14th February 2008

Thursday.
0545 Start. It's rare for me to start before 0630 these days but occasionally I'll drag myself out early if needed. After wrestling with the gate this morning (it's usually already open when I arrive) and a bit of faffing about I'm on the road at 0600 down to the A12 heading round the M25 and up the M1. I'm always amazed at the volume of traffic at 0600 it's noticeable busier than it is at 0700.

First stop is just off J13 almost alongside the big Amazon building where they are building a new bypass for Ridgemount. I pull in the site compound and collar a bloke in an JCB belonging to the drainage firm that I'm collecting from.


Follow me he says, and goes bouncing off down the road and takes us in a very big circle almost (but not quite) back to where we started from.

There's 4 "mini" trench boxes to load which is done by their 360. "mini" as in not the big ones called magnums which are 12' wide. They're bloody horrid things, I hate moving anything that can self load or unload and these are amongst the worst of all.


An assortment of chains and ratchet straps are used to keep it all on board before I carry on the mystery tour past Woburn Safari Park to get back to J13 and down to the M25.

I've got to drop the boxes at the roadworks between J2-J3 and I'm told to pass over J2 get in the right lane and dive into the works access and trundle through the roadworks to the end to unload.
I'm in the access point as instructed and delayed by the bowser refuelling the oasis unit's genny.

This tipper has come in through the next access point and holds me up whilst he gets loaded.

After getting to the first of my customers machines I'm waved past them all until I get to this Volvo (after he's loaded a tipper) This is where the boxes are needed but they won't tip them there as there's not enough space. I'm told they will have to come off further back and given a contact number which I punch in and call up as I leave the end of the roadworks and dive across to exit at J3.

No they're deffo coming off by the Volvo, get back and they'll tip you.

So it's back the other way to J2 noting the best place to access the roadworks on the return journey. Only now Costain's HIAB is there offloading concrete drainage tubes and has got about 15 eight leg tippers queued up behind all waiting to either tip or be loaded. I join the back of the queue and slowly the single file snake delivers me back to the Volvo about an hour and a half after first arriving there. It's my turn to cause delay whilst I unchain and unstrap before they drag the boxes with their machine.

I've got 30 minutes left of driving so I get through the tunnel and onto the A13 and stop at the BP at Orset for 45 minutes, although I've done virtually nothing for the last 2 hours I wasn't stopped for more than about 5-10 minutes so couldn't have got a break in even if I'd wanted.

It's gone 1400 when I leave the services and time is catching up, it's into Basildon to collect a Yanmar 75 that we've got crosshired in. As usual there's a delay to get the key and more faffing to reunite machine and buckets and it's getting on for 1500 when I leave site.

I'm supposed to be taking it back to Ongar, but I haven't got the time left so it goes back to our yard where it gets launched off and dumped in the middle of the yard as there is barely enough space to squeeze the wagon in.

Next up I'm off to Witham to CRH Plant to load

a 2CX Airmaster.


and an 80 roller ready for the morning.

Back at the yard at 1630 I'm first told that the job has been cancelled and then shortly afterwards told that it's just the roller that's been cancelled.

I leave it be at 1645 and head for home.
Distance 372Km

Not much to write up for Friday so that's it for now.