12/02/14

Back to driving today, no more seed dressing until Thursday.  I managed to get loaded, all except a single bag of layers pellets, the night before.  So this morning the layers pellets had been made overnight and I was able to complete loading.  No, the mill hadn't produced a single bag of layers pellets for my load, they had made several tonnes for stock, I and my meagre load aren't that important thank goodness.  Anyhow I collected the bag of layers pellets and loaded it.  I also took off one of the pallets that had been loaded the night before and re-wrapped it as I didn't consider it secure.  I managed to get the tickets confirmed and got out of the yard just after seven in the morning.  The load compromised two farm drops, one mill drop and two household drops.  All the drops except one household drop were completed before I ran out of hours and had to stop for lunch.  I had passed the access to the drop but since I was unsure of the access I found a parking place and ate my lunch while I checked the access on google maps via my phone.  Its surprising how often I use this system to check drops before I drive in and get myself into a difficult situation, its saved me difficulties more than once and provided me with the assurance that I could get to the drop, and more importantly get out, on even more occasions.  When I found the drop it was easy enough and there was ample turning room, oh happy driver, in and out in very little time.  Next job was to collect seven and a half tonnes of seed barley from Woodhead Seeds at Little Airmyn.  I won't bore you with grumbling about the staff in the offices there, I believe I have done so before.  The final three miles or so is down a single track road with very few passing places, the road had a flood bank for the river on one side and a few houses and fields on the other.  The road twists and turns as it follows the meanders of the river so it isn't possible to see the road very far ahead, if you meet another truck at least you can see it over the bank so one of the other can give way, but because of the flood bank its impossible to see cars approaching, great care is needed.  Why anyone should start a business which requires so many truck movements in such an inaccessible location is completely beyond me.  By the time I had collected my tickets and got to the loading point it was raining and blowing a gale, the only plus point of this is that the fork lift driver didn't like it any more than me so I got loaded and out quickly.  The office staff finally deigned to notice me and completed the paper work so I was able to get out of the place.  I had to deliver three and a half tonnes of the seed to three farm drops and the remainder into our store.  The farm drops went well enough considering the locations, the first a Lockton, the second at Newton Rawcliffe and the third near Cropton and I was back in the yard for half past five.  I wasn't able to get the remainder of the load off loaded so I left it for the morning.  All in all not a bad day.