the view from the cab-a really bad day

so you want to be a truck driver ?
i bet you dont after you read this -
a day in the life ....

got parked up wednesday night in a good layby i know not too far from the motorway so to give me a good start for the morning

went to sleep late about ten-ish and happily entered the land of nod

woke up about half past four (early-as i had set the alarm for five) not feeling right at all - i was really desperate for the toilet (both ends) really desperate-so i did what i had to do and got up and went out of the cab



i walked round to the passenger side to the bin with my rubbish and got the shock of my life ....

i could see shrink wrap and cardboard every where and a huge hole in my curtain ...

its a drivers worst nightmare ...

i had been slashed and robbed through the night - i just looked at it turned round a few times to check - yes it was my trailer and no i wasnt dreaming it was happening and it was happening to me

i went back to the cab and phoned the police and gave them the story - they didnt seem too bothered but would come out ...

i made coffee and thought for a bit - better phone the boss ... bottled it and phoned the transport manager ... couldnt think straight and didnt want that discussion just yet

oo eck whats that ... needed toilet again - boy i dont feel well

police came and looked about a bit made sympathetic noises, took details and statement and went

phoned transport manager again and gave him the crack - i told him i had tidied up all the rubbish and re-secured the load as best i could but the curtain was totalled and i didnt think i could continue the journey with it in that state - could he find somewhere to get it repaired ...-....he would ring back

he rang back later and told me where to go - a firm we work with and not too far away who would help - only about 20 miles away but it would be slow going with the curtain in this state

30mph was the best i could do any faster and things were looking dodgy - i kept pulling into laybys to let the traffic past but it was still bad

made it in the end and was pleased to see them they had a look and agreed the damage was bad - but they would lend me one of their own trailers and tranship what was left of the load to get me on my way again - good lads

phone went - change of plan

the transport company we had got the load through wanted to send their own man to have a look - dont touch it and wait for him

went to the toilet again - bad but getting better

the man came took lots of pictures, catalogued everything and asked lots and lots of questions - he does this for a living and knows all about load thefts

he says they work in organised gangs and target loads by use of spotters who either follow loads or others that drive round in cars and slash curtains to see what is inside - if they see something they want they contact each other and you are hit later

the gang turn up later and pull up allong side you with vans with side doors in - open the doors lean across cut a hole in the curtain and transfer the load across until the van is full - this is usually over and done with in less than twenty minutes

they have a spotter who keeps an eye on the cab so as the driver does not disturb them - some of them spray chemical mixes into the cab vents or the night heaters - this drugs the driver and makes sure they dont wake up for a while until they have finished - probably explains why i felt so crap

anyway i spent most of that day there getting the curtain repaired and after all that i had to take the whole load back to where it came from as the customer would not want it now as it may be tampered with ...-...a really bad day

conclusion:-
could have been worse at least i'm still here
they could have pinched the whole truck with load
where do they get rid of all this stuff and who buys it?
where can you park nowadays that is safe from scum like this?
its all probably a sign of how life is nowadays - how did it ever get this bad?
i'm only trying to do my job and you get trouble like this - its no wonder people dont want to drive trucks - cant say i blame them.............................