Dave's Motorcycle Courier Blog

Prospective Motorcycle Couriers

2009-11-07T00:45:00.000-08:00

Over the last couple of years I have had many people contacting me to ask for employment as a motorcycle courier or to ask me how to become a motorcycle courier. Initially I was able to reply to everyone personally but as time has gone by I have become busier and am unable to do this on every occasion now. I am not happy about this because I am not an ignorant person so I have decided to put a few pointers together which might answer some of the more common questions. Not all active motorcycle couriers will agree with me but this is based on my own experiences in the business.

So first of all, do I have any jobs or vacancies for motorcycle couriers, sadly no I don’t because the flow of work is not steady enough to be able to guarantee employment for another courier. Some weeks are very busy, other are very quiet, it’s impossible to predict from one week to the next. Having said this, I do work with other motorcycle couriers by passing jobs on or recommending other couriers to clients who contact me. This can happen for any number of reasons for example, I may already be booked on another job, the geographic location of the pick up which may be so far away that my quote would not be competitive. However, I have my own standards and one of those states that any rider who I give work to must be properly insured and this must include goods in transit insurance to at least £10,000.

Our record over the three and half years of operation is 100%, no missed deadlines ever and we have never let a client down for any reason, we are proud of this and would not do anything to spoil it, reputation goes a long way in this business.

I get many request from guys telling me they have xyz bike and would like to earn some beer money at the weekends by doing courier work, I am sorry I won’t entertain this simply because there are many guys out there riding in all weathers at all times of the day and night trying to make a decent living. This is not a hobby or part time job, it requires a high level of dedication and commitment to do it properly. I would rather see the work go to these guys because it’s their full time occupation.

For those looking for part time work I would suggest you contact your local courier companies and investigate the prospects of them taking you on their books as a subbie.

I also hear from people who think this a very glamorous way to earn a living, yes it’s great doing what you enjoy, riding your bike but let’s take a reality check for a moment. If you are a pleasure rider you get to choose when you are going out on the bike and this may not involve getting up at 4AMfor a 5AM pick up or even riding 500 miles in freezing cold and pouring rain, well this is what full time couriers do on a regular basis dayin and day out and at times it’s not fun believe me!

For those who are really serious about making this their profession I wrote a couple posts a while ago on this blog which would be of interest:

You want to be a motorcycle courier

Being a subbie

I will help anyone I can as long as they are serious about making this their full time job, weekend warriors, sorry I can’t help you, go and check out the prospect of becoming a subbie.
Talk to any full time motorcycle courier, you will soon find they are passionate about what they do, yes we all love the riding aspect of the job but delve a little deeper and you will soon learn that there is a dedication to the client which is more important than just riding the bike on sunny summer’s day.

If I have offended anyone with what I have written here I am not sorry, I prefer to tell it as it is and not create illusions for anyone, this is hard work that demands a very high level of dedication and tenacity to see each and every job through to a successful conclusion.

Best regards

Dave

International Shipments

2009-10-03T01:49:00.000-07:00

Recently we were requested to collect a UK inbound shipment of data from a shipping agent at Heathrow airport, we were provided with the correct documentation by the shipper abroad. We then just had to go and collect the shipment from the Heathrow based agent and then carry the shipment onto the recipient.

This was all carried out without a problem and both the sender and recipient were very happy with the service and we did provide the most cost effective solution even though we had to travel some distance to get to Heathrow in the first place.

This service could be provided at all UK airports to ensure secure onwards delivery once your item gets into the UK.

Similarly, the service can work in the reverse for shipments going abroad from the UK. We can collect your item and deliver it to your chosen shipping agent for onward transmission abroad, however, we do not arrange the International shipping part of the job, unless we are delivering it personally ourselves meaning we hand carry it to the ultimate destination.

Regardless of which way the item is going you will always receive a telephone call to confirm delivery and a copy of the signed proof of delivery document.

For any of the above services to work we do need the correct paperwork to be sent to us by e-mail.

We do offer a same day service to many areas within Western Europe provided the collection time allows it, we use the Eurotunnel service as the fastest method of getting across to the Continent.

If you find yourself needing such a shipment please do get in touch for a quotation, you may be pleasantly surprised especially when you consider that you would be getting a dedicated motorcycle courier service.

Back on the road again

2009-09-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

Well I am pleased to announce I am back on the road again after a long 2 month layoff while the collar bone healed and yes, it’s good to be back.

