I’m new here and I have a few questions about going into Europe. I have only ever driven rigids (Tippers, hook loaders etc.) which is only local work. Please forgive me for being CLUELESS about artics.
Where do you usually get loaded from? Would it be from your depot?
I am also curious about what kind of places you would be delivering to? Would it be supermarkets or factories or something else? Also, are multi-drops a common occurrence?
Finally, is it possible for a single driver/small company to become a sub-contractor for Lidl and deliver to Europe? Or is all Lidl’s stuff produced abroad?
Some of you may find the find the idiocy hilarious but I thought this would be the #1 place to ask
Loaded wherever. Usually at customers address but sometimes pick a loaded trailer from the yard. Have also swapped with another in the U.K. and took that one.
Deliveries - completely dependent in the load and what your firm specialises in. Some only do RDC’s, some only engineering/industrial type places and some only do airport cargo facilities. Some a mixture.
From my experience (might be wrong), with Lidl the products are coming Mainland to UK, and I imagine it’s the hauliers bringing it in taking stuff (if anything actually goes Uk to Eu) as a backload.
The jobs the same all over just they drive on the wrong side of the road the signs are different and most people I’ve encountered speak English + another language… that puts us down a peg or 2 since the Brits tend to be lazy in language.
Thanks lads! Cleared things up a bit. I never thought about the language barriers! I’m glad you say that because I am useless with foreign languages. I have noticed most of the British & Irish lorries that do Europe work aren’t left hookers. What’s it like driving on the wrong side of the road with a right hand drive?
Groupage loads are shared with many clients.So you can have a multi drop load in Italy that may take two days to empty the trailer as factories and warehouses shut early in the afternoon and they take long lunch breaks.
Some staff go home to have a proper meal then have a sleep.Then return to work.
You could be sent a long way just to unload one pallet or a small item.The road there will have poor or no signage and be narrow and twisty.
Every country will have large depots where a hundred trucks get loaded all day or all night.
Fleets of vans and smaller trucks will bring in goods to be transfered to the export trucks.
Or collect all the goods yourself which may take a day or two.If you are lucky,you may unload what was loaded in the UK then reload at the same place back to the UK.Tip and reload in an hour can be done.
and most people I’ve encountered speak English + another language… that puts us down a peg or 2 since the Brits tend to be lazy in language.
I have noticed most of the British & Irish lorries that do Europe work aren’t left hookers. What’s it like driving on the wrong side of the road with a right hand drive?