well as you all know my trusty steed is still in the bodyshop and wont be out for about 6 weeks…so they tell me …they have to get a body panel made to order…so i have been getting the train to oxford and my boss picking me up from the station…last sunday was no exception and i duly arrived at the depot for my trip to barcelona…i caught the portsmouth boat to caen at around midnight and it was a pleasant crossing and came off the boat around 0700. as my boss once said…are we the only ones who take the legally enforced extended break when using the ferry…i replied yes…because we are. So i needed an extra 2 hours and was the only truck parked…everyone else having duly dissapeared…even though i knew some of them had arrived in the port long after me. As i got down off the bunk for my fiorst 4.5 hour stint i heard the phone ring…and on answering it realised it was the freight forwarders…hello bob…how are you…etc…this load has to be tipped tomorrow they said…well i had 2 deliveries …one in hostalric…and the other in barcelona…and at the first tip they would have to unload the 9 pallets for barcelona…something they dont like doing…but with a pre arranged phone call agreed this time. anyway the forwarders were a bit dissapointed at me saying that i wouldnt unload till wednesday…they told me it wasnt good enough and hung up…only to phone my boss and tell him to have a word with his driver…so my boss did…and i told him…i aint running bent for no one…and he agreed…although other owner drivers are running bent…for example the last trip i did to barcelona…i left a day earlier than one of them…he was going to madrid and alicante…and we both caught the same boat home…i did tell him that his cards are marked…and he was running as bent as hell…perhaps thats why he hardly spoke to me…but who cares…perhaps he can afford the fines…i did however arrive in hostalric late afternoon…and after unloading and reloading the groupage set off for frans maas in barcelona. I obviously was late but was allowed to park inside the gate …to protect my load…and myself from the various slappers outside parading about in stockings and suspenders…and to think i was locked in too.
The next morning i got up at 0500…kettle on …breakfast ready and then drove to the import shed…the loading bays were full with small vans…so i had to wait an hour or so before i could get on…so much for the urgency in getting there. I had received another phone call from the forwarders…and an apology…and telling me they had a reload for me which was urgent. I must say at this stage that my boss had bought a sattelite navigation system for the truck, and although i have been a bit reluctant to use one…preferring the map book instead…i wondered how i could ever do with out it. So after unloading i programmed the new address in and set off…being told where to go by a lovely female voice…however she did get it wrong …and its not her fault…but artound barcelona there are many…many tunnels…and the route i took sent me through one set of tunnels and the 4th tunnel after the peage…was too small for me…so i got turned around and sent back…the sat/nav sorted it out and picked up a new route…whereby i duly arrived at my destination…framptons spanish depot.
The sun was shining…and having a euroliner…i had to open the curtains and strip the boards out on both sides…and it got me thinking that it had to be an english company that did not have a loading ramp…everyone else seemed to have…but not this company…and i was sweating buckets…but welcomed the offer of a shower after i had finished loading and re-cording the trailer. I duly phoned the freight office and said i was on my way at midday wednesday.
they of course told me that of the 2 deliveries i had on, namely swindon and kidderminster…the swindon had to be delivered friday…I set off for the border at La Junquera and stopped 30 kms short to fill up the diesel tank and my stomach as well, and was surprised at how much more expensive spain had become. I only had a pork fillet…chips…and a glass of fresh orange…this came to 15 euros…about £11…it didnt seem that long ago that it would have cost £4/5
As i followed the many foreign trucks through the border…guess who they pulled…correct…so i said why do you always pull the brits and not the foreigners…to which he replied sarcastically…we like the brits…yeah me too…but after looking at the cmrs let me go..the trip back home was a leisurely drive and got stopped again at Le-Man..they looked at all the documents for the truck..my driving licence..all the tachos..including the last one from the previous week..and he lok at them very carefully..but could find nothing wrong, as i do run strictly to the book. My ferry had been confirmed for 0200 thursday/friday morning so i had bags of time to get there. My truck is limited to the usual 56mph but couldnt help wondering how all the foreigners seemed to overtake me..even when im running light…this time i had on 22 ton…but still no excuse as to why they dont stick to the limit…or the rules like we do…makes you laugh really…i did hear someone say that the eastern bloc companies are to be left alone with regard to tachos etc…to allow them to get used to the e.u. regulations…yet again another disadvantage against us…I saw a really bad accident on the way back and they were cutting him out of the cab…looked like another artic had shunted him up the back and sent him into the central barrier, as there were no other vehicles parked up…hope he is ok…but i then arrived in Caen and tried to find a garage between there and Cherbourg…only a shell…and a total that was closed…even in the town of cherbourg the total garage was closed…so i came back with only a quarter of a tank…much to the annoyance of the boss…so i had to tell him to find me a garage that i could fill up at …and i would…and i told him to follow the same route out as i did coming home…and he would see. I arrived in cherbourg port and was greeted by the police at the entrance…they asked for my passport.and i duly obliged…with a smirk and a word of police to which they replied with immigration police
