4th - 8th June 2007

Monday 4th June 2007.

0645 Start. Last week was cut short on Thursday night when my son broke his arm. I managed to get the day off on Friday and as a result this morning I was unaware of what the day would bring. No one had rung me so I breezed in at usual time and picked up my paperwork for the day.

First job was to run over to The Hythe in Colchester where they are building loads of apartment blocks. There’s two sites there and I guess right first time and back in to the compound and load on a 7½t digger belonging to a groundwork company that we do plenty of moves for. By 0800 everything is sorted and I head out and try and escape Colchester which is now heavy with traffic all the way out to the A12. I’m heading for Newport between Stansted and Cambridge and the traffic is building up nicely on the Braintree A120 bypass when I pass along about 0845. After the hold up I’m back in business and follow the A120 past Birchanger services before taking the winding B road through Stansted Mountfitchet and Ugley. The site at Newport is dead easy to find, right at the start of the built up area and I’m soon in and offloaded before running back to the yard at Danbury.

It’s about 1030 when I buzz back into the yard and time is starting to catch up on me so it’s a quick stop to load one of our 3t dumpers before making my way to Billericay to collect a 5t digger to go with it. There’s a bit of a hold up on site as there has been a big delivery of concrete floor beams and these have to be moved before I can squeeze my little machine out, it doesn’t go to waste however and I bag a handy 15 minute break whilst they sort it out. I’ve got just over an hour of driving left and I need to get to my next job in Old Harlow as this apparently had also been arranged as a first drop.

I decide that my best route would be to towards Brentwood and cut through Hutton to the A12. Good plan, off I go and get about half way to Brentwood before remembering the 13’ bridge by Tallon Road. A quick check with the tape measure and I’m over and have to waste a few minutes by going through Shenfield High Street and doubling back to the A12. No matter I find my way through to the job in Old Harlow and spot the contractors silver van rather than the tiny housename. With time slipping away I find a nice (hard standing) spot by an underpass under the M11 and take my 30 minute break there with about 18 minutes left on the clock.

Ten minutes after leaving my spot alongside the M11, I’m passing over the bridge heading north and onto the JCB dealer at Braintree to collect a couple of small (in my head) telehandlers. All JCB’s have numbers and it’s easy to get them muddled I thought it was a couple of 520’s little site telehandlers. In fact it was a couple of waste shovels weighing 7.6t each without attachments.

If only they were a bit lighter I reckon I could have found a way of getting both on in one trip. I collect the paperwork and the delivery address is to the Street Cleaning Team at Colchester B.C. in the Town Hall. I resist the temptation to try and deliver there and clarify the correct address to deliver to, which is as I suspected the depot in Shrub End where the dustcarts operate from.

The first one is offloaded and after a hunt around I find someone to sign for it before I attempt to leave. This is a poxy place, no space to turn round. All the bin wagons go into the yard over a weighbridge double back and park up ready to drive out in the morning. Eventually I hold up a guy in a shovel loading green waste into a bulker and nudge the ramps up against his heap of mulch to get out. Time to do it all again, so it’s back to Braintree to collect another one although I call at another groundworkers yard in nearby Cressing to collect a 3t dumper which is loaded up front for tomorrow.

Back at JCB the next shovel is loaded with the bucket on top of the dumper skip and it’s back to the depot in Colchester to hand the machine over before 1700. There’s even less turning space now and it takes about 10 shunts to get out just before the guy shuts the gate. Finally I leave Colchester for the third time and I’m back at Danbury just after 1730.

I’m still not quite done though as the dumper is cross loaded to our other 6 wheeler and a 1½t mini digger loaded and strapped down ready for the morning. Finally at around 1800 I leave for home and I manage to spend some time with my other son on his birthday. Usually I’d have made a bit of noise about doing that lot today but after letting me take Friday off at 2100 on Thursday I guess it’s swings and roundabouts. 424Km.

Tuesday 5th June 2007

0600 Start.

First job this morning is to decamp across to the other 6 wheeler, a W reg Scania 114 – 340.
It’s actually booked as VOR this week whilst the regular driver is on holiday and it’s due to have some work done to the crane, but somehow a container move had got booked in and my Hiab ticket had been dusted off for the occasion. Apart from a couple of times as passenger I’d not been in this one and it’s just the same but different. It took some readjusting back to the 4 over 4 gearbox, having got used to the weird 3 over 3 in my 420. Overall it seemed heavy to steer, although it’s got a heavier front axle and a crane mounted up front so it’s inevitable really.

