Surrounded by the chavs

I was sent back to wales for 7 delivery's and 3 collections spread over the day and all precision timed to within a few minutes of a 10 hour driving day.


This was one of my collection's, the customer was having a bonfire while the kids were learning how to tip scrap off an old transit tipper truck, while it was tipped up.


Another collection was next door to this night club on an Industrial estate.

I was to park for a 9 hour rest and then back up to our yard to meet a trailer that leaves every morning at 7 to Liverpool docks.

I forgot my camera so I didn't get many pictures of my two day adventure around Wales and the west country but I did get these pictures on my phone.

I took in Frome, Glastonbury, Westerby and finished in Cirencester.

I found a truck stop that was owned by the council and right next to a Tesco and a Mc Donald's.

When I took the printout from the digital Tacho I was impressed to find I'd done exactly ten hours driving.

It was early evening and I settled down for an early night because I was going to have to start at 4 ish to get back up in time for the trailer.

It wasn't long until I regretted my choice of parking.

I could hear a thumping noise, getting louder and louder and then more and more thumping noises followed. What on earth was that I thought?

I looked out of the curtain and my heart sank.

There was a line of blinged up vauxhall nova's and Citroen's roaring through the gate, wheels spinning , lights glaring and sound systems blaring.

It wasn't long before the car park was full of noisy chavs all revving their engines and blasting out their stereos.

One chav had a mic on his system and a sound effect machine and kept me awake for hours with his stupid shouting.

I eventually fell asleep at around 11 0-clock when I guess they must of all had to get home for their tea.

I made it up to our yard for about 6 am and thinking I was due a little rest I went into the office with my paperwork from the last few days, Ha silly me , I was loaded again for that Tesco were I had wanted to kill someone.

I was to load next door to the Tesco at a customer of ours in Crick and take it straight to Wembley after wards.

The Tesco was completely different the girl behind the counter smelt great and looked a hell of a lot better than the hag, she was even polite, and helpful and dare I say it even nice. Tesco could be on to something here , employing , kind, helpful and polite staff could catch on.

I was out in little under 15 minutes and on my way to Wembley a little later.

I found the drop in Wembley easy just of the Harrow rd in a tower block called Wembley Point.

I was told where I needed was on the 21 st floor so I asked at reception if they could call up to them, she didn't want to but I explained I had 15 pallets of photo copiers in the car park and I wasn't able to carry them up 21 floors alone.

Unbelievably, the person on the other end of the phone decided to reject the delivery and said to come back on Monday........

I hope they have to pay for that because to me that seems like a real liberty.

I'm back to Wales on Monday and Ill be taking my camera .

Ill leave you with this joke from MOTO motorway services.

Stuck out without a forklift.

After the weekend from hell I was looking forward to a nice easy Monday run up Oldham and then a few drops to Acrington and then Midlewich to a building site on the A530.

The drops were really easy but they did involve a visit to Shaw, the biggest warehouse in Europe that is operated by Shopping Direct for Littlewoods.

Its an old mill and looks like something out of Charles Dickens.

I have never seen such old fashioned loading bays.

When you finally get backed onto them the unloader doesn't pull the pallets off, they unpack every pallet and send the goods down on a conveyor belt.

My box's didn't pass the size criteria which is 300 cm square so it was all rejected.

Great news when the rest of your loads are all tail lift jobs.
I did find these imprisoned TR7's that needed a little TLC.


The next few places were building sites and I had trouble getting the goods off because of these opened up and loose pallets so it was all going to have to be handball.

I was then due in a Somerfield on the M6 and that's when every thing unravelled.

I had one pallet and it had one box on it.

Razors, no wonder they cost so much .

It took me hours and hours to get unloaded and then get all the paperwork back.

I went to use the toilet here and found that someone had removed it.

This was the other toilet, not very safe.
and no locks on the door.

Another example of second rate services.

