Carryfast:
Although I might just phone them and say that I’m hoping for a break and have only done UK work,let alone just passed my class 1 last week,just for a laugh.Trust me the answer would be no different in most cases in 1980 or 2020.At best you and possibly others were extremely lucky at the expense of possibly many other more deserving applicants who’d put in the time which says everything about the laughably arbitrary nature of career progression within the industry.While my advice to the OP to get an international CPC to put on the table can only help him in that regard if that’s where he really wants to be.
Well, here’s an idea. Phone Alcaline and tell them you are interested in a job and ask if you can come and see them about it. Tell them you haven’t done continental work before but you are very keen, and confident that you would be able to get the hang of it quite quickly and see what they say. I mean, that’s all I did and numerous others who found themselves doing it did. No secret handshakes at the Masonic Lodge or anything, we just asked.
Carryfast:
Although I might just phone them and say that I’m hoping for a break and have only done UK work,let alone just passed my class 1 last week,just for a laugh.Trust me the answer would be no different in most cases in 1980 or 2020.At best you and possibly others were extremely lucky at the expense of possibly many other more deserving applicants who’d put in the time which says everything about the laughably arbitrary nature of career progression within the industry.While my advice to the OP to get an international CPC to put on the table can only help him in that regard if that’s where he really wants to be.
Well, here’s an idea. Phone Alcaline and tell them you are interested in a job and ask if you can come and see them about it. Tell them you haven’t done continental work before but you are very keen, and confident that you would be able to get the hang of it quite quickly and see what they say. I mean, that’s all I did and numerous others who found themselves doing it did. No secret handshakes at the Masonic Lodge or anything, we just asked.
As it’s supposedly all about amiable attitudes then surely the employer would have attached the caveat that the 1 year ‘international experience’ requirement is open to discussion in the ad bearing in mind the ‘driver shortage’.Which leaves the question that surely not all those on the UK side of the job want to stay there and some ( plenty ) might like the chance to move up the ladder.Strange in that case why they seem to prefer to advertise outside for ‘experienced’ international applicants only.
Carryfast:
At best you and possibly others were extremely lucky at the expense of possibly many other more deserving applicants
You heard it here first…an entire industry full of drivers were ‘extremely lucky’. Have you never stopped to think how ridiculous this theory of yours is?! (Rhetorical question, I know the answer )
Carryfast:
As it’s supposedly all about amiable attitudes then surely the employer would have attached the caveat that the 1 year ‘international experience’ requirement is open to discussion in the ad bearing in mind the ‘driver shortage’.Which leaves the question that surely not all those on the UK side of the job want to stay there and some ( plenty ) might like the chance to move up the ladder.Strange in that case why they seem to prefer to advertise outside for ‘experienced’ international applicants only.
Even now and certainly back then international work often requires a bit more gumption, drivers with more of a can do and get on with it attitude when problems arise so just maybe they whittle down the list of candidates by leaving the experience caveat in realizing it’ll only put off those they dont want anyway, the ones lacking the aforementioned gumption, like your good self
albion:
Bit like haulage companies and haulage bosses, not all drivers are created equal.
New pass with an amiable personality and a good dollop of commonsense is worth two of a driver with a chip on their shoulder and a side order of bitterness.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
thats the winner right there.
having someone with a hands on,can do,and one way or another wangle and adapt obstacles would be getting the job.
especially euro and further work.
you dont want some by the letter of the law,by the book herbert with an agency drivers outlook to be working for you.
you need someone who can bleed up and jumpstart a fridge from the truck,and vise versa for example.
my mate has a garage that takes on apprentices.
anytime one comes for a interview in their good clothes,he just asks them to help him lift a gearbox out or something equally as manky.
if they start flapping about their good clothes or asking for overalls or gloves,then they dont get considered,whereas if they just go to help him,he stops them and thats the one on the short list.
Carryfast:
As it’s supposedly all about amiable attitudes then surely the employer would have attached the caveat that the 1 year ‘international experience’ requirement is open to discussion in the ad bearing in mind the ‘driver shortage’.
There isn’t a “one year international experience” requirement. The exact wording on the advert is "You will be required to have at least 3 years experience in Class 1 vehicles and preferably at least 1 year of International driving experience.
