Foreign truckers

I’ve just started driving coaches abroad and I don’t think Italian truck drivers are as professional as the British. Whenever I passed an Italian truck, it would veer onto the hard shoulder quite alarmingly. Many drove too close to the one in front, and many pulled out with no indication whatsoever. When I was in the courier seat, I noticed many of them reading newspapers, having phone conversations etc.

On British motorways it seems to me its the foreign trucks that block lane 2 and slow overtaking maneouvres. Usually its a Belgian truck vs a French truck etc. So what do you guys think about this. Implement an overtaking ban for foreign trucks only on certain motorways, selected stretches and times.

I drove coaches abroad for 8yrs and have to agree with you that some drivers can make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. But having said that, some english drivers can do that to you over here.

As for foreign trucks clogging up lane 2, I cant say I’ve noticed cos most of 'em coming screaming past me even when I’m sat on the limiter. :cry:

Well i drove a coach for about 2 weeks and i thought [zb] that for a living whiny old pensioner passenger gits and loud mouth brats :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

simon

SimonRS2K:
Well i drove a coach for about 2 weeks and i thought [zb] that for a living whiny old pensioner passenger gits and loud mouth brats :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

simon

Pmsl.

I have always said it would be the best job in the world if you didnt have to pick passengers up. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

jase11:

SimonRS2K:
Well i drove a coach for about 2 weeks and i thought [zb] that for a living whiny old pensioner passenger gits and loud mouth brats :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

simon

Pmsl.

I have always said it would be the best job in the world if you didnt have to pick passengers up. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Now that i will agree on :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:
simon

its a continental thing, they go to the hard shoulder to give you more room and reduce the drag allowing you to pass quicker, in fact the only ones who don’t do it are the brits

Are you serious? :open_mouth:

SimonRS2K:

jase11:

SimonRS2K:
Well i drove a coach for about 2 weeks and i thought [zb] that for a living whiny old pensioner passenger gits and loud mouth brats :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp:

simon

Pmsl.

I have always said it would be the best job in the world if you didnt have to pick passengers up. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Now that i will agree on :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:
simon

Been there done that got the t-shirt

6 years on multidrop grannies
:smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

we had a saying at our depot
“An empty bus is a happy bus”

I did the bus driving thing for nearly 3 and 1/2 but i really couldnt get on with the passengers, Then i did a 12 month stint as a traffic clerk but got bored to tears with telling passengers to [zb] off on behalf of drivers :sunglasses: :sunglasses: so decided back to heavy goods where the load doesnt argue back :laughing: :laughing:

simon

Coach driving and truck driving is like comparing chalk and cheese. Myself, I hate being alone. I’m more of a social person and get along well with people, hence coach driving is ideal for me (until the train driving application comes through hopefully) :slight_smile:

Jase11,

Your comments about passengers, or lack of them, reminds me of a trip I did in late 1975. I drove this LHD Fiat bus from Istanbul to Delhi with a full load of passengers, roughly 4000 miles, where they alighted, or should I say, I tipped.

This motor was a seller, the owner asked me to run it up to Katmandu, Nepal where foreign vehicles could still be sold in those days. The Indian authourities had stopped this some years before, as had earlier, the Afghans. This sort of thing still went on at the time, but penalties if caught, made it not worth the risk just for a few thousand dollars.

Anyway, it was one of the best driving experiences I’ve had, a reasonably long distance drive in an empty large bus, not having to think about, or consider passengers. I managed to prolong the journey to a week, stopping where it suited me at night, sometimes sleeping across the back seats or in cheap hotels.

The photo was taken in Pokhra, west Nepal, leaving an easy drive east to Katmandu through the Himalayan foothills the next day. It took about five days to find a buyer, set up the sale and so on for the owner, then I flew out to Singapore, enjoyed a week there before flying on to Perth in Western Australia to get a proper job.

-daveb0789,

Apologies for going Off Topic, I almost forgot about Foreign Truckers. If you are wanting the worst, then in my experience I would say the Turks, the Tahir Pass in eastern Turkey was a good place to see them at their worst. They were closely followed by Indians. Some of the long distance Afghan truck drivers would refuse to use any form of lights. The long distance Iranian drivers running to Europe, I thought were very good.

I photographed this Afghan truck between Kandahar and Kabul in 1968, on another trip. These vehicles covered vast distances, and would never depart from anywhere until they were overloaded.

But all this was a long time ago, I doubt if anything is very different.

4000 miles in a coach with out any passengers? BLISS.
The nearest I got was driving out empty to milan, but then the grannies were flown out for me. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: Apparently they couldnt stand that drive on a coach.

these would scare them all away :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

jase11:
4000 miles in a coach with out any passengers? BLISS.
The nearest I got was driving out empty to milan, but then the grannies were flown out for me. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: Apparently they couldnt stand that drive on a coach.

Strange, coach holidays going that sort of distance and beyond are quite popular at our company

daveb0789:

jase11:
4000 miles in a coach with out any passengers? BLISS.
The nearest I got was driving out empty to milan, but then the grannies were flown out for me. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: Apparently they couldnt stand that drive on a coach.

Strange, coach holidays going that sort of distance and beyond are quite popular at our company

Who you working for if you dont mind me asking?

Cheers

Jase

Oh sorry… I’m after TruckNet UK not Coach Net.
Must have typed the wrong address in the browser.
My mistake!

Sheeter intresting tale why not start another thread telling us about it i for one would be interested :sunglasses: :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

And dont worry about ianyng he’s just bitter as he spends most of his life on sea france ferries :wink: :wink:

simon

BOG OFF! :laughing:

:smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:
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