29th October - 2nd November 2007

Monday
0630 Start. Things don't look so good when the girl fails to start, luckily Norm is still alongside and I am quickly jump started and off to Colchester to collect a 7t Yanmar at Target Plant. The dumper was already on from Friday and I didn't want to offload it to but the buckets in. Unfortunately this made loading a bit tricky as the tracks were slightly worn and the ramps slippery.
Both the machines were run down to a site in the Dutch Quarter of Colchester, there was a bit of a side slope and for every 6" the machine moved down the ramps it moved an inch sideways. Luckily it didn't slide and I make a quick detour to the golf course to collect a 120 roller. It's back to Target for a 6t dumper and this is taken to a site in Stanway.


It's a smartish development around a lake.
However if you look the other way it's still obviously a former gravel pit.

From Stanway it's a short hop along the A12 to Witham to tip the roller at CRH plant.

Next it's back to Colchester to collect the a 5t ZX50 and 5t dumper from the golf course. They'd probably have all fitted on but it's a lot of agro, everything is slippery and the roller has to go in the middle. It's back off to the yard where there's not much going on, the machines are refuelled and checked on board and left ready for the morning.

I've had some electrical problems arising from the winch of late so we jack the cab and see if we can work out what's going on. It's not good news (although I've said that all along) and we decide to disconnect and remove the winch for repair or replacement. It's handily built into the headboard which makes getting it out a little harder but a strop round the drum and it's soon lifted out with the crane. We'redone for the day at 1600

Distance 163Km

Tuesday
0645 Start. No battery problems this morning, I'm off to a site just up the road from home in Galleywood to drop the Zx50 & dumper.

There's no one on site so I back in and park them up next to a CFA rig that is all packed up and waiting to go. Someone arrives at 0730 signs the paperwork and I'm off for my next job which is to collect a JCB 8014 1.5t minidigger from a farm in Abridge. Oddly enough I delivered steel here almost excatly a year ago whilst doing a couple of agency days.


The maggot is going back to Greenshields JCB dealer at Braintree for repair and whilst I'm there I load a new 535-95 telehandler.



I head off to Burwell in Cambs. to deliver the machine direct to site and collect a P/ex machine which is this 530-70 it's an S reg machine and is in fairly good shape considering.
This one goes back to Braintree and I pack up and head off to nearby Halstead to collect the last one of the day, it's another 535-95 also being P/ex'd against the new one. This one is newer (V reg) but is fairly shagged out. Handbrake not working, forks seized, reluctant starter. Anyway it's on and I make visit number 3 to Greenshields.


I drop the 535-95 in their compound amongst the new shiny stuff and I've completed all the jobs for today.






Last job is to run the truck into Truck East Scania at Witham for inspection. On the last run into Braintree the exhaust brake broke and there were a few other bits needing attention too. I swap the Scania for a Fiesta and tootle off home at about 1600.



Distance 295Km

Wednesday
0645 Start. A short run back to Witham, drop the Fiesta and back to the yard in the truck, it was only booked for an inspection but they seem to have done quite a bit of work. There's a flag on the gear lever telling me to check my nuts as the wheels had been off, they've replaced a cracked mirror glass and even gone round the body with a grease gun which is a first. There's just one job to which is to collect a 5t Yanmar from Southminster, it's only a short run but it's nice to have the exhaust brake back working again. I run back to the yard with the tag axle down, I've had a long standing problem with the ABS sensors which they seem so far unable to cure. True to form it trips on the way back and the boss is spitting feathers about it when I get back.

I'm packed off to back to Witham where I leave it running outside complete with fault and explain the problem inside. Finally I seem to get the point across and they give me back the Fiesta and I leave it to them. They later decide that it needs new sensors (although I have previously suggested this as adjusting the old ones does no good) it'll have to be rebooked when parts arrive so I go back to Witham for the 3rd time and swap over again.

