MY ALARM GOES OFF AT…
An alarm is something I have never set as I am always awake by 5am, and I have never been late for work. However, there is always a first time for everything!
THE FIRST THING I DO IS…
Put the kettle on and make myself a brew. I then make myself some toast and Marmite (you either love it or hate it – try it with Philadelphia cheese, it softens the blow!), or porridge, or if I’m feeling healthy then some melon with Greek yogurt.
I then turn Sky Sports News on the TV and chill out until I need to leave the house.
I PREPARE FOR THE DAY AHEAD BY…
Getting a workout in before I start work – this is usually by cycling between 10 and 30 miles, depending on how I’m feeling.
I CAN’T LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT…
My keys and my phone.
MY TYPICAL DAY…
A typical morning begins with me arriving at work for 6:30am to start for 7am. I log onto my computer and make sure that our drivers have everything they need for their day delivering to customers.
Then I settle into a morning of planning and organising the next 2-3 days of deliveries with my colleague Rob.
I work closely with the sales team, scheduling in bulk deliveries to commercial customers and paying attention to urgent orders that come in for customers who have run out of fuel.
I enjoy speaking with customers daily; I’ve built up a strong relationship with many customers over the years, and many will call me directly to book their orders in.
My mobile phone is never far from my ear, as I also have calls coming in from drivers who need answers to questions when they are out. In between planning deliveries, I will also be keeping a close eye on our stock levels and accept bulk deliveries into our storage tanks.
On an afternoon we are finalising delivery loads for the next day and making sure all paperwork is ready for the drivers.
MY MOST MEMORABLE WORK MOMENT…
In the first six months of starting, I unfortunately put the wagon in a ditch on a farm lane. When I managed to get myself out of the passenger side footwell, I walked down to the farm to phone Allan and told him what had happened, and I suggested that we might need a crane to get me out.
Long story short, the crane came and lifted the wagon out of the ditch and amazingly there was hardly any damage, and I was able to continue with my deliveries, slightly shaken and most definitely stirred!
I arrived back at the yard at 9pm and to my horror, Allan was sitting there waiting for me. As a young lad I thought I was going to get a telling off, however Allan looked at his watch and said, “Hello Graham, I was about to send that crane out to look for you!”
He never mentioned it again, apart from in jest, and I learnt a valuable lesson that day – that if somebody is truly sorry then that is enough.
THE WORST PART OF MY JOB…
I can honestly say that there is nothing about my job that I don’t like. Apart from when we run out of biscuits!
THE BEST PART OF MY JOB…
I love reading our Feefo reviews and hearing the positive words from our customers. It gives me a sense of satisfaction knowing we deliver a quality service!
We have a great team at Allan Stobart Fuels which enables us to give a high level of service to customers which I believe is second to none.
I RELAX AFTER WORK BY…
Cycling home. It is a great way to end the day, as it gives me time to process and reflect on the day I’ve had. I then spend the evening relaxing with my wife of 32 years, Ruth.
MY FAVOURITE MEAL IS…
Marmite and toast for breakfast! I usually have a light lunch, although we occasionally do a chippy or baguette run and I will always favour the chips!
Fortunately, I am married to somebody who loves to cook and travels the world with her job, so we eat various cultural cuisines, but my favourite meal is always shepherd’s pie, or anything hot and spicy!
ON MY BEDSIDE TABLE IS…
The only thing on my bedside table is my charging port for my mobile phone, a coaster, my tablet and a book called The World’s Greatest Cycling Climbs.
THE LAST THING I DO EACH DAY IS…
Have a chat with Ruth, usually having a laugh about something that has happened in our day. Quite often we will look at photos and videos that have been sent from our daughter, of our 10-month-old grandson, Asher.
I’M NORMALLY IN BED BY…
11:30pm.
Image courtesy of Graham Slater, Allan Stobart Lubricants and Fuels
