Getting out there

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I’ve almost no doubt this is a stupid question that I allready know the answer to, but if I can perhaps find some clarity that would be at least some help.

The situation is that I’m a young driver (just turned 23), but I do have a full licence (A, B, C, C+E, D, D+E), and my full CPC.

I’ve been driving since I was 21, mostly tipper work for a local quarry, but I’ve also done a bit of tank work, and I’m currently working for a garage that prepares trucks for DFS, and I’m getting the odd run out delivering the new trucks.

I was working for this local quarry up until about 2 months ago, when I became sick of being told to do muck-carting work at 56mph on back-roads, as I didn’t really become a driver to play ‘Hell Drivers’ and wasn’t prepared to lose my licence for anybody…

I’m currenty waiting for my licence to come back with 3 points on it, and shall be trying to find new jobs when it does, I know full well I’ve no chance of getting out into Europe just yet, but I’d like to ask where the best starting point would be?

I notice alot of British fridges returning from Europe, should I try to get into fridge work or is this irrelevent?

I do have a bus licence, but was more for if I make 60 and don’t fancy quarries anymore, would coaching perhaps be a better way to get experience?

On a less-serious note I also love them lacky-band tyres some of them have, they look proper boss :smiley: is this just for the bridge heights over the water?

Any tips would be much appreciated, many thanks in advance and sorry for the long post.

James F.

2

At your age you will be very very lucky if you get any job running to mainland Europe. I would say there may be more British coaches then trucks run abroad but this can be seasonal.

3

James If you want some sound advise from a semi-retired driver with over 45 years experience driving artics. ,Leave transport alone,Its nothing like it was in my day, You have only got to read some of the crap written on here to realise that truck driving is a thing of the past, theres no money in it, and what money you make you will probably have to pay out in fines .
And if you reach the banning stage of 12 points not only can you not work, but because its your own fault you cannot draw dole.
Call me a silly old bugger if you want, but I wouldn’t go into transport these days at any price. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

4

Back years ago I had a friend who wanted to start doing Europe and he got on the coaches easily enough as part of a 2 man team, first trip was 3 months though which took in not only Europe but Russia and the Baltic states with a bunch of American post grads, he was knackered when he got back and that had nothing to do with the driving :wink: :wink: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

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Hi Jef.I must say i am of the same mind as Rocky.I also am old[61]and still drive.However i drive a tipper in a mine up here.We also have trucks doing ‘‘long dist’’ but i wouldn’t entertain the thought of going back ‘‘on the road’’ in this day and age.
Ok,i drive ‘‘off road’’ so have no problems with tachos,less stress re wtd,health and safety,paperwork,etc.You have a good job,ok its a bit dirty,but you have much less crap from jobsworths,no rdc’s,less worries about paying a weeks wages out in a fine because of some minor infraction.Also the job is relatively easy,you just load crap in the back,take it somewhere and tip it out,no worry about shortages,breakages,etc.
Just before i moved up here one of my last trips was from Holland to Tromso.I ended up driving for 5 hrs without a break as i was in a snowstorm.I got stopped,and even after explaining all the safety issues it still cost nearly £1000.Whats the point of driving anymore.

6

where do you live?

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Jef, finding a job that takes you across the water is pure pot luck. No clue as to your location but different areas mean different types of work. Down here on the south coast, it is nearly all fridges whilst in say, South Wales, you’d have S&K that use tautliners. Like two previous posters, I am ‘getting on’ but I still get a lot of enjoyment out of driving abroad and pitting my wits against the local plod.
If i was you, depending on your location, have a good look around and see what firms go abroad in your area. Then apply for a job making NO mention of European work. Let them tell you about the work they do else they’ll think you’re just a ‘glory boy’ looking for Euro work only.
Don’t worry about your age … if they want you, they’ll take you on.

Then when you are lucky enough to find that job, DO NOT talk to the ‘yard lawyers’ about the rules and regs abroad cos they are the chaps that will get you fined thousands. Ask in the office or even in here. Sure, the fines abroad can be horrendous for what may seem to us a trivial matter but remember … if you get fined for breaking a law, then you have done wrong and won’t get away lightly with it like you do here. Offences like running with no card or on the wire etc will attract fines of 3-4 thousand euros … and that has to be paid on the spot!! Hours offences can run in to 1-2K. I have had two fines abroad … one for winding the clock on 6 hrs which cost €1500 and one for not having 21 days worth of cards with me (I had 21 but the wrong bloody 21, a trivial matter). That one cost me €135 per missing card or €965.

