Hi all,
Think it was Thursday, Sally Traffic was going on about Dover Docks being closed and Operation Stack.
Whats that all about?
Do they provide any services, after laying you up on a motorway?
What happens if you are carrying perishables?
What about driving hours?
Did it effect anyone on here?
Perhaps some of you European drivers can enlighten me?
Many thanks
John
This was once again due to French fisherman blockading Calais port after one of them apparantly being banned.
I was sweating a bit 'cos I’d loaded in Wigton Thursday afternoon and would be in Dover Friday lunchtime,luckily it was all over by then.
Though just as we were approaching Calais the captain announced that the Calais chamber of commerce,who tie the ship’s up,had just gone on strike! Luckily again it only lasted half an hour.
Operation Stack is implemented when there is a dispute or bad weather,to stop Dover being clogged up with lorries.The M20 is closed off between J11 and J12 (though I remember after the tunnel fire it was closed off a lot more than that) and trucks are parked up on the motorway to be let through a few at a time.They used to give you a ticket with a number on when you joined the queue,mainly to stop people going through the back roads and jumping the queue,so if you arrive at the port with no ticket,they sent you back again.
If it’s a long wait then the council arrive with portaloo’s to put on the side of the road and the police usually arrange for mobile snack vans to refresh the drivers.
the police usually arrange for mobile snack vans to refresh the drivers.
You mean the police actually do something for the truck driver? 
Ken.
You mean the police actually do something for the truck driver?
Yeah, but they nicely put a nip of coffee in the brandy, then breathalyse you when you start off! 
I am going to regret saying this 
In all my time driving at home and abroad. I have never been caught in Operation Stack, fishermans protests or ferry strikes.
The only strike I got stopped with was the National lorry drivers strike and I delivered some pallets for the bonfire outside Hewson Brothers in Howden
Me too Wheel Nut, never been in Operation Stack, because if i hear it is on I don’t head down to Dover until it is over as I think there is no point sitting for hours on the motorway, and only ever caught the tail end of a dispute in Calais so never lost more than a couple of hours.
Now I’ve said that what does thos week hold in store. 
Tempting fate Neil LOL 
Operation Stack on the M20 and sneaky VOSA pulling motors on the alternative route!