On the go it’s about 2-3mph slower than mine and means that there’s a steady stream of motors overtaking which is something I don’t get too much of. On the map this looks like a simple drop, A12 / M25 / A2 to Blackheath Common and into Morden College just off the edge of the common. It’s good going all the way up until Kidbrooke Int. and then there’s only a bit of traffic before I turn first left across the common. On the map there is no obvious entrance into the college and I take the wrong fork which leads me through a 3t weight limit. The next potential road runs along the back and could well have an entrance on it. Not so. The road is a dead end and despite being quite wide, there’s no way I can turn around, I’d manage in mine but this one just doesn’t have the same lock. It’s not helped by the fact that the tag axle drops with a fag packet on the back, whereas I can happily load about 7t on mine before it lowers itself. Even so I’m sure I’d have got round. My only escape is to reverse back up the road and onto a mini roundabout, back through the 3t limit and finally I find the entrance where I follow the narrow drive to the site where there is no possibility of turning round. The maggot and the dumper are swiftly unloaded and I have to reverse all the way back out down the driveway and through the gate.

Finally I’m ready to leave and I’m back out down the A2 and back through the Dartford tunnel (which is clear) into Essex. I’d considered the Blackwall but figured it’d be quicker to come the long way round and come back on the A127 to my next job at Collier Row near Romford. As I approached the site I noticed all the groundworkers vans were parked outside, I thought “that’s handy they’ve cleared space for me to go and lift the container” The reality was that the entrance road was under heavy excavation for drainage pipes and completely inaccessible to vehicles. It wasn’t a problem as they used a 13t machine to bring the container and loaded it straight on the wagon without me touching the crane.

I was actually quite pleased about this, having not touched a crane for over 6 months, never used a Cormach one and a container is not the best way to get back into it. My plan of having a refresher last Friday went out the window when my son broke his arm. The container was knackered, it’d had a fire inside and had no floor and wasn’t a lot of use, good job then that the delivery address was to EMR, Bidder St. Canning Town.

EMR is European Metal Recycling and big scrapyards have big cranes. This old battered container was simply grabbed off by the crane and I’m back out collecting £144 on my way. Quite why the customer wanted us to travel further into London to scrap the container rather than use the local yard is beyond me, what could have been a 2½ hour transport charge became a 3½ hour one instead. After a stop on the way back in which I remembered how much I hate day cabs I was back in the yard at 1230.

There were no more moves to do, so I shipped my gear back over and spent time doing some look busy type maintenance tasks like going round with a grease gun, tidying the toolbox, oiling ratchets, cleaning the inside of the rear light lenses. I did lend a hand helping to put new tracks on one of our 14t machines before leaving at 1600. 212Km

Wednesday 7th June 2007

0645 Start.Back to my motor again this morning thankfully. After spending the last six months with it thinking that the gearbox is just odd, this morning it all seemed to make sense. Not much on the sheet for today but the first job is a 4 machine move meaning two round trips. The job is near Gt.Saling, just north of of the old A120 between Braintree and Gt.Dunmow and is a contract on rural bridleway maintenance. There’s a couple of dumpers (3t & 6t) and two diggers (5t & 7½t) . I’m on site with the kettle boiling at 0715 and wait until 0730 before one of the contractors arrives with the keys. I’d already dropped the ramps and laid the chains out ready and the first dumper is chained down ready by the time the first digger is tracked on. We load it with the dumper backed up against the headboard and the machine sits at the back with the dozer blade sitting on the beaver tail to keep it level. Usually we drive the roller up after the dumper and use a combination of the winch and lifting with the machine to turn it through 90 degrees and slot under the skip of the dumper, The machine is then tracked right up to the roller which sandwiches it nicely, this means that we have to lay the boom of the machine between the ramps and can leave an overhang of nearly 2m at the back.

When I do these moves I never know quite where the next job is so one of the contractors always rides passenger to direct me to the particular bit of track where they need the machines. This time they are going to Molehill Green just beside Stansted Airport and they are at the end of narrow lane about ½ mile long. There’s a bit of a turning head at the bottom which is partially blocked by a load of crushed hardcore ready for the path, but it’s soon scraped up to make some space and I’m able to turn round and head back to collect the other two machines. By the time I return there’s been a couple of 8 wheelers in and tipped more crushed and there’s no chance of turning around, so I make a slow reverse right back to the main road. For once the reversing camera comes in useful as there’s times when the bushes obscure both mirrors.

