I went to a new distribution centre last week in Etten Leur, The Netherlands. It’s brand new, only open since June, and services the Dutch version of Currys/PC World. I got to the security lodge and they immediately switched to English when they realised I was a Brit. They pleasantly directed me through the gate and told me to park outside reception.
I parked up outside a grand brick structure in the middle of the DC. It looked like the entrance to a hotel. I thought this can’t be right, but I saw a sign saying ‘Chauffeurs’ so I went in through the swish sliding doors. Inside was an actual reception desk with three girls in company tee shirts, and shopping mall style music playing in the background. They all acknowledged me with a smile and the one dealing with me also switched to English as she checked my details which had been emailed through already. She gave me the bay number to go to with another smile just as if she was checking in a hotel guest, and invited me to use the free coffee machine first before leaving. As I’m waiting for the coffee to pour, I’m thinking ‘is this real?’
I went back to the truck and drove around to the bay, where I stayed in the cab (I only had to place a yellow chock under my trailer wheel as security) to enjoy my coffee, until the red light went out and the loader banged on the trailer to hand me the CMR and I was away.
I sent a text to the planner pleading to be sent here regularly but unfortunately it was a one off run for Black Friday. Throughout my brief visit, I was thinking If Carlsberg did distribution centres…
Really can’t believe that bollox.It sounds more like the definition of sour grapes.Let me guess you’ve just found out that your UK ‘experience’ counts for absolutely nothing when trying to climb the ladder onto international work.The fact is for Brits it’s an elitist face fits circus for a reason.Better road conditions and a trade which is viewed,as like that of a train driver here,on the continent and unfortunately way over subscribed reflecting that.Now even more crippled by insufficient demand for Brit drivers doing it than before.Let’s just say that I would have been happy to do the job for a lot less money,let alone the same,than the average UK zb work.
Lonewolf Yorks:
I did continental for the first half of my career. Approx 1986 - 2001. I looked into going back to it after my Mrs died in 2015 but it seems no-one does it any more
I’d look at it again if anyone offered…based North Yorks/North East
I work for a south coast company. One driver is based in North East, admittedly he’s not too fussed about getting back there. (Jokes about monkey hangers permitted). Another (retired now) north Wales borders. He spend one weekend on the road, and went home every other weekend. We also used subbies from Scotland who ran trailers home for their weekends off, tip Friday load Monday.
Euro work isn’t what it was twenty years ago, but I wouldn’t
absolutely everything above is spot on for accuracy.
no comparison to attitudes and conditions.
bring back your duty frees and double your wages with no drama.
in europe then you are treated as a truck driver doing a worthwhile job,whereas in the uk your just crap on someones shoe regarding rdc work and parking.
apart from the fact that everyone will happily speak english to you then unless you want to be interacting with foreign semi literate indifferent unhelpful security cretins and warehouse staff that you cannot interact with then working abroad is like a breath of fresh air from life in a uk rdc gulag.
I would add that when being treated with respect and enjoying better facilities on the continent,please don’t act like a surly,moaning bad tempered git and don’t treat the folk like peasants.I’ve seen many embarassing Brits over the years.
Gidders:
I would add that when being treated with respect and enjoying better facilities on the continent,please don’t act like a surly,moaning bad tempered git and don’t treat the folk like peasants.I’ve seen many embarassing Brits over the years.
They’ll probably have been those who, on the boat were full of stories of overcoming those dastardly foreigners, who all hated us Brits. Coming home, “So,I told the Gendarme…”
And on way out, “Oh no, I’ve gotta go to ?wherever? again”.
Next trip, they were still at it.
euro work every time for me, better everything, everywhere, in all the years I drove European I have paid I fine in france for exceeding the 80ks limit with adr on, it was 83kmph, it was 45 euros and the gendarme apologised for the severity of the fine, I know there are stories of massive fines, but if you are all straight there are no fines,
Well for Calais just make sure you have a 10fr note ready at customs as they take offence if you offer Sterling.
You can leave Valencia heading to Bilbao and you will see more traffic (a lot more) from Portsmouth to London, as has been said for the most part you will not give a seconds thought about where & when you park (except to suit yourself)
France is a real big country with first class roads and stopping places but you must (IMO) take every effort to learn some French.
For a single person it’s a no brainer, but if married no again IMO.
Agree with (nearly) all of the above. I would never even have considered doing my HGV lessons and test were it not for the fact that the mid-1980s was the heyday of Euro work and even a new pass with an ounce or two of gumption could be doing it from the get go. It was never trucks that did it for me, it was the chance to travel all over Europe and be paid for doing it.
