Morrisons Northwich then Cuddington

Possibly my favourite run, not the shortest or the easiest but i like it anyway. Got back a bit late so i got to start late Sunday morning so i get my 36 hour weekend break in. Went shopping yesterday afternoon and one of the things we bought was eggs. You know the sort of thing, fresh barn eggs in an egg box, a box with "Barn Eggs" on the front, you get the picture?

Well just in case you didnt, look in the box, i thought this was hilarious.

Wakefield Morrisons then Princes Bradford

Long but easy day today, about 600 km but loads of waiting around for paperwork. It took 15 hrs and the weather was crappy for most of it and the road was a bit greasy as the driver of this sports car found out (sorry about the crappy pic)

You Gotta Laugh

Delivered into Tesco Chepstow again last night, now bearing in mind i have been going there for about the last 5 years, they told me i had to take a map of the depot.

Hmmm, the ware house is in the middle and a 1 way system goes round it clockwize. I may be making this too simple but i thought that as long as the building is on my right (not watch hand side) then i wouldnt really get lost and eventually i would get back to the gate house anyway.

Oh well i took it any way to keep the peace, i got tipped pretty quick so it was off to Llantrissant to collect some fresh orange juice, have a 45 minute nap in a lay-by then head for home

The Magic Roundabout

Someone in my town once had a great idea.

"Lets create a junction to screw everyone up"

Thus the Magic Roundabout was born, here is the traffic sign and also the road, great fun in a truck and it also scares the crap out of learner drivers, what more could you possibly want in a junction.

Monday Morning, Deliver Asda Bristol, Collect St Ivel Paignton

Nice easy start to the week, straight down the M5, stopping off to deliver to Asda Bristol and a short nap on the loading bay then straight South down to Paignton which is right next to the holiday resort of Torquay. Another nap while im waiting to be loaded then a drive back up North to the Depot, 12 hour shift with 2 hours nap, every day should be like this.

Got stuck on the bay briefly as there was a pallet truck in front of me but there was no rush and he was gone in about 15 mins. I stuck my head in at the services to see if that pick-up had gone and it had, i have also posted a couple of pics of driving out of Paignton cos its such a nice place, if you notice behind the roundabout someone has carved "English Riviera", in the summer that is a blaze of colour with flowers, ill post a pic if im still here then.

I've posted a map in the first post if anyone is interested where i am based.

Busy Week Again

Well that was one busy week, long runs every day and struggling to keepup on sleep, oh the joys of being a trucker. Got my Canadian job offer through today and also booked the accomodation for the trip in May. Thats everything organised now, got a medical booked for next week and im just waiting for the police checks to come back.

Hopefully this is what i should be driving in a few months.

And a bit of Irony

A Bit Of Sarcasm

Another Disused RAF Station

Its amazing how many disused old military bases have been taken over by civilian companies, this one is quite close to our depot in Gloucester and the repair centre we use is based on it. If you've only been out on a short run then theres the danger of being sent out again, usually to this place to drop off or collect tractors and trailers for sevice or repair

Magical Mystery Tour

Delivered into Tesco Didcot and told to phone in when i had unloaded to find out where i was going next. Made the phone call and got sent down to Evercreech which wasn't so bad. Set off south and by-passed Newbury on the A34 and down onto the A303. Drove passed Stone Henge and got short on time so i pulled into a lay-by for a nap. 50 mins later we were off again to collect a full load of cottage cheese and trifle. Tony, one of the other drivers was already there and loading so i took a couple of snaps while i was waiting. I forgot to check to see if that pickup was still in the services but i'll check next time.

Get A Life

Long shifts this week so not much time for the old 'puter. In a nutshell Tues was Huntingdon Somerfield and Thrapston Morrisons, Wednesday was Hayward Corby and Skelmesdale and today i went to Middleton (Manchester) and over to Morrisons in Northwich, i missed a photo opportunity this morning with a caravan pulled over on the hard shoulder and the car had smoke pouring from the bonnet, i was laughing so hard i forgot to get the camera.

I did see this though and it really gave me a chuckle, most of us have dreams and wishes, things like living in Florida, being able to stop work and enjoy life, even moving to a dream home. Well look at whats written on the back of this trailer. His dream is to drive a truck full of house-bricks down the motorway.

Oh well! Diffrent stokes for diffrent folks i suppose.

Doncaster Tesco and then to the Nut-House

Got an easy trip up to Doncaster last night and i was supposed to run back empty. As you can imagine thats not very cost effective so the office organised a back load for me. The nut-house as i have affectionatly named it is really a nut packing factory, yes nut as in, if you have a nut allergy then these buggers will kill you. The first time i went in there i asked the supervisor if you had to be a nutter to work there, all i got was a scornfull side stare so either he had heard that before or it just wasnt funny. This place is based in an old disused Royal Air force station, its falling to bits but a lot of companies have moved in, must be because its cheap. Anyway its an interesting place so i took a few pics, i thought i was going to get stuck under a pipe bridge so i got out and photographed that too. I got a bit of a shock while i was in there, i asked where the bathroom was and the reply was they have a loo but not a bathroom, judge for yourself but i thought it was funny.

Canada update

Right, i've accepted that job offer from H & R Transport and it looks like were going to move to Lethbridge in Alberta but i will decide properly after the visit in May.

