Well, what a day... *phew*

[andym]

Well, Ive just had the best first day of the rest of my working life…

I started in my new job this morning, forgetting to clock in at 7.00am… (Great Start!! )…

Feeling just a tad nervous, and apprehensive, I made my way up to meet the instructors in the training room.
The first two weeks I will be spending 1-2-1 with an instructor, On-The-Job training. Then I will be on my own for 6 more weeks, just doing local stuff, maybe going as far afield as Southend, Thurrock, Enfield, and surrounding areas… so not far.

There are two of us starting today, me and my mate Mike. The day started with some classroom lessons on Tacho’s, and Hours Regs, and that took us up to breakfast time… (Time for a truckers Breaky - 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausages, fried slice, beans, and a hash brown… Mmmm )

Then we were kitted out in our new uniforms. … but while we were busy, Bill, one of the instructors, went off to find some keys to some units for us to play with… our first lorrys without ‘L’ plates…
“There ya go Mike… that ones for you”… and gave him some keys…
Mike had the pleasure of driving a nice Daf CF.

“… and here ya go Andy… " he said… " I believe thats your favorite…”… and Bill threw me some keys too…

Volvo FM12…

Talk about chuffed…

I am a bit of a Volvo Fan, dunno why… just am… but I had a grin the size of Essex when I saw it… Okay, so it wasnt New, but it was one of the only Volvo FH12’s that has a manual gearbox. All the others have automatics… Good if you know what ya doing, but I need the practice…

So off we go to find our trailers, under the guidence of or instructors, Bil with me, and Mike had a guy called Dennis.

We found our trailers and set off for a drive, just to get used to the 45ft trailers.
I spent the rest of the day driving around, and ended up in Chelmsford, goinf through town, round the ring roads, and up and down the A130… still grinning like a cheshire cat…
Well, we got our first job tomorrow, which is to move a Pota-cabin…Thats gonna be fun…

I am noe absolutly shattered, so its bed time… but If your all interested, I’ll post up tomorrow, how Day 2 goes…

But one things for sure… I’ll still be grinnning…hahahaha

[niall]

You keep grinning mate

Enjoy it, be careful and well done

[margatemafia]

nice one andy, really chuffed for ya mate i hope it all goes well just to second what niall said enjoy it and be careful of the maniacs in cars

[niall]

C’mon andy - we are all waiting!

[jb]

you want to stick with ford andy, they sound excellent people to work for. not many firms would give you all that “on the job” training. keep smiling pal. jon

[andym]

hahaha, Ive been tryin gto catch up on all the other threads… LOL… Okay…

Day 2…

Done a bit more driving today… Bill the instructor done his usual, and went off to find some keys for me and Mike, while we finished out tea’s… and when he came back, he tossed Mike a set of keys for one of the Mercedes Axors we have on hire at the moment… they are 6x2 with a lifting tag axle.

Mike seemed happy with his one, and Bill gave me the keys to mine…

Okay, I thought I had grinned enough yesterday… but today■■?

Well, what I got today blew my mind!!!

A Volvo FH12…Less than 4 months old… … and its only my 2nd day… Cool huh■■?

Then we set of to do our first job of the day. It was a Porta-loo that had to be resited… this is where we had a lesson in roping and strapping…

It was at this point, that this weird Bloke came up to me and said that he had told me that I would probably get one of the new ones… " Mmm, who’s this nutter??" I thought, Just nodding and agreeing with him…
…Then it clicked…
I had just had an Eyeball with Declan67 from our very own TruckNetUK… and I didnt realise at first… We stood around and had a chat for a while, and he went off towards a Southamton direction and left me to deal with the khazi… LOL
(Good to meet you Dec, see you around tomorrow probably mate… )

After we finished this job, we went and found some heavy trailers to drag about for a bit, so we could experience the weight of a fully loaded trailer.

We hitched up, and off we went, up the A13 heading towards Benfleet. we drove around all afternoon, going through Benfleet itself, over to Canvey Island, and back down the A13.

That was it for the day then… so its was home to relax with a beer and reflect on another excellent day.

Wots in store for tomorrow we await and see, but we have got a little job to do in a rigid in the morning, and then Bill didn mention something about me having it so easy today with the FM12 with Autobox, he was gonna find me a Twin Splitter to have a play with!!!.. Oh well… if you see a very stressed guys behind the wheel of an artic, making some very strange noises… Dont worry, Its only me… LOL

[niall]

I told you mate not to rush and take your time.

Not only did you load the Portaloo too quick, but the lad on your trailer is shouting his mate to come out

[andym]

Niall:
I told you mate not to rush and take your time.

Not only did you load the Portaloo too quick, but the lad on your trailer is shouting his mate to come out

[arfa]

Good luck to ya boy. When I took my test last year & failed it was in a FH & by gum they are high up I had to have oxygen because of the hieght . Well done Andy you take care.

[niall]

Quote from Radio 2 to - day;

“Hi Steve, this is Sally Traffic. Apparently there is a Khazi on the loose on the A13.Passers by have reported a mad man in shorts STILL trying to call his mate out.”
According to passers by, a bad Ruby was to blame

Hope you had a good day mate!

[goofball]

go on andy…give us some more news .

[andym]

More news??.. hahaha, well… were do I start… LOL…
This week has just gone so fast… its been unbelieveable.

