As a truck driver, which European language is best to learn

[carryfast]

whisperingsmith:
Harry, I think the difference is that CF has made it clear he doesn’t like any physical work.

I’ve actually made it clear that I didn’t like any ‘other duties’ that outweighed those of the primary job of driving a truck from A to B.
Ironically I probably did more manual labouring during my years of UK work than Switchlogic could even dream of.
As for tilts I was the very rare type of UK driver who used a tilt on UK general haulage I thought nothing of using it either in tilt form or stripped to a flat numerous times in a week.Including using the tilt cover as a sheet which the so called experienced experts say can’t be done.
I wasn’t always a council driver or a night trunk driver.Although my 5 years on the council probably involved as many hours doing ‘depot duties’ and the work involved in dragging dead plant out of the mud as driving.
Your excuses and misrepresentations regarding my work history are laughable if not insulting.
Ironically as laughable as sending a day cab D series to Saudi let alone the long way round by road.

[switchlogic]

Carryfast:
Ironically I probably did more manual labouring during my years of UK work than Switchlogic could even dream of.

I love how you’ve pitched that like it’s some sort of boast. Believe it or not I’ve never actually dreamed about manual labour

[harry_monk]

Carryfast:
The whole experience thing is an oxymoron and convenient pretext used to enforce a face fits career progression regime.

But you still haven’t explained why countless tens of thousands of drivers were able to do the very thing you were unable to do.

If it was because “their faces fitted and mine didn’t”, what exactly does this mean?

[switchlogic]

Carryfast:

switchlogic:
So posting here for our friend Carryfast. #ThrowbackThursday. Short one this week! My first ever picture of a Virginia International Logistics lorry, on my first ever run, to Lidl Warrington. 2007. 06 CN 831 and VT211, a new trailer behind a year old V8. I thought all my Christmases had come at once Was the start of the best few years of my life.

0

Can’t remember how many weeks I did U.K. work at start of this job. My first long distance run was Portugal.

How many ‘years’ on UK work from when you got your licence and what difference does that make to Dave’s weird premise that no one can possibly do that first international run regardless because of the ‘scale’ of the undertaking and the risks of entrusting it to an ‘inexperienced’ driver.
The whole experience thing is an oxymoron and convenient pretext used to enforce a face fits career progression regime.

I got my HGV weeks after turning 21. That job was 29, about to turn 30. So why didn’t my face fit for nearly 9 years? Or did I simply try harder than you? As I was knocked back A LOT for jobs I tried to get. I’m not asking about Dave’s ‘weird premise’, I’m asking about your weird belief that it’s all about faces fitting

[beefy4605]

Started driving on UK and Irish work middle of Feburary was on the Dover-Calais ferry just before Easter the same year so could have been 6 weeks or 2 months …
Its about time some people realised the “face fits” nonscense is just an excuse , for what - I don’t know
laziness
won’t listen to management
won’t do as they are told
didn’t want the work but had to let on they did
overbearing and this was easily seen at interview stage
take your pic or add your own ideas .

[carryfast]

switchlogic:

Harry Monk:

Carryfast:
Define ‘so many years’.
Face fits as in the ‘experience’ issue being applied regardless of ‘years’ for some on the basis of no ( international ) experience no job - no experience etc etc.

But why would an international road haulier apply different requirements to you than me? If I could get international work with less than two months of UK driving experience, then why couldn’t you have? Do you think maybe- just maybe- I might have tried a bit harder?

I’m still intrigued by this question……looks unlikely we’ll get an answer tho

Define ‘try harder’ in view of Dave’s comments
which confirm my experience of ‘trying’ to get a break in the sector over a period of more than a decade not a few bleedin months.
Ironically you both are exactly the type of examples which proves my case of an arbitrary face fits career progression regime which infests/ed the industry.
In that exceptions could and sometimes were made regarding Dave’s premise in which those with many years of UK work behind them were then leap frogged by others with a few at best or months at worse.
Bearing in mind the inference of Dave’s claim is that even owner drivers turned themselves down to do the job on grounds of having no international ‘experience’.
The truth is Harry and Switch were examples of the few winners in this laughable state of affairs v the many losers.
Note I am talking in the past tense regarding the UK international road transport sector now effectively being a moot point anyway.
If anything probably now best to learn Polish or Bulgarian and move there to work.

