Going to Felixstowe Dock tomorrow for first time. Any help with directions and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Been told to go get my card first?
Follow a14 east get to roundabout turn right follow road right to end at other roundabout turn right onto docs go through gate and follow road, on the left is the doc police station there you will get your passs, take urgent licence with you for I’d, then it all depends whee you got collection on docs best ask when you get your pass. But it’s easy once you get used to it, just take your time… any more help just ask and I see if i can help
Good luck mate
Check this out.
vbs.portoffelixstowe.co.uk/publi … mation.pdf
IIRC the straddler comes over you and you have to shunt to position yourself.
And don’t slam your cab door shut or the wind will shut the docks 
If a seagul ■■■■■ in the dock , the cranes shut down.
Parking around there is ■■■ ■■■, Orwell truckstop for roast dinners and fry ups.
Parking on the road where it signed Stack area is an option.
Laybys on the busy dual carriageway going to the port, if sleeping there , ratchet yourself to the bunk, take sea sick pills with the cab rocking all night.
The locals dont like drivers buying fish and chips in town.
rookie07:
Going to Felixstowe Dock tomorrow for first time. Any help with directions and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Been told to go get my card first?
Are going to be going regular ?
zorg2006:
Follow a14 east get to roundabout turn right follow road right to end at other roundabout turn right onto docs go through gate and follow road, on the left is the doc police station there you will get your passs, take urgent licence with you for I’d, then it all depends whee you got collection on docs best ask when you get your pass. But it’s easy once you get used to it, just take your time… any more help just ask and I see if i can help
Good luck mate
Great advice,but I’ll add a bit more, as I love the sound off My keyboard.
Take a utility bill/bank statement(document with name and address on) or passport, aswell as driving licence for RHIDES card. As already directed Police Station through gate1, once through gate (no need to stop) you’ll go straight over another r/about, then a level xing, Police hse on left, drive past and turn left into POE1 container pk, drive between containers bare left and that is HGV parking for pass office. walk to the right off the police hse, then pass office door will on your left facing the railway line. they have maps in there, will be mega usefull 
When booking out a container(out gate canopy), make sure you double swipe you rhides card, the screen will show a green banner, if you don’t, then the port gate security(gate1 or2) will turn you back, and its a bloody nuisance, as you can sometimes queue for half an hour to get those gates .
Though this will only ring a bell with other inmates off PoF, was booking out at LNG other day, another driver under the canopy had made a bit off a foul up. I pointed out that he’d loaded the box 40’ hc on the 45’ pins, the checker then told him he was under the wrong canopy, he’d collected the box from TTY, so he had to take it to TTY to book out. I took pity on him and told him to follow Me and I took him back to TTY, told him to go to a ■■■■■■ and act stupid, then see about getting the container repositioned, then getting booked out at TTY out gate
If I were that drive I would park up pull curtains and go back to bed, days like that never get any better, hope he sorted it
eddie snax:
rookie07:
Going to Felixstowe Dock tomorrow for first time. Any help with directions and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Been told to go get my card first?Are going to be going regular ?
zorg2006:
Follow a14 east get to roundabout turn right follow road right to end at other roundabout turn right onto docs go through gate and follow road, on the left is the doc police station there you will get your passs, take urgent licence with you for I’d, then it all depends whee you got collection on docs best ask when you get your pass. But it’s easy once you get used to it, just take your time… any more help just ask and I see if i can help
Good luck mateGreat advice,but I’ll add a bit more, as I love the sound off My keyboard.
Take a utility bill/bank statement(document with name and address on) or passport, aswell as driving licence for RHIDES card. As already directed Police Station through gate1, once through gate (no need to stop) you’ll go straight over another r/about, then a level xing, Police hse on left, drive past and turn left into POE1 container pk, drive between containers bare left and that is HGV parking for pass office. walk to the right off the police hse, then pass office door will on your left facing the railway line. they have maps in there, will be mega usefull
When booking out a container(out gate canopy), make sure you double swipe you rhides card, the screen will show a green banner, if you don’t, then the port gate security(gate1 or2) will turn you back, and its a bloody nuisance, as you can sometimes queue for half an hour to get those gates
Though this will only ring a bell with other inmates off PoF, was booking out at LNG other day, another driver under the canopy had made a bit off a foul up. I pointed out that he’d loaded the box 40’ hc on the 45’ pins, the checker then told him he was under the wrong canopy, he’d collected the box from TTY, so he had to take it to TTY to book out. I took pity on him and told him to follow Me and I took him back to TTY, told him to go to a ■■■■■■ and act stupid, then see about getting the container repositioned, then getting booked out at TTY out gate
Do you not know that it is acceptable to have a 40’ box on the 45’ pins, or were you just winding him up to waste his time?
If it can go wrong im your man, ive had wrong boxes on, reefers on the wrong way round, wrong dock, forgot to swipe out, cocked up booking in, box on 2 or 3 locks (may bounce down but not guaranteed).
Also box on closed lock that had spun round, wrong peg, lost then touching cloth and pooping myself waiting for the crane, crane broke down, forgetting to stretch trailer…
In the end its just take your time and if in doubt ask, or just ask anyway.
Oh and get a map of the docks this will always be usefull.
Oh and as at every location find out where the loos are… 
As for parking at Felixstowe, you can also park free and make use of the terminal canteen at the far end of oysterbed road, the only time you will be asked to not park there is during operation stack.
Oops double post, I clicked quote instead of edit, like I said if it can go wrong im your man
weeto:
[ Do you not know that it is acceptable to have a 40’ box on the 45’ pins, or were you just winding him up to waste his time?
