today i was contacted by a firm offering me a job doing europe with a left ■■■■■■, i knocked the job back cos ive never driven a left hand drive before…
am i being a wosse and should have just got on and done it, i didnt want to try and fool them as you are easily caught out.
advice please.
You could have been up front before taking the job.
The decision is then theirs.
Look at it this way, they see you as honest and don’t offer you the job but keep your details at the top of their driver needed list.
Other side they see your limitations but give yuo the job you get the experiance.
Alot depends on the distance and time away too.
Hope that helps
jessicas dad:
today i was contacted by a firm offering me a job doing europe with a left ■■■■■■, i knocked the job back cos ive never driven a left hand drive before…am i being a wosse and should have just got on and done it, i didnt want to try and fool them as you are easily caught out.
advice please.
Wuss…Just explain your situation, they have a choice, to use you, or, put the phone down. 
Honesty would have impressed IMO 
I was honest and they wanted someone just to jump in the wagon and go.
jessicas dad:
I was honest and they wanted someone just to jump in the wagon and go.
It don`t read like that… 
On another subject, what you paying for P.L. Insurance ?
You know my thoughts on the subject, but fully agree and understand your decision and to be honest and knowing the company, you were probably right to be honest.
Stanley Mitchell:
jessicas dad:
I was honest and they wanted someone just to jump in the wagon and go.It don`t read like that…
On another subject, what you paying for P.L. Insurance ?
what do you it dosent read like that 
the fella phoned me, he has a driver on holiday next week and asked if i could cover it. turns out the lorry was left hand drive i didnt want to blag it so i told him i didnt have left ■■■■■■ experiance, he wanted someone to just to jump and go.
im not happy about trying to fool someone especailly driving a left ■■■■■■ from the uk to europe out all week and back again. he has asked i email through my driving license details so maybe all is not lost.
public liabiltiy is £180 for 2 mill.
thats a difficult call to make compounded by the fact you would be driving on the wrong side of the road .
when i first passed my hgv i was given a volvo f89 ( lefty as you know ) that should have been my first wagon , i got in it and i drove it without spending to much time thinking about it and i managed ok , i didnt hit anything and it didnt take long to get used to it , the biggest problem i found was joining the motorway ( OH MY THE BLIND SPOTS ).
sometimes its best to not over think something and just do it , thinking can get you in a fluster .
however i fully understand what you mean and if i was expected to go euro with the f89 all those years ago maybe i wouldnt have done it .
its a very strange feeling to start with but its something you grasp quite quickly and i wouldnt have a problem getting in one now even though its been years since i drove one .
bite the bullet you’ll be suprised what you can do .
You would have had a few seat chewing moments like getting on the train or approaching
a peage.
It can seem a bit daunting at first but you soon get used to it.
I have drove both sides for over 20 years and you soon learn to cope.
Have a go it wont be a boring week thats for sure 
jessicas dad:
Stanley Mitchell:
jessicas dad:
I was honest and they wanted someone just to jump in the wagon and go.It don`t read like that…
On another subject, what you paying for P.L. Insurance ?
what do you it dosent read like that
the fella phoned me, he has a driver on holiday next week and asked if i could cover it. turns out the lorry was left hand drive i didnt want to blag it so i told him i didnt have left ■■■■■■ experiance, he wanted someone to just to jump and go.
im not happy about trying to fool someone especailly driving a left ■■■■■■ from the uk to europe out all week and back again. he has asked i email through my driving license details so maybe all is not lost.
public liabiltiy is £180 for 2 mill.
I think the use of the phrase “Knocked it back” did it for me, no offence 
The £180/£2mill, whos it with ?, Ive managed to get away with this for a long time, [ I was advised by my insurance brokers that i did not need this cover], now, my main supplier of work has had his knuckles wrapped, and its now a requirement from yesterday, I`ve been looking on the net, its all much of a muchness price wise TBH
jessicas dad:
today i was contacted by a firm offering me a job doing europe with a left ■■■■■■, i knocked the job back cos ive never driven a left hand drive before…am i being a wosse and should have just got on and done it, i didnt want to try and fool them as you are easily caught out.
advice please.
