid you not I was once asked to lift 6 packs of slabs over a house, into the back garden. My reply?
“Madam I have a HIAB, not a helicopter…”
Plastic pallets; How can they be more hygienic when bits always fall off (and jam the pumptruck wheels)?
you mean you actually get a pump truck !!
As for plastic pallets, they`re a nightmare, sliding around the bed
peirre:
you mean you actually get a pump truck !!
As for plastic pallets, they`re a nightmare, sliding around the bed
Yep, just been bought a brand new one with a rubber tyred jockey wheel and shorter forks. Massive improvement especially when space is tight.
…If only they checked the pallet for nails and damprot…
I’d love a pump truck for some of my deliveries but yet to find one that can handle 3x2 metre pallets.
Possibly the worst drop I do is in Harrow, down the end of Harrow market (the one under the railway arches). People everywhere trying to squeeze past while you reverse up with a load of taxis one side and businesses on the other. Then it’s 35+ 3x2 metre sheets of acrylic to unload by hand trying not to scratch them on the arches or the lorry as you only have a foot or two gap. Once we get them inside we turn them on their end and lift them up onto a mezzanine. There’s been a few sheets dropped (usually the heavy ones like 8 to 12 mm thick, they can be up to 130kg each) so it’s a case of jump out the way once the lads upstairs have got a grip on it. Only good thing is that they all help out, we tipped 80 sheets in 20 minutes on Tuesday.
That’s about as bad as it gets, access is possibly the worst thing.
Muckaway:
Talking of BFP Carl, I’ve seen one refuse to stack sone salt and sugar sacks onto racking. The same I wss hand balling onto. I can sympathise re the new floor, but make it difficult then the customer should do it themselves. Actually had one woman say “why do you use that thing (sack truck)? Everyone else carries it up the path”.
I always get the flour deliveries as it’s my bosses day off and they often turn up at 5 am ish so I open the garage and can’t stop to do anything else and they’ve used a pump truck then but I get the bollocking off my boss lol.
I get on really well with our regular from bfp but he’ll only go as far as sticking stuff to the side in a pile so I can still get through. Nothing goes upstairs ever lol.
Bako on the other hand are spot on, our Monday delivery they’ll put it all wherever I ask, our regular Thursday driver tends to turn up as I’m finishing so I’ll help him out. If he’s run late and delivers Friday morning he’s on his own but he doesn’t mind.
Delivered a pallet of stationary to an office block once. Was asked to take it to the top floor. (5 floors). No access for a pallet truck, and no sack truck. Told them it ain’t happening. They insisted its what all the over drivers do, and were arguing the point. So I pulled my trump card. ‘I’m only insured to drop to the kerb side.’
With a sigh, they sent out 6 office staff to get their stationary.
On the flip side, had a rare domestic address delivery. A pallet of paraffin. 1 gallon tubs. 100-ish of them in total. Monday before Christmas 2005, last drop of the day mid afternoon.
Knocked the door, and this tiny, frail old lady came out. Told her what I had, and she asked very politely if I would take it round the back for her. Festive spirit and all that, I agreed. Unwrapped the pallet and grabbed 4 tubs and off I went. Put them beside the paraffin tank in the back garden. Got back to wagon, and she was trying to reach up to grab one. I lifted one down for her, and she put it on her makeshift sack truck made from an old shopping basket frame, and pulled it around the back with all her strength. I carried on carrying them, and putting one on the floor for her every time.
After unloading the tubs, she asked if I would empty them into her tank ‘if it’s not too much trouble?’ I agreed. So I grabbed a strap, threaded it through 10 tubs, climbed onto the tank and started pouring. After pouring the ones on the strap, I would lower the strap and she would thread more on. After an hour, her tank was full, and the empty’s back on my wagon (Would you be able to dispose of them for me?) I was setting the last curtain strap and she wished me a good Christmas and gave me a card ‘to go with the others I had hanging in my cab’.
I thanked her and left.
Sat in traffic, half way back to yard an hour later, I opened the card to hang with the rest and something fell out.
She had given me a £50 tip.
So yes you do get the trouble customers, but sometimes they are worth it.
