With working conditions so much better in Mainland Europe and wages also.
I wonder how many UK drivers are considering working in Europe for a much better life??
Whilst certain things are definatly better on the continent, facilities and tipping and loading times working for a company out there is somewhat different. The majority of international journies are carried out by EE hauliers whose drivers spend up to a month away at a time, something that I’m now seeing in Belgium is on a Friday several lorries from the same firm parked up and the drivers stood with all their possesions waiting on a mini bus to take them home so do a full days work then jump into a minibus to go to Romania or Bulgaria. The monthly figure in terms of pay may not look to bad but bear in mind a lot of these drivers are spending the month in the lorry.
If the pay and conditions are so good then why have they a shortage too? Doubt the Poles or whoever is driving all the flagged out Dutch lorries are on the same terms as a Dutchman otherwise why go to the effort of flagging out your fleet.
when these drivers travel long distance in a coach or mini bus home from work will this not counted as rest,if it is counted as rest it is wrong to allow it
I would ask try actually getting a job in Europe. Free movement is only theoretical, without speaking the local languages and having a local tax code in many cases you’ll find that getting a job in many countries is in fact impossible, then x2 for Brexit. British nationals have no automatic right to work in Europe, so now you’ll need to be sponsored by a company willing to hire you. Even if you have EU citizenship like Irish nationality but are based in the UK you’ll soon be stuck with a UK CPC and licence which may soon not be acceptable in Europe for employment purposes.
There will be exceptions of course, especially in countries where English is widely spoken, but pay, conditions and likely-hood of finding work is really on a country to country basis. In some countries HGV driving is much higher regarded than others despite shortages.
Also with the internet many companies are flooded with applications, and pretty much the only way to get a job is to barge your way in to the transport office and give your CV to the transport manager and offer to have a driving assessment right there.
I hate to write so much negative stuff but it’s the reality.
For me to…
Go back over the water, there’d have to be more money than is currently on offer.
Job went to rats as soon as Willi Betz, mobile phones and trackers got involved.
I’ve always been interested in it.
But the money has to be better than supermarket work. Which it is not. (That I have found anyway)
If I am going to spend weeks away from home I’d want to be paid top dollar.
I swear some people just take huge pay cuts just for the luxury of working in the EU. To each their own I guess. Don’t get me wrong I can see the appeal, driving across different countries. But at the end of the day its a driving job. So pay is an important factor.
fuse:
when these drivers travel long distance in a coach or mini bus home from work will this not counted as rest,if it is counted as rest it is wrong to allow it
If you are free to dispose of your time as you choose, and you choose to spend it on a minibus for personal reasons then it should be counted as rest. It is only when you are travelling for work without access to a bunk or couchette that it does not qualify.
Every now and again, I catch myself looking at Irish job advertising. Not mainland, but still EU
stu675:
fuse:
when these drivers travel long distance in a coach or mini bus home from work will this not counted as rest,if it is counted as rest it is wrong to allow itIf you are free to dispose of your time as you choose, and you choose to spend it on a minibus for personal reasons then it should be counted as rest. It is only when you are travelling for work without access to a bunk or couchette that it does not qualify.
Travelling home when you are not travelling from the vehicles base to your home then the time travelling is not counted as rest a Belgian MSA is not the vehicles base
I’m far more likely to move to Canada. While I’m anti-EU, I’m not anti-Europe, but I just have no interest.
Mazzer2:
stu675:
fuse:
when these drivers travel long distance in a coach or mini bus home from work will this not counted as rest,if it is counted as rest it is wrong to allow itIf you are free to dispose of your time as you choose, and you choose to spend it on a minibus for personal reasons then it should be counted as rest. It is only when you are travelling for work without access to a bunk or couchette that it does not qualify.
Travelling home when you are not travelling from the vehicles base to your home then the time travelling is not counted as rest a Belgian MSA is not the vehicles base
Many of these imported drivers do a 3 week stretch and then a week at home, the problem comes with losing your allocated vehicle.
I’ve worked for 2 Dutch and 2 Belguan outfits,.(one of which had a small depot over here) Then when I was made redundant I tried for a job at Essers, and Verhioeks but nothing came if it, so I started with a UK firm, until something better and similar to what I’d been doing for last few years turned up, …but I’m still there 12 years later. 
The firms I worked for used to load you to get (near) home at weekend or every second ir so week,.and I’d do multi drop work around UK with the stuff I’d brought over.
