Truck & Driver July 2019^93
for the fitter. Turns out the rim
adjacent to the valve is leaking,
so he switches the wheel with
one on the lift-axle as I am
heading back empty.
Just before lunch-time I’m
ready to set off across country
back towards Felixstowe. The run
is not quite as clear this time, but
nothing too drastic considering
it’s a Friday, and I soon have the
box off and am told to head back
to Great Yarmouth. When I arrive,
there is nothing else for me to do
(plus my driving time was close
to 4:30 and I would have needed
a break), so I empty my clobber
from the truck and head home.
It was a really enjoyable week.
I like working for the guys there,
it’s always varied and interesting
and in general they are just good
people to work for.first is being tipped as I arrive.
Within a couple of hours I am
empty and heading back the
same way I just came, this time
to Felixstowe to drop off the box
office. Once that is done, I drop
the empty trailer at another
haulier’s yard and return to
Harwich solo for Friday’s job.Friday
Once again I am collecting a
container but on this occasion it
is on one of the customer’s own
flat beds. I skip breakfast so I can
get going to Milton Keynes.
Again, a nice clear run and,
on arrival, I’m instantly offered a
coffee, nice gesture indeed! Then
one of the chaps notices a soft
front tyre; damn. I make the
phone call and wait over an hourpassed away. From being
probably the best truckstop in the
UK by a country mile, it’s now
very expensive to park there.
One concern is that the site
will end up closed and
redeveloped. With such an acute
shortage of parking so close to
Felixstowe, it would be a real
blow if this were to happen.Thursday
Up nice and early, I get my
container on the trailer. After a
spot of breakfast to allow the
queue from the ferry to die down,
I trundle off towards the A12 and
London. I am amazed to have a
virtually clear run round to the
M40 and up to Banbury. There
are three containers into here
today and I am the second; thethe wonderful establishments
that are, in the UK, laughably
called ‘services’, I head out
before being fined. I know you
can park on the roads
approaching Regent Road in
Liverpool, so I wait there instead.
The call comes at 5pm,
rush-hour, so the three or so
miles takes me 40 minutes, but
within 18 minutes of stopping I
am offloaded and ready to roll.
My reload is from Gunness Wharf
so I make my way across the M62
and park at Whitley Truck Stop.Wednesday
I leave Whitley and arrive and
weigh in at 7am. Four collection
sites onsite, load secured and I
am rolling at 10am. I choose to
head back via the A1 to Newark
as I am close to my maximum
weight to make the most of
the better roads. The Newark
junction where the A46 and A1
meet really needs a rethink; I
have to queue on the slip-road.
I stop and meet a friend at the
tea van at Sleaford and then plod
on back towards the East Coast.
The customer won’t accept the
delivery today, so I drop the
trailer in the yard and have a
natter before getting the next
instructions. Nice and simple;
down to Orwell Crossing Truck
Stop with an empty trailer, swap
with another driver and head to
Harwich to collect in the morning.
What a shame that Karl, who
owned Orwell Crossing Truck
Stop, at Nacton in Suffolk, hasThursday: Mat’s is the second container to be tipped at BanburyWednesday: close to max weight, so
Mat can make the most of better roadsTEAM T&D