A Week in the Life of a Driver - DAY FOUR!

Day FOUR!

It’s now Thursday and I am due to start work at 03:00am.

I arrive in the yard at 02:45am get myself to the office to collect my paperwork, grab a coffee and head to the truck to do my vehicle checks before departing.

Today I am back to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne with another load of paper. I make good time, even though I had to use the A46 as the M1 was closed at Nottingham due to overnight closures.

I arrive just before 06:40am, grab a coffee and have a 15 minute break. I then go over to be unloaded at 07:00am.

I manage to have a 30 minute break whilst they are unloading me, which will help me with my driving hours down the line when making my delivery.

Once the 30 minutes is over I wait for them to finish unloading me, and then head off to Redcar, where I am due to pick up a load of plastic pellets. Arriving just after 08:30am, I  get myself booked in. The collection is booked in until 9:00am but after 20 minutes I am called round and loaded up.

Whilst being loaded, a very nice truck pulls in next to me, fitted with alloy wheels and spotlights, it looks very well looked after and I like to see a nice truck that is well taken care of.

As the driver gets out and we start up a conversation, it transpires he is also a member of a group of Facebook that I am part of, which is all about drivers who take pride in their truck. Whilst loading we have a good chat and it is always nice to meet someone new, especially when you have a shared interest.

Once I am loaded I collect my paperwork and I am back on the road. I am due to deliver the load to Leicester where I arrive at 13:30pm. The place I am delivering to is down an alleyway which I can’t gain access to, so they unload me on the main road.

This takes time due to a fair bit of traffic using the road and the delivery point is a ways down the alleyway. As he unloads the first side, I take a 15 minute break. Once the first side is done, I very carefully move to the other side of the road so he can unload the other side.

Whilst he is unloading that side I take another 30 minute break, then once they have finished unloading I call in to the office. I am asked to nip to Whetstone where I will be live loaded for a job to London for tomorrow.

I arrive just before 15:30pm, glad I had thought to take my break beforehand. I have 25 pallets of packaging loaded in to time, then im heading back to Narborough.

I drive in and park the trailer in the yard before heading to the office to be debriefed. It’s home time at 16:45pm, a long but productive day.