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I have had two fines abroad … one for winding the clock on 6 hrs which cost €1500

Austin, I think I paid for that one didn’t I? :confused:

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rocky 7:
James If you want some sound advise from a semi-retired driver with over 45 years experience driving artics. ,Leave transport alone,Its nothing like it was in my day, You have only got to read some of the crap written on here to realise that truck driving is a thing of the past, theres no money in it, and what money you make you will probably have to pay out in fines .
And if you reach the banning stage of 12 points not only can you not work, but because its your own fault you cannot draw dole.
Call me a silly old bugger if you want, but I wouldn’t go into transport these days at any price. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Thats very sound advice,i have 34yrs exp uk/eu [now ret 10yrs] and the jobs no good anymore,it was going downhill when i retired however if you still fancy a go i wish you the very best of luck.
regards dave.

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I agree with all thecomments above-mostly negative.I would take a lot of persuading to do Europe again.Let’s not forget jef is only 23 and actually wants to get over there.Remember how you wanted that first experience? I do.Difference is we’ve seen tightening up of laws all over the place,some silly,some not,and decided to get out.jef,if he can get a start will regard Europe now as normal and take it from there.Keep digging,keep asking.Right place,right time.It will happen-good luck.

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Plambert:

I have had two fines abroad … one for winding the clock on 6 hrs which cost €1500

Austin, I think I paid for that one didn’t I? :confused:

Bugger me, where did you pop up from? LOL. You watching me? I thought it would be safe to mention that one. The other one cost me though. I had handed in a set of cards and kept 21 days worth. I had week 1, week 2 and week 4 … I had handed in week 3’s by mistake. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the cards I had yet she still did me. I knew I was in trouble when I called her ‘sweetheart’ and she slammed the desk and told me ‘I am not your sweetheart and never will be’. That was the peage at Bordeaux.

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TheBear:

Plambert:

I have had two fines abroad … one for winding the clock on 6 hrs which cost €1500

Austin, I think I paid for that one didn’t I? :confused:

Bugger me, where did you pop up from? LOL. You watching me? I thought it would be safe to mention that one. The other one cost me though. I had handed in a set of cards and kept 21 days worth. I had week 1, week 2 and week 4 … I had handed in week 3’s by mistake. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the cards I had yet she still did me. I knew I was in trouble when I called her ‘sweetheart’ and she slammed the desk and told me ‘I am not your sweetheart and never will be’. That was the peage at Bordeaux.

That bloody peage brings me out in a cold sweat every time I’m heading north, had my pocket lightened there a couple of times and one lucky escape, got pulled into lay-by by the douanes who had a quick word and looked in the cab, climbed out and said ok, just as he was saying it the cop was getting out of a Dutch cab and walking towards me, too late though, as the douane shut the door I gunned her and saw the copper running and waving, but obviously I didn’t see him, came off the Ondres exit to replace a blown fuse…!!!

13

Lots of pointless advice from old men who are fed up because it’s not like it was in their day. Get out of transport isn’t good advice. Luckily I grew up round transport so I learned to filter out the crap from the old guys telling me I was making a mistake long before I became a driver. If I’d listened to other people my life would have been very disappointing.

My advice, if you want to do it go for it. You should give the likes of Nedexco and HSF a try. It’s not running back and forth to Spain and Italy but its a start on euro work and where I started out. The job is what you make it, I’ve been driving 15 years this year and you know what, I still love what I do. Even more than when I started. So don’t listen to the neysayers. Go out there, do what you want to do and be happy doing it. Don’t chase the money, you’ll soon turn bitter if you do with a string of boring jobs behind you. Chase the work you want to do. Don’t be afraid to change jobs. Virginia was my 19th or 20th job at the age of 29. I enjoyed them all but was always looking for a certain job, I found it here. And I never followed my head, I went with my gut and I’ve no regrets. If I’d went with I head I may still be driving local buses round West Wales like all the young drivers I worked with 15 years ago still are. You want to do Europe then get out there and do it. I promise despite what the oldies say you won’t be disappointed, it can still be fun.

Life is about one thing, happiness. Find that and everything else follows.

14

switchlogic:
Lots of pointless advice from old men who are fed up because it’s not like it was in their day. Get out of transport isn’t good advice. Luckily I grew up round transport so I learned to filter out the crap from the old guys telling me I was making a mistake long before I became a driver. If I’d listened to other people my life would have been very disappointing.

