My 1st euro trip (diary)

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
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Started work on Wed 20 June. Took a Tesco trailer down to Livingston,tipped it at the RSU then dropped it at their RDC.Picked up our own trailer from there and over to Glasgow fruit market and park up for the night.Load on Thurs morning for Inverness. Tipped that,another trailer change then head for Asda at Falkirk.Parked up at 15.00 near Dunkeld. Next 3 days was to be spent running between Falkirk & Huntly,a nice easy run. Phone goes at 17.00. It was our office, did I fancy a trip to Italy,leaving the following day.Driver that was due to go had fallen out of his loft and hurt his shoulder. I agreed to do it,so finished my 9hr,did another change-over for a trailer that was heading back to our yard. 2hr drive to yard then home for another 9hr.

Day 1. Friday.
Report to yard at 13.00,get my gear into the unit,collect all the required paperwork and money from the office,check the unit over and take a Tesco trailer as far as Perth.Another driver was collecting the Italian load in Buckie &Peterhead and meeting me at the Broxden services at Perth. Had to wait 90 mins for him.
Did the change-over and headed south. Signs at Larkhall saying that M74 closed after J11 at Cairn Lodge. All traffic diverted onto old road, and it was slow going.

Think there was a landslip some-where near Abington services.Get back onto M74 & head for the Fleece at Carlisle to get a few bits & bobs. Got to Temple Sowerby and took 2nd 45 break.

Down A1,and started getting warnings that it was closed at Five Lane Ends Went through Retford to Markham Moor but it was still closed so through Tuxford and still couldn’t get back on so carried on to Carlton on Trent. Finally got back on there.Parked up in the big lay-by there,the one with the little transport caff in it. 748kms.

Day 2. Saturday.
Leave about 11.00 and call into Peterborough Sevices. Top up unit & fridge and set off for Folkstone. Had a 15 at Birchanger services.Managed to get a European atlas,so I wasn’t going totally blind :unamused:
Checked in at Folkstone.Only had to wait about 10 mins and onto the Shuttle.

Managed to hit the fuel tank as I was going on :blush: :blush: . Lucky I didn’t burst it. Shuttle bus driver managed to leave me & the guys that fit the chocks behind.He waited for us about halfway up the train.
I managed to get on the wrong bus at the other end,but it didn’t hold any-one too much :blush: :blush:
Out onto A26,very little traffic. Good run down past Reims.Was aiming to park up at Sommesous as I had to take a 24hr break. Got there,topped the fridge up again(inaccurate gauge + it was running almost continuosly, even on stop/start). Parking area was full so carried on to next parking area and stopped there. Couple of Irish boys in there,who gave me the gen on the procedure at the Mont Blanc tunnel. Thanks, guys. Much appreciated. 695kms.

Day 3.Sunday.
Nice idle day. Far too warm to do any cleaning. Air con knackered,so sat under the trees,reading and sleeping.

Day4. Monday.
Was going to leave about 04.00 but was woken by a major storm.Couldn’t get back to sleep so left at 03.00. Onto the A5 at Troyes then the A39 near Dijon.
Stopped for a 45 after Bourg. Carried on along the A40 and fueled unit & trailer at Bonneville.
Hasn’t stopped raining yet,but still great scenery.

Get to the Mont blanc tunnel,through the heat scanner and park up in waiting area. Pay the toll and sit & wait. 45 mins later guy collects the cards and we’re off. What is the little token for that they give you along with the plastic card?Was I supposed to hand it in at the exit of the tunnel or does it get me a free coffee somewhere? :laughing:

Stopped at the large service area/shopping centre for another 45. Needed sat-nav to find the bogs and when I did find them,they were both occupied. Stood cross-legged for what seemed like a lifetime. :cry:

Follow A5,A4-5 and A4 toward the Tangenziale Ovest. Slow going due to roadworks. Was hoping to get to 1st tip at Tribiano,just south of Milan but after a 9.55 drive was about 10 miles short.Pulled into a small service (San Giulliano?)at the junction of the Tangenziale Ovest and the A1. Managed to get a parking space O.K.
I was quite impressed that no-one complained about the fridge running continuously.By now it was hot outside so I suppose it is hard work for it to maintain -25.

