Chapter 5

Despite everything Mr Walker had said and despite his teasing about her learning to drive an artic Grace was a bit concerned that she might have overstepped the mark. She decided to talk to Greg and did so the next morning after the initial rush of despatching trucks was over.

“Greg,” she asked slightly shyly, “I mentioned learning to drive artics to you. Do you really think it’s on?”

“You drove the Leyland Dafs in the army, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“How did you find them?”

“Fine once I got used to them.”

“Was it a struggle to reach the pedals?”

Grace shook her head.

“It might be in the artics. It’s not as though you’re very tall and the seat adjustment may not be enough for you. Why don’t we go and find out?”

“OK. Thanks, Greg.”

They walked to the garages where Greg selected a truck and climbed up. He adjusted the seat as far forward as it would go. He jumped down again.

“Right, up you go,” he said.

Grace did so and sat in the seat. She reached for the steering wheel. She could have taken it being a little closer but she reckoned she would soon get used to it. She said so.

“OK. We can adjust its height a bit which might help. Can you see over the top of it?”

“If I sit bolt upright but that would become a bit of a strain.”

“That’s OK. We can adjust the rake and lower the wheel a bit. Can you fully depress the clutch?”

“Yes. Just.”

“I can’t move the seat any further forward but you could always put a firm cushion behind your hips.”

“I suppose. Would the examiner object to it?”

“Doubt it.”

She did not jump down but came down carefully backwards. And then gave Greg a brilliant smile.

“Thanks, Greg. That’s given me more confidence. I suppose the really difficult bits are getting used to the width and to reversing.”

“Yes. The width shouldn’t bother you for long but I think you’ll find reversing tricky.”

“Why?”

“If you’re reversing round a corner you can’t see your outside rear.”

“Mm!”

“The other thing is that it’s totally different from reversing a rigid.”

“Why?”

“I’m talking really about narrow gaps. If you wanted to reverse left in a rigid which way would you turn the wheel?”

“Left.”

“Correct. With an artic though you’ve got to turn it right to push the front of the trailer to the right. Then you’ve got to turn it pretty quickly back to the left to straighten up again.”

“Oh wow! Particularly when manoeuvring space is tight!”

“Yes. I think you might need some practice here before you enrol with an instructor.”

“Me too!”

“Watch me park this back in its slot.”

Grace did so marvelling that Greg did it without a pause.

“I see what you mean about preliminary practice,” she said as he rejoined her.

He smiled. “I’ll lend you Terry when he’s not out on a detail.”

“Do you know what tuition costs?” she asked as they got back to the office.

“Twelve hundred plus.”

“Sheesh! I never thought it would cost that much. I can’t ask the firm to pay that for me to use my licence once or twice a year.”

Greg smiled at her. “I reckon you’re right but I’ll still lend you Terry which will give you a better idea of what your drivers do.”

She touched his arm. “Thanks, Greg.”

He smiled down at her. “Terry’ll enjoy it too.”

When she got back to the office block Grace went straight to Mr Walker’s office.

“Is he free for a few minutes?” she asked his secretary who smiled.

“Help yourself,” she said.

Grace knocked on the door and when she heard the come in did so.

“Good morning, Mr Walker,” she said.

“Good morning, Grace. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“I think I may have been over-enthusiastic about learning to drive an artic.”

“Why?”

“Well, you teased me about getting the cost agreed by the Finance Manager and the Board which is all I thought it was at the time-- teasing. I’ve now discovered that the cost is twelve hundred plus. I can’t possibly ask the company to foot that and I certainly can’t afford it myself.”

Mr Walker smiled at her. “Thank you, Grace, but in the seven years I’ve been in this job I’ve picked up on facts like that. I was only teasing you yesterday.”

“It’s still a lot of money for the small amount of driving I’ll be doing.”

“Yes but your drivers will appreciate it that you have bothered to learn what they do and therefore have a better understanding of their worries and whinges. No, Grace, it would be a good thing for you to do and I’m pleased that you’re keen to.”

Slightly ashamedly Grace felt herself blush but nevertheless smiled delightedly both at the compliment and her boss’s enthusiasm.

“Thank you very much,” she little more than whispered, turned and let herself out.

Mr Walker smiled as she closed the door quietly behind her. “That’s a special young woman,” he thought to himself. “She’s keen, bright and responsible; well worth spending £1,200 on.”

Grace floated back to her own office. She was thrilled at Mr Walker’s support and enthusiasm for her wanting to be able to drive artics. She had not really thought her motives through before but now realised that it had not just been a wish to drive one of those monsters but a reminder from her army days that the officers (and she was one now) were expected to do anything and everything that their soldiers were trained to do, certainly in the infantry and armoured units. The engineers might be a little different. You could hardly expect them to be experts at bricklaying, plumbing and vehicle mechanics but they had the rudimentary knowledge of their soldiers’ trades. She smiled ruefully to herself: she was not going to be able to become a skilled vehicle craftsman. On the other hand, it would be worth talking to Jeff about how she might become more involved with her vehicle mechanics.

She drank Angie’s coffee gratefully and skimmed through her paperwork. Most of it was routine information and nothing leapt out at her. There were a couple of requests from factories for delivery services. She scribbled ‘regret but no’ on them and left Angie to write the appropriate letters for her signature. She smiled at the thought of being able to say yes when any of their dilatory customers failed to pull their socks up.