11th -13th August 2008

Before we start I'll just point your attention at my fundraising widget >>>>>>>>>>>>>
I'd be very grateful for sponsorship of any amount for the cycle ride I'm doing with my 9 year old son.

Monday
0645 Start. A nice bright Monday morning, even better as the yard is already open and there's a big empty space in it. Having now handed the number 1 title back to it's rightful owner I am back at the bottom in number 3 slot. Or to put it another way, I'm back in my 6 wheeler.

I'd already preflighted the motor on Friday, everything was stowed in the overhead lockers and tacho ready to go. Just kick the tyres and light the fires as it were. I've got a bit of a run around this morning, first stop across to Felsted where I'm due to load a 3t dumper. It's a funny place to get into but I reverse in dwn the narrow driveway and round between the barns through the tight gap first time. I'm happy with that with so long out of the seat.





There's a slight change of plan here, there's an 80 roller to load first followed by the 3t dumper.



All ready to go it's a nice drive up to Chipping on the A10 where there are some barn conversions underway. Driving my lorry again makes me realise how shagged out the unit is, I've got so much more torque and the gearbox is much more slick.

The dumper comes off here and the roller is moved across I've got some more bits to go on. Next on board alongside the roller is a 1.5t mini. There's a skiploader to go on next and a 2t mini to sit on the back. Whilst it's not exactly full, there's a bit of thought required to get it all inboard and that's something I've missed over the last 10 weeks.



We're off to Hatfield Broad Oak now and I need to unload everything but the 2 tonner on the back. Or at least I need to leave everything but there. The 2t machine is run off and dumped to one side.





Then I can unload the other bits before reloading the 2 tonner.



Once everything is squared away, it's back off to Felsted to get rid of the machine and then I'm off back to the yard stoppng on the way to check that the bunk is still operational. Back at the yard it's chaos with vans and plant everywhere, eventually I find a space and squeeze in. Off home at 1615. 171Km.

Tuesday
0645 Start. The yard was awash this morning andmy journey over to the JCB dealer in Braintree not much better. There was not much activity going on there until past 0800 and it was after 0830 before I'd got my load, a 3t 803 demonstrator. Although I can't ever see the rain stopping I shed the waterproofs and head off to Kent.



The weather improves as I head round the M25 and by the time I arrive at Strood it's not a bad day. I'm actually at Diggerland, although they won't let me play for free even though I've brought my own one.



Back up to Essex and into the yard. I get another run out in the afternoon, collecting our 1.5t mini from Hutton. It's back to the yard, unload and reload with a 6t machine for tomorrow. Off home 1645.

Wednesday
0645 Start. Off out to Blackmore near Ongar to deliver the Kobelco 60 that we'd loaded last night. It's a bit big for the job really but the sign for it and I head back to Danbury where I'm due to load from a construction company there. I'm just 2 minutes from where I need to be and I get a call to go back to the yard, luckily that's only 2 minutes away too.

They have now decided that the 60 is too big after all and I've now got to load the 1.5t mini and take it back to exchange it. Then it's back to the yard and pick up where I left off.

We're loading a load of Heras panels and bits, and I'm working with our other 6 wheeler today. Luckily he's only just arrived and is just unfolding the crane. Just after we finish loading the rain starts, dodged that well.



I lead our little convoy, but have to keep off the throttle a bit as I'm that bit quicker.



Surely we are not going that slow?

After a cuppa in the dry we head off across to Kent and down into West Sussex, we're delivering to a site in Horsham. Unloading is by crane and we have to take cover for another heavy rain storm.



All done and it's back to Essex. Finished 1615. Off till Monday.

Tin Rattling

Well it's my blog and I can do what I want with it.

I'm doing a sponsored 20k cycle ride with my 9 year old lad on 14th September for the local hospice. If anyone would like to sponsor us we'd be extremely grateful.

http://www.justgiving.com/grahamandjack

Now I know it's cheeky as I don't actually know anyone reading this, but if you are a regular reader and enjoy the blog maybe you'll have a pound or two you could donate.

Thank's for reading this far and enjoy the blog.

Graham

4th - 8th August 2008

No blog last week, I was a bit fed up with the whole work situation and doing some lengthy hours. I'd had enough of work by the time I got home.

