Welcome back, my fellow truckers!
Last time we ended off in Clermont-Ferrand in France. My boss called me and asked me to come back to Cologne. As fast as possible because I got them a new client.
Then something changed as we had just finished that conversation. FLE was in a dire situation. One of the drivers called in sick. They had an urgent delivery to send off to Madrid. Nobody else was available or in the vicinity. The only one there was me.
So they contacted my office in Cologne. I heard straight away from my boss. They were going to sweeten the deal, if I was to do this urgent delivery.
He told me: “Please go and deliver that cargo to Madrid. It’s vital for the company. We talked about a race for you personally, but that will be even further heightened. Thank you so much for your increased flexibility. We will ensure it’s worth it.”
Being the nice person that I am, I go back to FLE immediately. I asked for the planning manager and where the cargo is. I load up the cargo and it’s time to move from France to Spain.
The drive is going to take around 1100 kilometres. I expect it to be around a total of 15 to 16 hours of driving time. That depends most on my friend the toll booths.
I actually forgot to inquire what the cargo was. So I call it the planning manager at FLE. He tells me that there are kids toys in the cargo. It was scheduled to have been delivered last week already. They’re nearing the deadline for it and that would result in serious fines. Breach of contract and all that.
I now know that there is even more urgency than already discussed. Unfortunately for them, I already have hit my maximum driving time. So I have to stop for the necessary 8 hours and then continue in the night. Which in some way is even better because there’s less traffic on the road.
I continue on to motorway and I bypass Paris. The motorway expands from two to three lanes, so more options are available.
I make it to the Spanish border. Unfortunately, the tollbooths never end. One key difference is that in France and everywhere else in Europe, they’re quite wide. In Spain they’re so narrow. I misjudge what I’m doing. And unfortunately I take the wrong booth.
I gotta back it up and traffic starts to jam. It’s never a nice sight when everyone is looking at that one dumb truck driver. This time I’m the dummy.
The hours and the hundreds of kilometres passed by quickly. Not much traffic on the road. Though the traffic that is there is inconvenient. I also encounter another burned down trailer. Seems to be something wrong with those fuel tanks lately.
I know that I will be arriving late at around 11:00 PM. I called the planning at FLE and asked him if it’s alright. Normally you would arrive during the day. It’s been quite a busy season so staff are still present there. I instruct him to call a tight company and let them know I’m almost there.
At 11:45 PM I arrive. Let’s unload these toys and make loads of children happy. And quite a few adults, I presume.
That was nerve wracking to say the least. I eat, drink, drive, sleep and repeat. All for a good cause. The good cause being hopefully my own bank account every month.
I should definitely get a heavy salary raise now. Definitely got some negotiating leverage.
I’m going to a stop to try and rest in the neighbourhood.
I finally parked and then my boss calls me. “That was brilliant! FLE are happy to sign a long-term, high-yield contract with us. Rest up, get back to Cologne. Management is very happy with this. We are going to offer you a new personal contract as well. Let’s say that your future is looking very bright now. Catch you soon buddy!”
That sounds like a very positive message. I can only hope that the risk was worth the reward. It’s time to rest up and to close off this log for now.
Thank you for reading and watching my journeys. I’ll see you back soon when we are in Cologne. For sure will keep you all posted on that new contract.
Drive safely and responsible. Take care of your health and live long and happy!
I'm Amethyst, 31, and from the Netherlands. I've always had a passion for adventure in roleplaying games. Being able to immerse myself into these universes allowed me to escape the trauma's of my youth. Now I want to share my gaming passion with all of you!
