0630 Start. Not a usual day for me this one, today I'm in the passenger seat. I'm off for a couple of weeks and I've got one of machine drivers potentially filling the mighty 8wheels boots, so to speak. He's just joined us and has got a dusty class 2 licence that hasn't had a lot of use, I'm tasked with showing him the ropes (or chains).
On Friday I'd brought a Yanmar 75 that was caked in mud, it apparently has been removed and 'cleaned' over the weekend. By cleaning it seems as if it has been tracked up and down the yard so some mud fell off and then was loaded back on with the remainder of the mud. It has to be rechained so it's a good chance to demonstrate if necessary the procedure for doing so.
It goes like this,
These pictures are from my Toolbox blog which contains lots of useful info and how to advice about this job. There's a link on the right hand side of the page or click
http://8-wheels-toolbox.blogspot.com/
As it happens no instruction is necessary and we do the vehicle checks, followed by a brief explanation of the 3 over 3 gear box before we get under way.
We're off to Takeley and I give him the choice of the direct but winding route or the longer but better road. We choose the winding route and we make good progress along to Takeley.
I leave him to back into the compound whilst I move the Heras fencing slightly much to the puzzlement of our on site driver who wonders how I can be reversing in and be moving the gate at the same time. Well it's not rocket science but whatever. The Yanmar comes off follwed by the remaining mud and we pack up and head along to Braintree before heading south to Tiptree.
There's a site clearance job here, a load of blocks to be forked on, and there's a big stack. Two loads it'll be then so we get the first one loaded sharpish and head back to Braintree to unload the first. And them we do it all over again.
By now my driver is getting the hang of the gears, and is doing well for someone with little experience. He reckons he's not that confidant but he's doing just fine, I'm just sitting there giving directions and occasional snippets of advice. We stop around 1300 for a cuppa and I decide that I'll drive back from Braintree and he can finish his 45 off whilst I do so rather than wait around longer. There's one of our Zx50's finished in Chelmsford so we call in and load that up before dropping it off at the yard. We swap seats again and head off down to South Woodham Ferrers where we are loading an 8t JCB for one of our customers. On it goes, chains on in no time and we're off back to Braintree for the umpteenth time. We're done back at the yard by 1700. I'm done for a while, he's got the job and has the pleasure of other 6 wheeler driver as guide tomorrow.
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