As those of you who were in the Chatroom last Saturday night know, I stamped my feet last Friday and demanded my unit’s indicators were fixed properly at last. Thus, on Sunday morning instead of venturing forth in my trusty Iveco Eurostar, I had the dubious honour of driving a spare Stralis. I had never driven one of these before and it had the auto/semi 12 speed box…… no clutch. Now there is no way I was going to transfer everything over to this motor and the TM told me I would not be going too far as my motor should be fixed by Monday evening (It had to go away to an auto electrician as our mechanics could not find the problem …… no indicators on the rear of the unit or trailer). So I took the bare essentials… my weekly bag of clothes, sleeping bag, tacho wallet etc. Big mistake as you will see as you read along (if you can be bothered to read it all)
SUNDAY: Off I set Sunday morning about 9am to Chichester to load from 3 farms for Tesco’s, Harlow. Had all 3 pickups on by 11am ( a record for them, I am sure) and headed for Harlow. Miracles do happen!!! I arrived at Tesco’s at 217pm and was leaving by 310pm after tipping 24 pallets. From there it was a short run down to Thurrock to load for Tesco’s, Southampton. I had been told it was a 5pm load for a 10pm tip. Not according to Thurrock!! It was a 1030pm load for a 3am tip the next morning!! I told them they had best find someone else to do the load in that case! I rang the Office and the phone calls started lolol I was out of there by 8pm and arrived at Tesco’s at 1010pm. The miracle did not happen here and I pulled out at 0030. Parked outside on the estate and climbed into the bunk. Not a happy bunny ………. Supposedly had a 8am load the next morning.
MONDAY: After last nights episode, I decided to have a lie-in. I got up at 915 and after a quick coffee, headed for Chichester about 930. I had to pick up a load that had come up from Spain 2 days previously. The recipients at Tonbridge had had no room for it so it had been stored at Chichester and now they wanted it. I had been on the bay for 20 minutes after listening to their Office moan about me not being there by 8. All of a sudden, a guy appeared at my window and told me “We can’t load this trailer, mate”. Why not, I asked. Because it is too low came the answer. Now my trailer is a meat trailer so has all the rails in but I have taken the hooks out and they are in the pallet carrier underneath. Don’t be silly, I told him ………. You have loaded this trailer before with Lidl’s loads and they are the highest you do! No, its no good, he said and said I would need to get another trailer. This did not please me one little bit. I phoned the Office and the Bosses words will censored if I print them here. It seems the loads are high and go above the red line in the trailer. I told him I had told the guy that it shouldn’t be above the red line. For those of you don’t know fridges, if you load above the “red line”, the air cannot circulate and the front of the load freezes because the sensors through the trailer are saying the back end is not cool and the fridge runs like a good ‘un. This tends to ruin the lettuce I was picking up lol. After a lot of discussion, one of the fitters had to bring me down another trailer. So now, I not only had lost my unit, I had lost my trailer as well… it had been on the back of my unit for the previous 5 months. When the fitter arrived, he got a tape measure out and showed the guy there was NO difference in the clearance between the floor and the red line in either trailer. They were pleased though cos they could load it to the roof. They were not so pleased when I told them I was not leaving there till I had a disclaimer for the load. Eventually at 2pm, I left there for Tonbridge. When I got there, I was gobsmacked when they said they had no room for it!! Mindful of the fact I had forsaken my trailer for this load, I starting muttering death threats and the like! After 30 minutes they asked me to take it to Paddock Wood!! I phoned the Boss and off I went GRRRRRRRR. At 630pm, I finally got rid of this load that had caused me so much trouble. I phoned in and was dismayed to hear my unit would more than likely be away till the end of the week. Big problems with it. I was told to wait there for further instructions but decided to start meandering up the A21 towards the M25 expecting to be told to head home. I parked up just before the M25. I phoned again at 705 and got told to be patient ……… they were trying to sort something out. At 8pm, I dozed off and never woke till 930pm. No phone calls missed on the mobile?? I called the Boss at home and was amazed to be told there was an urgent on and to ship empty out to Moerdijk in Holland!!! You can imagine my reaction to this!! As I rolled down the M26 towards Dover, I started realising what I NEVER had with me. No P&O Ferry card …………. No fuel cards (luckily I found one in the ashtray) not a lot of cash as I wasn’t expecting to go away like this and then most importantly NO PASSPORT!! Everything was in my own unit …… cooking stuff, the lot. I was so angry that I decided not to ring the Boss till I had been refused shipping at Dover so took my time getting down there at a nice steady 50mph. To my amazement, I got to the booth and the lady asked my usual unit registration, checked my driving licence ( the new photocard type) and booked me on the 0015 sailing. She did say it would be best if my Office faxed Calais before my return so as to make a reservation for my return. I landed in Calais 0245 local time and ran round to Transmarck to park for the night using the “interrupted break” method. This meant I would now have to take 11 hours from the time I parked on the ferry. Parked up at Transmarck after driving in and finding a spot straight away at 0300 local.