[dieseldave]

Carryfast:
… Dave’s weird premise that no one can possibly do that first international run regardless because of the ‘scale’ of the undertaking and the risks of entrusting it to an ‘inexperienced’ driver.

Not quite…

My comment related to a new owner driver.

Just to be clear, I meant that, having the necessary start-up capital, a newly qualified driver would have lost a great deal of money if he tried to do TIR work as an owner-driver.

My first TIR job was a load of TV tubes to Phillips’ in Barcelona, which was achieved by use of the TIR system and a very common job at the time (1981/2), which was a very good way of a newly qualified driver getting to grips with the TIR system. My only HGV driving experience before that was that I did a year on furniture removals/deliveries for the Co-Op, which hardly prepared me for a career as an international driver.

As for approach and attitude, I had an interview, then a few days later took all my gear perched on a Honda 90 from where I live to Milton Keynes. The next day I was on a ferry out of Poole.

What effort did you go to and how did you come across to the boss when you tried for an international job?

Let me guess…

Oh, hang on… beefy4605 has saved me from some typing. (Thanks )

beefy4605:
laziness
won’t listen to management
won’t do as they are told
didn’t want the work but had to let on they did
overbearing and this was easily seen at interview stage
take you pic or add your own ideas .

And there you have it.

Carryfast:
The whole experience thing is an oxymoron and convenient pretext used to enforce a face fits career progression regime.

Strangely, I completely agree with your assertion about the “face fits” thing, but it’s not an oxymoron because the reason that your face didn’t/doesn’t fit is your approach/attitude in your dealings with bosses, which they can easily spot.

Several posters have said that experience played no part in a driver getting a break into international work, TIR/ATA or otherwise, and I also agree with them.

The “face fits” brigade got their faces to fit due to hard work and a ‘can-do’ attitude, whereas you moan and complain at every turn.

Are you honestly saying that you don’t understand how it was that you face didn’t “fit” ?

[tmcassett]

beefy4605:
Started driving on UK and Irish work middle of Feburary was on the Dover-Calais ferry just before Easter the same year so could have been 6 weeks or 2 months …
Its about time some people realised the “face fits” nonscense is just an excuse , for what - I don’t know
laziness
won’t listen to management
won’t do as they are told
didn’t want the work but had to let on they did
overbearing and this was easily seen at interview stage
take you pic or add your own ideas .

I suspect Carryfast comes under most of them especially the interview one, I’m guessing these people have a pretty good nous for detecting bullshiners and crap employees and had him sussed straight away.

[dieseldave]

tmcassett:

beefy4605:
Started driving on UK and Irish work middle of Feburary was on the Dover-Calais ferry just before Easter the same year so could have been 6 weeks or 2 months …
Its about time some people realised the “face fits” nonscense is just an excuse , for what - I don’t know
laziness
won’t listen to management
won’t do as they are told
didn’t want the work but had to let on they did
overbearing and this was easily seen at interview stage
take you pic or add your own ideas .

I suspect Carryfast comes under most of them especially the interview one, I’m guessing these people have a pretty good nous for detecting bullshiners and crap employees and had him sussed straight away.

This^^^
Spot-on IMHO.

[carryfast]

dieseldave:

Carryfast:
… Dave’s weird premise that no one can possibly do that first international run regardless because of the ‘scale’ of the undertaking and the risks of entrusting it to an ‘inexperienced’ driver.

Not quite…

My comment related to a new owner driver.

Just to be clear, I meant that, having the necessary start-up capital, a newly qualified driver would have lost a great deal of money if he tried to do TIR work as an owner-driver.

