I think that it is a stupid question,I have 30 years experience on artics, so hopefully that get’s me around the FIMO thing.
My french is limited, so can anyone advise as to wether there is an english translation for the dreaded FCOS.
NO
**:D :smiley: :smiley: Welcome supertramp :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:**
Thanks for the (brief) reply, and the exciting welcome.
Never one to give up at the first attempt, i wonder if norberts danglers train new brit drivers with a tranlation.
I know first hand that ND are interested in employing brit drivers as i spoke to one of their drivers a few months ago on this subject, he rang his office and put me on to a very enthusatic french person who asked me to supply my cv without delay.
I imagine ND require uk based drivers for working mainly in the uk, which is not really for me, but it makes me think that if they have to comply with french regs then maybe all drivers have to have the FCOS.
Anyone have an opinion?
supertramp:
Thanks for the (brief) reply, and the exciting welcome.
Never one to give up at the first attempt, i wonder if norberts danglers train new brit drivers with a tranlation.
I know first hand that ND are interested in employing brit drivers as i spoke to one of their drivers a few months ago on this subject, he rang his office and put me on to a very enthusatic french person who asked me to supply my cv without delay.
I imagine ND require uk based drivers for working mainly in the uk, which is not really for me, but it makes me think that if they have to comply with french regs then maybe all drivers have to have the FCOS.
Anyone have an opinion?
We have 2000 French registered trucks and 30 or so UK registered to save the company this very problem. Norbert run UK registered trucks too.
To me the FCOS and FIMO will be the same as the driver CPC in 2014. Till then I think you will have to speak French for the exam.
30 years HGV(old before my time cant get used to LGV-thet’re Heavy ,FFS)or not, you will have to do the FIMO(initial-or first)'before you can do the FCOS.
DaveL:
30 years HGV(old before my time cant get used to LGV-thet’re Heavy ,FFS)or not, you will have to do the FIMO(initial-or first)'before you can do the FCOS.
Perhaps the cutoff qualifying period is 40 years then Dave, 
because I was only required to do the FCOS. 
As with so many things in the supposedly centralised France I think alot depends on where you live and who you apply to. 
And to re-inforce the short answer to the OP - No, it is in French.
Thanks for your help.
That’s the french,looking after their own interests again.
Maybe we should take a leaf out of their book.
supertramp:
Thanks for your help.
That’s the french,looking after their own interests again.
Maybe we should take a leaf out of their book.
We have, I dont see hordes of Jean Pierre’s and Jeannette’s battling their way to our shores with a 2CV and their life savings wrapped up in a wine soaked striped doudou 
At the risk of repeating myself.When I worked for Norbert out of Tours,in the '90’s,they offered the FIMO & FCOS in English or French.kerbut worked out of the office next to where I was.Ask him if I’m right.A guy ,also called Dave lived near Poitiers,had to do his in English as he couldn’t speak French.
I don’t know if kerbut did his in which language.
Wheel Nut:
supertramp:
Thanks for your help.
That’s the french,looking after their own interests again.
Maybe we should take a leaf out of their book.
Ah yes but you see while we are overrun with Foreign drivers who’s default answer to anything is "Sorree noo speke Eenglesh, (polska/ceska),"you get the idea. The French have made sure that any driver can get on with the job without phoning the office, handing the phone to some member of Joe Public to get instructions translated. Fair enought in my opinion, I worked out of Bordeaux for 4yrs and was expected to speak french well enough to do my Job
Dave
I was never offered the option to do it in English, I had to do it in French.
So did I,and I have to take it again in jan as mine as run outs(the fcos is for 5yrs)
DaveL:
At the risk of repeating myself.When I worked for Norbert out of Tours,in the '90’s,they offered the FIMO & FCOS in English or French.kerbut worked out of the office next to where I was.Ask him if I’m right.A guy ,also called Dave lived near Poitiers,had to do his in English as he couldn’t speak French.
I don’t know if kerbut did his in which language.
It seems Norbert Dentressangle is making up his own rules as he goes along then,
I was on the train with an English ND Driver and he told me that FCOS had finished, that was 5 minutes after telling me he had never heard of FIMO / FCOS 
We have 2 english drivers living in France who both did FCOS.
I believe the written “exam” is not that difficult but it does involve being able to understand the French instructor. and also being able to order Kir at the routier at lunchtime
How it was explained to me was that if you have FIMO / FCOS and are stopped by the ministry, civil servants or police, they will expect you to be able to converse with them, and correspond with them in French.
So it seems it is not a problem anymore, at least not until you are stopped whilst driving a French reg truck by the Douane or Gendarmerie.
http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000440810&dateTexte=
http://www.ile-de-france.equipement.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Guide_FIMO-FCO_web_cle5516ef.pdf
Presentation of the formation.
Assessment of knowledge of the drivers.
Taking into account and management d’ a vehicle.
Improvement with control.
Rules of road traffic and the operations, prevention of the accidents and respect of the other users.
Safety with work in circulation and l’ stop.
Loading of the vehicle (only in FCOS Goods).
Distribution and safety of the travellers (only in FCOS Travellers).
Gestures and postures.
Regulation of transport and social legislation.
Use of the methods of control of the activities.
Hygiene of life of the driver.
Evaluation of the assets.
Babel fish converted the above text for me
I have written elsewhere that the driver CPC is the diluted afterbirth of the FIMO as the French qualification required 156 hours of training over 4 weeks, so whether the new CPC will be accepted in France remains to be seen.
Edit for a spelling error.
Presumably the next to last line of that quote is to do with getting in and out of a Magnum then Malc? 
It gets worse.