Do you know what “preferably” means?
So there you go, there’s a continental job you could apply for instead of constantly bellyaching about how unfair life is on here.
muckles:
You failed because of your own failing not those of the industry, get over it.
The idea of adverts effectively stating get your experience somewhere else not with us we’re too important,to anyone trying to progress in the job,meaning start at the bottom you’ll stay there,is certainly a failing of the industry not mine.On that note my advice to the OP,if that’s his intention,is at least as valid as yours.
As I said and I’ll say it again, loads of people in here, took their chance to do International work, many worked on local and UK work before, Radar19 was a youngster working on ferry trailers or something, without any previous experience he went a got a job with Stagetruck I believe.
He like the many other succeeded in finding the work they wanted, you failed, all you need to do to find the reason why is look in the mirror an see the insufferable arse looking back at you.
(Diclaimer: I don’t consider International work to be the pinnacle of haulage, doing any other sort of haulage is equally valid, if that’s the work you want to do. )
muckles:
(Diclaimer: I don’t consider International work to be the pinnacle of haulage, doing any other sort of haulage is equally valid, if that’s the work you want to do. )
Very valid point. Especially after looking at Adams thread about Euro work. Different strokes, for different folks. I too, do not consider myself above anyone else because Im a Euro driver*.
*I have too many other plus points to list here though.
muckles:
(Diclaimer: I don’t consider International work to be the pinnacle of haulage, doing any other sort of haulage is equally valid, if that’s the work you want to do. )
I sort of agree. I’ve done many different types of job over the years and major changes have normally come about because of other things going on in my life, which have always taken priority. For example I gave up doing the ultra-long-haul work, when I was frequently away for months at a time, when my children were born and my priorities naturally changed.
Nowadays I don’t even do nights out because of living on the boat and the preparation required in leaving it for more than even a work shift length, plus of course having a night out in the UK is simply dire.
However, I will always consider the continental work I did for over 20 years to be the personal pinnacle in my career- taking a trailer from Rugby to Newark doesn’t have quite the thrill of a run down to Istanbul.
Carryfast:
As it’s supposedly all about amiable attitudes then surely the employer would have attached the caveat that the 1 year ‘international experience’ requirement is open to discussion in the ad bearing in mind the ‘driver shortage’.
There isn’t a “one year international experience” requirement. The exact wording on the advert is "You will be required to have at least 3 years experience in Class 1 vehicles and preferably at least 1 year of International driving experience.
Do you know what “preferably” means?
So there you go, there’s a continental job you could apply for instead of constantly bellyaching about how unfair life is on here.
I won’t be applying for any truck driving job but rewind to 80’s/90’s when it mattered it’s bleedin obvious that I never let any bs ‘experience’ requirements stop me from applying for anything.Or for that matter applying for international drawbar work with a class 2 and no commercial driving ‘experience’ whatsoever other than driving a 7.5 tonner and fire trucks and 4-6 wheelers on the council and being too naive to realise why the enquiry always ended the same way at the phone stage.
While the ad obviously contradicts itself regarding both UK and International ‘experience’ requirements saying that both 3 years and 1 year is ‘required’ and ‘preferable’ in the case of both UK and Euro work respectively.So which is it.
When it’s obvious that what it really means is that those with 3 years or more UK ‘experience’ will be given ‘preference’ over those with less for UK work and those with 1 year or more International ‘experience’ will be given ‘preference’ over those with less let alone none.Even for those looking for promotion from within doing UK work.As I said an arbitrary face fits career progression regime.
Carryfast:
While the ad obviously contradicts itself regarding both UK and International ‘experience’ requirements saying that both 3 years and 1 year is ‘required’ and ‘preferable’ in the case of both UK and Euro work respectively.So which is it.
If you can’t even understand a simple statement written in the English language such as “You will be required to have at least 3 years experience in Class 1 vehicles and preferably at least 1 year of International driving experience” then you would have absolutely no chance of finding your destination in a country where English is not widely spoken, so perhaps it was just as well that you never attempted to.
Carryfast:
While the ad obviously contradicts itself regarding both UK and International ‘experience’ requirements saying that both 3 years and 1 year is ‘required’ and ‘preferable’ in the case of both UK and Euro work respectively.So which is it.
