27/10/15

Today I was one of four drivers to start the refresher for our ADR to enable us to carry dangerous goods.  Usually this entails collecting and delivering ammonium nitrate fertilizer onto farm.  But what can't be avoided must be lived with.  The course tutor is better than usual and is managing to make the experience reasonably enjoyable.  I have nothing more to say about today.  See you tomorrow.

26/10/15

I was supposed to be off work today looking for a new car or van.  Guess what; someone rang in with a seed dressing order and since I an on an ADR course for the next three days and off on Friday I volunteered to come in in the morning and do the job.  Only three tonnes and on a farm I know so no problem.  I should be back in the yard by half past nine.  Easy!  It was and I was back in the yard by half past nine, even given that most of the roads in Malton seem to be being dug up.  But on arrivel I was met by our TC waving an order ticket for another tonne to be dressed.  I could have refused but I have been an employer and have some sympathy.  So off I go the my next customer, no problem.  Only a tonne so setting up and taking down took about six times as long as completing the job.  Back in the yard by eleven pm.  Enough time to find a car, with the help of the internet.  What a waste of an afternoon that was.  I would have been better at work; the less said the better.  See you tomorrow.

23/10/15

Friday!  I'm sure there should be more Fridays in a week than one.  Today has been strange; as usual when I'm loaded the night before for a short run on the first load I end up with a late finish.  The first load was a single drop for our Helmsley store.  I was in and off loaded by half past eight and back in the yard by just after nine.  My second load wasn't that simple but that's life.  Carlton store and five farm drops.  It wasn't the number of drops that was the problem it was the spread of the drops which took time.  They included two farms that I have never delivered to before and both had to be located on the map before I set the sat nav.  The sat nav is a great help but I don't fully trust it.  It has a habit of trying to send me down tracks that are impassable to trucks, and in some cases impassable to anything larger than a bike.   But in both cases the sat nav guided me correctly to my destination.  The day didn't end as late as I suspected but it was late enough for a Friday.  See you Monday.

22/10/15

Not the greatest place to stop for lunch but drivers can't always be choosers. Whilst not beautiful it is off the main road so you don't get shaken up by the wind caused by every passing vehicle. Lunch was a small pork pie and a bottle of home made grapefruit squash. I dislike the taste of sacherine so I make my own lemonade and grapefruit squash using an adaption of a recepie that my mother used to use. Luckily she was able to find it when I asked. Well done Mum. Well best I get back to work. See you tomorrow.

21/10/15

Back to work properly today.  I've given up on finding a vehicle at the moment, I'll have to do something but it can wait.  Today has been a good day really.  I got slightly wet whilst loading this morning as it was raining but it wasn't too bad and I didn't get any down my neck.  I have a silly hat with a wide rim, looks silly but it works.  I was away from the yard just after eight.  It was my usual run of Carlton store and area.  Nothing particularly onerous and all went well.  I was back in the yard just before four pm and got most of my load for tomorrow loaded. Tomorrows is a horrible load, both for the items that I have to deliver and the route I have to take, non of it makes any sense.  Its one of those loads that are impossible to deliver in a nice neat order.  I hate having to double back but tomorrow will be mostly doubling back.  See you tomorrowl

20/10/15

Only a half day today.  First off was a full load to our Whitby store, a very enjoyable ride out in this mornings weather, clear and sunny.  This afternoon was taken up with looking for a new second hand van for myself.  My old car is dying and isn't worth the expense of repairs.  How I hate looking for and buying a vehicle.  It's not the expense, its the hassle, bloody irritating.  And the result of the efforts of myself and my son?  Nothing, nothing at all, a complete waste of time, we found nothing that would do.  The search must go on, I have less than a month to find another vehicle as mine won't pass its MOT.  See you tomorrow.

16/10/15

Bad news, I'm seed dressing again on Monday.  Well it's not that bad really, I'm grumbling unnecessarily, but why not?  Today was a good day even though I had to complete a delivery that should have been made by one of my colleagues yesterday.  The problem was caused by a confusion of messages and misunderstandings but the customer didn't seem too upset.  I didn't want to start the day by having to deal with a disgruntled customer, especially when the problem wasn't one caused by me.  The rest of the day went well until I got the the Hopgrove roundabout on the A64 on my way back in.  I had a full half hour to get back to the yard before my driving time expired and I had to stop for a break, easy, until I met that abomination of a roundabout.  I ended up taking my break in a lay bye on the side of the A64, never a good place.  I don't understand how the powers that be could spend a fortune on upgrading a roundabout and make it no better than it was before.  Somehow they managed it wit this roundabout, it is truly terrible.  See you Monday.

15/10/15

We are now just over half way through October and it doesn't feel as if the year has really started.  It must be my age.  Today has been a good day.  Carlton store, three farm drops followed by a run over the Humber bridge to Brigg with three tonnes of bagged feed for a store.  As I have mentioned before I always enjoy a run over the bridge.  I don't know why, it's not a particularly beautiful bridge, merely functional, but I enjoy it all the same.  Perhaps it's the history of the river itself.  It is and always has been, a route into the heart of the country.  One that has been used for centuries.  It isn't hard to imagine Viking long ships sailing or being rowed up the river on their way to York.  All in all strange thoughts for a truck driver.  Remember when you see a trucker watching the road that he or she is probably thinking of far stranger things than the road and route.  See you tomorrow.

13/10/15

Back to deliveries again; a change is as good as a rest so I consider myself rested.  First load to Malton store.  Second load to Helmsley store, Carlton store and three farm drops in Carlton area.  Yes I know Helmsley is well out of the Carlton area but remember I don't plan my load.  Other than the change of work there was nothing particularly remarkable about the day.  It has been a typical October day, raining on and off and both dull and sunny.  Not at the same time though, perhaps that will happen tomorrow.  Sorry no pictures, perhaps tomorrow.  See you then.

12/10/15

So far as I know that's it, no more seed dressing for this season.  At least there is no more booked in but you never know when it's really finished, perhaps it never is.  But tomorrow I will be back to driving.  The dresser is cleaned off and all the chemical has been removed.  I am told that the dresser is being taken out of service as the truck is beyond viable repair.  I will believe that when I'm operating a new one.  See you tomorrow.

06/10/05

Yes I'm still seed dressing and it's getting boring now, I've had enough.  Can I go home now.  Please.  The good news is that the job should come to an end with the end of this week. Though I enjoy the job as it makes a change from my normal work after nine weeks I've had enough.  See you tomorrow, perhaps!

01/10/15

Seed dressing again, or supposed to be. At the moment the machinery is refusing to play and I'm awaiting the arrival of an engineer. So who knows what will happen. The engineer is good so I expect a fix. He will probably point out something obvious that I have missed. See you later.