Cheers guys, looking forward to it now Canāt beat some moral support
We (the gaffer and us drivers) got a shock yesterday morning and from weāve found out, might sink the company. Apparently one of the other Italy drivers has secretly been hating running out there but didnāt have the bottle to say anything to the gaffer so (can you believe this) he came into the yard early hours Monday morning, slashed the curtains of ALL our rag-siders, opened up our garage, got the drum of oil out and poured it ALL over every loaded trailer for Italy so he wouldnāt have to go.
The gaffer came in about 8am and found all this, including the slashed trailer of another o/d who shares the yard and who I used to work for and at the same time as discovering this, the driver in question phoned up to call in sick. The gaffer told him what had happened and said he was gonna find out who was behind this once and for all (the trailers have been slashed and cabs broken into numerous times in the past) by checking the video of the hidden CCTV heād erected a month earlier (there isnāt one in fact but it put the [zb]s up the driver). Ten minutes later the driver in question phoned up and admitted all. The gaffer and the o/d who I used to work for (no-one gets on the wrong side of this guy, heās about 20st and about 6ā6 tall, part-time bouncer and has 4 brothers of same build) disappeared out of the yard a short while after with some āequipmentā you donāt want to be on the receiving end of, in search of him but heās done a runner.
The load was one of DFDSās, worth about Ā£50K and thereās hell on. Hope the gaffer pulls through else weāll all be out of jobs.
Rob, we will help on any subject we can but this is something only you can know.
I like continental work because the roads are far less congested, the facilities for truckers are fantastic, we are treated with far more respect by everybody, and most of all because a man can only drive round the M25 so many times in the rain before he goes round the bendā¦
But if you are happy in the job you are doing and it suits your domestic needs, then that is the most important thing. I would suggest that you do not do it unless you really want to do it.
As many have said though, once youve done one, you normally cant wait to do another.
The Parking near Pero services is one Iāve used on many occaisions.
Coming into Milan from the Turin side on the autostrada, pass Pero Service area. Stay in the inside lane because at the bridge over it cuts down a lane, with a bridge support between the inside lane/slip road . The slip road goes into Viale Certosa. STAYing in the inside look for the slip road for Via Stephenson, (probably V. Stephenson). As you are going down the SHORT slip road, when it opens up into 2 lanes change across to the new inside lane quickly. Before you go far (50m maybe?) there is what looks like a rough road into a works car park (for Minolta) on the right. This IS the road you want. The parking area is on your right.
It doesnāt look like much, the resturant is closed on Sundays but the food is good when its open. Its also secure. They DO charge for parking but I canāt remember how much (Murfitts had an account, so we spent a lot of time there). The place stays open for as long as there are enough paying customers to make it worth while.
Walk out of the gate, turn left, at the end of the Minolta compound turn right. Go under Viale Certosa, turn first left and follow that road. There is an excellent Pizzaria at the end, at the junction with the more major road. Cross the road and go into the nearby tabacchi. Get your Milan rover tickets here, and an expresso while you wait for the tram. The tickets cost about 1.50 Euro , they cover ANY form of public transport in Milan and last for about 75 mins after they are stamped (by you, when you board the tram/bus/train), so you can tram hop. I think its tram 13 (not at all sure now) which takes you into Milan. Get off after a 20ish min ride, at a McDonalds. Carry on down the same road that the tram was following. The Huge white(ish) spikey building right in front of you (when the road opens up into a big square) is the Duomo. A very old Cathedral, over on the right of the square is a tourist info centre. Walk down the road to the right of the info centre, you shortly come to a square with a sculpture of jumping dolphins. To the left of this square is a pub called Rob Roys. You could almost be in a tourist pub, in Edinburgh. All the fixtures and fitting were delivered by Murfitts, so we used to get a discount in there.
Milan is an expensive place to eat and drink beer in. You can eat a lot cheaper if you buy it and do your own cooking though. I thought that the extra expense was worth it for the opportunity to do the tourist bit. Milan is a fantastic place to visit, especially if you are being paid for it.
Rob K:
We (the gaffer and us drivers) got a shock yesterday morning and from weāve found out, might sink the company. Apparently one of the other Italy drivers has secretly beenā¦SNIP
Now this is spooky.
There must be a lot of drivers who hate going to Italy as Iāve heard this story about once a month so far this year and the only thing that varies each time is the size of the guy, the amount of ābrothersā involved and the substance used, oil, paint, diesel etc.
