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

[harry_monk]

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

That brings back memories, I lived in a DHSS B&B in Ramsgate in the 1980s. Some quite fond memories too, bunking over the railway bridge in Salisbury Avenue, trespassing down the railway to explore the old railway tunnel- it’s a tourist attraction now- ramsgatetunnels.org/

Nipping down the Royal Standard to score an eighth on dole day.

[tmcassett]

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

And the type who tells you that they won’t be doing anything bar sitting behind the wheel for 10 hours a day.

[use_a_name]

Harry Monk:

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

That brings back memories, I lived in a DHSS B&B in Ramsgate in the 1980s. Some quite fond memories too, bunking over the railway bridge in Salisbury Avenue, trespassing down the railway to explore the old railway tunnel- it’s a tourist attraction now- ramsgatetunnels.org/

Nipping down the Royal Standard to score an eighth on dole day.

Lived in Cannonbury Rd Ramsgate 1989, I was living out of a holdall after working as a floorwalker in Nobles on the front in Margate, that finished at the end of the season.
Hence my unemployment.

Red Leb or squidgy black Harry ?

[harry_monk]

I moved to Ramsgate in 1983, lived in Percy Rd then Royal Rd, did my HGV test at Hersdan in 1986- the legendary Mr Mummery was my examiner- then Addington St, then I bought a house in Trinity Place in 1990. Which instantly lost a third of its value and took ten years to get back to being worth what I paid for it.

Anyway, in 1993 I was in W.H. Smith in Ramsgate and in the Bargain Bin I saw this package which said “Teach yourself Russian” and it was reduced from £12.99 to 99p or something. I was on the dole and didn’t have much money but 99p was nothing, so I bought it.

Two C90 cassettes and a book. I played the cassettes over and over, read the book front to back, back to front and then front to back again. After a couple of months, I was really pleased with how much I’d learned, and I thought “What I need now is a job driving to Russia”.

There wasn’t the internet then really but I asked around and found that there was a company in Wandsworth- Kepstowe Freight Services- who sent trucks to Russia. So one day when I thought they would be quiet, a Tuesday I think it was, I went to Ramsgate Station, bought a ticket to Wandsworth, and then walked into their office, completely unannounced. I said “Oh hello, I’m looking for a job driving to Russia”.

Their traffic manager, Rob, said “Errr, ok, sit down and we’ll have a chat”. He asked me about my experience and I said “I’ve done trips to West Germany, Italy, Benelux, France, never been to East Germany (politically Germany was all one country then but realistically it was still in two halves). But I’m sure I’d have no problem doing it. Oh, and I speak Russian”.

He said “We’ve got a Motor Show to do in Ukraine next month and we haven’t got a driver for that, would you be interested?” so I said “Ok”. So next month, off I went to Kiev. When I got back, I did a trip to Moscow. Then I did another four years at it until my twins were born and moved on to something else.

The point is that I was pro-active in this. None of this happened because my “face fitted”, I wanted something and I got off my arse and looked for it.

[whisperingsmith]

Harry - as CF has dragged this thread off topic in his usual way, and as you are into boats I thought you’d like this pic of me waiting to tip 85tons of building materials on Flatholm in the Bristol Channel, back in the 80s.
Nice Scania lump in it.
Another job I wouldn’t give to CF.

Hope Bewick approves of the sheeting
EDIT: I didn’t just run D Series to Saudi

[dieseldave]

Harry Monk:
I moved to Ramsgate in 1983, …

I lived in my truck in Ramsgate parked in Pyson’s Road Ind Est in 83/84ish.
I remember some of that period: Ron Parrish, Alan Piner, Dave Ballard, Ron Goode, Ian Facey and a few others whose names escape me right now.

There’s a bit of a story on how I ended up there, but I knocked on several doors, and landed a job with Chiaramello’s and was soon on a Sally boat and let loose with an ECMT permit. Happy days!!

No Carryfast, ECMT doesn’t stand for Erith Council Motorised Transport.

Google has reported a usage spike going on about now.

[switchlogic]

FFS, the Ramsgate Transport Mafia. No wonder the likes of me and Carry struggled so much

[mrginge]

I’m in Norway at the moment and just about to park up for the weekend. So far my English has worked just fine ha. A couple of weeks ago I was in Poland a lot and found like mentioned in this thread the old people’s second language generally was German whilst luckily the youngsters know English.

[switchlogic]

mrginge:
I’m in Norway at the moment and just about to park up for the weekend. So far my English has worked just fine ha. A couple of weeks ago I was in Poland a lot and found like mentioned in this thread the old people’s second language generally was German whilst luckily the youngsters know English.

This. The desire to learn another language was always there in reality I never managed it. I do actually think the reason Brits speak a second language so rarely is because of the spread of English. I mean if you’re from elsewhere an obvious second language to learn would be english, but the fact is as this post shows we don’t have an obvious choice. In terms of languages that would get you round world Spanish is probably closest we have.

And saying that my whole career on coaches and trucks I’ve never had an issue. And these days with smartphones able to do live translation it’s even easier. I simply find that once you use the basics and greet & thank people in their language etc they are often much more inclined to be helpful. It’s the people who charge in speaking englsh loudly and clearly like a moron that get peoples back up.

[franglais]

switchlogic:
It’s the people who charge in speaking englsh loudly and clearly like a moron that get peoples back up.

Very true.

Even more people have been speaking English as it seems to be then native language of computing. And of course US English is the language of business and Hollywood. In Portugal in the 90`s some films were shown in English with Portugeuse sub-titles, you learn without hardly trying.

Even ruder (and stupider) are those who speak English and get upset when someone cant understand their slang words. "Oi ! Gissa jar o snake-bite" doesn`t feature in many textbooks.

[robroy]

FRENCH…it’s the way forward.
youtu.be/rSE3CfzcRVk

Defense de fumer, Je t’adore,.sur le point, d’Avignon.
Class.