First week back and it's been a long and strange week!
My Mercedes truck is still being stood down, so I was in a DAF xf all week, as the regular driver was on holiday.
It was a (69 plate) new truck, and was nice to drive, but to be honest I still prefer my Mercedes.
Monday
I was in at 0700hrs to sterilise the truck and to load all my belongings into it to last me a week.
Food, bedding and all the other one hundred and one things that makes my life easier whilst being out on the road!
I was planned to go to Chandlers Ford which was just up the road then across to Tilbury Docks, unload my box and head back to Southampton.
That soon changed and I was heading North towards Nottingham.
The roads were real quite, this really was the first time I had driven any where since the UK introduced Lock Down measures. It all felt a bit strange!
I made it up to Nottingham in good time, the picture above shows the truck I was driving and with a 20ft container behind. The trailer has to be slid into a special position to make sure the weight is evenly distributed across the axles.
I stopped at Cherwell Valley Services, the toilets were open and so was M and S Food Hall and WH Smiths, but that was it. I think I only saw a handful of people whilst I was in there, it just did not feel real!
I'd been to the company before so knew where I was going. The other times I've been there it has always been difficult to park due to the amount of cars all over the place. But, due to the lock down, there was not a car in sight, so made it very easy to get set up.
I had to shrink the trailer down so they could empty it.
It only took an hour for them to unload, just enough time to have a brew and catch up on facebook!
So much for essential supplies - I had artificial grass on board!
But, it is keeping other folk in a job, so not a bad thing I guess?
Heading out of Nottingham was straight forward with no traffic to contend with, my journey back being, M1, A43, M40, A34 and a quick blast on the M3 back to Southampton.
I missed out on going onto the docks, as between 0500hrs and 0700hrs then 1700hrs and 1900hrs they shut, this is so the operators can sterilise the cranes and straddlers to keep them safe.
I got back at 1730hrs and did not have enough hours left to wait to go onto the docks so it was back to the yard and park up for the night.
I stayed in our yard, it just isn't worth me travelling home when I only have 9 hrs off. By the time I'm home fed and asleep it's time to be going back to work!
Hence I tend to stay in the yard unless I have a late start.
Tuesday
I was up and on the dock at 0400 hrs, box off and box on and I was off to Corby up in Leicestershire.
Once again, an easy run up with no traffic at all.
Another highly critical time sensitive load - Prawn bloody Crackers! I kid you not!
Not much of a view! Had to wait a bit to be tipped, then it took a couple of hours, but once done, I was heading back down South.
Due to the length of time it took to unload I missed going on the docks, so another night spent in the yard and another early start!
Never had a Creamy Cajun Chicken and Rice before, but it was rather good for a microwave meal.
As I said earlier, I'm not in my Mercedes, this DAF has an inbuilt DAF microwave, which is low wattage, so it takes ages to heat anything up. In my Mercedes I have a 1000w invertor and it's brilliant.
A simple mug of milk for my milky coffee in the mornings takes 3min 10 secs in the DAF whereas in the Merc it takes just 2mins! A big difference.
Wednesday
Back on the docks for 0400hrs and heading North all the way up to Pocklington which is just outside of York.
It took a while to get up there but made it on time, and my life was made easier by the guys there who undid my doors and unloaded and closed me back up without me getting out of the cab!
I was there a couple of hours unloading, this time I had tyres on board. A bit more of an essential load, so felt a little better about it.
Not much of a view as they unloaded though!
Once I was clear I was heading South, I wanted to get down as far as I could with the time I had remaining.
In the end I got as far as J23 on the M1 - there is a truck stop here, I've stayed here before and it's been ok.
Pulled in and it had a few trucks in all ready, just over half full, so parked up, paid for parking and went in to use the loo. The cafe was doing food, but takeaway only. I had food I could of cooked but was feeling a little lazy and the Roast Pork dinner was looking good and for £5.00 it had to be done.
Dinner was eaten outside on the catwalk, it was a warm evening. After that I settled down with my book and had an early night once I had spoken to Kiera which I do every evening.
Didn't get much of a view!
Thursday
0230hrs and the wheels are turning!
An easy run down to Southampton, I stopped on the way down for a break, went back to the yard to refuel and by the time I had done all of that it was time to go on the docks.
I had a time slot of 0800hrs, it did not take me long to get my box off and loaded once more.
This time it was a temperature controlled box or Reefer as it is commonly known (as in refrigerator).
I definitely had a worth while load on now, medical supplies.
Back up the road to Coleshill, which is just off the M42 North of Warwick and East of Birmingham. I'd been here before which always makes life a little more easier.
At first they were unwilling to tip me as I was late, my company all ready knew this, in fact they knew that I would be late at 1630 the previous day! My new booking time was 1300hrs instead of 1100hrs. However this information for what ever reason had failed to get to the people who needed it and that was the warehouse staff who were operating on a skeleton crew!
In the end I managed to sweet talk them, and 3 hrs later I was good to go. Not that I could go far as I was more or less out of time!
Luckily there was a truck stop just 20mins down the road.
I pulled into Lincoln Farm Truck Stop and parked up in a dust bowl of a yard!
Made my way over to pay, and to be honest it was grim. The toilets had last been refurbished in the 50's and the loo's had no seats, straight to porcelain!
As I entered the cafe to pay for parking I noticed the green and black hygiene rating sign displayed at the door.
Ratings are from 1 start to 5 stars, 5 stars being the best. Most places these days are 5 stars with a few dropping down to 4 stars. However this place only had 3!
It just looked skanky, cracked floor tiles and chipped formica tables. So decided I would pay for parking and not eat from there.
Getting the virus is one thing, but food poisoning on top is a risk to far!
Back to the cab, and just chilled out, watched a bit of YouTube and read and fell asleep.
Good Friday
It was a later start for me today, I just had to run down South to the docks, unload the box and return to the yard.
Was still up at 0430hrs and on the road for 0500hrs.
Travelling back down the M1 was strange, it was the same the day before.
Normally at those sort of times (early hours) it's like a train of trucks heading South, truck after truck after truck. It was so quiet today I could put my main beam on - I was the only truck around at some points!
Stopped for a break at Sutton Scotney services and was hungry, bought a cheese and onion sandwich from the shop and turned it into a toastie on my catwalk.
Turned out great and much needed along with a Costa Coffee.
Down on to the docks, box off quickly and back to the yard.
Refuelled, parked up and emptied all my gear into my car.
I then set about sanitising the truck as best I could with anti-bacterial wipes.
I finally got home around 1200hrs, I was knackered, but still alive and as far as I can tell, virus free!
It now so happens I am off for a week. We should of been going to Holland but that clearly is not going to happen and my company is not allowing anyone to cancel holidays.
So I'm at home for the week - at least the weather looks good!
Stay safe everyone!!!!!
