So hopefully next week I’m doing my first run to the continent, will just be to Holland my first trip so looking ay advice for driving on the right in a right ■■■■■■. I’m sure I will be bricking it getting off the boat the first time 
You’ll be fine mate, without stating the obvious keep to the right and when turning out of junctions remember to keep yourself kerbside. Give it an hour or so and you wont think anything of it. Road signs are pretty much universal and self explanetary as they are in the UK, and roundabouts just anti clockwise… 
On the motorways it’s impossible to get it wrong. The only time you are at risk is messing up is if you stop at a roadside restaurant on a single carriageway road, I used to write “Drive on the right” on a large scrap of paper then place it in front of my dashboard instruments before I left the truck in the early days.
Thanks for the replies lads, any and all advise is much appreciated 
I’ve heard after a day or two you hardly even notice your on the other side anymore. Also been told that the road network on the continent is far better so hopefully will be grand, Honestly can’t wait to get a crack at the longer distance work 
Firstly no need to be bricking it, it’s just driving a truck really, despite what some might have you believe you don’t have to be some supertrucker to drive in Europe.
You’ll probably be ok with road positioning as you are used to a right hand drive, but obviously you’ll be sitting at the edge of the road, so just keep an eye on it until you’re used to where you are, but from my experience it feels pretty natural it took me longer to get used to a LHD truck than it did to driving a RHD truck on the right, but it might just be me.
However what you need to do is plan ahead a bit more for roundabouts and junctions, obviously they’re designed for LHD vehicles, so try and keep the cab a bit straighter and don’t pull too far forward so you can still see traffic coming from your left. If you really get stuck or sometimes when the junction layout makes it impossible to see through the cab it can better to pull the cab further over to the right and use your left hand mirrors. And keep checking your left hand side, especially on motorways and dual carriageways.
Not spent a lot of time in the Netherlands, so can’t give you any specific advice, but my impression of the few trips I have done there is it’s a nice country with good roads and nice people, many of who will speak very good English.
hammertothefloor:
Thanks for the replies lads, any and all advise is much appreciated
The road network over here is indeed far better than the Uk, some of Belgiums roads can leave a lot to be desired but in general theres far less potholes as maintenance is that much higher. Frances AutoRoutes are just sublime much the same as Spains AP’s. Always keep an eye on your nearside mirror and obviously be careful pulling out to go past something on a single carriageway road as obviously your vision will be somewhat restricted. All the best on your first trip…
Remember that traffic on a roundabout is approaching around it from the left as you approach it and enter it.Also remember that traffic is approaching in the opposite directions to here at junctions.It’s easy to look wrongly right and left in the order that you would here expecting to see traffic approaching on the sides of the road that you’re familiar with.Left turns also need careful observation on the approach with a rhd vehicle.Remember to cross the road to the correct side if stopping or parking anywhere facing the wrong direction on the wrong side of the road.
^^^^^^^ what they said. The only thing that catches me out is the habit of looking right at roundabouts 
. It’s not just you Muckles,I find RHD easier too,but that involves getting out at toll booths.
I found one of those frensal lenses on the window a great help at roundabouts.And still use one in the Uk.Enjoy your trip.I miss the driving over the water.
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I had the sane on my first outing over there. By the time I got off the Calais approach road into the A16 I was fine. Just take it steady until you get your bearings and you’ll soon work it out.
As said though take care at roundabouts. Keep it straighter for a bit longer
muckles:
Firstly no need to be bricking it, it’s just driving a truck really, despite what some might have you believe you don’t have to be some supertrucker to drive in Europe.You’ll probably be ok with road positioning as you are used to a right hand drive, but obviously you’ll be sitting at the edge of the road, so just keep an eye on it until you’re used to where you are, but from my experience it feels pretty natural it took me longer to get used to a LHD truck than it did to driving a RHD truck on the right, but it might just be me.
However what you need to do is plan ahead a bit more for roundabouts and junctions, obviously they’re designed for LHD vehicles, so try and keep the cab a bit straighter and don’t pull too far forward so you can still see traffic coming from your left. If you really get stuck or sometimes when the junction layout makes it impossible to see through the cab it can better to pull the cab further over to the right and use your left hand mirrors. And keep checking your left hand side, especially on motorways and dual carriageways.