This week so far, I have had two motorcycle courier jobs, one to London and one to Cambridge and the replacement bike “Amethyst” (because she is purple) is running just fine.

Over the last two months my friend Chris from Northampton Motorcycle Couriers has been covering my work for me and he has been kept quite busy. There have been a number of new clients making use of our service and many return clients coming back to us as well. The best thing is that I have not had to say NO to a client once in this period of recuperation so a big thanks to Chris, you have done absolutely sterling job.

Being back on the road again has also given me a chance to gauge how other road users perceive the new BikeVis lights that I fitted. I have purposely been riding with the headlight off during the day and I am happy to report that other road users seem to be more ware of my presence than they were before when I only had the head lamp on. This maybe because the BikeVis lights showing a more concentrated and focused light and because of the fitment, an unusual pattern of light as well as opposed to the not so bright light produced by the headlight during day light, so the BikeVis lights get a big thumbs up from me.

If you are interested in a set of these for your bike, you can get them at a slight discount through this link:

http://www.bikevis.com/ridetheworld.html

Anyway, as I said it’s good to be back.

All the best and safe riding

Dave

Postal Delays

2009-09-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

It is becoming increasing apparent the present disruption to the Royal Mail postal services is causing businesses increasing headaches. Important documents are getting caught up in the huge backlog at the sorting offices which means long delays in deliveries.

SDSA Motorcycle Couriers can help alleviate this problem by offering our dedicated document delivery services throughout the UK and if you need the document signed and returned to you on the same day we can provide this service to you.

Of course this service is not only for documents, it is available for anything that needs a guaranteed same day delivery with a signed proof of delivery.

Because our service is dedicated, you run zero risk of your items becoming lost or delayed.

The service described would be best for businesses in the Greater Peterborough area, but we will happily travel further if required.

Ready For work Again From Monday 21st September 2009

2009-09-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

I had my X-ray on the broken collar bone last Monday and I happy to report that it is fully healed, so I am ready for work again.

As you may have already read on the blog in a previous post, the bike is fully prepared and ready for the road.

Tomorrow I will arrange my goods in transit cover with my insurance broker so everything will be in place for next Monday.

Also as a footnote, a big thank you to Chris of Northampton Motorcycle Couriers, Chris has been kept busy for the last two months covering my work for me while I have been recovering from the accident.

BikeVis Light

2009-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick post to show where I decided to fit the BikeVis lights on my ST1100, I will try and get a better picture of them switched on when I learn how to take low light level photo's without the flash, anyway here you go:

As you can see I have mounted them so as to designate the extremities of the bike which I think should help in the grand scheme of things.

This isn't a very good picture of them working, will do better next time, I guess having white garage doors doesn't help either! However, I honestly can say they are extremely bright and will certainly get you noticed on the brightest of days, at night they will be simply unmissable.

Here is a much better picture, taken before the sun rose enough to shine into the garage:

If you are looking to get some of these lights you can get a small discount through this link:

http://www.bikevis.com/ridetheworld.html

I am in a bit of a rush right now (need food - it's dinner time) but I will post a follow up of how I fitted them in due course.

Best regards and safe riding

Dave

Getting ready for work again

2009-09-08T02:07:00.000-07:00

It’s been a long lay off since I had the accident back in July but now the collar bone is well and truly on the mend and I am looking forward to the x-ray next week to confirm that it’s healed.

I have spent my time doing other work on our various Motorhome rental web sites, so I have been busy and also keeping Chris over at Northampton Motorcycle couriers busy as he has been covering my work for me, thanks Chris.

Anyway, the last two days have been spent preparing the bike for the return to work later this month.

The Starcom audio system is now wired in, the GPS is mounted and I have fitted new Bike Vis daytime lights as well to enhance my profile while on the road.

My Gortex suit should be back anytime soon after being repaired so all that remains now is a positive result from the x-ray and to get the microphone and earphones fitted in the new helmet and we will be all set.

All the best and safe riding

Dave

Another Insurance Realisation

2009-08-15T04:56:00.000-07:00

I recently wrote a post about understanding your motorcycle insurance, well a few further things have come to light.

The first being that I had to replace the helmet and get the gortex suit repaired, neither of these are covered by the insurance. I got advice from my broker and it seems that items like these are considered be accessories or personal items and as such are not covered. I was advised to speak to my house insurance provider which I did and they confirmed that as they are personal items they would be covered as long as you have this in your policy.