But Somerfield seem to think its funny

While I was waiting for Somerfield to release me I was told by the boss that The forklift driver at my next drop was finishing at 4 pm so I would have to park up near the drop and tip in the morning.

That's great.

"Find a layby" he said, Er no I got three pallets of ipods and a pair of bulging curtains saying "Here, Look at me"

I don't fancy being a victim thanks very much.

I drive to Lymm Services and I was really impressed.

It was like a little village , A lorry drivers oasis.

Everything you need is there, safe (ish) parking facilities including 24 hour restaurant, and a bar.

The MacDonald's was just around the corner and even the toilet facilities were passable, apart from a few dubious holes drilled in nearly every cubicle, what's all that about?

I had a decent rest and didn't hear any fridges or trailer changes at all and woke up at 6 to get yesterdays drops off.

When I found the building site I was told they dont even have a forklift, we had to handball all 20 concrete posts off the side and over to the place they wanted them..... "Forklift, ha" they said.

I collected my load for today from this place where the boss has immaculate taste in cars.

When I looked at my notes I noticed it was going to Wales for 6 am !

It went here . lots of pics because it was a two hour wait.




The rest of the day was spent getting back from Wales and putting up with with dick head lorry drivers.

I was passing this slow container truck on the hills and when it came to a slight slope he came
flying past me and then sat next to me to leave me hanging time and time again.


That's not all he left hanging by the looks of it.

I left him to it and sat on 50 the rest of the way up the M5. Ill leave the petty minded behaviour to the small men in big trucks.

I'm happy with my 12 toner.

I'm comfortable in my skin.

Friday night is . . . . .dirt night

Car of the day had to be this amazing Ford Cortina estate I found this morning .




I was sent up to Newcastle on Friday with 7 delivery's to make on the way up.
York, Scarborough, Stockton on tees, Billingham and then 3 in Newcastle.


This was the first drop in York.

I was supposed to get as far down as I could with whatever hours I had left and then park up for the night.


On Saturday I was to come back around 8 am and and do a few local delivery's .

I found a few nice sights along the way.
This was the christmas lights in Whitby

St James Park.




I want to focus on the facilities that truckers are asked to put with.

I am one of the lucky ones because my company actually pays for parking , whether empty or not, although what we are actually getting for our money is anybodies guess.

I went up as far as Cramlington but even though I had two hours driving left the A1 in Newcastle took most of those off me near the Angel of the North.

I had planned to get down the A1 and use one of the many truckers truck stops but I was forced into a Moto services called Barton.

This driver had the right idea , he was picked up by his Mrs and left the wagon where it was.

What a place, It was chaotic to say the least and very confusing for a first time visitor as well.

The cafe is on top of the hill and a BP garage lies at the bottom with a massive fuel bunker including Ad blue next to that.

There is a sign on the cafe door saying to pay for parking before you order any food, So I climb up the stairs and climb some more ...............

When I asked to pay for parking, the girl behind the counter tells me you have to pay at the garage, that's at the bottom of the stairs.

When I got back up to the cafe for the 2nd time I was ready to order but there was very little food on offer .

It was 5 o-clock on a Friday night, some would of thought peak time.

The special board was chicken tikka and rice so I chose that, mainly because I couldn't face a full breakfast which is all they seemed to be able to provide.

"We ain't got rice" said the unattractive and unhelpful girl behind the counter.

"You can have it with chips" she said.

How hard is rice to make then ? I wondered.

I declined her offer of any anything else and sat down.

I noticed everything closed at 9pm and wondered what facilities would be open after that time as I was planning on leaving at around 4 pm.

After finding the facilities I decided I was better off without them.

The cost of parking was £10 but the facilities were practically non existent, Actually I wished they were non existent.






£10, that included a £3.50 food voucher, but not a free shower. They actually wanted money to go in here!

I have to say that the place was a disgrace but the food that I had was actually quite tasty.

It might have something to do with the fact I hadn't eaten for 12 hours but I have to say I did enjoy the food
But regarding the facilities Ill leave the last word to Moto themselves.