Pear-shaped

The courier life isn't 100% enjoyment.  I have to admit that, while for the most part I do find it most pleasant, there are times when I could do with things turning out differently.  Take this week, for example.  It started off well, with a job to Manchester on Monday, and I enjoyed a nice chat with the trucker who shared my table for a meal on my way back.  Tuesday started off quietly, but that wasn't uncommon, and early in the afternoon I set off with jobs for Northampton and Mansfield.

It was just on 6.0pm when disaster struck.  I was just leaving a motorway service area when the van made it quite clear it wasn't going anywhere.  My clutch pedal was firmly on the floor and not shifting.  First of all, I called the office to get another driver on the way to me to complete the delivery, and then called out the breakdown service.  Their care was faultless.  I was told they would be with me within 45 mins to an hour - the recovery vehicle arrived before half an hour had elapsed,  and by the time his arrival had been guaranteed, my van was loaded up and we were already on our way to his depot.

By the time my colleague had turned up and we had transferred the boxes I was to have delivered to his van, arrangements had been made to bring me home, and I was into bed by 11.0, having left the van with my maintenance garage, whom I visited when they opened yesterday morning to explain what was going on.  They too pulled out all the stops to help me, knowing that while the van is off the road I earn nothing.  By 4.30 pm, the problem had been identified - a broken clutch pedal - the part obtained, and replacement carried out.  Several pounds worse off, I was back in the office, waiting for more work.

This morning, loaded with jobs for Milton Keynes and Carlisle, I had set off on my journey when my agonies were revived - the engine management light came on!  It was a hard choice to make.  Do I ignore it and press on to recover some of my losses, or abort and return to base?  I took the wise course, and once more saw my work fed into someone else's vehicle.  I then returned to the garage, where the wonders of computer technology indicated no definite answer.  Certainly nothing serious was shown to be amiss, and the presumed explanation was a switch possibly adjusted differently from how it had been before the pedal replacement.

This afternoon has at least produced some work that I was able to execute hitch-free, and now I'm loaded again, this time for an early morning journey to Worcester, in the hope of keeping the time lost to the minimum for the remainder of the week.

It just goes to show that life on the road isn't always plain sailing (or driving!)