The other scenario that came to mind during these conversations was personal items such as helmet, gloves, GPS etc. that are locked in your panniers or Givi box whilst you are in a clients premises picking up or dropping off or taking a break at a service area.

Now were would you be if some kind person broke into your Givi box or panniers and stole the contents, clearly your motorcycle insurance wouldn’t cover you and you would really have problems to find your helmet missing as you wouldn’t be able to legally ride anywhere!

The solution for me was to ensure that my house insurance covered me for these personal items and I also increased the cover level as well.

Just food for thought, it’s easy to take things for granted but you simply can’t afford to, check and make sure and if you haven’t got the cover get it arranged.

In fact you need to cover anything that didn't come on the bike as standard, in addition to the items already mentioned, take into account gloves, boots and any other accessories that could either be stolen or damaged in a crash.

Safe riding

Dave

Bespoke Motorcycle Wiring

2009-08-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

I am currently getting things prepared for the last week in August, when hopefully my collar bone will be fully healed and I can get all the accessories fitted onto the new bike.

Jobs to be done include fitting the GIVI rack, the Bike Viz light and the Starcom system, relocate the 12V supply for the GPS from the right hand pocket cover to inside the left hand fairing pocket. I am also still thinking about where to locate the RAM mounts for the GPS. Currently it’s fitted to right hand reservoir clamp but I am not 100% sure about this because it means the audio output socket on the GPS will very exposed to direct rain, this requires some more thought.

Oh almost forgot, also have to fit the charging cable for Optimate as well, again I need to find a convenient place for the connector to be easily accessible without having to take the seat off. I might extend this cable and bring the charger plug into the left hand fairing pocket as well where it will be easily accessible and also protected from the elements.

Now going back to the Bike Viz lights and the Starcom, notably the Bluetooth adaptor, I need to wire these direct from the battery but also need them to be switched independently of the ignition key. I hunted round on E-bay for a waterproof rocker switch and found one, then I started looking at extra cable, crimps and crimp tool to get this new wiring assembly made.

I soon realized that I would have to buy a lot more crimps than I actually needed because of minimum quantities supplied, also I would need to buy a crimping tool and the costs started to add up.

So I contacted Greg via E-bay, the switch supplier to ask him if he could make up this assembly for me from a drawing, you know what, it was completed within half an hour of agreeing the price. I expect it arrive this morning so the whole job from initial discussion to delivery took less than 24 hours, now that’s what I call service.

If you ever find yourself in need of a bespoke wiring solution for your bike I can highly recommend you contact Greg through his web site for a no fuss service. You can find his web site here:

http://www.northerncountiesmcc.com/

You will also find lot's of other useful bits and bobs on his site, well worth a visit.

Anyaway that's about it for now, time for a cuppa.

Ride safe

Dave

Schuberth C2 Helmet

2009-08-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Yes I know I had a few small moans about the Schuberth C2 a little while ago on this blog but I take it all back.

You can read all kinds of reviews and stats about helmets but the truth of the matter is that you never really know if it's up to the mark until you really need it.

Well I can now honestly recommend this helmet through experience, despite being more than 3 years old, having been used for over 50,000 miles in all that the British and European weather could throw at it, it performed superbly when needed, the pictures below speak for themselves. When I got up after this prang I remembered reading about people who's flip tops had got stuck after a spill and wouldn't open, well this one did open with no problems, I didn't even have a headache after this smash!

I have now replaced it with another Schuberth, the C3 this time that has a pinlock fitted so that should stop the visor misting problems that I used to get.

Yes Schuberth are probably at the higher end of the helmets available, but what price do you put on your own head?

Thank you Schuberth, your helmet engineering probably saved my life.

Safe riding

Dave

Make Sure You Understand Your Motorcycle Insurance

2009-08-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently involved in accident on the M62 which required both myself and the bike to be recovered back to my home.

I called the AA from the hard shoulder of the M62 to request recovery, thinking that they would take me all the way home but that was not the case.

Because this incident was an accident and not a breakdown the AA would only recover off the motorway as required by law, fortunately they took me about a mile up the road to the Hartshead Moor Services.

Whilst I was waiting for the AA to arrive I called my insurance broker to see if I was covered by my insurance in this event, fortunately I was and a recovery vehicle arrived at the services within half an hour and we were on our way.

I learnt a lesson on that day, that is why I say make sure you understand your insurance and what cover it provides. Yes I was surprised at the AA's stance with regard to accidents versus breakdowns but very relieved to learn that my fully comprehensive cover through Norwich Union, now Aviva were able to look after me.

