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Paul Brooks runs his transport business from his small livestock farm...
Page 46
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MONDAY
Four in the morning and I'm up with the larks. We have 40 head of cattle, 660 pigs, 25 sheep and a shipping container to get moving today. Our journeys will take us to Melton, Doncaster, Lincoln, Gainsborough. Bedford, Norfolk and Sheffield. Arrangement:: matching trucks to jobs have already been made and this depends
on quantity, size, type of animal and drivers hours. One phone ca on Sunday evening altered the pattern of Monday and Tuesday's work. In this instance it was for the better but it does not always work like that. As far as the shipping containers are concerned th company that we work for controls the work. The first vehicles ar due to leave shortly and I like to be up in the morning to make sun that things run smoothly, and if there are any hiccups, they can bE dealt with as swiftly as possible. Also I hand out any necessary paperwork. The phone rings and one driver is ill, which means thE have to find cover for his work. One vehicle can comfortably covE one extra job whilst I take four cattle to Sheffield at 0-7:00hrs. The planned yard work will now have to be re-scheduled. Back at noo having been held up at the Sheffield destination, A quick bite to ea while my wife Lynda, who runs the office and paperwork, has a lis of messages that I try to deal with in the meantime.
Then I start the yard work. From the end of dinnertime onwards the other drivers return and I 4e to get the lowdown c the day's work. Teatime and we have a working tea tonight, as there are a couple of business issues that Lynda wants to discuss. However, the phone rings and our discussions are put . hold. First our container driver calls as usual, after which I arrange the jobs, trucks, drivers and customers for the followin day. It's now 20:00hrs and Lynda and I finally manage to finish th discussion we were having.
TUESDAY
An action packed bay today. We have 44 cattle, 260 pigs and eigtn sheep to move to Melton, Doncaster, Bridlington, Norfolk and Spalding. We must also attend our local market. All hands are on deck and everyone gets off OK. I then get on with the re-schedule yard work but at 11:00hrs I get a call from one of our drivers at market to bring another truck in. We have 500 sheep and 58 cattli to move out into the locality, which is a slow job due to the cleansi and disinfection regulations. Teatime and another list of message phone calls and arrangements to be made.
WEDNESDAY
it's an early start again today with 104 cattle to move to Chesterfield, Lincoln, Doncaster and Newark. Also we are to attend a livestock sale at Gloucester with two vehicles. On top of that in the afternoon we have a further 22 cattle from another local market and a trailer that should be having its annual test at 14;30hrs. Yard work for me starts early today and I finish with thE test in the afternoon, The trailer passes and I return to the yard. The other drivers have also returned, prepared their vehicles fo the following day's work and have gravitated into the kitchen where I get the low-down on the day's work along with copious quantities of tea and coffee.
THURSDAY
Only 16 cattle, 230 pigs and 382 sheep to move today ,to Birmingham, Norfolk and in the locality. Also a chance to catch up on the scheduled yard work. In the afternoon the drivers return and after the usual lorry preparation work, more cups of tea are consumed along with general discussions. At teatime the usual phone calls and arrangements are made. Then at 22;00hrs, havini just finished preparing a vehicle for the following day, the phone rings—a farmer has broken down with his vehicle on the Ml. Arrangements are made to collect the livestock and deliver them home to Yorkshire.
FRIDAY
The week tails off with 16 bulls and 200 pigs to be moved to Suffolk and Yorkshire. The yard work is now back on schedule and it is a quieter day overall. The shipping container vehicle returns in the afternoon and get the lowdown on the day's work. At 17:00hrs thi phone goes—a customer wants a load of sheep moving on Sunda Saturday is inspection day for those vehicles that require it. Other than that anything could happen between now and Monday mornir —and it usually does!