^^
That’s 1 post for each daily tax free incentive. You’re really rubbing it in now. 
ezydriver:
^^That’s 1 post for each daily tax free incentive. You’re really rubbing it in now.
Gotta get your moneys worth
But seriously, pressed the button to enter the post, computer froze, pressed Esc to get out,
came back to TNUK and … WHAT
noticed my post 4 times 
How embarassing 
That felt like a Dozy moment, and it’s not even Friday
pierrot 14:
Rob, when you say “driving for me”, I’m just a driver like the rest of you, I don’t employ anybody, I couldn’t stand the stress of having to put up with people like… ME !! or even you lot
But if it’s a general enquiry about are there any Brits that drive over here, well yes there are quite a few.
Yeh it did sound that way, sorry.
I actually meant were there any Brits at the firm you work for, I just wondered if it was TSA as they do a lot of UK work.
Combien de langue française avez-vous besoin pour vous en sortir? Est-ce que google translate fait une phrase valide?
pierrot 14:
the nodding donkey:
Do they pay more than €9 p/h?Still, if I’m going back over the water, it’ll be to Holland. Interesting times ahead.
ND, wages are around €10.60-€12 p/h guaranteed for 150 hours per month, wether you do the hours or not, anything over that is overtime. WTF I hear you say, but we make it up in the daily allowances.
Here in France wage rates are low so that you stay at the lower levels of annual income, so as to pay very little or even no tax at all. We do not pay tax at source. Our wages are declared to the French tax bureau automatically by the employer and if you are over the threshold they send you a tax bill.Now here’s the big bonus::::: We get :- well where I work anyway, and before Craig comes up with a comment, we at the STEF Vire depot are the paupers of the company
Breakfast allowance € 7.26
Lunch meal allowance €15.81
Evening meal allowance €15.81
Night out allowance €26.20
per week day, so if I do 5 days from 06.00 to 19.00 with nights out… I’ll let you get the calculator out
Rates are higher on Saturday and more again if you are working Sunday/bank holidays
and even more if I go to the UK !Now these subsidies are ALL … TAX FREE !!!
I don’t have to give receipts, these are standard payments, so if you are out in the truck at whatever time of day or night, you will get these payments, eat in the truck or eat in a routier, you will get these payments, TAX FREE!
My average monthly wage is around €3000
I see ‘STEF’ have made inroads to Holland and taken over Speksneijder logistics up the road from me. All the trucks and the building have been rebranded. Seems to be a large outfit with depots all over.
From what i understand, if an english driver wants to work in france, he needs certain documents.to do with his licence ? correct me if i am wrong…The £3000 euros a month, is very good money…but is it after tax ? if not, then many in the uk take home around the same figure. There is a haulier close to me paying a guaranteed take home £600…so thats on par.
robroy:
pierrot 14:
Rob, when you say “driving for me”, I’m just a driver like the rest of you, I don’t employ anybody, I couldn’t stand the stress of having to put up with people like… ME !! or even you lot
But if it’s a general enquiry about are there any Brits that drive over here, well yes there are quite a few.Yeh it did sound that way, sorry.
I actually meant were there any Brits at the firm you work for, I just wondered if it was TSA as they do a lot of UK work.
STEF have a few that I know of, one of them is a member of TNUK.
njl:
Combien de langue française avez-vous besoin pour vous en sortir? Est-ce que google translate fait une phrase valide?
It does help if you have a certain amount of knowledge in the language, yes, enabling you to converse with the planners and customers.
And yes Citycat they are the biggest fridge haulier in France and one of the top 3 , I think, in Europe. Huge company.
truckyboy:
From what i understand, if an english driver wants to work in france, he needs certain documents.to do with his licence ? correct me if i am wrong…The £3000 euros a month, is very good money…but is it after tax ? if not, then many in the uk take home around the same figure. There is a haulier close to me paying a guaranteed take home £600…so thats on par.
Trucky, you can use your UK licence, CPC card and Driver card here, till they expire. You either then renew them or change them over to a French one. The DCPC is called the FIMO here (month long course), then there’s the FCO (5 year) refresher, which you would be able to do, its a 35 hour course done in 1 week. Most large hauliers here do it in house as they have their own instructors, with diplomas in the transport/logistics industry I have to add.
As for the wages, I will be getting a tax notification within the next month or so, if I fall under the taxable threshold, then I won’t have to pay anything, so yes that would be after tax. As the French are not taxed at source (PAYE) like in the UK, most put money aside in a separate bank account just for the purpose of paying their tax bills in February.
the nodding donkey:
A truck driver must already do away with any consumption of alcohol and drugs (even on weekends, his license guaranteeing his job)"
Is that correct? Can you not even drink during your (weekend) time off?
Doesn’t seem to match my experience of eating in various Routiers in France, start with an aperitif and then a glass or 2 of wine with your meal. Not silly amounts though, I think those days have gone, or there are fewer British drivers around.
the nodding donkey:
A truck driver must already do away with any consumption of alcohol and drugs (even on weekends, his license guaranteeing his job)"
Is that correct? Can you not even drink during your (weekend) time off?