In fact Norwich Union's support and actions after this event could not have been improved upon in anyway, they were superb and kept me up to date by text and phone at regular intervals so I won't be going anywhere else for my insurance in future.

If you would like to discuss your motorcycle insurance needs I highly recommend you give Kev a call at Coversure on 01780 765555 before you go buying on-line where excesses don't seem to be revealed that well or any hidden clauses. Yes you may get a cheaper price on-line but when it comes to a crunch you may not actually have the insurance you thought you had.

Best regards and safe riding

Dave

Daytime Visibility Front Lights

2009-08-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

I have been researching daytime visibility lights for ST100 for sometime now and have finally found a product that I feel will do the job.

My criteria was that they should be small, easily fixed on the bike and draw very little electrical current and be relatively inexpensive.

The product I finally decided on is British made (a rare thing these days) and they are known as "BikeVis".

Basically they are high output LED's fitted in a small weather resistant pod that can be fitted virtually anywhere on a motorcycle to increase other road users of your presence.

I have a couple of pairs on order now and they will get fitted once my collar bone break has healed. Once I have them fitted I will take some pictures of the bike in daylight so you can see how they can increase your visibility.

If you would like more information on these BikeViz lights you can find them through this link:

http://www.bikevis.com/ridetheworld.html

Safe riding

Dave

The No To Bike Parking Charges Campaign - Latest

2009-07-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

For anyone who rides a motorcycle or scooter in London, this should be of interest to you as you could soon be forced to pay for parking your two wheeler in London.

There have been many peaceful demonstration's by motorcyclist's recently against this charge, but now the campaign has reached a new level and the organisers are trying to raise the funds to launch a judicial review, please visit their web site to learn more and lend your support in any way you can:

http://www.notobikeparkingfees.com/

If this parking charge is successfully launched in London it will not be long before it spreads throughout the UK and you will have to pay parking charges everywhere.

As a motorcycle courier who regularly delivers to address in London, parking for a maximum of 5 minutes each time, I do not want to have to pay a parking charge just for trying to earn an honest living.

Thanks for reading

Dave

Long Ride Yesterday

2009-07-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

I had a long courier ride yesterday to Glasgow some 620 miles in all. The ride itself went very well and the wather was kind to me - no rain. I set off at 7AM and arrived in Glasgow at about 11:45 with one fuel stop along the way and got home around 5:45PM.

Now there is nothing exciting in the above but there are two other things I wanted to mention:

The first being the massive variations in fuel prices in the country. I filled up at our local BP garage the evening before this ride and paid £1.03 per litre, en-route I filled up at the Southwaite services on the M6 in Cumbria and paid a whopping £1.08 per litre, this is some difference equating to a difference of £1.05 for a full fill up of 21 litres, could have paid one days London parking fee with that :-)

The second reason is that the route took me along the M74 through Lockerbie, I was last there in December 1988 as part of the team of service people looking for passenger remains and aircraft wreckage after Pan Am 103 was bombed out of the sky on 21 December 1998, it's sent a real chill up my spine.

Anyway safe riding

Dave

Same Day Motorcycle Courier to Europe

2009-07-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

I have just posted a new web page detailing our dedicated same day confidential motorcycle courier service to mainland Europe, it's not a new service as we have been doing same day deliveries to Amsterdam for a while.

However, I thought it was time to let potential clients know that this is a service we can and do offer already.

I have given a few examples of the services we provide on the new page, but as each job is unique we encourage new clients to make contact to discuss their requirements so that we can create a bespoke quotation for them based upon their needs.

If a dedicated same day motorcycle courier service is of interest please visit our new Same Day Confidential Motorcycle Courier Service to Mainland Europe web page.

Best regards

Dave

We Have De-Registered For VAT

2009-07-03T23:45:00.000-07:00

SDSA Motorcycle Couriers became a VAT de-registered business on 1st July 2009 which means that we have been able to lower our courier rates for all of our customers which has to be good news.

Our new prices are now very easy to understand and are explained in full at our rates and costs for couriers services page, on this page you will also find worked examples.

I would like to reassure you that even though our prices have come down our high levels of service have not been compromised in any way at all. The level of security and dedication to your job is and always will be of paramount importance to us.

We have also introduced a new pricing structure for courier jobs into mainland Europe, they are slightly higher than the UK domestic rates simply because fuel and accommodation is more expensive in Europe. Eurotunnel crossings will be charged at the prevailing Eurotunnel cost on the day of booking the job because we have no control over this.