After a quick break on the A120 I’m off past Braintree and on to Sible Hedingham to collect a 5t dumper for a groundwork firm. The site at Sible is weird, it’s right at the end of the Premdor factory ground and access is through the yard past the timber sheds, it’s better than most large housing sites where you have to thread you way past all the new occupied housing at the front of the site to get to the unfinished ones at the back. The dumper is quickly loaded and it’s a short journey to Silver End near Braintree to drop it off before returning to the yard.

There was not much doing except for a run down to collect a 5t JCB from the plant firm down the road ready for tomorrow. After a bit of hanging around waiting I get the job of ferrying the other wagon to Truck East at Witham for overnight servicing. Whilst it’s been standing in the yard the fitter has removed one of the rams from the crane and left the jib unstowed on the bed. This has the unfortunate effect of setting off the warning noise ( a very high pitched squeal) which is only partially silenced by wrapping the sounder unit in old rag. The truck is dropped off, a car collected and I’m home by 1615. 232Km

Thursday 7th June 2007

0630 Start.First job is to run the car back to Truck East at Witham, to be honest I can’t get rid of it quick enough. It’s a little ’06 plate Fiesta, nothing wrong with that but it’s filthy inside and out, has battle scars and stinks of B.O. The journey back to Danbury is accompanied by the squeal still and I’m glad to swap back to my motor so I can go and start working properly. I’m already loaded with the 5t Jake from last night but I’ve got to go and collect a swivel skip dumper from Jovic Plant at Basildon.

I arrive at 0730 but don’t get away until 0800 as it had only been returned late last night and was being washed when I arrived. The site for this is on the ridiculously named Green Street Green Road (the road that goes to Green Street Green in Kent) as daft names go it’s a good one although not as good as my favourite, a village in Essex called Matching Tye.

Leaving Basildon at 8 headed for Kent isn’t usually too clever but I have a clear run down the A13 and only get slowed down on the final approach to the tolls. Off at J1b, cross the A282/M25 left at the next roundabout and you cross over it again on the next bridge before passing under the A2 viaduct. I’m amazed every time I come round this way how well the junction improvements are progressing considering it’s only been under way for a few months. It’s only a couple of miles and the site comes up on the right, it’s only 0845 and I can’t believe how well I’ve done timewise. The digger and dumper are offloaded and I’m back on my way and soon through the tolls and into the tunnel headed back to Essex.

Next job is in Halstead so it’s a bit further round to the M11 and off along the A120 towards Braintree, I stop again at the little rest area near Dunmow and amazed that despite being able to park right next to the toilets the place reeks of piss. My details for the next job are sketchy but I’ve got a phone number and I’m given instructions of where the site is and that of the three items of plant to load, first off is to be the digger at the companies yard in Witham. Further instructions will be given when I get to the yard. The A120 is good to Braintree but the road up to Halstead seems to take forever but I arrive just before 1100. Getting reversed in is a bit of squeeze to thread my way through the parked cars but I’m soon ready to load and my first item is a fairly decrepit 3t dumper with a non working handbrake. It’s a bit (well) dodgy as leaving it gear doesn’t do too much to restrain it and I’m pleased when it’s chained down.

Next up is a 1200mm roller, the bloke on site doesn’t seem to grasp how I want to load it so send him off to fetch the digger whilst I get it turned slightly with the winch ready to help slew it round.

Once matey brings the digger over I fix a chain to the lifting point so he can take the weight whilst I reel in the winch and get the thing sideways.

This is now strapped down and the digger backed right up against it to wedge it in tight.

The boom of the digger sticks through between the ramps and it’s all ready to go.

Except that the dumper is rocking about when I pull away so I have to stop and put another chain on it. Finally ready I decide to take the A1124 to Stanway and pick up the A12 for Witham rather than trundle back to Braintree. Back at their yard in Witham I offload the digger and spin the roller round before lifting the buckets out of the dumper.

1 down, 2 to go . I get told that the next drop is the roller so that’s great until he remembers that actually it’s the dumper next off. Actually there’s no reason and he soon agrees to leave it as is and I make my way back to Stanway to get rid of the roller. If it hadn’t been for all the secret squirrel stuff I could have dropped it on the way through and saved him an hour or so charge.

And another gone.

