Thinking of my next challenge with Car Transporters. 
Ex Southampton if possible.as thats probably the nearest to me.
Phoned ECM they’re sending me a form.no tramping vacancies at the moment
Any info on them,the job itself ,money or any other companies would be much appreciated 
Is ECM anyting to do with Derooy…?
ECM are the blue trucks from Carlisle Harry, De Rooy are from Holland or should that be Poland 
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You could try Walon as well, they are always looking for drivers
They’re ALL always looking for drivers when a few short years ago you couldn’t get on there for love nor money. Some years ago there was an article in T&D (I think) about Tolemans drivers and they were earning £32000,maybe 15 years ago or so. i contacted ECM a while ago along with a couple of others. Ecm earnings approx. £29000 and on there the job is a relief driver so you won’t have a regular wagon but something different evey week. To go back to the top, they’re always looking for drivers,that should tell you something and a wee bird told me they are something to do with Eddie Stobart ?
There used to be a Transporter Co. that were advertising working out of Romsey, but for the life of me I cant remember their name, a quick search on google came to nothing as well - not much help I know but might be a starting point I think they were based over in Belbins.
smcaul Sure that wasn`t Ramsgate?
Here is a list of Kent transport firms…
roadhaulage.co.uk/uk/View/Snip/kent
harry:
smcaul Sure that wasn`t Ramsgate?
Here is a list of Kent transport firms…
roadhaulage.co.uk/uk/View/Snip/kent
Not unless I can get to Ramsgate within 5 minutes of leaving my front door No, pretty sure it is Romsey 
I have an old friend who pulls out of Southampton for ECM and is very happy. I haven’t seen him for a while but he can be found in the Stockyard at least one night a week after 6pm.
Apparently the best bit of the job is that you can only tip the dealerships when they are open - so 8am - 6pm generally - yet you still take home the same money as those of us doing more normal tramping hours. Some days are longer when you’re loading on the docks, but others…Well, Stockyard by 6pm with the other lads. 'Nuf said.
If you can handle the small cabs, go for it, I would. (Tip - get the passenger seat taken out of your motor if it’s a regular one, to give you more room. Chuck a couple of cushion on the bunk to use it as a sofa.) 
I worked for Walon out of Portbury docks for a few years & whilst it was the best paid job I ever had it was also the dirtiest, wettest, most frustrating godforsaken job I’ve ever had!
Whilst the kit is much better now than in the past it is still very easy to do a lot of damage to some very expensive cars. If you pull the wrong lever by mistake you could easily flat-pack some ones new car right outside the dealers showroom.
If your truck is off the road for service,breakdown (and they do breakdown a lot more than other trucks) or in for MOT you can expect to earn about £45 a day unless you can get use of another truck.
If you get held up by a closed motorway, forget nipping round the back way & joining at the next junction because overhanging trees do an awful lot of damage to the new cars loaded across the top deck.
Sorry to be a bit negative but that can be the reality of the job.
On the other hand when you have mastered the kit you are using (it can take a while) you will be able to load all kinds of combinations of cars & comercials & when it’s done it really is something to proud of. You can stand back & think “I did that”. You also have to get used to people in cars on the motorway staring at the loaded truck. You can’t help thinking that something must be wrong with the load, but there won’t be, people are just fascinated by a fully loaded car transporter.
If you fancy it have a go but it’s like no other driving job out there.
And yes if I could have another chance at the “right job” I’d go back like a shot.
Life’s a Gas:
I worked for Walon out of Portbury docks for a few years & whilst it was the best paid job I ever had it was also the dirtiest, wettest, most frustrating godforsaken job I’ve ever had! Whilst the kit is much better now than in the past it is still very easy to do a lot of damage to some very expensive cars. If you pull the wrong lever by mistake you could easily flat-pack some ones new car right outside the dealers showroom.
If your truck is off the road for service,breakdown (and they do breakdown a lot more than other trucks) or in for MOT you can expect to earn about £45 a day unless you can get use of another truck.
If you get held up by a closed motorway, forget nipping round the back way & joining at the next junction because overhanging trees do an awful lot of damage to the new cars loaded across the top deck.