I’ve been around the Blue Mosque and Dolbamache Palace in Istanbul, Red Square and Gorky Park in Moscow, attended the Celtic Festival in Lorient, seen the Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen, spent a week at the “White Nights” festival in St. Petersburg, been up the Eiffel Tower in Paris at twilight, driven over Mont Blanc more times than I care to remember, ditto the Millau Viaduct, seen the faded “Solidarinosc” graffiti in Gdansk shipyard and spent numerous weekends laying by a beach or swimming pool somewhere in Spain or Italy on full daily pay, purely through the continental work I did.
Apart from one notable job, I could always have earned a little more driving a shopping trolley but we’re only here for a finite time and what’s the point of having the most expensive headstone in the graveyard?
Harry Monk:
Agree with (nearly) all of the above. I would never even have considered doing my HGV lessons and test were it not for the fact that the mid-1980s was the heyday of Euro work and even a new pass with an ounce or two of gumption could be doing it from the get go. It was never trucks that did it for me, it was the chance to travel all over Europe and be paid for doing it.
I’ve been around the Blue Mosque and Dolbamache Palace in Istanbul, Red Square and Gorky Park in Moscow, attended the Celtic Festival in Lorient, seen the Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen, spent a week at the “White Nights” festival in St. Petersburg, been up the Eiffel Tower in Paris at twilight, driven over Mont Blanc more times than I care to remember, ditto the Millau Viaduct, seen the faded “Solidarinosc” graffiti in Gdansk shipyard and spent numerous weekends laying by a beach or swimming pool somewhere in Spain or Italy on full daily pay, purely through the continental work I did.
Apart from one notable job, I could always have earned a little more driving a shopping trolley but we’re only here for a finite time and what’s the point of having the most expensive headstone in the graveyard?
Nail hit…
Right on the head there.
Aside from some geographical differences and me starting ten years later than Harry on t’ continent, I have some of my fondest memories and one or two nightmares from doing this job.
By strange coincidence, I’m typing this from a hotel in Madrid whilst I catch up with some old friends I made whilst driving here all those years ago.
Harry Monk:
Agree with (nearly) all of the above. I would never even have considered doing my HGV lessons and test were it not for the fact that the mid-1980s was the heyday of Euro work and even a new pass with an ounce or two of gumption could be doing it from the get go. It was never trucks that did it for me, it was the chance to travel all over Europe and be paid for doing it.
I’ve been around the Blue Mosque and Dolbamache Palace in Istanbul, Red Square and Gorky Park in Moscow, attended the Celtic Festival in Lorient, seen the Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen, spent a week at the “White Nights” festival in St. Petersburg, been up the Eiffel Tower in Paris at twilight, driven over Mont Blanc more times than I care to remember, ditto the Millau Viaduct, seen the faded “Solidarinosc” graffiti in Gdansk shipyard and spent numerous weekends laying by a beach or swimming pool somewhere in Spain or Italy on full daily pay, purely through the continental work I did.
Apart from one notable job, I could always have earned a little more driving a shopping trolley but we’re only here for a finite time and what’s the point of having the most expensive headstone in the graveyard?
All the contributors have been spot-on, if you treat those you meet in Euroland with politeness and coutesy, you are treated very well!! A driver is considered as a professional not as dog droppings which seems to be the case here in the UK.
All I will say is that if I want to escape from day to day running of my fleet, I do the Euro driving duties and let my General Manager have the daily hassles!! Euro driving can be a real pleasure!!
+6+…EU really is so much better in every way imaginable, makes the UK look like what it is…3rd world, but then with experience in Morocco and SE Asia, I have to say the UK is even worse than those places!
The UK truly is 3rd World in most ways!
Carryfast:
Really can’t believe that bollox.It sounds more like the definition of sour grapes.Let me guess you’ve just found out that your UK ‘experience’ counts for absolutely nothing when trying to climb the ladder onto international work.The fact is for Brits it’s an elitist face fits circus for a reason.Better road conditions and a trade which is viewed,as like that of a train driver here,on the continent and unfortunately way over subscribed reflecting that.Now even more crippled by insufficient demand for Brit drivers doing it than before.Let’s just say that I would have been happy to do the job for a lot less money,let alone the same,than the average UK zb work.
No good for you though since you only like working 3 days a week
Carryfast:
Really can’t believe that bollox.It sounds more like the definition of sour grapes.Let me guess you’ve just found out that your UK ‘experience’ counts for absolutely nothing when trying to climb the ladder onto international work.The fact is for Brits it’s an elitist face fits circus for a reason.Better road conditions and a trade which is viewed,as like that of a train driver here,on the continent and unfortunately way over subscribed reflecting that.Now even more crippled by insufficient demand for Brit drivers doing it than before.Let’s just say that I would have been happy to do the job for a lot less money,let alone the same,than the average UK zb work.
