Hi there, I’m John and am interested in taking an HGV licence with a view to doing continental work. I have an interest in european languages and would really appreciate it if somebody already doing this kind of work could get in touch via e-mail and fill me in on the ‘realities’ of the job. Particularly interested from the remuneration ‘point of view’!
Hope to hear from somebody soon?!
Thanks, John.
John
Welcome to the drivers moaning board 
If you use the search facility you will find all the answers you need, As for the renumeration, you will find anything between 12k and 40k per year is possible.
A few languages can always help, but it is not the end of the world as there is a sort of drivers language used throughout Europe and beyond.
Part of it involves tobacco and bribery
The realities include:
Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes (or “on the spot fines” as they’re also known),
Being away from home for over a week,
LOTS of paperwork,
Don’t forget the finding that most European truck stops leave ours in the dust,
and, above all, seeing things you just won’t see here.
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience before someone will send you abroad, but I’m sure you can cope with that.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap euro booze and ■■■■ are a well known perk of the job.
Thanks for your speedy response Malc. I’ll enjoy exploring the site and getting a feel for what it’s all about!
Best, John.
Wheel Nut:
John
Welcome to the drivers moaning boardIf you use the search facility you will find all the answers you need, As for the renumeration, you will find anything between 12k and 40k per year is possible.
A few languages can always help, but it is not the end of the world as there is a sort of drivers language used throughout Europe and beyond.
Part of it involves tobacco and bribery
Thanks for the insight. Certainly given me a ‘flavour’ of the job!
Cheers, John.
allikat:
The realities include:
Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes (or “on the spot fines” as they’re also known),
Being away from home for over a week,
LOTS of paperwork,
Don’t forget the finding that most European truck stops leave ours in the dust,
and, above all, seeing things you just won’t see here.
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience before someone will send you abroad, but I’m sure you can cope with that.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap euro booze and ■■■■ are a well known perk of the job.
allikat:
The realities include:
Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes (or “on the spot fines” as they’re also known),
Being away from home for over a week,
LOTS of paperwork,
Don’t forget, finding that most European truck stops leave ours in the dust,
and, above all, seeing things you just won’t see here.
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience before someone will send you abroad, but I’m sure you can cope with that.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap euro booze and ■■■■ are a well known perk of the job.
Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes. True up to a point, but a copy of the booklet Drivers Hours and Tacho Rules for Goods Vehicles in the UK and Europe or GV262, which you can pick up at any LGV MOT test centre will spell the rules out for anyone, including the French police. On the spot fines are negotiable, if you know you are in the right, don’t pay, demand that the police get the next force up to attend, eg in Italy the Carrabinerie are the top police force (but if you are wrong, when they arrive watch out).
Being away from home for over a week. True, sometimes several weeks.
LOTS of paperwork. Not really unless you are going out of the EU eg Switzerland.
Don’t forget, finding that most European truck stops …etc. True, in more ways than one, and thats just in the EU. Get further afield and be prepared to really get your eyes opened 
.
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience …etc. That depends on where you are and how desperate the company is to get the load delivered.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap …etc. True, but Euro truckers are actually limited quite severely, on the amounts they can import between countries. This varies from country to country, eg Switzerland limits you to a packet of ■■■■. Only if you get stopped and asked of course. 
Do not fall into the trap of using this revenue to boost your wages to an acceptable level. Some companies do expect you to do that. If they pay peanuts for wages, let they employ monkeys. 
Sorry Allicat
Thanks for your annotation and expansion on Allikat’s remarks. In what way would ‘truck-stops from further afield’ open my eyes? Please I am keen to learn!
Cheers, John
Simon:
allikat:
The realities include:
Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes (or “on the spot fines” as they’re also known),
Being away from home for over a week,
LOTS of paperwork,
Don’t forget, finding that most European truck stops leave ours in the dust,
and, above all, seeing things you just won’t see here.
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience before someone will send you abroad, but I’m sure you can cope with that.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap euro booze and ■■■■ are a well known perk of the job.Various nations having varied interpretations of the rules, cops after bribes. True up to a point, but a copy of the booklet Drivers Hours and Tacho Rules for Goods Vehicles in the UK and Europe or GV262, which you can pick up at any LGV MOT test centre will spell the rules out for anyone, including the French police. On the spot fines are negotiable, if you know you are in the right, don’t pay, demand that the police get the next force up to attend, eg in Italy the Carrabinerie are the top police force (but if you are wrong, when they arrive watch out).