You can find full details of the mainland Europe courier rates and and costs page, on this page you will also find worked examples.

That's all for now.

Dave

Bike Parking Fees Demo - Reminder

2009-06-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

Yes tomorrow is July the 1st, the day of the big demo in London that I spoke of in an earlier post.

If you are a motorcycle rider and you don't agree with parking charges for bikes then your voice needs to be heard, just got to the campaign web site:

http://www.notobikeparkingfees.com

to get the latest information and the latest campaign video can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZapTAX4sRDk

Safe riding

Dave

Thankyou Motad

2009-06-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

I was on a job down to South London last Thursday, cruising down the A1 when the bike started to sound a bit like a Harley, not the right sound for an ST1100.

So I pulled over to see what was wrong and I discovered that the right silencer had become loose where it goes into the collector box, so out cane the tools and I attempted to tighten the clamp but it had no effect.

Well I was loaded with a clients job so I had to press on and get the job done.

Friday morning I set about this silencer problem, didn't take long to find out what was wrong, the silencer pipe itself had rotted where it goes into the collector box.

Now I had to get a new silencer fast because I have another job booked for Monday morning, so I called Motad, told them what I wanted and they were very helpful, the silencers arrived this morning (Saturday).

The whole exhaust system was changed on the bike about 45,000 miles ago and as the bike is used in all wheather I think the exhausts have lasted really well. Yes I prolonged the life of the silencers I think by painting them every 6 months with Hammerite, but yes they have served me well.

So yes, a big thanks to the guys at MOTAD for a very fast and friendly service, if you need to replace your exhaust at all you do well to check out their web site at:

http://www.motad.co.uk/

Safe riding

Dave

Motorcycle Parking Charges

2009-06-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yep, motorcycle parking charges will soon be a reality if Westminster Council have their way and if they win this concept could spread throughout the country.

This will play havoc for motorcycle couriers when they only park for a few minutes when they are either picking up or dropping off.

I politely would like to request you to show your annoyance at this parking charge for bikes by going to:

http://www.notobikeparkingfees.com

And register and then fill out the form to register your objection. If you are in or around London on July 1st there is a demo bike ride to campaign against this parking fee.

Please visit the site above and register, it affects the future of motorcycle and scooter riders.

Safe riding

Dave

Been A Bit Warm In London

2009-06-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Did a trip down to Tooting in London yesterday and it was a bit warm to say the least especially in the slow moving traffic.

Traffic was worst in the Hangar Lane area where they are replacing a bridge - I think.

Today I had a last minute trip down to Heathrow to collect some raw film from Julia and Kevin Sanders of Globebusters fame. Learn more about these guys here: http://www.globebusters.com

I noticed when I went through the roadworks on the M25 that there is a nasty gouge in the outside lane going towards Heathrow. Car drivers most probably don't feel but my front wheel did, something to watch out for.

Safe riding

Dave

Thanks Amanda and Nat

2009-06-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

I exhibited at a Trade Show yesterday at the Orton Hall Hotel in Peterborough. It was organised by a good friend of mine, Amanda Carlin. The show itself was very well organised, there were various business related talks throughout the day and Amanda had even provided refreshments and a buffet lunch, so I would just like to say a big thank you to Amanda - well done.

If you have been reading this blog for any amount of time you will know that I did mention that I would be at this show in a previous post. I am glad I did, in the early afternoon a chap turned up looking for me, he wanted to have a chat about becoming a motorcycle courier.

His name is Nat and he had ridden all the way from Folkstone, some 180 miles, to have a chat with me about how to get started. We did have a good chat about this and he also got the opportunity to have a chat with the Business Link exhibitor at the show and to sit in in his talk.

This surprise visit really made my day, it's always good to be able to help people where you can.

Best regards and ride safe

Dave

Allways Keep A Close Eye On Your Tyres

2009-06-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Motorcycle tyres: you only have two of them, your life depends on them, unlike a car which may weave a bit when you get a puncture, when a bike tyre goes the likelihood is you come off!

Even though my tyres are due to be changed next Monday, I was giving the bike a check over this afternoon and found a really nasty split in my front tyre, see the photo below, the split goes about 3mm deep and is about an inch long. So its being changed first thing tomorrow morning.

I dread to think what the consequences could have been if the tyre had decided to shred because of this split, imagine this happening when you are on the really sharp bends of the slip road that brings you off the M11 onto the M25, enough said! Just keep a close eye on your tyres folks it could save your life.