My advice, if you want to do it go for it. You should give the likes of Nedexco and HSF a try. It’s not running back and forth to Spain and Italy but its a start on euro work and where I started out. The job is what you make it, I’ve been driving 15 years this year and you know what, I still love what I do. Even more than when I started. So don’t listen to the neysayers. Go out there, do what you want to do and be happy doing it. Don’t chase the money, you’ll soon turn bitter if you do with a string of boring jobs behind you. Chase the work you want to do. Don’t be afraid to change jobs. Virginia was my 19th or 20th job at the age of 29. I enjoyed them all but was always looking for a certain job, I found it here. And I never followed my head, I went with my gut and I’ve no regrets. If I’d went with I head I may still be driving local buses round West Wales like all the young drivers I worked with 15 years ago still are. You want to do Europe then get out there and do it. I promise despite what the oldies say you won’t be disappointed, it can still be fun.

Life is about one thing, happiness. Find that and everything else follows.

Well said that man, you only live once!
PS im an old git aswell :laughing:

15

Sir +:
I agree with all thecomments above-mostly negative.I would take a lot of persuading to do Europe again.Let’s not forget jef is only 23 and actually wants to get over there.Remember how you wanted that first experience? I do.Difference is we’ve seen tightening up of laws all over the place,some silly,some not,and decided to get out.jef,if he can get a start will regard Europe now as normal and take it from there.Keep digging,keep asking.Right place,right time.It will happen-good luck.

I think this a Lukes post sums it up really.
The past can always look good from the everyday of the present, When I drive a truck now I’m normally in nice clean clothes and if I do get dirty I know I’ll get a shower in the hotel that night, but I can look at my first driving jobs with fondness and wish I was back there, even though I was driving a Renault G290 on tilt work and doing silly hours and either spent my day cold and wet or dirty and sweaty from stripping the tilt or moving the load in and out with a pallet truck.
And when I started older drivers kept telling me it was a big mistake truck driving was not like it used to be. But like the Jef is now I was young and keen and we mustn’t forget the Enthusiasm of youth and sometimes instead of knocking it you should try and let a bit of it rub off on you.

Jef don’t worry to much about your age and lack of experience, it’ll probably go against you, but knock on doors anyway you might end up in the right place at the right time and If you don’t give it a go you’ll never know if you liked it or not.

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Time to look stupid now…

But what is meant by ‘tilt work’?

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dar1976:
Time to look stupid now…

But what is meant by ‘tilt work’?

it’s like an early version of a curtainsider.
think of a flatbed, with a frame which is covered with a big sheet.

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I’ve spent a good percentage of my driving life running round Europe in a truck, and every time i change jobs back to a job that gets me home every night, i utter those famous words "Thatrs it, no more driving in Europe for me, i wont miss it blah blah blah…) Then something happens, the phone rings with a “Do you fancy?” or “Can you do a quick trip to…” and if the truth be told its not until i go back to doing it, that i realise how much i missed it…

I did a quick job for some one on Boxing day out to Germany, was supposed to be 4 days, ive now been on the said job 3 weeks and and on the verge of a full time job which ive been pushing for. The money is pretty decent, the tackle is top notch. No weekends away if you dont want them. I dont go very far compared to some, France, Belgie, Holland, Germany but it does me, this week i only went as far as Belgium but was out the country for most of the week. It quenches my thirst for European work without causing me too many problems in my personal life, its no worse than being away Monday to Friday in the UK.

As Luke has said, you could do a lot worse than try a Visbeen/HSF type job, most, if not all run legal now. They all like their pound of flesh but who doesnt in the current climate.

If you let us know where abouts in the country you are then can offer some pointers as to who to try…

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dar1976:
Time to look stupid now…

But what is meant by ‘tilt work’?

Pulling a tilt trailer, one of these. Aluminium dropsides and a PVC cover on steel framework.

They used to be the standard trailer for Euro work, though Euroliners have largely taken over now.

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dar1976:
Time to look stupid now…

But what is meant by ‘tilt work’?

The were a trailer designed for international TIR work, basically a flat bed trailer with dropsides and a metal frame work covered by a big sheet (tilt) then sealed with a TIR cord. I never used them on International work, but did mult drop in the UK after picking them up from the docks. The sheets were always dirty and when wet the dirty water would run off onto you as you tried to flip the back sheet over it to get it into it to unload it. Or you could strip them right down to get loads craned out I only had to do that once, although stripping the side out to get loads that wouldn’t go through the back was quite common.
Pic of my brothers truck. I can’t find a picture of one opened up.

But as you can imagine that goingt o be loads of fun trying to get the side of that tilt opened.