Strange how so many drivers love going to Italy but so many are quietly hating it and plotting revenge. Whatever floats your boat I guess.
Adrian & Rob,
Canāt add much to what the others have said except to agree āgo for it and enjoyā and Rob, hope you get to the make choice after all.
The thread brought back many happy memories for me. I first went to Italy when I eloped with the lady who is now my wife, 20 odd years ago.
We ran for Micky White of White Trux near Dover and my unit had a bunch of chains hanging on the back. Not everyone had them and I resisted all attempts to āborrowā them. As I had never used snows one day with time to spare I strung them out to have a dry run. The chains were just that, chains, not snowchains, just chains. Worried the hell out of me until an older timer said the caribinieri will only look at the hanging chains not fitted ones and in any case, āif it is time to fit chains, it is time to go to bedā. Never have used them from that day to this and now, never will.
Aosta was a killer for bribes but once I realised that sending the wife in in a tight sweater as the driver, with me hiding in the sleeper, never paid another penny. She never had to do anything physical beyond smiling and looking lost.
Carisio I remember as the place to be if you were weekended. Great en suite rooms for a real soak and relax.
Know what you mean about Milan and crime, but we always parked at the customs at Concorezzo. No problems and āPopāsā ristorante on site was a favourite. Particularly liked the squat toilets which converted to a shower by throwing a duckboard over the hole! Howās that for productivity?
Incidentally, anyone been in the āBakehouseā lately at St. Cyr near Macon? Went in last year whilst the Blanc was still closed. Nice meal but none of itās former glory. Perhaps now it is the hotspot for the Brits and other Northerners again but I doubt it. No-one wants to leave the autoroute these days.
Sorry, got lost in nostalgia, only 12 months after retirement. Donāt regret it though. Good while it lasted but now is better. I sleep and work, when I want!
With all that experience n time on the road BondiTram, you might have a few interesting photoās . If so, are they posted on the net, if you havnāt posted them, are you able too
Maybe that trick with the duckboards explains the people who dump in the shower
I didnāt know about St Cyr when I was on Italy, I used the pub on the way between Borg en Bresse and Taunus(?). It was known as Phils Place then. I didnāt go far off the motorways during the week, but when I was w/ended away from home, anywhere which got recommended was worth a visit.
Took a few photos, not enough, but wouldnāt know how to upload them anyway. Not from those pre-digital days. I think I have some of the wife in her ācustomsā sweater posing in front of my old F89 with the snowy mountains as backdrop.
I donāt know about the pub you mention, but then I wouldnāt, because I once tried to leave the autoroute at Tournus, the turning before Macon, but couldnāt get under the railway bridge. We used to carry containers in stripped down tilts. I approached very carefully but there was a helluver clang. No damage though but I caused some disruption reversing all the way back to a turning spot.
The Bakehouse (not itās real name but they did bake bread there, not any more though) was very well known with the Brits, Irish, Scans & Dutch as being the furthest point south in a 10 hour drive from Calais. We often used to arrive Saturday morning and park up till Sunday evening because in those pre-autoroute days there was a driving ban from there to the Blanc from Saturday 1300. It became famous because of a TV expose which revealed all the bribery and corruption involved in getting a truck across European borders in those days. They actually filmed in the Bakehouse and everybody was very jolly but later the driver who blew the original whistle was not so popular.
As the magic hour of 10 on Sunday evening approached everybody was in the cab and revving up from about 8. All waiting for the first to make a move and once one had, the floodgates opened leaving a plume of smoke over St. Cyr which could be seen by all the other nationalities at the next routier just down the road. This was their signal to get the pedal to the metal and a giant mob of trucks hurtled over the hairy roads past Bourg, Nantua & Bellegarde to the Blanc. Very exciting times and the funny thing is I never knew of anybody getting pulled for jumping the gun.
If you donāt remember the Bakehouse I think you must still be rolling, as the French say, although many of my contemporaries are still working because I retired, in the French fashion at 60.
Donāt remember Peter Camp. Pete Farbrace was there but wasnāt the manager, there were two of those, one for UK and the other for the continent, but canāt remember either name.
Micky White was the boy though, wasnāt he? I got captured at Calais running home one day (dodgy permit) and nearly argued my way into gaol trying to get out of it. In the end Michael said, leave the truck get a lift home (I lived in Folkestone then) and Iāll sort it out. A day later the motor was in the yard. Heād gone over in his black Bentley with a spare driver, wined and dined someone and hey presto! What problem?
