Here’s a tip if you start driving a left ■■■■■■ for the first time.
Keep a spare pair of gloves in the passenger footwell, then when, as is inevitable, you open the offside door to get in before realising there isn’t a steering wheel there, you can grab hold of the gloves and make out that’s what you intended to do all along rather than looking like a doofus.
Harry Monk:
Here’s a tip if you start driving a left ■■■■■■ for the first time.Keep a spare pair of gloves in the passenger footwell, then when, as is inevitable, you open the offside door to get in before realising there isn’t a steering wheel there, you can grab hold of the gloves and make out that’s what you intended to do all along rather than looking like a doofus.
Wish I’d thought of that when I had my left ■■■■■■ Capri I found the driving part of it easy but getting in the wrong door happened was so embarrassing in front of a crowd.
dazcapri:
Harry Monk:
Here’s a tip if you start driving a left ■■■■■■ for the first time.Keep a spare pair of gloves in the passenger footwell, then when, as is inevitable, you open the offside door to get in before realising there isn’t a steering wheel there, you can grab hold of the gloves and make out that’s what you intended to do all along rather than looking like a doofus.
Wish I’d thought of that when I had my left ■■■■■■ Capri I found the driving part of it easy but getting in the wrong door happened was so embarrassing in front of a crowd.
If anyone laughs & tells you “I havn’t done that” I just wouldn’t believe them, I’ve done it a good few times, in an FH just open up the side locker & grab something as if that’s what you meant to do. BTW, it’s only embarrasing in the UK as in Europe they’d assume you were getting in the passenger side for a good reason, the other ploy of course is to sit in the passenger seat pretending to change your shoes, then climb into the drivers seat & pull away. (hoping nobody is on to you!! 
)
Ross.
fly sheet:
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.
I’ve had more LHD than RHD and I reckon it’s harder going back to RHD than it is going the other way, probably because you concentrate more when you first get in a LHD, whereas you know you can drive RHD so you are complacent about it, as Mr Sheet rightly says, mirrors are unlikely to last for the first few days, I know this to be true because I used to mangle the ones on my RHD car after jumping out of my LHD lorry Luckily now I have a LHD car too, so I might still be alive when all the mirror braking bad luck ends 
But, JD, I also think that if you can drive, you can drive, LHD, RHD, Artic, Wagon and Drag, whatever, if it has wheels, a steering wheel and pedals the fundamentals are the same. And once you’ve driven LHD you’ll be excellent at blind siding RHD and vice versa 
billybigrig:
Fair play Alex. If you’re not 100% confident better to be cautious chapHaving spent years in lefties on European I jumped back in a righty was a bloody menace for the first hour
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
^+1
Oh,and once you’ve driven a left ■■■■■■ you wont want to swap back imho. I only do UK nowadays but I’d still have lhd if I had the choice!
if you already turned job down why are u asking advice,sounds like just trying to big urself up to the outher guys on here.
denny:
if you already turned job down why are u asking advice,sounds like just trying to big urself up to the outher guys on here.
That sort of comment doesn’t even worthy a reply
My first trip over was Romania in RHD, JD and to be honest that was enough to keep me awake for the first two nights and days 
after that I got used to it,but for what it’s worth your coming at it from another angle (no pun intended) so I think you would be better jumping in with your mate and getting in some experience.You obviously are trying to build a network of clients. Good Luck with it.
denny:
if you already turned job down why are u asking advice,sounds like just trying to big urself up to the outher guys on here.
What a strange comment to make…
fly sheet:
denny:
if you already turned job down why are u asking advice,sounds like just trying to big urself up to the outher guys on here.What a strange comment to make…
Couldn’t agree more, it’s not like he’s asking “should I buy an R730 or F16 750? I’ve got a couple of hundred grand burning a hole,”!!
Ross.
I used to have to take new drivers out for a run on left hookers to give them some advise and tips, a brown pants job sometimes, sitting in the passenger seat looking at the middle of the road with no steering wheel in front of you, but touch wood no accidents, but many near misses. The only time I had to think hard was on return to the UK after a week or more away very easy to leave the docks on the wrong side. The only advise just take your time you soon pick it up.
Ossie
Too late now the job was with nedexco and the chat was with James rose. Looking back its bloody good job I didn’t go there all things considered.
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.
When i first moved to the Canaries i thought the same about driving LHD trucks but after only a couple of days it came to be the norm(was driving LHD shunter for 2 years at white arrow Droitwich) maybe helped?, but after six years driving on the right side here when i go back to blighty i get all mixed up on RHD!!!
my big bug bear with a lhd in the UK are the stupid layout of roundabouts off motorways they tend to bend to the left before the lines to giveway and the road from your right is blind thank god for electric mirrors other than that i quite enjoy lefties, the weighbridges @dover or the train are fun the first couple of times as well as some french toll booths ie st omar
my tip was something placed on the bottom of the windscreen in front of me which lined up with the near side of the road
FLIP:
Oh,and once you’ve driven a left ■■■■■■ you wont want to swap back imho. I only do UK nowadays but I’d still have lhd if I had the choice!
Funnily enough I found exactly the same! would much rather drive a left ■■■■■■ around the UK than a RHD. Strangly found it alot easier around London in a Cack-hander as well.
My mate gave me some good tips, mind you he was an expert driving on either side of the road.
Wheel Nut:
My mate gave me some good tips, mind you he was an expert driving on either side of the road.
It’s interesting that it’s based on a LHD with the R/H steering wheel added!!!
Ross.
bigr250:
Wheel Nut:
My mate gave me some good tips, mind you he was an expert driving on either side of the road.It’s interesting that it’s based on a LHD with the R/H steering wheel added!!!
Ross.
It would be, it is in Canada
I drove an ex roadsweeper D Series up to Grantham for a changeover at the Compass Cafe one night, 42mph flat out 
Coming back was worse though, the return vehicle was a 4 pot D Series, don’t remember getting that into top gear
Wheel Nut:
It would be, it is in Canada
That explains the mirrors then;)
Ross.