Back to the yard sort out some bits and away home at 1615.
Distance 125Km

Thursday
0645 Start. It's a Hewden day today, usual depot at Dagenham and I arrive at the yard to utter chaos. The yard is being broken out in readiness for re-concreteing and there's another wagon loading, I wander in and see what's planned for the day. The first job is a 285cfm compressor, that won't be happening as the winch is still out, it gets bumped onto the other driver and I get a telehandler in exchange. It's nothing too bad, a CAT TH330 to go to West Thurrock. As I'm in the process of securing it onboard one of the chain tensioners (dogs) springs open and mashes one of my fingers. Ouch that smarts. I'm fully aware about the dangers of these and I also have a set of the ratchet tensioners, but I find them a proper pain in the arse to use. So it's no one elses fault and if my finger drops off it's down to me and my error, I cannot understand all this claiming for this that and the other when it's something that you have made happen yourself. If I fell through the floor on the truck where the boards are worn I'd still accept responsibility for it, the stuff is in the yard to repair it with when there's time to do it.

After dropping the machine off I've got 2 collections to do, Notting Hill and Heathrow T3. I can't get the bloke at T3 for directions so I head in along the A13 headed for Notting Hill, I follow the A406 to Edmonton and pick up my usual route in through Seven Sisters and down to Kings Cross. Along the way I get directions about the T3 job but it get cancelled shortly after due to insufficient notice being given. Shame.

The traffic along Euston / Marylebone Rd is horrendous this morning, far worse than usual and it's because Baker St. is shut causing tailbacks along Westway to Westbourne Grove. I'm off at White City and into the leafy streets around Portobello Road to collect a Manitou BT420 from a school.


It's well knackered and has got a completely flat tyre too.

I decide to head out to Hanger Lane and back round the A406 rather than head inbound along Westway.

I follow this guy using magic straps, I wonder if they do chains like this for machines? Save a lot of time.

I head up the M1 and stop at Scratchwood for a 45 around midday before heading back M25 / M11 / A12.





Back at Hewdens there's not a lot going on, there's a telehandler about 100yds from this mornings one to come back but they're overly concerned and I've had enough so I decide to call it a day and head back to the yard.





I'm back and sorted by 1545 today, nice and easy but fear for what tomorrow will bring.
Distance 258Km

Friday
0645 Start. Hewdens again today, 1st job is to collect the tele from Lakeside that I didn't want to do yesterday. If I'd known I'd have picked it up on the way home and left it at our yard overnight. It's not a huge problem though, it's at the B&Q there and I'm able to get it fairly sharpish. Unusally for Hewden it's a JCB one, a 530-70 with a hook attachment and it's back to the Dagenham yard from there.

Somehow I've managed to dodge the Heathrow job but there's a fair stack still to do. I reload with a 2t swivel dumper which is going to Harold Hill, and a CAT TH330 tele for a yard alongside J29 on the M25.

There's another delivery to make before I can start collecting so it's back to the yard to load a Manitou buggie forklift. The bad news is that it's got to go to Roehampton which is next to Richmond Park. I decide that the least direct route is probably the easiest and floow a lengthy route around the M25 and up the A3. It's nearly a 2 hour trip to arrive on site at the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and once I'm loaded I stop for a break as I've only got about half hour left.

My next port of call is Canning Town in East London and I figure that it's probably best to head into central London and out again so I pick up the A3 to Vauxhall and cross Vaux. bridge and turn onto a nice quiet Millbank. It's quiet because Parliment Sq. is partly closed and there's a bit of a diversion but I get back on track and make Canning Town in an hour and a half.

It's a CAT 1.5t minidigger to collect here from a small site, they're pouring concrete when I arrive but I get told to load the machine and they'll bring the buckets. The machine is on and one bucket appears but no more arrive. I wait patiently in view by the mixer but none of the 7 or 8 blokes can tear themselves away from the readymix. The buckets are just over there but I'll get caked in concrete if I get them. After about 10 minutes I decide "bollox to you ignorant bastards" and leave the site. All they had to do was bring them to me and I'd have humped them round the corner and onto the truck, now they'll have to take them back to the yard.

My final job is to collect a JCB 926 FLT from Fairlop Waters. Whilst I'm loading I get a message on the phone letting me know that I've left 2 buckets behind and someone has left their jacket in the cab. I ignore the message as I chucked the jacket in the building and I'm not going back for the buckets.

Back at Hewdens I explain about the delays and my reason for leaving, it's not a problem the bloke has found his jacket and is bringing the buckets in his van. 30 seconds of effort could have saved him a lot of bother. I trundle off back to the yard where I call it a day at 1715.

Distance 302Km

Total for the week 1152Km. Odometer now past 600,000Kms