The West Midlands Run ....... and run and run and run

I was fed up today , the day started badly and just got worse, It was all sorts of little things that just conspired against me and built up to ruin my day.

I wasn't in work Yesterday (Thursday) and got a call saying I was needed to run some pallets down to Halfords at Redditch and then loads of collections and same day delivery's .The Booking was for 10 am but my lot wanted me in early so asked me to get in there for 8 !!!!.

About 5 pm I was told it was all loaded onto another lorry, mine was in the shop having a 6 weekly check. I had all my gear in my truck including last months Tacho's and my lovely HI VIZ gear. After ringing around I arranged to meet the mechanic at the garage at 6.30.
I got to the lorry and set off to the garage at around 6 ish. I turned the radio on and it was locked..... it needed the code. I was fuming , I didn't fancy driving around the west midlands in a draughty old knacker without a stereo. I drove of to the mechanics and grabbed my gear out of my lorry, I keep it all in a box so it was all pretty easy to get.

I decided to get my radio from home, it was only a 15 minute drive home and I couldn't spend all day without my news link, I very rarely listen to music at work , I just have five live and talk sport on all day, I use a DAB Radio in my own lorry but I couldn't because it uses the cab system and this one was locked !!!! I have a portable one at home that's rechargeable. It actually a brilliant bit of kit and it worked a treat today and saved my sanity. I was still pissed off , in the wack wagon , and crap runs but it made it a lot more bearable.
The Drop at Halfords went ok , they took it straight off at 8 am and I was on my way to Stourbridge for a collection. It was on a derelict site ........ I couldn't find any sign of life for ages until I drove around for a bit and looked a little deeper in the squalor


I found it on the left of this place up the street a bit.
This is the place.
I had to collect a pallet for Ireland but I had to get the Forkie to load it on the Headboard for me and move the stuff on the headboard to the back !!!! complicated I know but I had a drop at Selfridges in Coleshill and they tip off the back, so it had to be moved. I found out the day was getting worse and worse when I tried to move the stuff with the Pallet truck and found out it was broken. The stuff was stuck in place solid , heavy pallets ., That's why the forkie helped out , I don't usually like asking for any help but I didn't have much choice.
The next drop was Stafford shire University in Stoke city centre. An absolute nightmare to get to no parking , Zig Zag's everywhere , plus the pallet was definitely going to a handball job. I could just feel it, They wouldn't have a forklift that's for sure.
What I didn't count on, was them not even having a door or a loading area, just a very busy and narrow street.
I rang the bell and straight away someone answered and in a few minutes we had it all off and I was on my way to a food warehouse near the M6. This lot was for Dublin and was en route to the same place as the other collection. This is good because it means less work for me and its also a lot easier on the mountain of paperwork I have to do as well.
The computer was beeping away with a new message when I jumped back in , It wasn't good news, The new collection was now going to somewhere else, and had to be there by 4 pm, Shit!!!
I had the whole day planned out and now it was a spanner in the works.
A few reasons why I hate my plans changed are

1) you know where the drop is and you don't have to look around trying to find an invisible street with a non existent sign on it that has absolutely no connection to the company name you have been given,
2) Every new delivery/collection is a potential problem waiting to happen, unhelpful forkie or silly goods in procedures to contend with.

3) I Usually plan my stops for after all my drops are done and so that means I am going to be Hungary and dying for the toilet for longer.

The new drop off is In Melton Mowbry , So after all my drops, I will have to drive over there, its all on 40 mph roads.

I was due in Colesill first though and it was looking like I was going to be late, not much but 30 minutes, they are a bit fussy here So I was going to have to be very polite to the gateman , (who is usually a right wanker)


This is the wagon on the bay with a green light. I can go !!!!














The Transport office is on the left and through those doors is everything Selfridges .

I was not long in at DHL and the foreman lent me his Pallet truck to move the heavy blue food tubs on the left over to the headboard to keep them from tipping.
It was these two that were going over to Melton next.

I had had enough by now , it was getting on for another 12 hour day and I had been up since 5 am

The new drop was actually trouble free and it seems that we might be doing a bit more with them.


I have no more work on Monday as yet but Ill be back when the work is .