Abnormal loads

In the distant past, when dinosaurs roamed the planet, truck drivers were a very different breed, made from sterner stuff than us mere mortals

- DAVID RUSSELL

Unusual requests from a gaffer or transport planner were always a fact of life throughout my truck driving adventures. The earliest I recall was being asked to stop at a beach in Fife and collect a selection of semi-precious stones from the foreshore as raw material for the jewellery making hobby of the boss man. I was given a short briefing on which gems to look for and in those pre-tachograph days, a couple of hours beachcombing in the summer sun on company time was a win-win for me.

A workmate once related a story to me about crossing Tower Bridge with its 7.5 tonne limit in an artic and having a finger wagged at him by a passing copper. He then completed his handball delivery to 10 Downing Street via the front door, a feat rendered impossible these days by all the anti-terror protocols in place.