806kms for the day.

Day 5. Tuesday.
Leave at 07.00 to allow for traffic hold-ups and getting lost :unamused: . 08.00 tip in Tribiano at the Tradimar coldstore.Got there bang on time &had to wait for them to arrive. Onto bay 10 then it takes an hour to tip 11 pallets of scampi. Nice to see they’re just as slow as Tradimar,Bellshill :smiley: :smiley: Get the CMR signed then off to Empoli near Firenze.Took a break on the A1 just before Firenze.Arrive at Empoli about 14.30.found tipping point after a bit of messing about.Got to unloading bays through a display of used cars & trucks at a Ford dealers :unamused: :unamused:


Really hi-tech loading bays.

Tipped 21 pallets of langoustines,paperwork signed ready to roll in about 45mins. Phoned office for details of return load.Looked like it was going to be empty to Orange in France for a load to Coupar Angus. Then it changed to a load from Firenze to South of France then the Orange load to Coupar.Finally it was a load from Bastia near Perugia to Broxburn.
Headed off .Parked up at last service area on A1 before turn to Perugia.Went in for a shave & shampoo. When I came out,smoke everywhere and a smell of burning grease/brake linings.An Italian wagon & drag had pulled in with a trailer wheel on fire. By the time I got my camera ready,it was all out. 526kms.

Day 6.Wednesday.
06.00 start. Get to Bastia about 0730. Eventually find ISA,a firm that makes refridgeration equipment.Locate the transport office and am told to wait until they are ready for me.


Not a bad shunter.520hp.


Entry to loading bays.


21 large chiller cabinets and 4 small was the load for Broxburn.

Get the paperwork sorted and away for 11.30.Back to the A1 and head for home.


Lake Trasimeno

Now, I was going to return home using the same route as the outward journey,but the office informed me it was cheaper to go via Brenner. The problem I had was fuel.I had a Euroshell card but not many Shell stations on the motorway in Italy. Stopped at the services at the A1/A22 junction & phoned the office. They phoned Shell who said the 1st one on the A22 was theirs.Wrong.Passed it to the office again.They called back saying Shell insisted it was one of theirs.WRONG. While I was waiting for them to call me back,I tried the POI’s on the sat-nav and it came up with one just off the A4 at Verona.
Found it O.K.,but it was a tight fit.

Back onto motorway and park up at Adige Est services. 579kms.

Day7. Thursday.
Early start again. Overtaking ban is a bit of a pain in the ■■■■■■. Seem to get nowhere fast. I only had 4 tonnes on so she went up the hills well. Being the first trip (both for me and the company), I didn’t want to pick up any fines,so just had to be patient.
Got to Austrian border and bought a GO-Box. Got the one where you just drive and they send the bill to the firm at the end of the month.
Took a 45 just before German border.Not many helpful signs at border regarding the Maut so pulled into 1st services. Luckily,there was a Brit motor pulling an Archbold trailer parked there.Asked the driver where to pay the tax and he took me to the machines and showed me how to go on.Cheers,mate.
Managed to get to services (Denkendorf?)just south of Stuttgart and parked up for the night. 630kms.

Day 8.Friday.
03.00 departure. Made good progress while roads were quiet.Crossed into Belgium.Didn’t know which are the popular truck routes,so crossed at Aachen. Looked at map and seemed like a case of 6 of one or half adozen of the other as to which way to go to Calais,so opted for A3/A10/A18/A16. Still never found out where you buy a vignette :blush: :blush: .

Tried to check in at the Shuttle.No reservation for me,so called Tradimar at Bellshill who managed to get me one an hour later. Straight onto train, no queues.Off at Folkstone and up to Ashford Truckstop. 15 hour shift,bang on. 805kms.

17.00 Friday-20.00 Sunday.
Week-ended at Ashford

Left Ashford at20.00 for an 0800 tip in Broxburn.Parked up in Livingston

11 hour break then collect the 23.00 load for Wick from Tesco. Tip Wick at 05.30 then back to yard for 09.00.
3826 miles since leaving yard for italy.
Thoroughly enjoyed the experience,hope to be going again soon.
Thanks to the guys I met on the road for their help and also to TNUK members who have posted info in the forums.It made the job a lot easier than it probably would have been. Hope that makes sense.