My first TIR job was a load of TV tubes to Phillips’ in Barcelona, which was achieved by use of the TIR system and a very common job at the time (1981/2), which was a very good way of a newly qualified driver getting to grips with the TIR system. My only HGV driving experience before that was that I did a year on furniture removals/deliveries for the Co-Op, which hardly prepared me for a career as an international driver.

As for approach and attitude, I had an interview, then a few days later took all my gear perched on a Honda 90 from where I live to Milton Keynes. The next day I was on a ferry out of Poole.

What effort did you go to and how did you come across to the boss when you tried for an international job?

Let me guess…

Oh, hang on… beefy4605 has saved me from some typing. (Thanks )

beefy4605:
laziness
won’t listen to management
won’t do as they are told
didn’t want the work but had to let on they did
overbearing and this was easily seen at interview stage
take you pic or add your own ideas .

And there you have it.

Carryfast:
The whole experience thing is an oxymoron and convenient pretext used to enforce a face fits career progression regime.

Strangely, I completely agree with your assertion about the “face fits” thing, but it’s not an oxymoron because the reason that your face didn’t/doesn’t fit is your approach/attitude in your dealings with bosses, which they can easily spot.

Several posters have said that experience played no part in a driver getting a break into international work, TIR/ATA or otherwise, and I also agree with them.

The “face fits” brigade got their faces to fit due to hard work and a ‘can-do’ attitude, whereas you moan and complain at every turn.

Are you honestly saying that you don’t understand how it was that you face didn’t “fit” ?

You’ve contradicted yourself again.
The fact is no one has any experience of doing anything until they’ve done it for the first let alone multiple times.
That includes owner drivers.
The difference being that by definition an owner driver doesn’t have to clear any bs experience hurdles but which again you’re clearly stating that experience matters and therefore he must count himself out of the job.
As for me I clearly ‘came across’ as a worthwhile employee to all of my employers.In addition to finally one international work recruiter who actually offered me a job.Which was then withdrawn and switched for no fault of my own which for some reason you choose to ignore.
Face fits, arbitrary career progression regime which infests the industry more like.
Lazy not listening to management don’t generally break their backs handballing trailer loads on management and union orders.Which again for some reason you selectively choose to ignore.

[use_a_name]

Spending £1 in the local library sorted my first European job way back in 1989.
Being on my arse living in a Dhss B&B in Ramsgate I had to do something, I wrote out on a A4 piece of paper, HGV 1 driver seeks work using the phone number of the B&B as my contact number.

Used the photocopier at the library to make 10 copies.
Walked down to Ramsgate Docks and placed them under the wipers of the lorries that were parked up.
Went back to the B&B and waited for a call.

The phone rang at 18.00 the conversation was short, have you been to Italy ? No but I’m willing to go.
Good, can you ship out tomorrow? Yes.

Good be at the my yard in Sittingbourne at 17.00 tomorrow.

A fifty pound crisis loan off the DHSS gave me some running money.
A years passport from the post office would get me out the country.
All acquired the next day.

Picking the lorry up from his yard armed with a single gas burner a £50 quid sub and a load of razor blades for Rho in Milan I departed.

No night heater this was in February, in a LHD scania, never been out the country before, off I went.

Can’t honestly say it went smoothly because it didn’t, but I got it there and back without damage to load vehicle or myself.
Back then we used to talk to each other face to face and other drivers would help you out so a bit of common sense along with a map you were good to go.

You can learn any job on the job.
In my case the job lasted for 11 years.
I did one last european trip for Ray White in 2011 for posterity, there’s a post on here with photos of that trip.

trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewto … =2&t=96238

Best pound I ever spent was in the library.

And as for face fitting elite don’t make me laugh, I was skint on my arse with nowt in my pocket still got a start.
You have to make your own luck.

.

[dieseldave]

Carryfast:

dieseldave:
Are you honestly saying that you don’t understand how it was that you face didn’t “fit” ?

