0630 Start. Back to 6 wheels again this morning, although I'd rather be no wheels and still in bed. The rain is lashing down (or even across) and it's windy as hell.
First stop is Jovic Plant at Sandon to load a JCB 803 3t machine with breaker, despite my full waterproofs I get fairly wet in the process and the drive across to Takeley is a constant battle to keep the windscreen clear.
It's still raining at Takeley, and I'm told that the breaker isn't required, now that's not usually a problem but it's fitted to the machine and the machine does not have a quickhitch. To remove it you have to knock out large steel pins which then are used to fit the bucket (when you can eventually get it to line up) Once the 803 is off I can get one of our 5t Yanmars loaded and finally get on my way.
I'm headed off to Framlingham in Suffolk and the weather is still appalling, also there seems to be something slightly amiss with the wagon, it just doesn't seem to pull very well. I decide that it could be the way the machine is loaded, the weather or some other factor and defer any thought of remedy until later on. When I get close to Ipswich they have got the Orwell Bridge closed and diversions in place through Ipswich town, I quickly decide that this will take forever so I head across to the A140 (Norwich Road) and cut across to Framlingham from there avoiding both Ipswich and the Orwell.
The site I'm visiting is right in the town by the castle, it's a narrow street where the machines are working and I'm due to exchange machines. Unfortunately they are unloading some drainage pipes and I cannot get the machine out until they finish an hour later. Finally the Yanmar is replaced by a 5t Hitachi ZX50 and I make my way back out again having finally put away the waterproofs as the rain has abated. I've got the ZX loaded further forward so the tag axle is raised but there's still a performance issue here, the weather is better too so I decide to call at Truck East in Witham to see if they can have a quick look.
An hour and a bit later one of their fitters comes out and takes us for a spin in the now atrocious weather, he doesn't seem to think there's anything wrong and really there is nothing actually wrong. It's just that it normally goes like shit off a shovel and today it's lugging, there's no acceleration when you change up to the next gear (unless you use the half splits) If I was running a 310 engine it'd be fine but even with a full weight load on the old 420 does better than this. Finally he decides that I should run it tomorrow and see how it fares. Back at the yard the Zx comes off and I return to Jovic to get shot of the breaker. It's their tea break when I arrive and although I really want to get on, I don't feel like I can reasonably drag them outside today.
Once I'm empty I run across to Braintree, everything working perfectly no problems to report. At Braintree there's a JCB 535-125 to load from the dealer there, and I'm about 2 minutes too late as there is a lowloader just backing in the yard to load a JS130. My Loadall is at the back of the yard and I can't get it out until he's loaded. He's not long though and I sort the paperwork whilst he's getting loaded.
Whilst I'm chaining on I get treated to a barrage of hailstones and I am just glad that today is almost over. With a load on, the problem arises again and I reckon it could be a fuel filter as the engine isn't missing and the brakes aren't dragging. There's some sort of powerloss that is only showing itself with a bit of weight, tomorrow could be make or break for it. Finished at 1730. Distance 319Km.
No pictures as I just couldn't be arsed today.
Tuesday.
0545 Start. Thankfully no rain this morning as I'm off for an early one across the QEII bridge and round the M25. Amazingly the tolls are clear both ways and even J5 is bearable this morning. There's a bit of a jam just starting by the M23 junction but I'm headed for Shoreham so it doesn't bother me at all. I'd glanced at the map last night and the address in Shoreham looked easy enough just behind the front, however when I get there I discover lots of closed roads and have to unearth the map to find out where I now need to go. I'm tipping at a place called Pyroban, there's loads of different bits of it but the once with a bunch of FLTs outside would seem like the best bet, there's not much sign of life however so I check with a driver from Robert Walker Fork Truck Transport who points me in the right direction.
It's a bit busy in the main works so I unload round the corner and park the machine as directed. Apparently this company modifies equipment for use in dangerous environments fitting explosive suppressors or summat. I'm done by about 0845 so I head back and stop for half hour at Pease Pottage.
There's now some delays at the tolls and I can't quite make it back on this 4.5hr so I take another half hour on the A12. Back at the yard not much is happening as it's lunchtime when I arrive so there's a bit more eyelid studying to be done.
There's a couple of little jobs to do, first is a run down to Benfleet to collect a 120 roller and return it to Laveham Plant at Cold Norton. Next up is collecting a 10t dumper from Jovic Plant and returning to the yard. There's also our little 1.5t mini to load so the dumper comes off and gets reloaded behind the maggot ready for tomorrow. Finished at 1645. Distance 374Km
Wednesday.
0645 Start. It's an odd load when you look at it, the 1.5t mini and a whacking great 10t dumper but it's not on for long, the dumper is taken to the University in Chelmsford.
