yourhavingalarf:
truckertang:
[emoji41][emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Yeh yeh…
Yeh, who hasn’t driven down the Mulsanne straight.
The mulsanne straight in our old fl6 (no limiter) before the roundabout was inserted is a memory I’ll always have…[emoji23][emoji23]
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Hurryup&wait:
All honest answers so far.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
You won’t get any nasty diseases from the toilet seat, with a spread -axle!
Breaking down 3 or 4 days drive from the channel is worse than around the corner. If summat goes wtong it seems worse.
But, that’s when you get to meet locals more. Spending a couple days in a remote, untouristy, onion growing village can be boring, or a drunken haze, or a chance to explore.
Doesn’t sound like it is Adam’s idea of an interesting job? Fine. We’re all different, and there are different jobs to suit most of us. And as we pass different phases in our life want we want changes. Euro may not be for those with families and young kids. But it suits some of us.
Tang was that a F16 or a Fl6? 
grumpyken52:
As others have said once you learn the ropes of Calais , the same applies to every port in Europe, life over in Europe is far better for truckers .
None of this can’t use the toilet hoohah , loads and loads of parking , far better food , not getting ripped off for parking or food .
Stick to the rules and you are fine .
The views are fantasticSent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Brilliant topic.
But why do all the newspapers try to convince us to leave Europe?
Euro:
grumpyken52:
As others have said once you learn the ropes of Calais , the same applies to every port in Europe, life over in Europe is far better for truckers .
None of this can’t use the toilet hoohah , loads and loads of parking , far better food , not getting ripped off for parking or food .
Stick to the rules and you are fine .
The views are fantasticSent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Brilliant topic.
But why do all the newspapers try to convince us to leave Europe?
As far as I know Europe is a geographical area and we will still be part of that and only 22 miles away from the mainland, so lets leave the political union known as the EU out of this or well get into the discussion as to why far fewer UK drivers get the chance to do what their forefathers did.
Those of us old enough to remember the old style radio dial. It had place names instead of frequency numbers . I used to find it fascinating to see them on the road signs as I travelled around Europe.
As others have said learning a few phrases in another language can certainly help . The Germans and French certainly appreciate if you make an effort to speak in their languages.
It is normal to be offered coffee or the use of facilities as soon as you arrived at customers.
Even the coffee from machines is so much better than in the UK!
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Euro:
Brilliant topic.
But why do all the newspapers try to convince us to leave Europe?
It is eu membership, and particularly the complete takeover of the British continental transport industry by hauliers from countries with post-Communist economies with far lower cost bases which has caused the massive reduction in the number of British drivers doing continental work so whatever your other arguments in favour of remaining in the eu, please don’t pretend that leaving the eu would harm our prospects of doing our own export and import transport.
Harry Monk:
Euro:
Brilliant topic.
But why do all the newspapers try to convince us to leave Europe?It is eu membership, and particularly the complete takeover of the British continental transport industry by hauliers from countries with post-Communist economies with far lower cost bases which has caused the massive reduction in the number of British drivers doing continental work so whatever your other arguments in favour of remaining in the eu, please don’t pretend that leaving the eu would harm our prospects of doing our own export and import transport.
It’s not just the UK transport industry thats been hit by the influx of East European companies and drivers .
In conversations with traditional German French or Spanish drivers they have the very same problems and complaints that we all have . The Germans all complain about the state of the parking areas along the routes to and from the east .
Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
Beau Nydel:
Tang was that a F16 or a Fl6?
[emoji23][emoji23]I was talking about a FL6 but i did also do it in a FH16, unfortunately the latter did have a limiter…[emoji26][emoji26]
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
I loved going all over the place before i met a woman & got married.
No week was the same and towards the end (when they became the norm) the boss would ring me once in a while just to make sure i was ok.
The above is what alot of new drivers can’t get used to, i do just remember the days before mobile & cab phones and it was nice to be trusted to just get the job done & only call when necessary.
Towards the end as I’d worked in the office over the years i knew the agents etc we used so i would book ferries en route etc etc, kids nowadays would need a detailed itinerary, not just an empty trailer and a list of 15 or 20 collections to sort out, with lots of these (as a lot of you have experience of) in the most ridiculous places, but they got done and you would always come away with a bottle or 2 to help you sleep…not that it was needed after a full day in 30 odd degrees up and down mountains and in and out of tiny villages…
Oh happy days…
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Although there was alot of good times, when it was really bad a couple of years ago 6 of our trucks did get stuck in calais and in total it took us about 36hrs to get back to the Dover…this was after running the gauntlet on 2 separate occasions with a 9 hour break in calais in between. [emoji54][emoji54]
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Harry Monk:
Euro:
Brilliant topic.