TUESDAY: I had not even set the alarm when I had gone to sleep and so woke up at 1pm. I wandered in, had a shower and was sat having a coffee when the phone rang about 145. It was the Venlo TM. Can you be at Moerdijk by 6?, he asked. Sure, I answered. I left Transmarck dead on 2pm and arrived at Moerdijk at 530pm. On the way over there, the Venlo TM had phoned and we had discussed my predicament. He said not to worry as he had a load going back the next day so I would be back in England the following evening. One of my colleagues was in Moerdijk an dbetween us we laoded 69 euro pallets. On the way over to Venlo, he developed a problem with his motor. Oh no, thought I. You guessed it …… next morning, I was heading for Moers in Germany.
WEDNESDAY: Next morning at 630am I headed for Moers. I tipped 8 pallets there ……… only 2 more drops …. except they were further south in Germany. I had 18 pallets for Linden and 8 for Bischofheim. I left Moers at 740 for a 11am booking in Linden. Now there are 3 or 4 different ways to get there and I was mindful of the rush hour so I decided to head straight back down the A57 to Cologne, pick up the ring road (the A1) round the bottom of Cologne and pick up the A3, run down this as far as Limburg and then cut across the National 44 to Wetzlar, drop down a couple of junctions on the A45 and into Linden. I knew where the drop was so that wasn’t a problem. I was happily running down and hit the Cologne ring road and turned westwards onto it. The traffic was still a bit heavy and as I hit a traffic jam. I noticed the jam was for traffic turning off the ring road. Normally I would have shot into the outside lane but the overtaking ban was in force still so I never chanced it until 100 yards from the junction. As I went past I noticed the traffic was horrendous on the road below. Good job I am not going that way, thought I. I pottered on for another 10 minutes and starting wondering where the A3 was. Do you ever get those moments of dread?? I did just then!! I had missed my turn. I should have turned off at the junction where the jam was!!! Onto the A4 to pick up the A3!! I had a quick look at the map and decided against turning around and plotted a new route. I stayed on the A1 and then picked up the A67 heading for Koblenz. From there turn eastwards onto the A48 and then onto the A3. I arrived at the drop at 1255 and was horrified to see they closed at 1. Luckily, the guy was fine about it and I was tipped by 115. Somehow, I could not see that happening in England!!! I left there for the last drop which was booked for 2pm. I turned back onto the A45 and then swung south onto the A5 down towards Frankfurt. As I passed Frankfurt on my left, I picked up the A3 again and turned northwards for the run past Frankfurt Airport. Then south onto the A67 then right onto the A60 and I was at Bischofheim. This was a strange place. They looked really happy to see me and I received a variety of grunts from the Goods In chappie. I had to guess they had tipped me and when I looked there was the signed CMR laying in the back of the trailer!! Have a nice day too, old chap!! So there I was empty again. Now what were they going to do with me?? I phoned in and got a sinking feeling. “Just nip down to Heppenheim! There is a load for loading in the morning” He gave me all the details and my heart sank as I realised I was getting further and further away from home!! So much for not going abroad this week! Came back out onto the A67 and ran down till it met the A5. Then down the A5 to junction 31. I sneaked into the place to see if I could get loaded tonight but it was no go. 11am next morning they told me. So I went back a junction to Junc.30 and went into the Autohof (truckstop). I hadn’t been in one of these for years and discovered paying for parking has reached Germany!! Now English seems not to be widely spoken down here so I had some fun. My German is non existent apart from Danke Schoen and Gutten Morgen!
The little money man explained to me that it was €10 to park but you got two €5 vouchers to spend anywhere in the place!! WOW I I read for a while and then went into the restaurant. Here I had the best meal I had eaten all week. The young girl spoke enough English to help me with the menu so I ordered Schnitzel, with croquette potatoes and mushrooms with bacon pieces fried in garlic. Absolute fantastic meal. The schnitzel was huge, the portions of mushrooms and croquettes were extremely generous. I couldn’t finish the meal!!! All with a large coke.
