Winseer:
I wouldn’t object to doing Euro runs if I was paid by the hour. Could get quite lucrative with all those channel crossing hold-ups, waiting time, and not being able to drive at weekends like that.
If we closed our borders properly, we’d not get some mug from abroad coming over here from there @ E200 a week or less either… More work for us at better rates. It’s a shame that international trucking isn’t unionised in this country eh?
This ^^^^
Instead of which it’s a day/salary and when you add up the hours it’s a load of bobbins, unless you really don’t mind working half the week for nowt.
And yes, I am aware some folk don’t mind it! I just happen to prefer to get paid for the hours I work, rather than to accept otherwise!
Not really true though. Despite what you may read on here from the heroes medium to long distance European work is one of the easiest jobs going. Often with days never leaving the motorway and working less than 10 hours. Plus unlike the UK delays at deliveries and collections are nowhere near as common. In the long run the pay evens out to the point where there would be hardly any difference between hourly and daily pay
Winseer:
I wouldn’t object to doing Euro runs if I was paid by the hour. Could get quite lucrative with all those channel crossing hold-ups, waiting time, and not being able to drive at weekends like that.
If we closed our borders properly, we’d not get some mug from abroad coming over here from there @ E200 a week or less either… More work for us at better rates. It’s a shame that international trucking isn’t unionised in this country eh?
This ^^^^
Instead of which it’s a day/salary and when you add up the hours it’s a load of bobbins, unless you really don’t mind working half the week for nowt.
And yes, I am aware some folk don’t mind it! I just happen to prefer to get paid for the hours I work, rather than to accept otherwise!
Not really true though. Despite what you may read on here from the heroes medium to long distance European work is one of the easiest jobs going. Often with days never leaving the motorway and working less than 10 hours. Plus unlike the UK delays at deliveries and collections are nowhere near as common. In the long run the pay evens out to the point where there would be hardly any difference between hourly and daily pay
I’m sure that’s true, to some extent, some of the time.
But, if I’m in a truck all the time, I’m not at home. And that’s working. It stops me doing all the things I want to do during the evening or whenever. If I’m not getting paid for that, I’m not happy. I want recompensing for the hours I’m away, not taking home the same as I would (or less?) if I was home every night.
Derf:
When we were pulling for Eurotrans in the early 90’s, their Italian drivers (and little Jimmy, a Scot employed by them) would regularly do 2 x Hull - Rome a week.
limeyphil:
I’ve had someone asking me every other day to get him a start at our place.
I wanted to have a week or two off, so I arranged for him to get a foot in the door by doing two Italy’s. If all went well he’d get a full time job.
He lets me down at the last minute.
What is it with some people?
Derf:
When we were pulling for Eurotrans in the early 90’s, their Italian drivers (and little Jimmy, a Scot employed by them) would regularly do 2 x Hull - Rome a week.
Of course all perfectly legal??
2 trips 3960 miles, 60hrs per week…66mph!!
56 hrs per week…71mph!!
Wonder why the job went ■■■■ up!!!
2 trips from Hull would be more like 5000 miles.
Based on Hull- Zeebruge crossing.
Microsoft Autoroute says Zeebruge-Rome …960 miles.
x4 gives 3960 miles.
Never done it myself just going off what that says.
Ship out of Hull Sat night into ZeeBee, down to Lux / France Border Sunday morning, then run like the clappers for Frejus Sunday night (the Italians would often one hit it from Zeebrugge to the tunnel on the Sunday)
We used to tip Findus at Cisterna Di Latina Tues morning, reload anywhere from Bari to Bologna Wed, then home. We’d often pass the Italian lads (and Wee Jimmy) who shipped over with us on the Saturday night boat coming South in the bottom half of the week as we were running back for the Calais boat (usually tipping Spalding way).
I’m sure there are other ex Eurotrans subbies on here that could testify to the bonkers mileage and runs some of them used to do.
(This was in the days when you could get away with it and run most of the Italian A14 for little more than small change by swapping the peage ticket with the guys heading for Greece)
Winseer:
I wouldn’t object to doing Euro runs if I was paid by the hour. Could get quite lucrative with all those channel crossing hold-ups, waiting time, and not being able to drive at weekends like that.
If we closed our borders properly, we’d not get some mug from abroad coming over here from there @ E200 a week or less either… More work for us at better rates. It’s a shame that international trucking isn’t unionised in this country eh?
This ^^^^
Instead of which it’s a day/salary and when you add up the hours it’s a load of bobbins, unless you really don’t mind working half the week for nowt.
And yes, I am aware some folk don’t mind it! I just happen to prefer to get paid for the hours I work, rather than to accept otherwise!
Not really true though. Despite what you may read on here from the heroes medium to long distance European work is one of the easiest jobs going. Often with days never leaving the motorway and working less than 10 hours. Plus unlike the UK delays at deliveries and collections are nowhere near as common. In the long run the pay evens out to the point where there would be hardly any difference between hourly and daily pay
I’m sure that’s true, to some extent, some of the time.
But, if I’m in a truck all the time, I’m not at home. And that’s working. It stops me doing all the things I want to do during the evening or whenever. If I’m not getting paid for that, I’m not happy. I want recompensing for the hours I’m away, not taking home the same as I would (or less?) if I was home every night.
Each to their own of course!
If you take a job doing distance in the uk or Europe you accept you ain’t going to be home every night it’s part of the job.
If you don’t want to there’s plenty of jobs that will see you home at night but at the same time you then can’t moan you are only going to a limited number of places.
I just happen to prefer to get paid for the hours I work, rather than to accept otherwise!
