Does anyone know of any good long distance driving jobs based around London?
I’ve done some tramping with Downton but the distance was a bit hit and miss…
I’d love to find some decent length jobs even if it was going over to Europe!
Thanks guys
Depends what you mean by “around London”, Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.
Sealane, again in Kent (at Lydden) do a fair bit of Euro work too.
Harry Monk:
Depends what you mean by “around London”, Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.Sealane, again in Kent (at Lydden) do a fair bit of Euro work too.
I don’t think anyone with a single brain cell would go to Sealane.
I 've good things about Alcaline. A friend of a friend works there and he’s happy with it.
OP… As Harry has quoted above, lots of Italy mainly with car parts.
Harry Monk:
Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.
Oh wait must have at least 1 year ‘international experience’ for Euro work.What a surprise.
we are still in Europe, so its all good, have you done Italy, no but I have driven in other European countries, thinking (England, Scotland, wales)
Carryfast:
Harry Monk:
Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.Oh wait must have at least 1 year ‘international experience’ for Euro work.What a surprise.
Quell surprise! I’m sure that would have stopped you dead in your tracks from applying and merely added fuel to your personal fire. However me and I suspect many others who fancied the job and had no international experience would have simply driven to their depot, knocked on the door and sweetalked and impressed the boss with my attitude. It’s not difficult really.
the maoster:
Carryfast:
Harry Monk:
Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.Oh wait must have at least 1 year ‘international experience’ for Euro work.What a surprise.
Firstly you seem to have missed the point that my original gut feeling,at Harry’s advice,proved correct within reading a few lines of the ad and how many other hopefuls do you think will be using the same plan.Just as I did in the supposed ‘hey day’ of UK international work.
While back in the real world the ‘sweet talk’ just earns worthless promises.Possibly followed by an offer of probably similar worst of all worlds local uk tramping that he’s been doing,with the carrot of a move onto international at some bs future point that never arrives because ‘international experience’ means exactly that not UK.Just as I was.On that note the ad predictably says nothing,about the equally all too predictable elitist 1 year ‘international experience’ stipulation,being up for discussion.
When we all know that what you actually mean is bs your way into the job and hope they don’t find out if by some miracle it works.In which case my advice to the OP is do the international CPC because not only will that will better qualify you in the bsing stakes v even the supposed ‘experienced’ competition.It will also give you a head start if you can get enough start up capital to go owner driver.In which case all bets are then off regarding the potential opportunities opened up regarding the ‘right’ type of work v the employed elitist pecking order rat race. 
the maoster:
Carryfast:
Harry Monk:
Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.Oh wait must have at least 1 year ‘international experience’ for Euro work.What a surprise.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
theres no point in emails or phone calls.
if i was no experience and wanted the job,id be happy dressing accordingly with my gear and passport to hand,even to the stage of heading out anywhere as 2nd man for a week,paid or even just night out money and see if i could get my toe in the door,as even if it wasnt the best work,then its easier to jump ship when your working and gaining experience.
Geoffo:
I don’t think anyone with a single brain cell would go to Sealane.
Having done a short stint working for them through a subbie, I agree. Dreadful firm.
However I was simply giving out information, not posting a review.
the maoster:
Carryfast:
Harry Monk:
Alcaline at Lympne in Kent go all over Europe and do a lot of Italy. Just had a look on their website and they are recruiting Class 1.Oh wait must have at least 1 year ‘international experience’ for Euro work.What a surprise.
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them, for me I found out on a Sunday night that somebody wanted a truck taken to Le Mans, called them Monday, told the agency I wasn’t available for the week and was heading to Le Mans on Tuesday morning.
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them
Probably more often bsed their way in to the detriment of someone more honest and who’s actually put in more time and effort doing zb work trying to climb the ladder.
While ‘willing’ obviously isn’t consistent with an ad stating ‘1 year international experience’ required.Nor is it consistent with telling drivers start at the bottom and good things will automatically come from it.No surprise the bs ‘experience’ requirement seems proportional with the quality and attraction of the work.Zb local uk work which no one wants then the E word isn’t such an issue.As soon as the job starts looking half decent then suddenly there is a problem for ‘inexperienced’ drivers looking for a break into it.As I said to the point where the chosen few then moan in later life about too long spent away from home all because they wanted too much of a good thing while others are type cast with local/uk dross for their whole career. 
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them, for me I found out on a Sunday night that somebody wanted a truck taken to Le Mans, called them Monday, told the agency I wasn’t available for the week and was heading to Le Mans on Tuesday morning.
Well exactly. Continental work really took off in the 1980s and tens of thousands of drivers found themselves shipping out of Dover for the very first time, many of them never having been abroad in their lives.
Yet according to Curryfart, it was a secretive world of “if your face fits” and funny handshakes hauliers who all met up in a darkened room somewhere and conspired to exclude him from the party.