Walk into any routers and you will see that’s a suggestion.
Twenty yrs back anyone not taking a bucket of wine with a meal eould be looked at curiously. Nowadays 'tis quite accepted that some will will only drink water.
Used to unlimited red/rosé at most places, now a qtr or maybe half litre is included free or paid for. Probably makes for a safer and healthy world.
As a new driver in Eu years back I, same ss others found, unlimited free wine a culture shock. I tried hard to help the French decrease their sirplus of cheap plonk. My efforts didn’t reduce the wine lake by any significant amount however. I’ve concluded I’ll never drink France dry, so have given up that effort. I’ll still have a few wee glasses, but I am not out to buy a vigneron a new tractor.
Many Routiers Restos are shut now compared to years back. The survivors are mostly far better than UK transport cafés, IMHO. They do a good trade from local workers at lunch then drivers in the evenings.
Self service salad/cold meat starters, choice of home made hot dish, and cheese and/or desert for 13 euro? Bottled water and bread included. Parking free.
Often have shower first and an aperitif at bar, eat, coffee, then at end of evening tell patron whst you’ve had so he c an reckon the bill. At some you pay first, but the traditional ones stiil exist.
Times are changing but the reasons for enjoying driving here are still plentiful.
P.S. I spend loads of time here but work for a UK company, hence I’m not offering any advice on working for a French outfit. If I were further from retirement I’d certainly be interested though, and would recommend anyone with half an interest to look closer.
Maybe that last comment keeps me “on topic”.
As an aside dinner conversation when an Englishman sits in often veers to Brexit. Lots of different attitudes, some thumbs up, but lots of incomprehension and sad head shaking too. And that’s still largely the norm here. When you eat you’re given a place to sit, usually by the last to enter. None of this running as far away from others as possible. You sit at a large table, and before long you’re all chatting, exchanging route advice, moaning about bosses and whether Scannie V8s with light bars are worth a pay cut! (Older drivers say “no” younger say “yeah” but that’s a sweeping generalisation). Coffee croissants in a minute!
Bon Route !
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Franglais:
Twenty yrs back anyone not taking a bucket of wine with a meal eould be looked at curiously. Nowadays 'tis quite accepted that some will will only drink water.
Used to unlimited red/rosé at most places, now a qtr or maybe half litre is included free or paid for. Probably makes for a safer and healthy world.
As a new driver in Eu years back I, same ss others found, unlimited free wine a culture shock. I tried hard to help the French decrease their sirplus of cheap plonk. My efforts didn’t reduce the wine lake by any significant amount however. I’ve concluded I’ll never drink France dry, so have given up that effort. I’ll still have a few wee glasses, but I am not out to buy a vigneron a new tractor.
Many Routiers Restos are shut now compared to years back. The survivors are mostly far better than UK transport cafés, IMHO. They do a good trade from local workers at lunch then drivers in the evenings.
Self service salad/cold meat starters, choice of home made hot dish, and cheese and/or desert for 13 euro? Bottled water and bread included. Parking free.
Often have shower first and an aperitif at bar, eat, coffee, then at end of evening tell patron whst you’ve had so he c an reckon the bill. At some you pay first, but the traditional ones stiil exist.
Times are changing but the reasons for enjoying driving here are still plentiful.
P.S. I spend loads of time here but work for a UK company, hence I’m not offering any advice on working for a French outfit. If I were further from retirement I’d certainly be interested though, and would recommend anyone with half an interest to look closer.
Maybe that last comment keeps me “on topic”.
As an aside dinner conversation when an Englishman sits in often veers to Brexit. Lots of different attitudes, some thumbs up, but lots of incomprehension and sad head shaking too. And that’s still largely the norm here. When you eat you’re given a place to sit, usually by the last to enter. None of this running as far away from others as possible. You sit at a large table, and before long you’re all chatting, exchanging route advice, moaning about bosses and whether Scannie V8s with light bars are worth a pay cut! (Older drivers say “no” younger say “yeah” but that’s a sweeping generalisation). Coffee croissants in a minute!
Bon Route !Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Top post and if ever a description thats spot on! A Routiers in the S.O.F is always worth a visit near Oleron Saint Marie en route from our cut through from Jaca.Poulet Basquaise (Basque- chicken with peppers and onions in a hot sauce) is always on the menu, musnt be missed…
Franglais:
Twenty yrs back anyone not taking a bucket of wine with a meal eould be looked at curiously. Nowadays 'tis quite accepted that some will will only drink water.
Used to unlimited red/rosé at most places, now a qtr or maybe half litre is included free or paid for. Probably makes for a safer and healthy world.
As a new driver in Eu years back I, same ss others found, unlimited free wine a culture shock. I tried hard to help the French decrease their sirplus of cheap plonk. My efforts didn’t reduce the wine lake by any significant amount however. I’ve concluded I’ll never drink France dry, so have given up that effort. I’ll still have a few wee glasses, but I am not out to buy a vigneron a new tractor.
Many Routiers Restos are shut now compared to years back. The survivors are mostly far better than UK transport cafés, IMHO. They do a good trade from local workers at lunch then drivers in the evenings.