Especially as the dumper was going to their fitter at Great Braxted, just off the A12 near Kelvedon. The whole job was completely arse about face, but that’s not uncommon.

During the morning my office has called with a couple of job and when I’m done I head off to Woodham Ferrers to the south of Chelmsford to collect a hydraulic breaker, and on to nearby N. Fambridge to collect our Volvo 7t digger. It’s been so long since I saw this one I forgot we’d even got it. At the end of the day it’s just another machine and it’s loaded like any other before I head back to Danbury. Back at the yard it comes off and is replaced by a little 3 tonner and I run the breaker back to Sandon to off hire it. After some discussions in the yard about next weeks possible work I head for home at 1630.

Ready for the morning.

333Km

Friday 8th June 2007

0645 Start. It’s only a short run down the road to Maldon this morning to unload the little 3 tonner at a farm, it’s been raining since I got up but now it really starts RAINING and after only a few minutes out in it I’m wet. The next job on my sheet is to collect a forklift from Witham booked for 0730 and I’m spot on with the timing although they won’t let any machines start until 0800. The forklift turns out to be a nice little 7m telehandler, but has also got a tipping skip, shovel bucket and a pallet of bricks and tiles to go with it. The pallet and the skip are loaded up against the headboard, the bucket goes on the machine with the forks inside and finally at 0830 now thoroughly wet it’s time to go.

Really it is June.

The pallet of bricks and tiles is an extra and has got to go to Halstead, I figure that I’m going to have to go through Witham at school run time and then arrive at Braintree about 0845 where it’s usually busy and probably worse today in the heavy rain. I decide to take the A12 back to Stanway and take the A1124 to Halstead as it’s likely to be clearer, it was poor driving conditions but without hold up or incident nonetheless. I had about a 15 minute wait whilst they unloaded a staircase at the site and then was able to pull up so they could offload the single pallet. Only Mr.Forkie was complaining that he’d got a large machine and it’d be easier if I shunted back a bit. I could see the problem and told him it’d be easier if I did it myself which didn’t please him, however I was too wet to argue so shunted back and pushed on as soon as I could. The machine I had collected had to be exchanged with another at Belchamp Walter a little village about half way between Gt. Yeldham and Sudbury. It was still raining when I arrived and I just accepted that I was going to stay wet and got on with unloading. The machine going on was a 17 year old veteran with a large shovel bucket and a strange jib attachment but it all fitted and I head off for the last job of the day for this company.

I needed to go to Finchingfield and headed across country along some little lanes, surprisingly I was still in good spirits. This was cut short but a weak bridge at Toppesfield but it was easily avoided and I was at the school in Finchingfield shortly afterwards. Thankfully it had stopped raining and the blokes on site had the kettle going so things were looking up. No-one seemed to be champing at the bit to unload so I took the machine off and told them that the jib and skip were theirs too. They were all claiming that they could drive the machine so I ended up unloading to the bits too. It was now time to start working for a different groundworker and the next scheduled job was collecting from Braintree, however they had asked if we could collect some stuff from a site in Chelmsford and take to Braintree so I had to go there first. The material in question was 15x 6m x100mm drainage pipes, which I had to handball on. OK so it’s not much but it seemed a bit pointless, I suppose that as our jobs are booked timewise as if we start and finish at Danbury technically it’s on the way.

Hmmmm The tubes were quickly chucked off and Braintree and a forkie enlisted to load 11x tonne bags, some shingle but mostly topsoil destined originally for a job in Maldon but now headed back to their yard at Hazeleigh (near Maldon) I’m on the way back via Witham when I get a call asking for 2 bags of shingle to go to Maldon, it’s hardly out of the way and I thread my way round the narrow streets to Butts Lane Car Park where the job is.

In the car park. Do I need a ticket?

Only now they can’t get material in through the carpark end and everything has to go down a little alleyway running off the High St. Back I go and stop by the alley blocking one side of the road (it’s 1530 now) worse still it’s only a little industrial forklift rather than a telehandler so we have to block the whole road for a minute whilst he nips round for the bag on the nearside. It wasn’t quite chaos but it caused a lengthy tailback. Finally I was able to go and get the rest offloaded at their yard nearby before returning to the yard. Had a spring clean and tidy up in the cab, as it’s going on a weekend overnighter to Wales and whilst I like to keep it clean anyway it was a bit messy after today and I’d like to think that someone else would leave there’s OK for me in the same situation. Finally done at 1645. 212 Km Total for the week 1413Km