Could it be- could it just possibly be- that he didn’t try hard enough? That he made one attempt to get a continental job, got a knock-back and then just gave up and decided to drive a dustcart? And that he is inventing some type of conspiracy theory to explain away his own lack of ambition and gumption?
Possibly?
Harry Monk:
Geoffo:
I don’t think anyone with a single brain cell would go to Sealane.Having done a short stint working for them through a subbie, I agree. Dreadful firm.
However I was simply giving out information, not posting a review.
No worries Harry… BTW, that was just my opinion.
Harry Monk:
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them, for me I found out on a Sunday night that somebody wanted a truck taken to Le Mans, called them Monday, told the agency I wasn’t available for the week and was heading to Le Mans on Tuesday morning.Well exactly. Continental work really took off in the 1980s and tens of thousands of drivers found themselves shipping out of Dover for the very first time, many of them never having been abroad in their lives.
Yet according to Curryfart, it was a secretive world of “if your face fits” and funny handshakes hauliers who all met up in a darkened room somewhere and conspired to exclude him from the party.
Could it be- could it just possibly be- that he didn’t try hard enough? That he made one attempt to get a continental job, got a knock-back and then just gave up and decided to drive a dustcart? And that he is inventing some type of conspiracy theory to explain away his own lack of ambition and gumption?
Possibly?
Maybe, who am I to say. 
Still do some decent distance work just in the UK, Cornwall to Peterhead is a regular job for us
Carryfast:
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on themProbably more often bsed their way in to the detriment of someone more honest and who’s actually put in more time and effort doing zb work trying to climb the ladder.
While ‘willing’ obviously isn’t consistent with an ad stating ‘1 year international experience’ required.Nor is it consistent with telling drivers start at the bottom and good things will automatically come from it.No surprise the bs ‘experience’ requirement seems proportional with the quality and attraction of the work.Zb local uk work which no one wants then the E word isn’t such an issue.As soon as the job starts looking half decent then suddenly there is a problem for ‘inexperienced’ drivers looking for a break into it.As I said to the point where the chosen few then moan in later life about too long spent away from home all because they wanted too much of a good thing while others are type cast with local/uk dross for their whole career.
I didn’t BS my way into my first haulage job, which although nice people was pretty much at the bottom in terms of trucks, work and pay, I didn’t BS my way into my first euro job, I told them I’d never driven a truck abroad, or my next job where they asked if I’d driven a LHD truck.
You failed at a time where thousands of UK registered trucks running abroad. I’ve been involved in employing drivers for various race teams and taken on drivers with no european or motor racing experience, but if you’d turned up at an interview with the same entitled attitude you have when writing your posts I would have got rid of you ASAP.
You failed because of your own failing not those of the industry, get over it.
Harry Monk:
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them, for me I found out on a Sunday night that somebody wanted a truck taken to Le Mans, called them Monday, told the agency I wasn’t available for the week and was heading to Le Mans on Tuesday morning.Well exactly. Continental work really took off in the 1980s and tens of thousands of drivers found themselves shipping out of Dover for the very first time, many of them never having been abroad in their lives.
Yet according to Curryfart, it was a secretive world of “if your face fits” and funny handshakes hauliers who all met up in a darkened room somewhere and conspired to exclude him from the party.
Could it be- could it just possibly be- that he didn’t try hard enough? That he made one attempt to get a continental job, got a knock-back and then just gave up and decided to drive a dustcart? And that he is inventing some type of conspiracy theory to explain away his own lack of ambition and gumption?
Possibly?
The idea that I ‘‘only made ‘one’ attempt to get a break got knocked back and went off to drive a dust cart’’ is about as far removed from the reality as the rest of that total bollox Harry.The fact is you posted a bit of advice and I’d sussed out what the employer’s typical age old attitudes would be before even checking the ad.
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.
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.
muckles:
Harry Monk:
muckles:
Exactly everybody who is doing Euro work, must have started somewhere without experience, somebody must have been willing or desperate to take a chance on them, for me I found out on a Sunday night that somebody wanted a truck taken to Le Mans, called them Monday, told the agency I wasn’t available for the week and was heading to Le Mans on Tuesday morning.Well exactly. Continental work really took off in the 1980s and tens of thousands of drivers found themselves shipping out of Dover for the very first time, many of them never having been abroad in their lives.
Yet according to Curryfart, it was a secretive world of “if your face fits” and funny handshakes hauliers who all met up in a darkened room somewhere and conspired to exclude him from the party.
Could it be- could it just possibly be- that he didn’t try hard enough? That he made one attempt to get a continental job, got a knock-back and then just gave up and decided to drive a dustcart? And that he is inventing some type of conspiracy theory to explain away his own lack of ambition and gumption?
Possibly?
Maybe, who am I to say.
Or maybe, just maybe, he’s actually an entitled millennial, sulking and incensed, because nobody is coming g to him, to give him a job?
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.