499Recently a company I do frequent work for contacted me and asked if I had more than one van. I appologised and explained that as they know I am a man and van outfit. I was asked to hold the line then they said they'd got somebody else to take the remainder of the load and would I take half. I agreed and as I had an hour and a quater till I had to pick up the goods I had a frey bentos steak & kidney pie then went to the collection point. on arrival security at the gate said there was a lorry in the yard & I'd have to wait untill he'd been loaded before I could go in. 10 mins later, the lorry came out & security waved me in.
Once in the yard a forklift driver angrily told me the load wasn't ready and it wouldn't be for about an hour, please wait outside. I did as instructed and 'phoned the company I was subbing for to let them know of the delay. After 45 mins waiting whistling a merry ditty ( there was still no sign of the other driver) I was waved back into the yard and loaded. The fork lift driver informed me as I collected the paperwork that I was lucky as they wouldn't be finishing the other half of the load for at least another hour. It was now roughly 18:00, I had to get from Ebbw Vale to Castle Bromwich ( 2 hours without all the speed restrictions on the M50 & A40), Unload and get back onto the M50 before 22:00 as they were closing that Motorway.
On the way out of the yard I passed the other driver (who was just arriving) flashed my lights and waved & went on my way. I'd barley gone 5 miles when I was called buy the company U was subbing for and asked if I'd return to he point of origin, allow the load i had on to be put on the other van and wait for the remainder of the load.
I refused on the grounds that I'd already waited an hour without charging them, I was already on my way & I wanted to make sure I caught the M50 before it closed. The were very understanding about it and have used me since but what would you have done?