Couple of days later we were on our way to Savona again.
That was in 1983.
Did you know Billy Broad? He was a good mate and may still have been there in '87.
The name Billy Broad seems familiar but I won`t swear to it.
I only worked there for six weeks, it was my first ever job and I was green as grass. I was useless. Still, I pestered them continually to let me do continental work but they had more sense.
After six weeks I jacked it in and went to work for Johnny Mac, Aka āRomacā and on my second evening I shipped out on the Dover-Calais crossing, still green as grass!
As you no doubt know, Michael was a big name in Middle East work in the eighties.
This is exactly the remeniscing(?) I love to read about on these kind of sites ā¦ thanks guys!
I could sit and listen all day to the āold timersā on the Middle east and European runs from the Eighties.
Sorry this reply is so late but must have had a senior moment (getting more frequent these days) and forgot to tick the notify box so didnāt realise there had been a response. (Sorted it now in the profile section as default).
Micky White seemed to go for big contracts and the whole shooting match would then be arrowed to that end. Before my time they were big on Spain and when I was there it was all Savona. I only knew one driver to go in a different direction and that was Billy I think who did a quick Yugo once. That was why, unusually in our business, we socialised a lot. 6 trucks parked at the beach in Savona makes quite a party!
Just in case you case you remember them. Here are a few more names.
āPathfinderā - an ironic nickname because he was lost more than he realised.
Stewart - Dark hair. Once was a royal guest in Nottingham
Tony Buckle - Pulled my wife from the sea after her riotous 40th party when all the rest of us thought she was waving! Married to someone at Laser Transport.
Just reminiscing Bear. By the way if youāre a Mid East fan must talk one day about my trip to India with a 1956 AEC Regent coach!
BondiTram:
Just reminiscing Bear. By the way if youāre a Mid East fan must talk one day about my trip to India with a 1956 AEC Regent coach!
Salut, David.
David
I donāt think I would be alone in saying I would love to hear about that trip. Why not write it up and post it on here, after all this forum is for Europe and beyond and India would qualify as beyond.
When I was with him he was based up the A2 at Aylesham just round the corner from Ferrymasters, for whom he used to pull trailers in the UK. Did a changeover one night near Northampton, I think, when I was having a week at home.
I remember Coombe Valley Rd. for 2 reasons. Coombe Valley Transport who were/are based there and the future wife and I went to look at a little terraced house to buy at the bottom end. Did he take over Coombe Valley then?
Neil.
Thanks for your kind words about my Indian adventure but to do it justice it would be quite a long piece and Iām not sure a forum is the appropriate place. Besides, Iām trying to be a writer in my retirement these days and you never know may persuade Truck & Driver to pay for it. Should hate to give it them for free Only (half) joking!
Long articles are as welcome as short posts so if the mood takes you please post some of your experiences. Just start them in a thread of their own and if T & D turn down your article about the Indian trip we wonāt.
Cheers guys, looking forward to it now 
. The slip road goes into Viale Certosa. STAYing in the inside look for the slip road for Via Stephenson, (probably V. Stephenson). As you are going down the SHORT slip road, when it opens up into 2 lanes change across to the new inside lane quickly. Before you go far (50m maybe?) there is what looks like a rough road into a works car park (for Minolta) on the right. This IS the road you want. The parking area is on your right.
, they cover ANY form of public transport in Milan and last for about 75 mins after they are stamped (by you, when you board the tram/bus/train), so you can tram hop. I think its tram 13 (not at all sure now) which takes you into Milan. Get off after a 20ish min ride, at a McDonalds. Carry on down the same road that the tram was following. The Huge white(ish) spikey building right in front of you (when the road opens up into a big square) is the Duomo. A very old Cathedral, over on the right of the square is a tourist info centre. Walk down the road to the right of the info centre, you shortly come to a square with a sculpture of jumping dolphins. To the left of this square is a pub called Rob Roys. You could almost be in a tourist pub, in Edinburgh. All the fixtures and fitting were delivered by Murfitts, so we used to get a discount in there. 
Never heard or read a story like it before. Itās completely genuine, I can assure you.
. If so, are they posted on the net, if you havnāt posted them, are you able too 
I didnāt go far off the motorways during the week, but when I was w/ended away from home, anywhere which got recommended was worth a visit. 
Only (half) joking!