I’ve currently got the misfortune of driving a Volvo FE tractor unit on international work, thats right an FE tractor, all 320hp of it at 40t,and no its not because of a great pay cheque either!
So heres the question, whats the smallest unit you would drive on European work?
Sib
At the present moment in time I would have thought anything would be preferable to nothing ?
its basicly a renault premium dont see what the problem is
I remember trogging to the far flung corners of the continent with an FL10, Sedd Atki,F88, and with a ■■■■ sight less than 320bhp
First solo trip abroad was in a Bedford TK, VED 31J, flat bed to tow back on of ours that had broken down in Munich.
I was 19 and,finally,a real “continental driver”!!! 
Had the gas cooker,food, clothes , sleeping bag, tools, all the gear and at 6ft 2 still slept on that poxy parcel shelf!!!
AND I LOVED IT!!! 
We used 250 bhp mercs to do international work und up to 2years ago 280man,s as well with the small cabin,
bigsib:
I’ve currently got the misfortune of driving a Volvo FE tractor unit on international work, thats right an FE tractor, all 320hp of it at 40t,and no its not because of a great pay cheque either!So heres the question, whats the smallest unit you would drive on European work?
Sib
Probably gonna make myself look a right ■■■ here . . . . .whats a Volvo FE ? 
Used to drive a Eurotech 340 but mainly ran light.
Those volvo FL 10`s were seen a lot in Europe.My first truck was a DAF 310 engine.Low cab.was from Geoff Sipsons at Coventry,really decent bloke.He brought it down to Wiltshire,and took a train back,what dealer would do that now.
I saw a Dutch registered FE on the M1 going south this afternoon, around Toddington i think.
British International had a fleet of Iveco turbo stars,350 engines,not sure exact size.
Grasshopper:
I saw a Dutch registered FE on the M1 going south this afternoon, around Toddington i think.
Could of been me, was heading from Crick to Basildon about that time!
alix776:
its basicly a renault premium dont see what the problem is
Erm no it isnt, its 18" lower inside with a monster engine hump, no real storage inside either apart from 2 under bunk bins and ive got my ADR kit in them, not much room to live for a week in! I would swap fpr a premium any day of the week. The FE has the same size cab as the DAF 65, only with a bunk.
Suedehead:
Probably gonna make myself look a right ■■■ here . . . . .whats a Volvo FE ?
Used to drive a Eurotech 340 but mainly ran light.
Its the replacment for the FL. Usually a rigid body, but our boss has 6 in tractor form
My used to regularly do Lisbona from Warsaw on this wagon and drag
18 tonner + tri axle trailer.
orys:
My used to regularly do Lisbona from Warsaw on this wagon and drag
it has some of the bed on the rear wall and you can make a nice small bed when both seats are pushed forwards out of the bits on the back wall 
drew128:
orys:
My used to regularly do Lisbona from Warsaw on this wagon and drag
it has some of the bed on the rear wall and you can make a nice small bed when both seats are pushed forwards out of the bits on the back wall
Yeah… It is a MAN with different badge
Bigsib,
I have taken an iveco daily artic unit with single axle trailer from stoke on trent to bari freighted with moulded floor panels for FIAT cars, returning with cardboard tube liners from near milan, does that count?
I was running at about 5.5t GTW on the way out, and about 4.5t on the way back!!
Ed
toby1234abc:
British International had a fleet of Iveco turbo stars,350 engines,not sure exact size.
I ran a couple of Turbostars in the 90’s and other than ‘tinworm’ around the cab there was nowt wrong with them, very reliable, pulled well, air-con standard and not a bad cab, I ran to Spain & back weekly in one and it was a very good truck, there were bigger cabs for sure but they were much better than the run of the mill fleet trucks and cheap as chips…
In the UK they were available in 6 cylinder 360bhp with the last ‘6 pot’ models (from 1993) 377bhp, V8’s were 420bhp & later 480bhp, so the Brit International versions would almost certainly have been 360’s.
Ross.
well suppose being an old ■■■■ I will trump a few but a 240 bhp DAF 2600 and up and over the alps when there weren’t too many autoroutes musta took a bit of doin. six speed crash box ZF with a splitter remember
Ok i know in “the good ol’ days” when just to get a bunk in a truck was a miricle smaller engines and smaller cabs were the norm, but i posted the question out of frustration, the local supermarkets use DAF 105 480 SSC’s and Volvo FH xl globies for local work, yet im packed off international tramping in a cab thats fell off an local work 18T truck, with an engine that sees hills before I do. Normal loads weigh up around 20T and im usualy hitting the heady speed of 25mph on some of the hills on the M20 in the UK.
Ok over here on the flat its not a bad combo. but if its that great why is the company i work for the only operation I’ve ever seen to use them?
Yeah i know i should be greatful that i have a job at the moment, but the perminate cramp from trying to haul my 6’2" body around a cab designed for a much smaller person, yeah the cab is only 80% the width if the trailer, so it causes mirror issues as well, espcially when on the wrong side in the UK.
I used to be a cab happy snob, only topliners, globies or daf SSC’s would do, but id be happy with a FM, Premium, Daf 85, Stralis or anything where theres a flat floor and some storage, with an engine that could do the job, not an local dist. 18 tonner with a 5th wheel!
Sorry if im rubbing people up the wrong way, but I’m fed up with being laughed at when i pull up to tips or the train, too many times ive had, “when u getting a propper truck mate” shouted at me.
Let me re-phrase the question:
What would you like to drive on international tramping runs, remebering we’re still in a resession?
I’m one of the lucky ones, now. I drive a new Merc’ Actros Megaspace 2548, on European work.
It’s a pretty good wagon tbh, a few minor niggles which annoy me, but that’s all they are really.
I’d like a Daf 105 SSC, because I like Dafs.
We’ve got 2 in our fleet already, so I’ll ask for one when my Merc’ goes.
If everything falls into place, I might even get one.
I’m one of the lucky ones now, but I’ve worked in all sorts. Big cabs, little cabs, big engines, little engines, jobs I enjoyed, jobs I hated, some nice wagons and some real heaps of junk.
You take what you can get when you need it and keep your ear to the ground.
If something that suits you better comes along, grab it.
Don’t forget though, a nice wagon won’t pay the bills.