Hello there,
First time caller, so I’m a bit nervous. Anyone with time on their hands or know
that they are going to be between jobs in about 6 weeks time and inclined to philanthropic deeds? I am a complete class 1 novice looking for a good buddy to double drive with and to keep a fatherly (or motherly) eye on me.
[bThe mission] A charity convoy drive from the UK to Kosovo and once there direct aid distribution to these most in need.
[bThe dates] Leaving the UK, Thurs.22 September, returning sometime over the 8/9 October week-end. Ideally I would like someone who could be available from Monday 19 September as there is a good possibility of a couple of days UK tramping before the 22nd.
[bThe vehicle] An Iveco 400E38 4x2 RHD (Is that a Eurotech?) with a low-ride triaxle tautliner trailer.
Just as an aside, does anyone have any tips, things to watch out for with this particular unit? All help greatly appreciated.
[bThe charity] UK registered and correctly constituted South-east based charity with many years experience of running aid to the Balkans and getting aid directly to areas of conflict and significant humanitiarian disasters.
Oh, did I mention pay? yes it is unpaid and will cost you!! Realistically costs shouldn’t need to exceed £500, could be considerably less if you can get friends and family to sponsor you, gift aid donations etc.
Thanks for taking the time to read this far, hope it hasn’t bored all of you to death and that it may be of interest to someone.
(This posting by kind permission of Rikki - Many Thanks)
Well the 1st part of the post definately drew my attention as i’ve been interested in doing aid runs for some time.
But I’m sad to say my interest declined somewhat when I got as far as £500 going the wrong way
Last time I left the country on a charities behalf was to deliver a new Land Rover to Skopje, Macedonia (I actually took it as far as Thessolinka, Greece via Italy & the Adriatic) in 1999 [Kosovo relief] was on £80 a day (including the R & R day on arrival) + all exes inc. return flight.
Not saying i’m not prepared to give my input to a charity, but not sure I want to run to £500 worth!
I believe most Transaid drivers are now fully employed drivers?
Love to help, but the dates don’t work for me . I’ve no problems with charities not paying or even asking for a contribution, as any money spent on wages etc can’t be spent on the final objective.
Transaid are different they bring transport experience from the industry and those people are normally paid by thier company and then employ local people.
I’m sure you’ll find somebody. If the dates end up near the end of October then I could be interested in going.
I did a Romanian run in '91 with hospital equipment, medicines and clothing.
It was a harrowing experience and although very worthwhile I did struggle to come to terms with how we take so much for granted for a couple of months afterwards.
As for the journey itself. Expect the customs officials to be extremely suspicious of you and your intentions. They simply don’t understand the concept of charity on that scale. Expect to attract the attention of the local police. Take plenty of Marlboro ciggies. Thats pretty much all they’re after.
The Romanian people, and I suppose it’s the same for all ex communist, poverty stricken states were very friendly. They understand what is being done for them even if they don’t understand why. Bizarrely, everyone we came in contact with in Romania spoke very good English.
One word of warning though. Make sure you take things like power steering fluid and fuel filters with you. The unit I took suffered a weeping joint in the power steering circuits. It took 2 days to obtain a litre of fluid. That was a story in itself as the locals couldn’t do enough to get the thing sorted out. The fuel is something else as well. Forget clean, blue diesel, expect a brown sludge that will clog filters within the week!
Oh yeah, and be aware of the local alcohol, they make some wicked stuff out there. The Romanian hooch was a potato vodka and it was like rocket fuel. One small, schnapps size glass of the stuff did for me!
A most noble cause! I’ve got the time but unfortunately I’ve had my LGV license temporarily revoked by DVLA.
It probably is an Iveco EuroTech as I don’t think Iveco supplied the EuroStar with a 380, most of them were 420s; if they did then they’re extremely rare.
Some of the early EuroTechs were fitted with a Fuller twin-splitter gearbox - a dream if you know how to use them, a nightmare if you don’t! I wouldn’t worry too much about anything breaking or falling off as this would have happened in the first six weeks after it was first registered!!!
Hi to your request about helpful tips, well i will add my pennysworth,
1.Plan your route before hand,get all the required and relavent information
on the various roadtaxes (MAUT) ;PLUS THE feesfor the tunnel on the Tauern autobahn which is on route if you go through austria also the brenner maut if you go via ITALY route,
2.do take snowchains, shovel sparefilters for the fuelsystem, fan belts,
bulbs,fuses,
3do notforget the orangevest this is now reqiured by law in many of the european countrys,
4 ensure that you do have the recovery,medical insurance in case of getting injured enroute,
5.make up a box with various medicenes like asprin, parecetamol,germolene,vick medinite etc as unlike GB you will need to find
a chemist which is open as these are not sold else where,
6.Fill up in Luxemberg if possible if not in Belgian as this is cheaper until
yougetto Austria or further
7.do not forget that when you are comeing back you are only allowed200liters when you re-enter the EU COUNTRYS and if stopped and checked you will get a heavy fine to pay on the spot,
8. ensure that you have all the relavent paperwork and that it is correct with no mistakes in it try to get copys translated into the languages of the countrys you will pass through ,as this may save youhaveing problems with
those who are checking you and your load,
9.check up on lorry driveing bans, traffic rules like lights on in the daytime as well, 50m distance between lorrys on the road ,speed limits in al countrys that you will be driveing in,
10. When you are on your way to your destination keep onasking other drivers that you meet on the way what the route looks like and if there are any problems ahead,
11. a last tip take some food with you just incase you get stuck some where and there is no place around where you could get fed,
all the best with the trip sorry i would like to help but due to new knee
my doc has said no driveing as of yet,