Okay,where was I??.. Oh yeah, wednesday…

Well, wednesday, we only had a few little jobs to do in the Rigid Volvo F6 that they use for the Cat C training. So I did my firt bit of handballing. 100 dinning chairs to be delievered to one of the new building on the Ford estate. Its called the CEME building, and it the new building on the left, as you head London bound on the A13, just before you get to the Dagenham East Turn-off. Its got wot looks like an onion growing ou the side, but I found out that it was actually a cinema… LOL…

Anyway, that was wednesday, not really much to report…

Thursday… This was the big day… LOL… The longest run I have done to date. Okay, it wasnt long, but it felt Long…

We had a load to take up to Leighton Buzzard, which is our Short change over, which is where we had to meet up with another driver that had made his way down from Mersyside. So, off we set, A13, onto the A406, then M11, then M25, and headed for the M1. Bill, told me that it doesnt really matter what time of day it was, the Junction of the M25 and the M1North can be absolutly caotic, so we came off the junction before the M1, and he showed me a route to cut the corner off… Up onto the A414, along to the M10 and onto the M1 that way…

Up the M1 we went, to junction 9, which is where we would normally turn off onto the A5, but he wanted to show me another place that we deliver to, just North of Dustable, so we came off at Junc 11, and came into Dunstable from the North… he pointed it out to me, and we made our way into Dunstable town center where we met the A5…

Met up with the other guy no probs, swapped our trailers and he went on his merry way. We made our way out too, but didnt go back onto the A5, instead, we went down this gorgeous little country road, heading for Hemel Hemstead… little villages with Thatched roofs bendy, windy… up hill, down dale… certainly made me work for my living. LOL… and I was getting quick expert at using the splitter… as I hadnt really had the need to use it before, but as we were now fully freighted at just over 41 tonne, there was a need…

Anyway, got back onto the M25, but came came off at the Waltham Abbey Turn off… came back through Loughton, and onto the M11, then off at Barking, through Barking, and Dagenham, Past my house, then it was back to base…
So that was thursday, and what a day… it was awsome. I loved every minute of it…

And today, was just shunting around, up and down a couple of times to Hays, just off the A13… but this time I was in an old Iveco… and today was the Day for… Daaa daaaa… The Twin Splitter!!!

LOL… well, what a friggin nightmare to start with… LOL … anyone that drives a twin splitter needs a medal… I started to get the hang on it by the end of the day, but I had it singing Auld Lang Syne by Lunch time… and The National Anthem by Tea Break… Hahahaha Its not to bad now, but I would still make it sing a few more songs if I got into it again, I’m sure…

So thast it, for week One… I feel absolutly shattered now… all that fresh air, and concentration has totally taken it out of me… so Its time for a nice cold beer, and a relax…

Cheers…(beer in hand…)… heres to next week… hahahahaha

[wheel_nut]

Well done AndyM(ate)

Give it a day or too and you will find the Eaton Twin Splitter is the best box on the road. such a pity they dont make it anymore.

It was discontinued because it failed the EU drive by noise tests. (not the tunes you played) but the whine from the constant mesh gears

Its good to drive a few trucks though, it makes you a better driver.

[andym]

Wheel Nut:
Well done AndyM(ate)

Give it a day or too and you will find the Eaton Twin Splitter is the best box on the road. such a pity they dont make it anymore.

It was discontinued because it failed the EU drive by noise tests. (not the tunes you played) but the whine from the constant mesh gears

Its good to drive a few trucks though, it makes you a better driver.

Well, Ive had a differentunit every day this week… X reg F12 the first day, Brand New FM12 the next, then the F6 Rigid, the long(ish) run I did in a Daf CF, and had the Iveco twin split today… so there aint nothing else in the fleet to drive… LOL…

Oh, they have got two MAN TGA’s on hire… Mm, wonder if I could blag one of them for next week…

[bully]

AndyM:
And today, was just shunting around the compound, up and down a couple of times to Hays, just off the A13… but this time I was in an old Iveco… and today was the Day for… Daaa daaaa… The Twin Splitter!!!

LOL… well, what a friggin nightmare to start with… LOL … anyone that drives a twin splitter needs a medal… I started to get the hang on it by the end of the day, but I had it singing Auld Lang Syne by Lunch time… and The National Anthem by Tea Break… Hahahaha Its not to bad now, but I would still make it sing a few more songs if I got into it again, I’m sure…

What did I tell you “I’ll name that tune in 1” LOL!!!

Bully

[niall]

Why did they stop making the Eaton Twin Splitter?

It whined and whined and whined and whined !!!

(The drivers did, not the box!!)

[thebigone]

I’d have posted a bit sooner but I’ve just had my 'phone line fixed. Great to hear your enjoying it and being eased into it rather than being chucked in at the deep end. They seem like a good company to work for . I’m running around in a rigid at the moment and I’m getting just a touch jelous . Hope next week goes as well .

[lostpup]

[zb]
Sounds like you’re having a great time. There’s not enough companies that give you training on the job. I think everybody could do with that when they first start out. Enjoy it Andy and ask as many questions as you can while you’ve got somebody sitting beside you to answer them.

After my recent trips to London I don’t envy you driving a 45 footer in that traffic!!

(edited By AndyM)

[bully]

Andy…Really mate from the bottom of my heart, i’m sorry you had a hard time with the twin splitter…it will come with experience trust me!

In the meantime maybe you should stick to something you can handle?

Sorry mate…couldn’t help myself

Bully

[carl]

great photo.ive been out all week mate so ive just read your posts glad to see you enjoying it i still smile like the cheshire cat when im driving round and ive been doin it 8years.twin splitters were an orrible invention i only lasted ten mins with one and that was to long.keep them big wheels a turnin pal.cheers carl