It goes back to pre Anglo Saxon times, 500ad. The Anglo’s, now the English, only got as far north as the Scot’s border due to it being a known high cholesterol level area and as far west as the Severn Bridge 'cos they couldn’t afford the toll.
They wouldn’t risk Brittany 'cos there was no guarantee of ever getting back, booking or not.
george3:
It goes back to pre Anglo Saxon times, 500ad. The Anglo’s, now the English, only got as far north as the Scot’s border due to it being a known high cholesterol level area and as far west as the Severn Bridge 'cos they couldn’t afford the toll.
They wouldn’t risk Brittany 'cos there was no guarantee of ever getting back, booking or not.
Hi george3, I reckon it might go a bit further back than that mate. 
It’s thought that the Romans first had a look at us in 55BC, but only invaded in 44BC.
Since history is written by the victors, what isn’t so well known is that the original invasion was actually in 55BC, but that invasion failed due to the chosen landing site. The red-faced Roman historians wouldn’t admit that they originally chose Liverpool, but the 11-year delay was due to the dock workers refusing to unload their ships because they’d been blacked in an EEC trade dispute. 
Once they’d got themselves disentangled from Liverpool, they sailed to Dover, where almost anybody can get in.
To answer the original question, I’d say that having a foreign language won’t necessarily be the deciding factor in a driver’s rate of pay, but it’s certainly advantageous in some situations and could be the deciding factor in whether a person is selected for initial interview. IMHO, It depends on the way that the job vacancy advert is written, because it’s ok for an employer to ask for certain qualifications in potential applicants without it being regarded as discriminatory as long as the deciding factors aren’t race, colour, religion, gender etc.
Don’t most drivers speak fluent truckanease anyway 
Why learn any other language 
“Desperanto”
Vascoingles:
apart from English I am fluent and read and write 4 other languages and no one has ever paid me nowt extra for it
tell me vas are you fluent in Euskadi■■?
really difficult to understand and even harder to read
only the basques and very drunk dyslexics have a clue 
The funniest thing is when you call a customer or a restaurant and you do not speak each others language. It gets quite comical as both parties raise their voices to be understood.
I once called a small restaurant in France because I was running late, this particular one near Cherbourg had limited parking. It started off with me asking to speak to any GBE drivers. Oui! Allo! GBE? Oui Allo. You GBE? Oui. GeeBayOo? Oui Allo.
Allo or rather Bonsoir. after several minutes, I must have spoke to every customer and member of staff in the place. I decided than it was too busy to get a parking place and continued to Cherbourg and got a take away meal from La Friterie 
Are there any educational language tapes specifically for drivers?
If not can anyone recommend what the best tapes/books to start off with?
I created once a mini-dictionary for drivers.
English-Polish.
Can find and send it if anyone would be interested.
I’m thinking English - French/German/Spanish to start off with orys but thanks for the offer.
orys:
I created once a mini-dictionary for drivers.English-Polish.
Can find and send it if anyone would be interested.
Orys please don’t get offended cos i’m sure you are clean and tidy but how do you say in polish
“why do you wear sandals and socks?” and
" do you know there are showers here?"
welshboyinspain:
“why do you wear sandals and socks?”
I can translate it, but it’s no point. There is no answer for this question in any language
welshboyinspain:
“why do you wear sandals and socks?”
orys:
I can translate it, but it’s no point. There is no answer for this question in any language
The answer is - wearing shoes without socks is uncomfortable
ROG:
welshboyinspain:
“why do you wear sandals and socks?”orys:
I can translate it, but it’s no point. There is no answer for this question in any languageThe answer is - wearing shoes without socks is uncomfortable
Not shoes! Sandals!!! That’s a BIG POLISH MISTERY!!!
Btw: I found this wee dictionary and placed it HERE: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=29308&p=306172#p306172
If someone will go East - to Poland or else to Slovakia etc. - feel free to print it as it might be usefull.
So what’s Jiggy Jiggy in Polish?
berewic:
So what’s Jiggy Jiggy in Polish?
you can say “bara bara” 
orys:
berewic:
So what’s Jiggy Jiggy in Polish?you can say “bara bara”
I never knew that the Polish spoke the same language as the Welsh 
berewic:
So what’s Jiggy Jiggy in Polish?
That should come in handy on those cold nights in a layby on the A12
Wheel Nut:
The funniest thing is when you call a customer or a restaurant and you do not speak each others language. It gets quite comical as both parties raise their voices to be understood.I once called a small restaurant in France because I was running late, this particular one near Cherbourg had limited parking. It started off with me asking to speak to any GBE drivers. Oui! Allo! GBE? Oui Allo. You GBE? Oui. GeeBayOo? Oui Allo.
Allo or rather Bonsoir. after several minutes, I must have spoke to every customer and member of staff in the place. I decided than it was too busy to get a parking place and continued to Cherbourg and got a take away meal from La Friterie
If you ever think of a change of career Wheelnut; and if there is ever a remake of ,Allo ,Allo then I suggest that you are the ideal man for the part of Officer Crabtree. Reading that post was like watching Crabtree and Rene misunderstanding each other.Bloody Brilliant. Magnifique mon ami.N,est ce pas??