Brittany ferries office and terminal was deserted…it was 21.30 or 22.30 french time…but i booked in and just made the bar for a well earned lager…as they pulled the shutters down…i waited on the quayside as the immigration and drug squad searched under all the vehicles…and putting a heat/breath probe under the curtain, i had a cord on the trailer which was sealed…and 2 padlocks on the rear doors…so maybe thats why they didnt want to look in the back…which made a change. The ferry is the oldest in the fleet Coutances its an old rust bucket…and once on board at 02.30 didnt ride the waves at all…i skipped the meal and went straight to bed…but couldnt sleep as the old girl was being pounded…it was the roughest crossing i had experienced for a long time…but we finally made it into port at around 07.30. Once through passport control i needed to park up for 2 hours but was told i had to go into the shed for examination first…as the police were waiting for me…which didnt please me too much…and when the police asked what i was carrying…and i told them groupage asked me what kind of groupage…well i lost my rag and called him an idiot…i told him that in over 40 years of being in this industry.groupage was groupage…as far as i was aware it meant different consignments for diferent people…a mixture of goods…so he asked me what was in the packages to which i replied i didnt know…well its your job to know he said…so i told him that if he was so clever…he would make sure that we had more protection when it came to people sending parcels described as dolls when in fact they contained drugs…and if we knew what was in every parcel…no one would get caught smuggling drugs…certainly not the supposedly innocent ones
and while i was there i also reminded him that if they made all freight forwarders responsible for the goods they carried…the amount of drivers being caught for innocently carrying drugs would be reduced to zero, and would make freight forwarders more responsible. I too reminded him that ours was the only industry whose captain/pilot was held responsible for smuggling drugs and asylum seekers…he agreed…and so did his colleagues who were listening to my rantings…so there you go…
wheres the paragraphs that was a slog
Good story and I’ve been there a thousand times mate 
GoTo www.johnvasey.com to read what could have happened had the above driver been stopped at the Spanish/French border and been searched by Customs. 
regards
John Vasey
Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject: my recent trip
well as you all know my trusty steed is still in the bodyshop and wont be out for about 6 weeks…so they tell me
…they have to get a body panel made to order…so i have been getting the train to oxford and my boss picking me up from the station.
.last sunday was no exception and i duly arrived at the depot for my trip to barcelona.
.i caught the portsmouth boat to caen at around midnight and it was a pleasant crossing and came off the boat around 0700.
as my boss once said…are we the only ones who take the legally enforced extended break when using the ferry.
.i replied yes…because we are. So i needed an extra 2 hours and was the only truck parked…everyone else having duly dissapeared.
.even though i knew some of them had arrived in the port long after me.
As i got down off the bunk for my fiorst 4.5 hour stint i heard the phone ring…and on answering it realised it was the freight forwarders…hello bob…how are you…etc…this load has to be tipped tomorrow they said…well i had 2 deliveries …one in hostalric…and the other in barcelona.
.and at the first tip they would have to unload the 9 pallets for barcelona.
.something they dont like doing…but with a pre arranged phone call agreed this time. anyway the forwarders were a bit dissapointed at me saying that i wouldnt unload till wednesday…they told me it wasnt good enough and hung up…only to phone my boss and tell him to have a word with his driver.
.so my boss did…and i told him…i aint running bent for no one…and he agreed…although other owner drivers are running bent…for example the last trip i did to barcelona…i left a day earlier than one of them…he was going to madrid and alicante…and we both caught the same boat home.
.i did tell him that his cards are marked…and he was running as bent as hell…perhaps thats why he hardly spoke to me…but who cares.
.perhaps he can afford the fines…i did however arrive in hostalric late afternoon…and after unloading and reloading the groupage set off for frans maas in barcelona.
I obviously was late but was allowed to park inside the gate …to protect my load…and myself from the various slappers outside parading about in stockings and suspenders…and to think i was locked in too.