Coffee, if you are ever near here, eat here!!! The meal came to €13.70… I handed over my vouchers and paid €3.70 ………… Thanks Boss :o)))
THURSDAY: This morning I woke at 8, went back to the cold store and got “told” the load was not ready for 2 hours! I managed to explain I would be in the truck and to knock me. The lad here never spoke hardly any English and it was amusing as we tried to converse. 20 minutes later (?), I got called onto a bay and was loaded with frozen breads. I already knew I had to supply my own CMR so I went in the Office. After much confusion, I realised the lad wanted me to write the CMR out as it seemed “he couldn’t write English” (■■?). We had a good laugh (as you do) and I thought ’that’s it, I am on my way home’. Except for one problem! Fuel! There was no Fuel Site Directory in the truck and I was getting a bit lower than I like. I phoned one of the boys up and he searched for me in his directory. He found a place about 50 kms away. PHEW. I looked at the map and decided to leave the autobahns alone and took the scenic route. I left Heppenheim and passed over the A5 and A67 and stayed on the National 47 heading towards Worms. It was a lovely drive and Worms is a beautiful little town. The other side of Worms I picked up the A61 and 10 minutes later had found the IDS site. 1050 litres later, I was ready to roll. Now I had only driven for an hour so far. So I worked out I could reach Calais this night. I was going to stay on the A61 rather than double back on to the Luxembourg road. So I started heading northwards towards Koblenz again thinking I would keep going to Kerpen and then head for Aachen, Liege, Brussels, Gent, Ostend and Calais.
All of a sudden the phone rang ………. For some reason my heart sank. All I had to do at this moment in time was meander back to Blighty and run into the yard Friday morning to drop the trailer as the load was for delivery Monday morning.
I just knew I should not have answered it!!! The Venlo TM was on the line. “I have a problem. I have a load here for Newark for tomorrow” After nearly having a seizure, I told him no way was I going to Newark on Friday! No, no no he said. Bring that trailer here and I can get that taken back Friday or Saturday. Pick this trailer up and take it to Dartford and someone will meet you there to take it to Newark. It is for delivery at 3pm Friday!! I muttered severely under my breath. So it was a straight run up the A61 all the way to Venlo. Except for three three lane hills, there is an overtaking ban along the whole stretch of this motorway from 6am till 7pm!! I dropped the trailer in the yard and was then informed the trailer was loading at 3am!! OUCH!
I wandered over the truckstop and had a long hot shower ……… I needed it.
FRIDAY: At 315 (215am UK time) this morning, my alarm went off. I ran round to the factory and they had not started loading the trailer yet!! I left there at 415am and headed onto the A67 and A21 towards Antwerp. Whipped it round the Antwerp ring road before it got too busy and headed for Gent down the A14. Then onto the A10 towards Ostend. I reached Calais at 0830 local ………… pulled up at the booth. I then nearly screamed as there was no reservation for me. I phoned the Office and the Boss said he was really sorry but he had had the fax in his hand yesterday and then got sidetracked. I would have to wait till the agents office opened at 9pm UK time for them to fax Calais. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
True to their word though, I met another driver at Snodland and he took the trailer off me and headed for Newark with it. I ran with the empty trailer round to the yard. I had a chat with the Boss and TM and decided about 430 to head for home after agreeing to an early start Sunday as I had finished so early today. I took my stuff out of the Stralis and put it back in my beloved Eurostar. I hooked up to my trailer and blow me down with a feather!!! The trailer indicators weren’t working!!! The Boss just about had a fit at this stage and the language was very colourful lol. Instead of taking the outfit home ready for Sunday morning, I have one of the firms cars instead. As I left the Boss and mechanic were on my catwalk trying to sort the problem out. I beat a hasty retreat. The firm who did the job said quite casually, ‘Bring it back in Monday’.
So all in all, it wasn’t a week I shall remember fondly! I hated the Stralis, it had no guts and was the most uncomfortable thing I have slept in. It is the ActiveSpace version but I cannot find one good thing to say about it except the indicators work on it!! Needless to say, there are no photos as the camera was in my own unit!
)))
… little things are starting to go wrong… its like she knows she is off soon
, your quite right doesn’t look like 4hrs was managed.