Our early bird driver has already been and gone here, having dropped off a Hyundai 140, but at least we're not in each others way.
The maggot is off to a car dealer in Chelmsford, although when I get arrive there is no sign of the hirer. After half hour of waiting I decided to unload ready and they arrive about 0815, they've come from Sussex and apparently the QEII bridge is closed again due to high wind.
The next job is about 200 yards down the round at E2V, an electronics contractor. I'm loading a 3t dumper and Hyundai 55 for a groundworker, then it's of to Takeley near Stansted Airport.
The job at Takeley is at an existing bungalow in the middle of a massive new housing development, some stuffed shirt tries to bollock me for not using the haul road but I tell him that it's nothing to do with his site, it's a private job on a house that was here first so I'll come and go as I please. As does the tipper driver behind me delivering to the same place.
My next job involves central London and ideally I need to run down to the top of the Blackwall Tunnel, in through Wapping and along the Embankment, this could be dodgy because of the QEII but it's actually fine amd generally the traffic is light all the way. Over Lambeth Bridge and I'm off down Wandsworth Road to a job under the railway arches, there's a load of sleepers to go back to the demolition contractors yard.
These are soon loaded by machine, and just as I'm about to leave so more appear along with a couple of railway trollies.
Somehow I get persuaded to do another collection for them this time from Borough Market. There's a 1.5t machine to collect and it involves tracking it through the cobbled streets as it's too tight to get the wagon in to the site.
I head back out and stop on the A12 for a well earned cuppa before returning to their yard at Stock to unload.
Once the sleepers are off, I have to go and meet the boss who gives me cheque and I'm off now to Braintree to collect some rolls of Terram fabric. These are dropped off at the University site before returning back to the yard. There's just a ZX50 to load on before going home at 1815. Distance 251Km
Thursday.
0645 Start. I'm off to Chelmsford this morning to drop the ZX50 off, I've been given the wrong address and unload the machine into the Salvation Army car park but it's only 50 yards up the road to the right place and when the hirer arrives he tracks it up the road.
Next job is loading a telehandler at Great Easton near Gt.Dunmow, it's a Matbro Tristar circa 1986, horrid thing with no go and about as much braking efficiency. I get it chained on quick before it decides to unload itself.
It's going to a school in Brentwood and it's a long slog through Essex's single carriageway A&B roads to get there, it's not a problem as there's no access until 0915 which is the time I arrive. Once I've unloaded the machine I notice a patch of oil underneath the cab about 4" diameter, a quick look underneath and it's obvious I've got a problem as there's quite a bit oil on the bottom of the sump. I'm heading for Braintree and I decide that calling at the yard would be a good idea as I could seek assistance or top up whatever. Back at the yard I crawl underneath and the oil is coming from above the sump and is running down the side of the block and coating the underneath quite thoroughly. 2 litres of oil go in the top, and I head off to Truck East at Witham with a problem that they cannot ignore.
Once they take a quick look in the yard they get me in the workshop and jack the cab for a good look. It's a seal or gasket on the oil cooler that's blown and it's a 3 hour job to replace it, that's when they can get manpower onto it. I'm advised it'll probably be ready about 4pm so I arrange a lift back to the yard. It never got finished by the day shift so hopefully the late shift will get it sorted. Off home at 1645. Distance 126Km
Friday.
0645 Start. A rare ride in the passenger seat this morning, but only as far as Truck East at Witham to collect the motor. It all seems OK and they've even fixed the dash lights that they broke at it's MOT.
Now I can start working I'm to a school in Mayland to load a JCB 926 forklift, I was surprised when I was given this job as I'd assumed it had gone back long ago, when I returned it to Hewden it had originally been hired 2nd August last year.
I'm away from the school before the drop off bedlam and round the corner to a garden centre to load one our dumpers.
There's no one at the garden centre when I arrive so I get the 926 off ready.
The dumper is looking a bit worse for wear, with a smashed beacon and the tyre almost off the rim.
All loaded up and it's off to Hewden in Basildon to offload the 926. Back at the yard they decide to send me to the tyre depot with the dumper rather than get a call out for it. One puncture repair later and it's off to the University to load the 10t dumper from earlier this week. The big dumper is offhired at Sandon and the little one returned to our yard.
I'm offered a lowloader job for this afternoon, fetching some gear out of Canning Town, but it's just been loaded with a 20tonner that would have to be unloaded and reloaded again this evening. I decline the offer.
Before long I'm given another job anyway, back to school (There's an education theme today) at Laindon to load a 4.5t machine that has just finished working. It's due back in to Jovic but I leave it on as it's first stop on Monday morning. Finished at 1645. Distance 198Km
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