Is it, that’s not what I’ve been led to believe, but I’ll check it out, handy to know for sure.
Were I used to work, if you loaded a box on the wrong pins, and left it in the yard for another driver to do, there was an MI5 type investigation, and a morning off indoctrination 
zorg2006:
If I were that drive I would park up pull curtains and go back to bed, days like that never get any better, hope he sorted it
Yeah I know what you mean, I didn’t hang about once I’d put him on the right track, so I hope he got sorted too
Dipper_Dave:
If it can go wrong im your man, ive had wrong boxes on, reefers on the wrong way round, wrong dock, forgot to swipe out, cocked up booking in, box on 2 or 3 locks (may bounce down but not guaranteed).Also box on closed lock that had spun round, wrong peg, lost then touching cloth and pooping myself waiting for the crane, crane broke down, forgetting to stretch trailer…
In the end its just take your time and if in doubt ask, or just ask anyway.
:
Blimey 
Hope your luck has changed, or at least that I’m always in front off you booking out
All in me first month, found the cure was to take me time check and double check. Oh and go to the loo before getting on the dock…
Dipper_Dave:
All in me first month, found the cure was to take me time check and double check. Oh and go to the loo before getting on the dock…
Yeah, you cant check enough, I’m slightly OCD about Trl/box number’s, will always check the box number before moving away from the ■■■■■■.
A guy I used to work with when I was doing traction work, If we were running together He would wait til we’d got a few miles up the road, then get on the CB and start asking whether I’d got the right trailer, throwing random numbers into the equation, in the end he knew I’d have to pull over and check, even though it would have been booked out by security, just enough doubt for Me to have to stop and check, amused him no end
weeto:
Do you not know that it is acceptable to have a 40’ box on the 45’ pins, or were you just winding him up to waste his time?
Just to add, if I was wasting His time, it was done with the best off intentions,
1, if I was a new job 1st day, and someone offered what appeared to be genuine help, I think about what I’d been told, weigh up if it sounded dangerous or stupid or helpful, then use the information as I saw fit,
2, This guy had a sliding skelly on, and didn’t even realise it slid, I explained the process 2 or 3 times, but as we both had 40’ on was unable to demonstrate, which I have done before.
I like to believe that what I tell others is correct, and will always endeavour to help someone, and or point out when I see some thing that cause may a fellow driver a problem.
eddie snax:
Dipper_Dave:
All in me first month, found the cure was to take me time check and double check. Oh and go to the loo before getting on the dock…Yeah, you cant check enough, I’m slightly OCD about Trl/box number’s, will always check the box number before moving away from the ■■■■■■.
A guy I used to work with when I was doing traction work, If we were running together He would wait til we’d got a few miles up the road, then get on the CB and start asking whether I’d got the right trailer, throwing random numbers into the equation, in the end he knew I’d have to pull over and check, even though it would have been booked out by security, just enough doubt for Me to have to stop and check, amused him no end
weeto:
Do you not know that it is acceptable to have a 40’ box on the 45’ pins, or were you just winding him up to waste his time?Just to add, if I was wasting His time, it was done with the best off intentions,
1, if I was a new job 1st day, and someone offered what appeared to be genuine help, I think about what I’d been told, weigh up if it sounded dangerous or stupid or helpful, then use the information as I saw fit,
2, This guy had a sliding skelly on, and didn’t even realise it slid, I explained the process 2 or 3 times, but as we both had 40’ on was unable to demonstrate, which I have done before.
I like to believe that what I tell others is correct, and will always endeavour to help someone, and or point out when I see some thing that cause may a fellow driver a problem.
Our fitter says it’s fine to do it, and I have asked the question at the VOSA check point at Felixstowe and they arent bothered either, but your employer may not approve.
It also saves messing about when your dropping a loaded 20’ then picking up a 40’ and vice versa.
weeto:
Our fitter says it’s fine to do it, and I have asked the question at the VOSA check point at Felixstowe and they arent bothered either, but your employer may not approve.
It also saves messing about when your dropping a loaded 20’ then picking up a 40’ and vice versa.
My employers go by the label on the side off the skelly.
it states that
position 1, loading and unloading 30’ & 20’ centre mounted boxes
position 2, 30’ box running position
position 3, 45’ box & centrally mounted 20’ box running position
position 4, 13.6m, 40’ or 2 x 20’ boxes running position
note: front twistlocks (yellow) are for use with 45’ box only, with locking pins in position no 3
And then there is the diagram underneath, on that basis whether that be a VOSA or company policy, the trailer manufacturer has designed the front (yellow) locks to be used by only the stated 45’ box
Note: that the label now says(this being a newish skelly)position 3, 45’ box & centrally mounted 20’ box running position, it used to read, position 3, 45’ box & centrally mounted laden 20’ box running position, I had several arguments over that when running an empty 20’ in the position4, with the fleet manager
Thanks for the help all. Interesting to say the least today but got the job done eventually!!
I did 3 containers last week and hated it. Hopefully never again.
Think I’m on fridges next week.
Crack on drive!
kindle530:
I did 3 containers last week and hated it. Hopefully never again.
Think I’m on fridges next week.
Crack on drive!
You changed jobs 
eddie snax:
kindle530:
I did 3 containers last week and hated it. Hopefully never again.
Think I’m on fridges next week.
Crack on drive!You changed jobs
Yes mate! Drop it hide it lose it were doing my head in.
Working for an old school firm now mate.