Monday
0630 Start. I'm empty this morning as the last job Friday had been dropping off a machine at the JCB dealer in Braintree. It's off to Colchester this morning to collect a JS220 that I delivered to site on my first day on artic 9 weeks ago. Somewhat fitting perhaps as this is the first day of my last week.



The 220 is loaded up ready and it's off to Tiptree to the Wilkin & Sons jam factory there. It's not a bad site to go to and there's a nice strawberry aroma in the air. Better than the one you get on a building site when they empty the tardis toilets.

I've just finished unloading and I get a call through, I've got to go to Shoeburyness near Southend. We've got a pair of 14 tonners standing here that have just finished a job and one of them is to be collected and brought back to the yard. It's one of our Hyundai 140's and despite being nearly 3 years old it is almost as good as new. The driver is obsessive about it and removes his boots before getting in the cab, this driver is not so bothered and jumps in size 13 and all. It's on the trailer, secured and dragged back to the yard. There's some work going on refurbing or 'bullshitting' our Kobelco 60 in the yard. I lend a hand in part with that before heading for home at 1600. 171km

Tuesday.
0645 Start. There's nothing to do this morning so I catch up with some paperzzzzzzwork in the office. I'm alert enough to look bust when anyone comes nearby though. I get a little errand to do in the van and when I get back there's a move come in, it's a 6 wheeler job really but they are both out and I'm pleased of the work. I'm off to Tiptree to load an 8t machine at one of my regular spots.

It's not a place that's accessible to the artic, so it stays outside and the machine will have to come out. The keys have been left in the machine although it is actually the 10 tonner there rather than the 8 that is going.







It's off to Southend, it's not an ideal drop but doable and only blocks the traffic for a couple of minutes. I pack up just as the rain starts (makes a change) and head back. I get another job come through which is loading a 13t machine from Gt.Baddow.

As I wander on the site the driver is just getting the machine ready, by the time I've reversed into the site access he's there waiting. It's loaded on and we're off to North Fambridge to unload.

This could have been worse, it's a one road in and out place and a dead end at that. Luckily the place where I dropped the machine has just got enough space for a tight blindside and I'm off back to Danbury after a peaceful half hour on the way back.



1645 Finish.

Wednesday.
Nothing really doing today, a few van errands nothing worth commenting on.

Thursday.
0700 Start. Whilst I was running errands yesterday, the Hyundai 140 that I'd brought back in earlier in the week had been loaded ready for this morning. There was a breaker that had appeared alongside which also had to go, although piped up this machine has never actually had a breaker on it so the first job was to couple it up and test it. The hydraulic couplings took some persuading but eventually we get it sorted and I'm off out down to Chelmsford.



This machine has joined the ranks of the self drive machines and will probably incur more damage in the next 36 hours of use than it has done in the 3600 that it has worked to date.

Once offloaded I'm off to Stock to load another Hyundai 140 at a waste transfer station, this one is the updated version and is a demonstrator from the dealer. It's had a bit of a hammering whilst it's been working, we picked it up at 100 hours and now at 320 hours there's a few scrapes on it already. See what I mean about the other one.





The demonstrator is going back to Ernest Doe at Ulting, where I'm collecting another Hyundai 140.





The latest addition to the Danbury fleet is going to the driver who's just lost his old 140. If they keep him and machine together it'll look the same in 3 years time, only cleaner.

The demo machine comes off, the buckets stood to one side and the new goes on and the buckets join it on the trailer. It's then off back to the yard so it can be fuelled and loaded up with the drivers kit ready for work.

Not much else happening in the yard and off home at 1600.

Friday
0645 Start. Not a lot happening this morning, there's some errands to run and I spend some time decluttering the unit of my stuff. There's no work on for my 6 wheeler today so I use the time to move house and stow all my maps and tools back ready for Monday.

I get a little job to do, loading the new 140 (glad we took it off) and running it down to Boreham ready for the driver to start work on Monday. Back to the yard and I finish swapping my gear across. There's just a little run across to Braintree to load some bits ready for Monday. 1615 Finsh.

Well that's my 10 weeks on the artic done. Approx 2100t of plant moved, and 12500 Kms travelled.