Monday-
Another 5am start this week (seem to need my sleep just now) LOL.
On Friday i had dropped my trailer in area we use to load (about 5 mins from my house).
Over the weekend it has been loaded with 2.5m logs bound for the pallet ill at lockerbie.
So this morning see, me having to belt the load down ,as well as picking it up (doesn’t sound much ,but when its pouring down it can be a pain in the ■■■■).
Takes me about 20 Min’s to get all sorted out and on the road.
Still early enough to beat the morning traffic through Glasgow.
A couple of phone calls let me know a few of the other lads are away in front of me (4am starts for them today).
My first stop this morning is Bothwell services at the start of the M74.
Usually works out at roughly 1hr45 Min’s driving , so time for a stretch of the legs, coffee and pee stop (think its a sign of me getting old lol).
As i pull in i find the other guys have also stopped.
The line up this morning ,see,s myself farthest away ,then Willie ,Jimmy (with one of our two frogtrotters) and finally Peter (Pedro).
I get the usual mickey taking about sleeping in !!!
The 15 min break is soon over and i head off (the others are away a few Min’s in front of me ,so there is not much chance of catching them).
The run down the 74 passes without any hassles and soon i am sitting in the mill (have to wait till peter is tipped).
While the machine tips me on the log deck ,i watch one of JST,s drivers tip himself.
These guys make the timber crane look so easy (tried it once and decided it wasn’t for me).
Once tipped its a quick hop to the truck stop at lockerbie ,for breakfast (scrambled egg and toast ,still trying to loose weight lol).
Both Peter and I have back loads ,so we both lift out the timber pins and stow them away in the headboards (stops you falling over the bloody things).
Peter has a load of blocks today and i end up with a load of fish food (oh well time for the sheet again).
My load is from Bathgate ,so i decide to run back up the 74 then cut across using the m8 (you can cut across by Lanark and the whitburn).
The load is made up of ton bags on pallets.
As you can see they can lean a bit ,so the fork truck drivers turn them and load them leaning in the way (top guys ).
Once loaded i scramble on top and manage to get the cover folded out without it taking off in the wind.
The ropes are wet as well ,so i end up looking like a spotty dog (not a dingo dog lol).Days like this the romantic notion of a sheeted load are well down on my priority list.
Bloody hands are frozen as i have never been able to rope with gloves on (always end up with them ■■■■■■■ in the dolly).
My cover is slightly short and the bottom of the bags show.
Also the back end could be tidier ,but i am cold and fed up by now.
I head for our yard at Cairnbann.
This load is for Tuesday delivery ,so i am just to drop it and pick up another trailer (an empty one ).
When i get to the yard i am faced with a row of trailers (all loaded ).
A phone call to the office ,see,s me picking up one of our two 36 foot skeli timber trailers.
Turns out i will be running timber to a boat,so no need for a flat.
With this on ,i head for home (been out all week for a while so going home during the week is a novelty lol).
Tuesday-
Later start today (boat wont be in till 9am ).
I leave home at 6am and head for a timber job called East Strone.
It is 3 miles into the forest after following the A886 from Struchur to Glendaruel.
We are running to the pier at the sailing marina in Sandbank outside Dunoon.
The shorter A836 cannot be used as there is a 26 ton weight limit on it, so its the long route round (nearly 1.5 hours each way ).
The forest road is not in good condition and over the next two days will quickly go down hill as over 2000 tons of 3m pulpwood bound for Norway is hauled over it.
The small skelli has good and bad points to it.Its a total ■■■■■ to reverse (well i find it gets away on you so quick lol).
But no need to lay out timbers on the floor (to protect the floors on the flats).
While i am getting loaded one of the subbies that works with us arrives and parks in the turning area.
On the way out you have a seres of hairpin bends that wind down hill for nearly half a mile.
Finally after a long pull out Glendaruel and along Loch Eck side i arrive at the pier in Sandbank.
Only to find the boat (could be classed as a ship lol),has just starter to be loaded.