Sour grapes?
Climbing the ladder?
Your acting like its the pinnacle. Everytime I see euro work advertised in my area the pay is less than what I earn. (I refuse to count night out money as pay)
Also in my area South East London there is always euro work going so I do not understand why you are saying it is oversubscribed. Because in my area it is not.
I’m glad everyone enjoys driving a truck abroad though. It does sound better compared to driving in the UK.
Maybe its just me though but I’d want to be paid extra to do it. Looking at pretty scenery doesn’t cut it for me. Espeically when you have the added risks of illegals.
Then again I do not consider myself a ‘proper’ trucker. So maybe that is why. I do not drives trucks because I love to drive trucks. I do it to earn a crust.
Carryfast:
Really can’t believe that bollox.It sounds more like the definition of sour grapes.Let me guess you’ve just found out that your UK ‘experience’ counts for absolutely nothing when trying to climb the ladder onto international work.The fact is for Brits it’s an elitist face fits circus for a reason.Better road conditions and a trade which is viewed,as like that of a train driver here,on the continent and unfortunately way over subscribed reflecting that.Now even more crippled by insufficient demand for Brit drivers doing it than before.Let’s just say that I would have been happy to do the job for a lot less money,let alone the same,than the average UK zb work.
No good for you though since you only like working 3 days a week
Ironically I think the retirement age should be brought down to 60 so I should have been past retirement a year ago let alone looking for a part time job.But I’m sure that I would have been more than happy with 2,4 or 6 weeks on 2 or 3 weeks off in my early 20’s.But no it was so much better to leave young single no ties like me to rot driving a council wagon around the county while older ones with wives and families moan about the time they spent away from home on a constant diet of too much of a good thing of continuous continental turn arounds.While Harry’s experience was the exception which proved the rule of International ‘experience’ only need apply.
Look on the bright side those roads and their old school speed regime were made for a quick car and plenty of holiday entitlement taken during the Summer following the GT race calender around Europe for example.Among other road trip holidays like Dubrovnik and Sardinia being favourites and would have been more ■■■■■■ off if I’d have missed that.As they say every cloud has a silver lining.
Carryfast:
Really can’t believe that bollox.It sounds more like the definition of sour grapes.Let me guess you’ve just found out that your UK ‘experience’ counts for absolutely nothing when trying to climb the ladder onto international work.The fact is for Brits it’s an elitist face fits circus for a reason.Better road conditions and a trade which is viewed,as like that of a train driver here,on the continent and unfortunately way over subscribed reflecting that.Now even more crippled by insufficient demand for Brit drivers doing it than before.Let’s just say that I would have been happy to do the job for a lot less money,let alone the same,than the average UK zb work.
Sour grapes?
Climbing the ladder?
Your acting like its the pinnacle. Everytime I see euro work advertised in my area the pay is less than what I earn. (I refuse to count night out money as pay)
Also in my area South East London there is always euro work going so I do not understand why you are saying it is oversubscribed. Because in my area it is not.
I’m glad everyone enjoys driving a truck abroad though. It does sound better compared to driving in the UK.
Maybe its just me though but I’d want to be paid extra to do it. Looking at pretty scenery doesn’t cut it for me. Espeically when you have the added risks of illegals.
Then again I do not consider myself a ‘proper’ trucker. So maybe that is why. I do not drives trucks because I love to drive trucks. I do it to earn a crust.
Great feel free to enjoy the Retail distribution,Hiab building deliveries or Scaffolding delivery job around London.Although if you’re really lucky you’ll find the ‘pinnacle’ of Night Trunking or Bulk Refuse work or the real niche of tippers.
So can you post some of these ‘adverts’ showing continental work at £9 per hour or preferably trip money no international experience required.
But there is far more annoying things than Calais out there.
The Brussels ring at rush hour, Belgian drivers on Sunday afternoons, Belgian police.
German road works.
Coming down big mountains without a retarder when heavy.
The Peripherique in Paris and if you don’t stop and eat at the proper meal times in France you go hungry for the day.
Sunday driving bans.
So I wouldn’t worry about Calais too much as there is lots of other ways to have a bad day over there and God forbid if they bring back customs clearance in Dover again
Did anyone mention to you about the spread axle toilets yet??
Someone else can describe a bad one of them to you… because if you have to hit a bad one of them some day you will be dam glad to see Calais afterwards