Being away from home for over a week. True, sometimes several weeks.
LOTS of paperwork. Not really unless you are going out of the EU eg Switzerland.
Don’t forget, finding that most European truck stops …etc. True, in more ways than one, and thats just in the EU. Get further afield and be prepared to really get your eyes opened
You’ll probably need a year or so of UK experience …etc. That depends on where you are and how desperate the company is to get the load delivered.
And besides, every trip into Europe is a bonus, cheap …etc. True, but Euro truckers are actually limited quite severely, on the amounts they can import between countries. This varies from country to country, eg Switzerland limits you to a packet of ■■■■. Only if you get stopped and asked of course.
Do not fall into the trap of using this revenue to boost your wages to an acceptable level. Some companies do expect you to do that. If they pay peanuts for wages, let they employ monkeys.Sorry Allicat
As Simon said the bribes thing, within the near comtinent anyway, is virually non existent these days. I can’t remember the last time I had to ‘buy an officer a coffee.’ 
As far as paperwork goes you need hardly anymore papaerwork to go from London to Milan as you do from London to Manchester, if you do non EU such as Norway or Switzerland you would need a T-Form and invoices as well as the delivery note and that’s about it.
Truckstops in Europe are well appointed, clean with excellent washing and shower facilities, the food is very good, the vast majority are waitress service and you are treated as a professional doing an important job. Other than that they are just like UK truckstops.
of course you will need to ensure that your employer supplies with enough paperwork to keep you moving and out of trouble.
log book or photocopy of it is sometimes accepted especially if the truck is a rental.
uk permit and please check that it is in date.
letter of authorisation to drive your employers vehicle and also an accompanying letter should you have missing mileage between your tachographs, such as agency driver use.
if you have time off work you will require another letter from your employer to substanciate this time off and as proof that you were not just driving another truck at the time.
insurance certificate or cover note plus the countries that the insurance is valid in, this is sometimes set out as crosses on a form with country letters in, if it’s crossed then you are not insured in that country.
a knowledge of regulations for differing countries, some countries have driving restrictions at weekends and on their holidays also summer restrictions apply on some motorways in some countries during certain times of the year.
lower speed limits in some countries for goods vehicles carrying hazardous loads on top of that further restrictions apply to hazardous goods vehicles during holiday driving restrictions.
penalties for infringements are often immediate, in other words if you do something wrong and get caught you may find that you are parked up until you can pay the fine for the offence.
overtaking restrictions apply in some countries but these are always signposted except in belgium where they have introduced an overtaking restriction for trucks when the roads are wet, there are no signs for this so i am unsure as to whether it can be disputed but if caught you would probably have to pay first then dispute it later which can often take a number of years.
fines for inoperative lights are progressive per light not working and many countries require lights to be used in all tunnels plus some require lights to be used all the time or on all motorways.
there are many more things you will need to learn for european work and there are lots of folk tales from drivers about what different countries can and cannot do to you or will and will not do to you.
most peoples in most countries are very friendly and will make an effort to communicate with you in your language if you try their language first, some people are just naturally friendly anyway, i wouldn’t do any other work while ever there is european work available.
I was thinking more of the Other Things you will see, which would ‘open your eyes’, rather than the truckstops.
I was heading for Spain and drove straight down the middle of France past Clermont Ferrand, hitting ( ) the south coast to the East of Perpignon. On the way I passed through the small town of Millau. The stretch of road into Millau is a very long, very steep down hill ( 10+ Km? of 1 in 10), of short straights with hairpin bends. The climb back out is shorter and steeper. I went through on a Saturday evening. The southern cliffs were illuminated by huge floodlights. It was a gobsmacking sight. I amost ran off the end of a hairpin, looking at the cliffs rather than the road 
Another occaision where I nearly ran out of road was the first time I saw a ‘Lady(?) of the Night’, standing at the side of a national road in Italy, in broad daylight . The only other time I’ve seen so much toned flesh, was on the beach. 
I’ve driven down that very stretch past Clermont Ferrand though not as far south as you and it was journeys such as this that has inspired me to dump the ‘daily round’ and do something about it! My provisional application is in the post!
Simon:
I was thinking more of the Other Things you will see, which would ‘open your eyes’, rather than the truckstops.I was heading for Spain and drove straight down the middle of France past Clermont Ferrand, hitting (
Another occaision where I nearly ran out of road was the first time I saw a ‘Lady(?) of the Night’, standing at the side of a national road in Italy, in broad daylight