Peter has just started to reverse down the long pier.
After a half hour wait ,it,s my turn to get tipped.Its a straight reverse,
but the skelli and i are still not on good terms,so i need a wee shunt half way down.
Its a tight squeeze between the stacks of timber when i get to the end.
8 grabs see,s me empty and a quick run round to knock the bark off the trailer see,s me on my way back.
There are 12 of us running today and the road has started to rut badly ,causing the center of the road to catch the bottom of the trucks.
The cb is alive with chatter, you need to know where everyone is as there are not a great amount of laybys.
Those that exist are not up to much.
I squeeze into one to allow Norrie to pass with his Cf Daf.
With the next load on i slowly head out the forest (in some places its walking pace).
The laybys are starting to sink as the trucks pass each other.
Back at the pier the turn round has got better.
I wait till Davie reverses into the parking area ,before i head down the pier again.
The multidocker is busy stacking timber in the ships hold when i arrive, this gives me time to take my belts off.
Soon he is lifting the load off me.
He lifts the top,s off the bolsters in case the front one topples forward into the back of the cab.
I am off on my third run now. bumping my way through the forest.
15 Min’s at the other end and Donnie has me ready to go again (the loader is very quick and Donnie is a seasoned operator).
As i leave the end of the job i have to stop and wait for one of the crane motors to load (they are turning at another point and loading out another large bing of wood).
I decide to have a break while waiting and pour myself a coffee.
Then unexpectedly it starts to snow.
Jamie is loading in front of me and as my timer clocks 15 mins he is ready to go.
In the last 15 Min’s it has gone from muddy road to blizzard conditions.
lucky for me Jamie has a double drive fh volvo and manages to cut through the snow on the way out.
I drop behind a bit as we struggle out the wood.
The short skelli trailer does not put a lot of weight on my drive axle ,even with the suspension dumped.
Once on the main road i manage to struggle through Glendaruel (the snow is still falling ).
As i start climbing towards the top of the leanoch the snow starts to get really thick.
Another of our subbies (Wee Davie , his boss is just plain Davie) is only about half a mile behind me, he is also starting to struggle in the snow.
As the depth of snow increases the truck starts to spin (cant dump the tag until i am below 18mph) and eventually i get to the point the unit is periodically getting grip and bouncing.
I have reached the point that i may slide sideways or worse ,break a halfshaft or the prop shaft with the constant bouncing.
Finally i admit defeat !!!
I am stuck!!!
As you can see ,wee Davie nearly manages to get behind me ,before he is also beat.
An 8 wheeler comes past us as we sit,but only manages to get a short distance before he too is stuck.
I phone the office and let them know the situation.
They phone the council and get told a gritter will be with us “some time”, This turns out to be an hour later.
Some of the other lads are managing to get over from the Struchur side of the hill.
Gary carefully pass,es me (don’t want him sliding into me!!!).
Eventually the gritter arrive (minus a plough!!) and starts battering down large amounts of grit.
This is given another 20 Min’s Till we can see the snow starting to melt and its time to try again.
This time i manage to get grip and slowly get over the hill.
When i finally reach sandbank and get on the pier ,i find the machine operator has decided to go home (must have thought we were stuck for the night).
I phone my boss and am told that some of the crane motors coming behind will tip the flats.
With the pier empty of wood we manage two flats and two cranes tipping at a time.
Eventually we all get sorted out and parked at the pier.
The local chinese restaurant gets a big take away order (for 8 of us ,stuff the diet tonight lol).
Wednesday-
Another day at the boat.
I leave behind Gary this morning (his six wheeler can cut through the snow for me lol)
I manage to get turned round and loaded, once more i follow Jamie out the wood.
The waggons and drags were in early and have cut a track through to the mud below,so i manage to climb out the steep hills without too much bother.
Jamie runs through the labys ,to open them up.
I stay on the main track as with only single drive ,i don’t want to get stuck.
We make our way back to Sand bank.
Its a different world there ,not a bit of snow .