Ive booked the flights, reserved the car and done the basics of the itinerary, tomorrow i will book the accomodation then its just a matter of waiting for the holiday, i need to speak to a couple of schools in the area too but its all under control

The first Caravan

Saw my first caravan today, parked in the truck bays at Strensham Service Station, they'll start multiplying now until we are infested. It wouldnt be so bad if they parked sensibly in the lanes, one behind the other to save space but no they can't. They seem to feel the need to park sideways, diagonal, in the driving lanes, anything to just get in the way.

This is no word of a lie, last summer i pulled into Strensham and true to form there were caravans everywhere, sideways, nose to nose, everywhich way but the right way. Anyways i pulled over into an overspill area, an area that because of its location, we drive in nose first. I set my alarm clock for 45 minutes and climbed on the bunk. 45 minutes later i woke up to find a caravan parked in the driving lane right behind me. The driver was asleep, face against the glass with a nice line of drool dribbling down the window. i banged on the window ever so ungentley (yes i did just make that word up) so that he nearly pooped his self with shock. i asked him why the hell didnt he go and park with the rest of his sandal footed cronies. He just grunted and drove off.

This is what we have to put up with in the summer, on the road they travel at 40 mph on the motorways, big long convoys of them as far as the eye can see and in the service stations they manage to clog all the parking area.

I must be missing something, what fun can it possibly be, sitting in your stupid stripey aluminium deck chair eating a poxy chicken drumstick in the middle of a truck park. if i get chance i try to park along side them so they can have a nice sniff of diesel fumes while they listen to the asthmatic droning din of my fridge engine, they might get the hint and just sod off.

Day off

Not at work today so ive been doing a bit of research on where we would like to live in Canada. Looks like its a choice between Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. Also went to the police station this afternoon as they are missing some information for our criminal records check. They asked me if i had a "police" record, i said "no but i do have some of their albums on CD".

Job offer in Canada

The Canals a bit flooded

Well i got a job offer from a trucking company in Alberta, hauling frozen meat down to California and returning up to Canada with fruit. That'll do nicely but i have still got paperwork to sort out. Im on 2 days off now so i can get most of that squared away. Got stuck in another jam this morning but still made it back for lunchtime. As im typing this i am sipping on a Vodka Martini (in a half pint glass) lovely!!!

On the way back........

On the way back i noticed a red pickup parked in the truck parking area. I noticed it was there yesterday so assume its been abandoned. While i was inside getting a coffee i saw two policemen so i went over and told them. The first response was a curt "well its a staff car then isnt it" so i pointed out that it was hardly likely that a member of staff would leave their car right in the middle of the truck park. His second response was" thank you sir we'll look into it".

Well i watched them walk out, get in their car and drive off. Lets hear a big "hurray" for Englands finest.................

They must have been busy searching for a trucker diong 1mph over the limit.

I'll keep an eye out for the car and we'll see how long it is before it is moved

Some photos from Evercreech

Delivered to Tesco Southampton and collected from Evercreech, took a few photos of being loaded down there, hi lads if you're looking in........

Boring Day

Delivered into Tesco Chepstow and collected from Evercreech, boring day so lets have a funny picture instead.

Somerfield Huntington & Morrisons Thrapston

Heres a good start to the week, as soon as i got my paperwork i knew what was coming. At Huntington you have to unload yourself with a hand pallet truck, fantastic. Having done this run many times before i also knew what was on the trailer, 15 pallets of fruit juice each weighing over a tonne. Luckily for me this time there was a Lumper (person who loads and unloads trailers) with a motorised pallet lifter and he did most of the work. That done, it was into the nearest lay-by for a nap then into Thrapston for my return load of potatoes. The weather was awfull, rained all night and all through the morning. Got back into the depot just before lunch time, signed off, went home, and had a lovely Sunday Lunch, roast chicken if anyone was interested.

Tesco Hinckley & Morrisons Northampton

Thursday

Another Tescos so another lovely wait in a lovely tescos waiting room, luckily it was only an hour this time then a quick scoot down the M1 and a collection from Morrisons on Swan Valley for a collection. All in all a nice easy day apart from getting onto the bay at Swan Valley. There is about a foot between the trailers and not much room in front, i did it with only 1 shunt but there was no-one to witness it, bloody typical. Now if i completley fudged it then you could bet a months wages that there would be an audience.

Friday

Sixth shift so its time and a half (horray) Tescos Southampton so its lovely wait blah blah. Ive got a collection on the way back from Everceech but ran out of time on the way there so it was a 45 minute nap in a layby, lovely. Got serious munchies on the way back and had to make a pit stop in the services, a large Latte, BLT and a Twix (Raider) later and its back to the depot to fuel up, sign off and go home for a 36 hour weekend.

The Weekend

Went shopping, got drunk, watched videos went to bed. Next morning we went visiting up in Birmingham, I even go driving on my days off. Well thats about it and im back to work in a few hours ready to face another week and more Tescos.

I almost forgot, i also applied for 4 jobs in Canada, got my holiday approved from Wincanton and got Luke cleared from school. I also sent off our criminal record searches, applied to my last 3 companies for referencies and reconfigured Microsoft Outlook to help me manage the whole process, the boy been busy