Don’t you get the feeling that you’re going to have one of those days?
Here follows my first post and diary. Hope you enjoy it.
Friday 25th February.
I have worked for this company as an agency driver since the beginning of the year, and so far it’s been enjoyable. Valuable experience as this is my chosen career path after 20 years in IT.
They are a well known national electrical distributor, and I work out of the Warrington hub which serves the north-west. Thay have two types of vehicle. Daf LF 7.5 t and a number of LDV Maxus vans. Today I’m in a Daf. Nice motor.
Signed on this morning at 6am. I have 17 drops today which takes me round Stockport, Macclesfield, Buxton and finishing in Hyde.
Check the truck over then check the load. I find I have a pallet that’s not on my manifest and it’s right at the front of the load. This means I have to move the other four pallets to get it off.
This wastes a good half an hour while I reload.
Off to my first drop and nobody in. Oh joy, ring depot to let them know. I carry on to Macclesfield, four drops then off to Buxton. I hear on the radio the Cat & Fiddle has snow at the top but not blocked. I chance it and it looks ok until……
We are stopped here for about 30 mins. Turns out a 7.5 tonner can’t get going up the hill round the bend.
At the top.
And finally into Buxton.
Do two drops in Buxton and I take my 45 minute break before setting off to a site in New Mills where I encounter a jobsworth prat who signed my paperwork under duress saying it’s not for him but for the electrician, “He’s not on site. I can’t check it can I. “ “You’re only signing for four boxes” I say. He starts winging, so I make my excuses and leave. Why do we get people like that??
By this time, I realise I’m not going to get all my drops done before 4pm, so I call the TM who gets another driver to meet me.
Then it’s off to a house near Poynton. The satnav keeps telling me to go up 7.5 t restricted roads. One road says access only, so I chance it as the place I want is at the end. It gradually gets worse, then I come face to face with a load of thick looking low branches. Not risking that so I backup down the lane and try another route. This place is so inaccessible I end up going the long way round to get to it. Another 30 mins wasted. This day gets better.
Two drops in Stockport and I meet the other driver and takes four drops off me.
Up to Reddish to find the site closed. Oh joy!! More stuff to take back to the depot.
Finally to Hyde for my last drop and back to base to refuel and debrief.
7 hours 41 minutes and 251 kms driven today.
Pete