If you can’t even understand a simple statement written in the English language such as “You will be required to have at least 3 years experience in Class 1 vehicles and preferably at least 1 year of International driving experience” then you would have absolutely no chance of finding your destination in a country where English is not widely spoken, so perhaps it was just as well that you never attempted to.
You’re the one who’s missed the fact that it says BOTH required AND preferable for BOTH UK AND International.So which is it in EITHER case.What is certain is that it makes clear numerous times that ‘experience’ is important especially for international work applications.
While,probably like you,I had no problem whatsoever in finding my way around places,even with just Cyrillic place names and signage to go by,before the days of mobile phones or sat navs.Although no one is saying that it was easy.But luckily the difference is that no one said that I couldn’t drive my own car anywhere I felt like going with it just because I’d never been there before.
Carryfast:
You’re the one who’s missed the fact that it says BOTH required AND preferable for BOTH UK AND International.So which is it in EITHER case.What is certain is that it makes clear numerous times that ‘experience’ is important especially for international work applications.
The difference between me and you is that if I liked the sound of a job then I would apply for it- by driving into their yard and asking to speak to the transport manager- regardless of whether I fulfilled the criteria in the advert or not, and if I got a knock-back then I would just do exactly the same thing somewhere else the next day and the day after that and the day after that until I got a break, and that’s why I spent 20+ years doing continental work and you didn’t.
Carryfast:
You’re the one who’s missed the fact that it says BOTH required AND preferable for BOTH UK AND International.So which is it in EITHER case.What is certain is that it makes clear numerous times that ‘experience’ is important especially for international work applications.
The difference between me and you is that if I liked the sound of a job then I would apply for it- by driving into their yard and asking to speak to the transport manager- regardless of whether I fulfilled the criteria in the advert or not, and if I got a knock-back then I would just do exactly the same thing somewhere else the next day and the day after that and the day after that until I got a break, and that’s why I spent 20+ years doing continental work and you didn’t.
Yep I tell my guvnor that I won’t be at work today or tomorrow or the day after that because I’m busy driving around the country all week getting the same answers,that I was getting on the phone as and when I got the time.Also cold calling means that there is/was no advert and was using my own intuition regarding ‘the sound’ of the job.While your idea was/is more likely to end up with being asked WTF are you doing on the premises with no previous appointment arranged.
As for day after day remind us again how long it was between you getting your licence and shipping out on your first international run.As opposed to over 10 years of those continuous ‘knock backs’ in my case when trying to climb the ladder from numerous types of UK dross.Culminating in more or less the last one in which I was finally told that I’d got the job only to be told sorry we can’t do it after all will you take UK work instead.The advert in this case ringing lots of bells as to the probable reasons for that which I thought at the time although they didn’t have the bottle to actually tell me.My bet is that putting an international CPC on the table might at least have helped in that regard.
European work is not for everyone and the reason being is because there are drivers who dream all there life of doing it but never do it
Why because they are nervous about facing it and trying it
They don’t have the confidence to even try it as much as they dream about it and that’s a natural thing, driving on the opposite side of the road, getting lost, being in the middle of nowhere and not knowing where, not being able to speak a bit of the language
To some it’s a walk in the park a enjoyable experience to others who dream it’s a nightmare even in there dreams but yet they still dream
It’s a fantastic experience and would open your eyes to a new experience in life that will never ever leave you or will never ever forget
I still find it baffling why if he did try so much Carryfast couldn’t get a job in the heyday of European transport. Back then any man and his dog could get a euro job. Even my Dad got European work when he wanted it despite never having been a full time driver at that point, he was a truck mechanic for first half of his career.
switchlogic:
I still find it baffling why if he did try so much Carryfast couldn’t get a job in the heyday of European transport. Back then any man and his dog could get a euro job. Even my Dad got European work when he wanted it despite never having been a full time driver at that point, he was a truck mechanic for first half of his career.
He wanted it but never had the nerve to go for it in other words a dreamer there is plenty of people like that I know of situations where drivers have frozen half way to there tip and could not compete it and a driver had to be flown over to take over
Last I heard Alcaline drivers where mostly doing a Turin change over then another change over half way down and back a week drivers are mostly east European and the money is terrible if you do a search on here I’m sure you will find it but they are a growing company
)