Safe riding

Dave

Planned Maintenance Day

2009-06-11T02:18:00.001-07:00

We have a planned maintenance day for the motorcycle on 22nd June when it will have its regular 4000mile service, new front and rear tyres fitted plus a new back brake disc and pads.

The last 4000 mile service was carried out on the 9th of May 09, so we are racking up the miles at a fast rate now, including the next service it will mean the bike has been serviced 3 times this year so far.

Total mileage since the last MOT carried out on 15th January 09 the bike has covered 10,768 miles to date, for those of your reading that use kilometres that’s approximately 17,228 KM.

The back tyre was fitted in early February 09 so it has given me almost 10,000 miles which is about right. On the subject of tyres I swear by the Bridgestone Exedra G547 on the front and the G548 on the rear. I believe that this is the standard OEM fit on the ST1100, these tyres perform well in all conditions and I am very happy with them. I find that the front tyre last approximately twice as long as the rear.

The next service after this next one will have the bike off the road for a few days as the cam belt will have to be changed as per Honda’s recommendation at approximately 90,000 miles which is a big job.

I have the bike serviced by Les Kirby of LK Motors in Stamford, his knowledge of the ST1100 is second to none and he provides a really good service at a good price. If you live in or around the Stamford area and would like to get in touch with Les, make a comment and I will give you his number.

I know some ST1100 owners advocate having their bikes serviced at longer periods, some have said every 8000 miles, but personally I believe in going by the manufacturer’s guidance of every 4000 miles and I am sure this is why the bike has never ever let me down in any way.

I guess it’s different when you rely on a motorcycle for your business rather than using it for pleasure, I simply cannot afford to break down because it would mean I would have let a client down which simply is not acceptable. Plus, by maintaining the bike properly you know that your safety is assured.

Anyway safe riding one and all.

Cheers

Dave

May Wasn’t Quite As Busy April

2009-06-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

May wasn’t quite as busy as April but it was still a good month for courier work, there were 8 jobs in total which put another 2208 miles on the bike.

Again it was mostly work into London but there were a few variations thankfully.

I did have one long job which involved a pick up in Lincoln then 3 drops in Birmingham, Southampton and London with another job booked for the following morning from Cambridge to London.

Chris from Northampton Motorcycle Couriers did the Birmingham leg for me, we met at the A1/A14 services and then he went west and I went south.

The weather for this particular day was reported as being very high winds and torrential rain in the south, but as I approached the M3 around 6PM the winds died down and the sky cleared, guess I got lucky.

Now in order to be able to make the pick up the next morning in Cambridge I elected to stay at the Welcome Break at Birchhanger Green services rather than riding all the way back up to Stamford, this saved me about 120 miles. I think I arrived at the Welcome Break about midnight, it was wise decision to do this and I have to thank Shalini, my wife for the idea.

Then I was on the road again next morning to pick up from Cambridge.

This just goes to show that when you run a courier service you have to be flexible and sometimes eat into your profit a little so that you don’t become unsafe through being too exhausted.

Anyway lets see how June turns out.

Cheers

Dave

Traffic Carnage in London

2009-06-11T01:35:00.000-07:00

I did a run down to Oxford Street in London yesterday morning, straight down the A1 from Stamford.

I thought I would allow more time for this trip because the London Underground
has a 2 day strike planned which would mean more cars on the road.

I made the outskirts of London in good time and began to wonder if I was going to arrive too early. Then a little further on it all started to back up around Hendon and the Finchley road was just carnage. I shouldn’t wonder if many car and lorry drivers will be getting fines for using the bus lanes as there were more of those vehicles in the bus lanes than the permitted vehicles.

At around this point the heavens opened and it really rained very hard. Once I got onto Baker Street the traffic got better, then turned onto Oxford Street and it was just wall to wall buses. I only had about 0.2 miles to go along Oxford Street but it took 15 minutes, but because I had allowed extra time for the trip I still made the pick up 5 minutes early.

Getting out of London wasn’t too bad at all, although it was all still clogged up going into central London.

The rain persisted and it followed me all the way back to Stamford.

But the job got done within the promised time frame and the client was happy which is what matters.

Just as a footnote, new road works have appeared on the A1M at Hatfield Tunnel, a lane has been lost on each side and the speed limit is 40MPH, the sign states that the works will last until sometime in 2010, I think this will become a real bottle neck at peak periods and would be a good place to avoid if possible.

Cheers

Dave