I would have said, look. I have never driven a left ■■■■■■, but have lots of experience in the UK, what is the job and I will see if I can fit you in.
By the time you got to Dover you would have cracked it, the roundabouts are the worst things in the UK if you forget to position yourself correctly… 
Driving in Europe is a piece of ■■■■, it must be, the Belgians can do it 
Wheel Nut:
jessicas dad:
today i was contacted by a firm offering me a job doing europe with a left ■■■■■■, i knocked the job back cos ive never driven a left hand drive before…am i being a wosse and should have just got on and done it, i didnt want to try and fool them as you are easily caught out.
advice please.
I would have said, look. I have never driven a left ■■■■■■, but have lots of experience in the UK, what is the job and I will see if I can fit you in.
By the time you got to Dover you would have cracked it, the roundabouts are the worst things in the UK if you forget to position yourself correctly…
Driving in Europe is a piece of ■■■■, it must be, the Belgians can do it
mmmmmmm i know what your saying but to be honest working for myself i want to feel 100% taking on an assignment and not want to ruin my reputation stuffing up big time.
Stanley Mitchell:
The £180/£2mill, whos it with ?, Ive managed to get away with this for a long time, [ I was advised by my insurance brokers that i did not need this cover], now, my main supplier of work has had his knuckles wrapped, and its now a requirement from yesterday, I`abiltiy is £180 for 2 millve been looking on the net, its all much of a muchness price wise TBH
towergate or similar, you have to listen to the clauses though. thats without hazardous.
I will do it if you dont want it.
oatcake1967:
I will do it if you dont want it.
isnt the commute a bit far
jessicas dad:
oatcake1967:
I will do it if you dont want it.isnt the commute a bit far
Im in the UK at the moment,staying with mummy in Stoke. I just did 3 months for TTX in Oldham but I want some more work before I jet off again.
JD.
I don’t reckon you would have had a problem. I’ve done both on UK and mainland. TBH, I prefer a RHD in Euro if I’m going to be on s/c roads a lot. I seem to remember which side of the road to be on better (I just remember to be in my rightful place, the gutter).
Either way of being in a wrong handed truck for that country, it does need a little more forward planning, it’s the only time you would happily want a passenger…
You could always practice having massive blind spots by pulling your curtains halfway across the windows like a proper Euro-trucker…
DoYouMeanMe?:
You could always practice having massive blind spots by pulling your curtains halfway across the windows like a proper Euro-trucker…
I think you mean Like a proper euro ‘nob head’ 
Ross.
I was the same this week JD a mate asked Me to drive his pride & joy for a week on general, I told Him straight it was His choice but I’ve never had a RHD for over 20 years plus & it was His choice but He could guarantee a mirror or two.
Its not that I’m not capable it just takes some getting used to & thats stressfull & do you really want that for just one week. You did the right thing imho Chap.
fly sheet:
Its not that I’m not capable it just takes some getting used to & thats stressfull & do you really want that for just one week. You did the right thing imho Chap.
I’m in total agreement with flysheet. It’s not when your totally switched on that mistakes happen, it’s when your tired.
I’ve driven ‘lefties’ before many times but last year when I picked my LHD Volvo up from Germany (not having driven a leftie for about 10 years) I made a few mistakes, luckily for me there was a foot deep pile of snow at the side of the road for me to ‘feel’, without which I might well have been putting a wheel on the kerb!! That said, within an hour I didn’t have any more problems all the way back to Liverpool from Fulda.
Ross.
Fair play Alex. If you’re not 100% confident better to be cautious chap 
Having spent years in lefties on European I jumped back in a righty was a bloody menace for the first hour Turning out of the yard I was half on the grass verge opposite and it took a bit to settle back into it. Luckily it was early evening and the start of an easy relaxed night run with no pressure. Had it been daytime in a busy area with time pressure I’m pretty sure I would of lamped something I’m always more comfy in a lefty though even over here
Leftys are no big deal but I would suggest your first time be an easy one with no pressures. I learned years ago taking a couple of them solo for MOT and shunting trailers in the yard. Then did an easy UK night run in one before getting my first
edit: the biggest confusion for me is alway which hand to smoke with and the constant dropping of coffee cups