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Congratulations Highlander!!!
For someone who was on their first trip, you did well! It is no shame to ask for help when you’re out there and as you found, drivers will always help you.
Interesting read.

3

Excellent photos and story.

As for getting on the wrong bus at the Eurotunnel- well, it’s easily done but the tip is to remember what end of the Club Car you got on at and always make sure you get off at the same end.

Hope you get your wish and another trip out soon.

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For your first trip you have done well. You were lucky with the vignette.And with the parking in Italy! I see the old steel works by the Cerdon is still there.That new road looks like a big improvement on the old one but it has taken all the fun out of getting up to the Blanc. :laughing:

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Agreed Harry, I always used to stop at the Relais des Sapins by the lake there, but there were many restaurants on that road who must have seen their trade slashed overnight when the viaduct opened.

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Yeah,I saw that all over France. At the first the restaurants got busier & busier with the new autoroute construction traffic arriving & then suddenly it was all over & they were on the dole. The French government gave them no compensation at all.Really a bad deal.

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Not so all over France Harry, you are permitted to run on banned roads to gain access to a routier, and the best ones carried their reputations over into the new era. Many of my favourites, possibly the majority, have been by-passed but are still full to bursting twice a day. :wink: :laughing:

Good read Highlander, brought back memories not only of the ski-jump (over the steelworks up to the Blanc), but also of my own first trip. The trepidation, but also the excitement.

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Excellent read Highlander. Coming out of Germany into Belgium the way you did you can get the Vignette at the last services in Germany, I think it is called Aachnerland these days.

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Spardo I believe the ski jump was over the Blanc & down to the steel works!!

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harry:
Spardo I believe the ski jump was over the Blanc & down to the steel works!!

Nah, it’s the up road so it can’t be down to the steelworks, unless you fall off it then it will be doooowwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn for sure. :wink: :stuck_out_tongue: :smiley:

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Good read and nice pic’s. :smiley: :smiley:

can’t wait for the time when I get to do some over-sea traveling

12

excellent read and great pictures. does this mean your the number choice for the european work now. :laughing:

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jessicas dad:
excellent read and great pictures. does this mean your the number choice for the european work now. :laughing:

Seems like it. Heading for Rome tomorrow :open_mouth: :open_mouth:

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Coffeeholic It was mostly Italian trucks that made that ski jump into the steelworks on their way out. The reason being that those old FIATs didn’t have spring brakes. When you were out of air you had no brakes except for a transmission hand brake that only worked when you were stationary.And ,of course,the fabled 100t loads.

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I’m quite certain in my own mind ( :unamused: ) that Coffee and I are right, I distinctly remember crawling up the ski jump as it took such a long time before breathing non-sulpherous clean air again after choking over the steelworks. :cry: :laughing:

You then come back down on the original road round all the mountain bends.

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Yes, I believe the overloaded Italian FIATs met their fate at The Wall Of Death

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I may well have spotted you around the Lago Trasimeno area Highlander,I was on holiday for two weeks just outside Castiligone del lago at that time,I always keep an eye out for brit trucks.

One I did notice was an On Time Automotive Merc that went past the villa I was staying at in Gioella,god knows where he was delivering or collecting around there (cars,I know) but it’s in the middle of nowhere.

The Relais des Sapins is still open,though the Shell station has been closed for quite some years.

18

Excellent post Highlander. Fine pics too.

I’d echo what the other guys have said about how well you did for a first trip.

I’d go along with those who said the ski-slope is for “up” traffic heading TO the Blanc on the French side. Some of us might remember before it was built…

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i love reading the diarys … so lets hope there another one coming up.

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Spardo:
I’m quite certain in my own mind ( :unamused: ) that Coffee and I are right, I distinctly remember crawling up the ski jump as it took such a long time before breathing non-sulpherous clean air again after choking over the steelworks. :cry: :laughing:

You then come back down on the original road round all the mountain bends.

I’m certain too.
I posted a diary with pics about my first trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel, not long after it re-opened.
Up hill on the stilts, down hill on the original road.

There was an American poster who asked about drivers falling off the stilts due to vertigo etc in the thread, Coffee answered him.