But why do all the newspapers try to convince us to leave Europe?It is eu membership, and particularly the complete takeover of the British continental transport industry by hauliers from countries with post-Communist economies with far lower cost bases which has caused the massive reduction in the number of British drivers doing continental work so whatever your other arguments in favour of remaining in the eu, please don’t pretend that leaving the eu would harm our prospects of doing our own export and import transport.
There’s a narrow boat called The Last Derbyshire Miner on the system. I often think if I were to change Elsie’s name, I could call her The Last UK International Haulier 
If you spend most of your driving life on the continent you need to adjust to their way of doing things.
Brussels Ring traffic? Is it worse than traffic in other cities by and large? M25,M60.Paris.Bordeaux.
German road Works.Have been continuing for years with upgrading.Our smart motorway upgrades are a pain.Rarely see cones in France and Spain.Maybe they construct their roads better in the first place.I wish French tarmac layers would ply their trade in Yorkshire.
There are alternatives to going round Paris other than the Periphique.You may not like the French eating habits but they are very civilised.You know when they dine all over the country so plan your day to eat at the same time they do.Overnighting in a French Routiers is ideal.
Sunday(and weekend)driving bans are a pain but if you are going to be affected,try to spend it in a civilised location not a roadside layby.Most French towns and villages have a space allocated for truck parking.Try the language and circulate a little and you will be surprised at how people reciprocate.
Many years ago I broke down in a big place (Rennes)before the current roads existed for 2 days.I was more or less adopted by some old ladies who kept bringing me food and drink.
Ignore our politicians and media,most people get along fine.
Its a real pig driving over there all this traffic on the way up to the blanc and nothing to look at
Gidders:
If you spend most of your driving life on the continent you need to adjust to their way of doing things.
Brussels Ring traffic? Is it worse than traffic in other cities by and large? M25,M60.Paris.Bordeaux.
German road Works.Have been continuing for years with upgrading.Our smart motorway upgrades are a pain.Rarely see cones in France and Spain.Maybe they construct their roads better in the first place.I wish French tarmac layers would ply their trade in Yorkshire.
There are alternatives to going round Paris other than the Periphique.You may not like the French eating habits but they are very civilised.You know when they dine all over the country so plan your day to eat at the same time they do.Overnighting in a French Routiers is ideal.
Sunday(and weekend)driving bans are a pain but if you are going to be affected,try to spend it in a civilised location not a roadside layby.Most French towns and villages have a space allocated for truck parking.Try the language and circulate a little and you will be surprised at how people reciprocate.
Many years ago I broke down in a big place (Rennes)before the current roads existed for 2 days.I was more or less adopted by some old ladies who kept bringing me food and drink.
Ignore our politicians and media,most people get along fine.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
when the options are a layby or industrial estate in coventry,then there are certainly certain options as to picking your parking spots.
i have a preference to also being somewhat adopted by the ladies. 
#
independent.co.uk/news/worl … 14265.html
There have always been "alternatives"to being lonely in Spain.Particularly waiting for clearance in La Junquera.
I remember many a layby in France being “owned” by a lady.Some laybys even offered alternatives to these ladies.Whatever floats your boat.
adam277:
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.
As somebody originally from South East London myself and who lived there for for the first 23 years of my life, and who still visits the area regularly on account of both my Mum and brother living in S.E.9, I’m somewhat surprised to read that it is a hotbed of international transport. Which international firms operate out of South East London?
Gidders:
There have always been "alternatives"to being lonely in Spain.Particularly waiting for clearance in La Junquera.
I remember many a layby in France being “owned” by a lady.Some laybys even offered alternatives to these ladies.Whatever floats your boat.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i was always amazed at the number of campervans sitting with a candle on the dash and some old doll sitting doing her knitting.
all over france and spain campervan sport seems like a very popular pastime even today.
the icing on the cake is getting your hair cut for 3 euro thrown in…
dieseldog999:
Gidders:
There have always been "alternatives"to being lonely in Spain.Particularly waiting for clearance in La Junquera.
I remember many a layby in France being “owned” by a lady.Some laybys even offered alternatives to these ladies.Whatever floats your boat.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
i was always amazed at the number of campervans sitting with a candle on the dash and some old doll sitting doing her knitting.
all over france and spain campervan sport seems like a very popular pastime even today.
the icing on the cake is getting your hair cut for 3 euro thrown in…
Lol you can just imagine some old Doris and her hubby from the UK parked up in their campervan in a layby in France wondering why they’re getting knock up all night
It was funny when Spain went all health & safety mad and made them wear Hi-Viz very fetching shorts high heels and a Hi-Viz, asked the Mrs to wear it a couple of times but she thought it a bit odd 