The next morning i got up at 0500…kettle on …breakfast ready and then drove to the import shed…the loading bays were full with small vans…so i had to wait an hour or so before i could get on…so much for the urgency in getting there.
I had received another phone call from the forwarders…and an apology…and telling me they had a reload for me which was urgent. I must say at this stage that my boss had bought a sattelite navigation system for the truck, and although i have been a bit reluctant to use one…preferring the map book instead…
i wondered how i could ever do with out it. So after unloading i programmed the new address in and set off…being told where to go by a lovely female voice…
however she did get it wrong …
and its not her fault…but artound barcelona there are many…many tunnels…and the route i took sent me through one set of tunnels and the 4th tunnel after the peage…was too small for me…
so i got turned around and sent back…the sat/nav sorted it out and picked up a new route…whereby i duly arrived at my destination…framptons spanish depot.
The sun was shining…and having a euroliner…
i had to open the curtains and strip the boards out on both sides…and it got me thinking that it had to be an english company that did not have a loading ramp…everyone else seemed to have…but not this company…and i was sweating buckets…but welcomed the offer of a shower after i had finished loading and re-cording the trailer.
I duly phoned the freight office and said i was on my way at midday wednesday.
they of course told me that of the 2 deliveries i had on, namely swindon and kidderminster…the swindon had to be delivered friday…
I set off for the border at La Junquera and stopped 30 kms short to fill up the diesel tank and my stomach as well, and was surprised at how much more expensive spain had become.
I only had a pork fillet…chips…and a glass of fresh orange.
.this came to 15 euros…about £11…it didnt seem that long ago that it would have cost £4/5
As i followed the many foreign trucks through the border…guess who they pulled…correct…so i said why do you always pull the brits and not the foreigners…to which he replied sarcastically…we like the brits…yeah me too…but after looking at the cmr`s let me go…the trip back home was a leisurely drive and got stopped again at Le-Man.
.they looked at all the documents for the truck…my driving licence…all the tachos…including the last one from the previous week…and he lok at them very carefully…but could find nothing wrong, as i do run strictly to the book. My ferry had been confirmed for 0200 thursday/friday morning so i had bags of time to get there.
My truck is limited to the usual 56mph but couldnt help wondering how all the foreigners seemed to overtake me…even when i`m running light…this time i had on 22 ton…but still no excuse as to why they dont stick to the limit…or the rules like we do…makes you laugh really.
.i did hear someone say that the eastern bloc companies are to be left alone with regard to tachos etc…to allow them to get used to the e.u. regulations…yet again another disadvantage against us…I saw a really bad accident on the way back and they were cutting him out of the cab…looked like another artic had shunted him up the back and sent him into the central barrier, as there were no other vehicles parked up…hope he is ok…but i then arrived in Caen and tried to find a garage between there and Cherbourg.
.only a shell…and a total that was closed…even in the town of cherbourg the total garage was closed…so i came back with only a quarter of a tank…much to the annoyance of the boss…so i had to tell him to find me a garage that i could fill up at …and i would.
.and i told him to follow the same route out as i did coming home…and he would see. I arrived in cherbourg port and was greeted by the police at the entrance…they asked for my passport.and i duly obliged…with a smirk and a word of police to which they replied with immigration police
Brittany ferries office and terminal was deserted…it was 21.30 or 22.30 french time…but i booked in and just made the bar for a well earned lager…as they pulled the shutters down…i waited on the quayside as the immigration and drug squad searched under all the vehicles…and putting a heat/breath probe under the curtain,
i had a cord on the trailer which was sealed…and 2 padlocks on the rear doors…so maybe thats why they didnt want to look in the back…which made a change. The ferry is the oldest in the fleet Coutances its an old rust bucket…and once on board at 02.30 didnt ride the waves at all…
i skipped the meal and went straight to bed…but couldnt sleep as the old girl was being pounded…it was the roughest crossing i had experienced for a long time…but we finally made it into port at around 07.30. Once through passport control i needed to park up for 2 hours but was told i had to go into the shed for examination first…as the police were waiting for me…which didnt please me too much…and when the police asked what i was carrying.
.and i told them groupage asked me what kind of groupage…well i lost my rag and called him an idiot…i told him that in over 40 years of being in this industry.groupage was groupage…as far as i was aware it meant different consignments for diferent people…a mixture of goods.