You’ve contradicted yourself again.
The fact is no one has any experience of doing anything until they’ve done it for the first let alone multiple times.
That includes owner drivers.
The difference being that by definition an owner driver doesn’t have to clear any bs experience hurdles but which again you’re clearly stating that experience matters and therefore he must count himself out of the job.
As for me I clearly ‘came across’ as a worthwhile employee to all of my employers.In addition to finally one international work recruiter who actually offered me a job.Which was then withdrawn and switched for no fault of my own which for some reason you choose to ignore.
Face fits, arbitrary career progression regime which infests the industry more like.
Lazy not listening to management don’t generally break their backs handballing trailer loads on management and union orders.Which again for some reason you selectively choose to ignore.

Your post proves the point that several posters are making, so thanks for yet more clarity on your attitude/approach.

My work here is done.

[switchlogic]

Carryfast:
Ironically you both are exactly the type of examples which proves my case of an arbitrary face fits career progression regime which infests/ed the industry.

Why did it take nearly 9 years tho? Took me nearly 4 to get any sort of truck driving job at all, was nearly 25 before I got my chance on HGVs. Sort of shoots a massive hole in your weird face fits nonsense. The fact it took me way longer to get my first HGV job than you sort of makes it look like your face fitted and mine didn’t at the start of our careers doesn’t it.

Carryfast:
The truth is Harry and Switch were examples of the few winners in this laughable state of affairs v the many losers.

4 years to get on HGVs and 9 to get on long distance european work makes me a winner? Or just tried harder than you?

[switchlogic]

Carryfast:
Note I am talking in the past tense regarding the UK international road transport sector now effectively being a moot point anyway.
If anything probably now best to learn Polish or Bulgarian and move there to work.

This is just an example of how you are one of life’s people that always looks for problems, not solutions.

[harry_monk]

Carryfast:
Face fits, arbitrary career progression regime which infests the industry more like.

There isn’t a “career progression regime” in the sense that after you’ve been doing UK work for x number of years, the Council are going to promote you to continental dustcart driving. If you want a different job, you have to go out and look for it. You never did that so you remained for decades on the job you did have. It’s not rocket science.

[switchlogic]

Harry Monk:

Carryfast:
Face fits, arbitrary career progression regime which infests the industry more like.

There isn’t a “career progression regime” in the sense that after you’ve been doing UK work for x number of years, the Council are going to promote you to continental dustcart driving. If you want a different job, you have to go out and look for it. You never did that so you remained for decades on the job you did have. It’s not rocket science.

I think decades might be a stretch. I’m not even sure his whole career could be counted in decades

[harry_monk]

Carryfast:
Ironically you both are exactly the type of examples which proves my case of an arbitrary face fits career progression regime which infests/ed the industry.

But what does it mean when you say someone’s “face fits”? I genuinely don’t understand and you seem reluctant to explain it. I got a start because I drove into a haulage yard and asked them for a job. Had it been you driving into that yard that day instead of me, then it would have been you who got the job, surely?

[albion]

Harry Monk:

Carryfast:
The whole experience thing is an oxymoron and convenient pretext used to enforce a face fits career progression regime.

But you still haven’t explained why countless tens of thousands of drivers were able to do the very thing you were unable to do.

If it was because “their faces fitted and mine didn’t”, what exactly does this mean?

Most of lads at my place had never set foot abroad in a truck before I took them on.

What they all had in common , was they weren’t a giant pain in the ■■■. And you can spot those that are, within 2 minutes of an interview.

[the_maoster]

Would that ^^^ be the type who tell you mid interview that your business model is wrong, that your axle configuration is wrong, tell you which ports and crossings you should be using perchance?

[whisperingsmith]

> the maoster:
> Would that ^^^ be the type who tell you mid interview that your business model is wrong, that your axle configuration is wrong, tell you which ports and crossings you should be using perchance?

And has the fortune-telling capabilities to tell you he will take a route that won’t be available for another 20 years or so