Sorry to be a bit negative but that can be the reality of the job.
On the other hand when you have mastered the kit you are using (it can take a while) you will be able to load all kinds of combinations of cars & comercials & when it’s done it really is something to proud of. You can stand back & think “I did that”. You also have to get used to people in cars on the motorway staring at the loaded truck. You can’t help thinking that something must be wrong with the load, but there won’t be, people are just fascinated by a fully loaded car transporter.
If you fancy it have a go but it’s like no other driving job out there.And yes if I could have another chance at the “right job” I’d go back like a shot.
Never a truer word It wasnt me, but a very expensive Aston Martin Vanquish was flatpacked while I worked at Ontime.
Amazingly the driver still works there, as I saw him in Swindon Truckstop a few weeks ago
I delivered a new Ford transit. at a dealers in Wakefield. It was five to five & my last drop.He told me to come back in the morning . Put down the ramps & reversed the van with the schmuck of a boss & and his foreman running out of the office to stop me. I was watching them in the mirror instead of where I was going & the front wheels came off the ramp. They were screaming ." DONT MOVE!! DONT MOVE !! " I stopped to give them time to get level with me. The front wheels were hanging in midair. The front axle was resting on the left ramp. I could see their mean little minds doing summersaults on how to lift the front off the ramp without damage. While they were getting excited on how to do this I took my foot off the the clutch, give it some revs & dragged it off! It made a horrible clatter as the axle rattled down the ramp These two cruds were having heart attacks …Lovely. The foreman whisked it away to an inspection pit and the only damage was a small scratch on one of the nuts that held the spring shackle . I got a clear sig. I told them it was my first day.
But in reality I had this happen before & knew that it all rested on this nut. It was made from a special hardened metal…
Another time I delivered a demo Police Range Rover to Wales. It was Newport Police HQ. I lugged it down from Solihull on a Ifor Williams trailer. I arrived in their yard & they all came out to look at their new toy. I undid the straps ,gunned up the V8 and drove off the back without putting down the ramps It landed on the tarmac & while it was quivering like a jelly on a plate I leaned out the window with the clipboard & said to the nearest uniform." Sign here please…" They were all standing around stunned.I acted like this was the normal way to deliver… // I had also done this before at Rovers yard when taking it back from another job.( In the middle of the night of course…) Heres a tip.Don`t do it slow or there is a danger of the front bumper catching the lip of the trailer…
I just landed a subcontract job in car transporting. no multi deck for me just a 3 car trailer. I did towing ( recovery work) for a while so I have a fair idea about it. the hours are awsome 8 till 5 or 6 fairly constant work… Its hard to get into here as there is not a high turn over of owner drivers. which sounds like a good place to be. I’ll post some pics of my set up when it ready in around 10 days. had to pull the tray off the little truck and fit a turn table 
fuel economy is great in it and its all mine
I got sick of the other work lots of manual lifting and slow payment 
so fingers crossed this will work out for me.
cheers
meggala
Best of luck Megga… She`ll be alright…!
Cheers for the replies,still dont know whether i could handle it should a job come up,Im just looking to do something a bit more challenging than containers,as im getting fat and lazy sitting on my arse all day, Ialso like the idea of earning proper money,but dont like the idea of loading/unloading all them cars without damaging them and also the thought of the wagon swaying and rocking all over the road
bikemonkey:
Cheers for the replies,still dont know whether i could handle it should a job come up,Im just looking to do something a bit more challenging than containers,as im getting fat and lazy sitting on my arse all day,
Hi Bikemonkey.
You can only give it a go.It was the 1st job i got just after passing my class 1 at 21.I found a local company that was willing to give me ago.And yes you do do damage.I smashed up the roof of a fiat tipo on my 1st day.
Its hard work.and looking at the trucks these days,very complicated to load some of the motors you see.But any company you drive for,should at least give you a week or two training.
At the moment i’m driving double deckers.But only boxvans.And when i hear the branches slapping on top of the roof,ive not as much to worry about as 4 or 5 mercs or bmw’s up there.
Good luck.
Tony b
I found it did my back in jumping in & out of the cars all day.