I was on great money,.and oodles of perks and bonuses (one of which that was paid in cash everytime I got back over to Belgium, that I spent on tobacco… all that I smoked myself I hasten to add 
…
So yeh,.I was quids in, and making a bloody lot more than I do today 12 years later.
On the other hand I now have a steady easy job, 3 nights out with minimal hours, that I have got well used to…so swings and roundabouts.
Not sure how it would have worked today if I had still being doing it, being out of EU, but to be honest I dont really care either.
Saw this on FB today:
A gem this morning on French lunchtime TV still to be confirmed.
The EU is considering offering special five year visas to UK HGV licence holders. "
Don’t know whether this has any legs, but Hey Ho 5 years is enough to get EU Citizenship Back
whisperingsmith:
With working conditions so much better in Mainland Europe and wages also.I wonder how many UK drivers are considering working in Europe for a much better life??
Isn’t it the case that conditions are only better in Holland, Germany, and Austria - with the race to the bottom there already well under way, hence the same shortage of EE drivers as we’ve got issues with here…
Can’t blame Brexit or IR35 for that. !
We still have not passed a law making oversized fuel tanks illegal, thus forcing foreign drivers over here to actually fill up here and pay a bit of blighty duty, rather than leave our laybys littered with Spanish Tizer, overflowing bins, and ripped curtains when the foreign cargo decides to switch lifts to yours overnight…
whisperingsmith:
Saw this on FB today:A gem this morning on French lunchtime TV still to be confirmed.
The EU is considering offering special five year visas to UK HGV licence holders. "Don’t know whether this has any legs, but Hey Ho 5 years is enough to get EU Citizenship Back
Wot’s going to motivate UK drivers to turn down £20-£30 rates already available for “ongoing work, ongoingly” - other than a rather larger wad of choochootrain money, relocation package better than the “Auf Widersehen Hut”, and full access to - What exactly?
What is it that makes “Conditions” better on the Continent anyways?
…Can’t say it would be much fun running out of “Working Week” and being stuck in a european layby because it is illegal to drive anywhere over the weekend…
whisperingsmith:
Saw this on FB today:A gem this morning on French lunchtime TV still to be confirmed.
The EU is considering offering special five year visas to UK HGV licence holders. "Don’t know whether this has any legs, but Hey Ho 5 years is enough to get EU Citizenship Back
Quick somebody give Kloss and Franglais a bell, it will be their dream gig…
Right of residency and citizenship are two different things.
Still no getting back free movement with the right to live and work in any European country.
robroy:
whisperingsmith:
Saw this on FB today:A gem this morning on French lunchtime TV still to be confirmed.
The EU is considering offering special five year visas to UK HGV licence holders. "Don’t know whether this has any legs, but Hey Ho 5 years is enough to get EU Citizenship Back
Quick somebody give Kloss and Franglais a bell, it will be their dream gig…
You have to wonder why they didn’t move to their EU utopia when they had the chance, they’re like the driver you meet in an RDC telling all in earshot how crap his job is, bump into him several years later and he’s still playing the same record, suggest that he could move elsewhere if he’s unhappy and he looks at you as if you’ve got two heads. Never understood why people stay somewhere when they’re obviously not happy.
Mazzer2:
robroy:
whisperingsmith:
Saw this on FB today:A gem this morning on French lunchtime TV still to be confirmed.
The EU is considering offering special five year visas to UK HGV licence holders. "Don’t know whether this has any legs, but Hey Ho 5 years is enough to get EU Citizenship Back
Quick somebody give Kloss and Franglais a bell, it will be their dream gig…
You have to wonder why they didn’t move to their EU utopia when they had the chance, they’re like the driver you meet in an RDC telling all in earshot how crap his job is, bump into him several years later and he’s still playing the same record, suggest that he could move elsewhere if he’s unhappy and he looks at you as if you’ve got two heads. Never understood why people stay somewhere when they’re obviously not happy.
Democracy is based and fuelled on opposition, I get that, but futile ■■■■■■■ against the wind style ) opposition with absolutely zero chance of achieving their aims by endless belly aching is a different ball game…
If I felt as strongly and as badly against something as they do, and an opportunity such as this came up, I’d either put up or shut up…who knows it could to permanent residency in their beloved EU, everybody would be happy, (especially us ) and they could keep us informed with added links of course ) how well they are doing . 
Ironically Robroy, if you are the driver on here with a Dutch wife you could get residency in the EU without a problem.
The residents of the UK have no right to take up residency in an EU country.