Self service salad/cold meat starters, choice of home made hot dish, and cheese and/or desert for 13 euro? Bottled water and bread included. Parking free.
Often have shower first and an aperitif at bar, eat, coffee, then at end of evening tell patron whst you’ve had so he c an reckon the bill. At some you pay first, but the traditional ones stiil exist.
Times are changing but the reasons for enjoying driving here are still plentiful.
P.S. I spend loads of time here but work for a UK company, hence I’m not offering any advice on working for a French outfit. If I were further from retirement I’d certainly be interested though, and would recommend anyone with half an interest to look closer.
Maybe that last comment keeps me “on topic”.
As an aside dinner conversation when an Englishman sits in often veers to Brexit. Lots of different attitudes, some thumbs up, but lots of incomprehension and sad head shaking too. And that’s still largely the norm here. When you eat you’re given a place to sit, usually by the last to enter. None of this running as far away from others as possible. You sit at a large table, and before long you’re all chatting, exchanging route advice, moaning about bosses and whether Scannie V8s with light bars are worth a pay cut! (Older drivers say “no” younger say “yeah” but that’s a sweeping generalisation). Coffee croissants in a minute!
Bon Route !Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
Summed up well.
I occasionally have wine, depends how I feel. The food is plentiful, cheap and normally very good quality. I can’t think of anywhere in the UK to match them, nowhere with free parking and showers and cheap, good food anyway.
The waitresses are usually very polite too, another UK rarity
It’s funny how through sign language, drawings and much ummms and ahhhhs you can string together a conversation with 4 different nationalities who don’t speak anyone else’s language.
Another thing about them, not a hi vis to be seen!
A.
Franglais, when you do retire you could get a job as a PR man for the French tourist board or Michelin or Les Routiers
Very well put sir, couldn’t have said it better !!
Thanks to all for compliments.
Just caught me in a good mood. Glad this is anonymous or I’d get offered a salary cut.
We all get ups’n’downs but France seems a better work environment for trucks than the UK? Not perfect of course, but it suits some of us.
Sent from my GT-S7275R using Tapatalk
pierrot 14:
Franglais, when you do retire you could get a job as a PR man for the French tourist board or Michelin or Les Routiers
Very well put sir, couldn’t have said it better !!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1 from me also
driving in the uk just ■■■■■.
driving in europe is generally as friendly and comfortable as you wish to make it.
his comment about the free wine just reminded me that i havent seen my grandad for about 25 years now since he saw a advertisement saying.“drink canada dry” and he hopped on a plane there to try. 
Franglais’ remarks match my experience ov er the years too.They apply to Germany and Spain too.The fact you are obviously a foreigner is irrelevant.I have to say I avoided places in Italy(e.g. Carisio)which were rammed with GB motors.I’ll try that place in Oloron,mentioned by AndrewG,one of these days but I usually pass by at midnight,too late.
On a side note, as we’re talking about routiers. With all those that are closing, closing early on Fridays, not opening at weekends:
Try this place if your on the N10,(going north) - between: Vendôme,}St. Firmin des Pres,}Pezou - and - la-Chapelle-du-Noyer,}Chateaudun,:-
google.fr/maps/place/Le+Ple … d1.1914909
open 24 hours 
. Obviously meals at meal time, but they do do snacks, sandwiches at other times and the bar is open! Not that I would encourage such behavior 
There is also this one at the junction with the D357, just before it, but not 24hrs
Those 24hr.places are very useful to know,thanks.I used to know a handful of such places years ago but I daresay they are no more.For overnight drivers in France,including motorways,any kind of refreshment is extremely hard to find.Even motorway services area may only have a small alcove with a coffee machine.The A10 between Poitiers and Bordeaux used to have a lot of good places but fewer these days.I still stop at Vivonne or Barbezieux from time to time.All over Europe,24 hr.facilities are thin on the ground.I suppose drivers do the same as I did and took a flask and sandwiches.
Gidders:
Those 24hr.places are very useful to know,thanks.I used to know a handful of such places years ago but I daresay they are no more.For overnight drivers in France,including motorways,any kind of refreshment is extremely hard to find.Even motorway services area may only have a small alcove with a coffee machine.The A10 between Poitiers and Bordeaux used to have a lot of good places but fewer these days.I still stop at Vivonne or Barbezieux from time to time.All over Europe,24 hr.facilities are thin on the ground.I suppose drivers do the same as I did and took a flask and sandwiches.
Gidders, you are so right about the motorway services here in France, boils my P, it’s like the world stops at 22.00, at least it’s not all of them that just open the toilet and coffee machine area at night, but it is so many now!!
I’m not sure, but is it like in the UK, remote services are worried about their staff being held up for the contents of the till, even though most payments are paid by card, more people around during the day, fewer at night, better target and less chance of being caught, even with CCTV? Also there’s less public visiting, why pay for someone to sit on their ■■■ all night to do practically nothing? Night time most of the pumps are auto anyway. Suppose it’s the world we live in.
If you’re in the St Dizier area on the N4, the routiers at Perthes is still 24 hr.