Once more we Que to tip.
Garry and Alan are sitting waiting , i manage a break while i sit.
Once more its a long reverse (starting to get the hang of the short trailer now lol).
The boat is starting to fill up (not quick enough for me though).
The multidocker is once more in action and i am soon tipped (the grab looks massive at close range).
One more trip into the forest for me now (have another job lined up for the afternoon).
A lot of the crane motors are in the forest when i get back.
I pull into a layby and wait for Jamie to go past me.
Then manage another stretch before having to pull in and let The "Duck "past.
Closely followed by “The Piglet”
Its like working in a bloody zoo lol.
At last i get my third load on and head the right way.
I have another break as i wait for Gary and Alan to load on the hill in front.
My final load goes onto the boat and i head off (total tonnage on board is 2600 tons ,in 2 days).
I drop the skelli trailer and head for Cairndow now.
Fish in the morning.
I have to pick up a load of empty bins and take them to the fish farm.
Once i drop the trailer and remove the belts ,i get the unit well out the way.
a micro meal tonight then off to bed.
Thursday-
No snow at the fish farm, so i manage to get the belts on without getting wet.As i make my morning coffee it starts again.
So its a quick run through the forest road to bypass the weight limit and then the large hills out of Tighnabruaich.
I manage to get to Struchur without any dramas and then onto the processing plant at Cairndow.
The road into there is another story !!.
No grit on here ,so i am going down hill whether i like it or not.Roddy is already there getting tipped.
We decide to go out the small road together (safety in numbers lol).
Only half way up the bloody hill,Roddy meets a car coming down.
That’s the job ****ed now, Roddys stuck near the end of the road.
I try and reverse back to let the car past and have a wee moment!!!
Luckily with full lock on i manage to pull the nose of the unit back on the road and get back to a passing place.
Cars can get in over this old bridge ,but it has a 7 1/2 ton weight limit on it.
That’s no use to me ,so once more we have to wait.
The lads from the processing plant arrive with bags of salt and we hand salt the hill (this months exercise lol).
After around 45 Min’s its time to give it a go.
Roddy easily pulls away and i give it a mad charge and get to the main road.
Result !!!
Roddy is off to get the third load of fish and i head to get a load of logs.
Once more the job is arse deep in snow (starting to get fed up with the bloody stuff).
I manage to get into the turning area ,but cant push the trailer up the small hill.
Donnie gets alongside and puts 5 ton of logs on me and i turn no problem.
Once loaded i plod my way out the wood and head for Troon.
No problems on this run.
With this load off i am told to head back to the job i have just come from (deep joy !!).
I manage as far as Dumbarton then get the phone call!!!
I Am to “have a go” at getting a loaded trailer out of Lochgoilhead!!!.
The prospect of getting stuck in snow all on my own does not thrill me one bit ,but i decide to give it a go.
Donnie phones me and we decide if there are any problems i have to call him and he will come and either pull or push me out ( puts my mind at ease NOT !!!).
I arrive at the end of the forest road and there is not one bit of snow.
Even where the trailer is parked there is not a bit.
I quickly pick the trailer up and get out of there.
Paisley is lookin good tonight lol.
I manage to get there with 20 mins driving left (off down the town as it is curry night at the last post , pint and a curry for £5 mmmmm).
Friday-
I make Carlisle and tip the logs without any problems.
I am back loading from the block plant outside Lanark today.
Gavin is also loading for the same drop in Oban ,so we give each other a hand.
My TGA now looks very dated sitting beside his new TGX.
I head for home now.Due to running short on driving time i will not be tipping this load.
Gavin has the job of tipping his blocks and coming back to get my load (he will tip it on Monday morning).
I have to start on Sunday night and go to the fish farm, so need to stop early.
Another week is done now.
Never a dull moment in this job you know
Wonder what next week will bring ■■?
Thanks once again for looking.
I hope its not too long winded ,but so many things happin and i like to try and give a feel for the job.
Niall (Dingo).
very interesting,
Keep them coming.