Not spent a lot of time in the Netherlands, so can’t give you any specific advice, but my impression of the few trips I have done there is it’s a nice country with good roads and nice people, many of who will speak very good English.
Cheers muckles, makes a lot of sense. Will keep that in mind until I get my bearings! Also would say I’m far from a super trucker, only been driving 18 months so I’m still wet behind the ears as they say
AndrewG:
hammertothefloor:
Thanks for the replies lads, any and all advise is much appreciatedThe road network over here is indeed far better than the Uk, some of Belgiums roads can leave a lot to be desired but in general theres far less potholes as maintenance is that much higher. Frances AutoRoutes are just sublime much the same as Spains AP’s. Always keep an eye on your nearside mirror and obviously be careful pulling out to go past something on a single carriageway road as obviously your vision will be somewhat restricted. All the best on your first trip…
Thanks AndrewG, The roads round NI/Ireland leave a lot to be desired so can’t be any worse than over here lol. I was going down the A41 last week in the middle of the night and a fella in a left ■■■■■■ was on the wrong side of the road looking past me so noticed that could be an issue alright lol
Nobby_Clarke:
^^^^^^^ what they said. The only thing that catches me out is the habit of looking right at roundabouts
A Liber T toll tag for class 4 vehicles makes it much easier at the Peages. Getting out to pay and messing around with change can be a real pita…
One thing to remember if you’re on a back road and you pull up at a set of road works controlled by traffic lights. It’s horribly easy to come out of said road works and proceed on the wrong side of the road especially if there’s no traffic waiting on the other side. I found this out the hard way some years ago on me motor-bike, luckily the car driver was a tad more switched on than I was and stopped in time, could’ve been nasty.
It’s little distractions like these which cause the majority of “wrong-side” accidents; basically an interruption in your concentration.
Sidevalve:
It’s little distractions like these which cause the majority of “wrong-side” accidents; basically an interruption in your concentration.
Very true.
Looking for customers permisiss on industrial estates used to get me the most.
Strangely more so in England as I was more used to continental driving.
As a resident of Holland, my one piece of advice once you come off the motorway, is look out for cyclists. I think this is the number one nation in Europe for cyclists, and although they are segregated for much of the time on cycle paths, there will be occasions when you cross over a cycle path, especially at roundabouts.
Cyclists over here have priority, and as a result they do not slow down for approaching vehicles, even artics. If you have to cross a cycle path, for Christ’s sake check several times because if you hit one, it’s gonna be major trouble for you. I’ve had several near misses in the past year as they just pop up from bleedin’ nowhere !
itl be a doddle.no doubt your bumhole will be twitching like a rabbits nose for a while,but just keep your right elbow next to the kerb at all times and your sat nav will do most of the thinking for you…then you will get back home off the ferry and someone will t bone you if your not switched on again cos you will be tuned in to looking the wrong way…i used to find that was my dopey time once i came back from being abroad for a cpl weeks. 
Like Harry, I made that mistake of driving on the wrong side just the once. I had parked on left hand side of the road in Gennevilliers, Paris so I could keep an eye on the factory gates down the road where I was collecting the next day.
Sure enough at 0600, just as the kettle started to boil the gates opened and so I set off…much to the confusion of the motorists heading towards me…why are they on my side of the road I thought !
It is easily done and the easiest mistake to make, otherwise enjoy the drive
Like everyone else has said, be especially careful when exiting garage/side road/yard onto a single carriageway
Look out for cyclists, if the path is red, they will not stop for you
Everyone speaks English here in Holland
Enjoy the trip
Paul
PS I struggle most when I get back tot he UK…
Harry Monk:
On the motorways it’s impossible to get it wrong. The only time you are at risk is messing up is if you stop at a roadside restaurant on a single carriageway road, I used to write “Drive on the right” on a large scrap of paper then place it in front of my dashboard instruments before I left the truck in the early days.
This ^^^ I used to say to my self ,me to the ditch ,worked for me ,don’t think about it anymore .