.so he asked me what was in the packages to which i replied i didnt know…well its your job to know he said…so i told him that if he was so clever…he would make sure that we had more protection when it came to people sending parcels described as dolls when in fact they contained drugs.
.and if we knew what was in every parcel.
.no one would get caught smuggling drugs…certainly not the supposedly innocent ones
and while i was there i also reminded him that if they made all freight forwarders responsible for the goods they carried.
.the amount of drivers being caught for innocently carrying drugs would be reduced to zero,
and would make freight forwarders more responsible.
I too reminded him that ours was the only industry whose captain/pilot was held responsible for smuggling drugs and asylum seekers…
he agreed…and so did his colleagues who were listening to my rantings…so there you go…
nice trip with the odd suprise,truckboy your post about the check in the docks was good,hopefully your bloodpressure was not sent too high,
any chance of a few pictures of the route and outstanding points of intrest.
hitch:
Posted: Mon May 16, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject: my recent trip
well as you all know my trusty steed is still in the bodyshop and wont be out for about 6 weeks…so they tell me
…they have to get a body panel made to order…so i have been getting the train to oxford and my boss picking me up from the station.
.last sunday was no exception and i duly arrived at the depot for my trip to barcelona.
.i caught the portsmouth boat to caen at around midnight and it was a pleasant crossing and came off the boat around 0700.
as my boss once said…are we the only ones who take the legally enforced extended break when using the ferry.
.i replied yes…because we are. So i needed an extra 2 hours and was the only truck parked…everyone else having duly dissapeared.
.even though i knew some of them had arrived in the port long after me.As i got down off the bunk for my fiorst 4.5 hour stint i heard the phone ring…and on answering it realised it was the freight forwarders…hello bob…how are you…etc…this load has to be tipped tomorrow they said…well i had 2 deliveries …one in hostalric…and the other in barcelona.
.and at the first tip they would have to unload the 9 pallets for barcelona.
.something they dont like doing…but with a pre arranged phone call agreed this time. anyway the forwarders were a bit dissapointed at me saying that i wouldnt unload till wednesday…they told me it wasnt good enough and hung up…only to phone my boss and tell him to have a word with his driver..so my boss did…and i told him…i aint running bent for no one…and he agreed…although other owner drivers are running bent…for example the last trip i did to barcelona…i left a day earlier than one of them…he was going to madrid and alicante…and we both caught the same boat home.
.i did tell him that his cards are marked…and he was running as bent as hell…perhaps thats why he hardly spoke to me…but who cares.
.perhaps he can afford the fines…i did however arrive in hostalric late afternoon…and after unloading and reloading the groupage set off for frans maas in barcelona.
I obviously was late but was allowed to park inside the gate …to protect my load…and myself from the various slappers outside parading about in stockings and suspenders…and to think i was locked in too.The next morning i got up at 0500…kettle on …breakfast ready and then drove to the import shed…the loading bays were full with small vans…so i had to wait an hour or so before i could get on…so much for the urgency in getting there.
I had received another phone call from the forwarders…and an apology…and telling me they had a reload for me which was urgent. I must say at this stage that my boss had bought a sattelite navigation system for the truck, and although i have been a bit reluctant to use one…preferring the map book instead…
i wondered how i could ever do with out it. So after unloading i programmed the new address in and set off…being told where to go by a lovely female voice…however she did get it wrong …
and its not her fault…but artound barcelona there are many…many tunnels…and the route i took sent me through one set of tunnels and the 4th tunnel after the peage…was too small for me…
so i got turned around and sent back…the sat/nav sorted it out and picked up a new route…whereby i duly arrived at my destination…framptons spanish depot.The sun was shining…and having a euroliner…
i had to open the curtains and strip the boards out on both sides…and it got me thinking that it had to be an english company that did not have a loading ramp…everyone else seemed to have…but not this company…and i was sweating buckets…but welcomed the offer of a shower after i had finished loading and re-cording the trailer.I duly phoned the freight office and said i was on my way at midday wednesday.
they of course told me that of the 2 deliveries i had on, namely swindon and kidderminster…the swindon had to be delivered friday…
I set off for the border at La Junquera and stopped 30 kms short to fill up the diesel tank and my stomach as well, and was surprised at how much more expensive spain had become.I only had a pork fillet…chips…and a glass of fresh orange.
.this came to 15 euros…about £11…it didnt seem that long ago that it would have cost £4/5As i followed the many foreign trucks through the border…guess who they pulled…correct…so i said why do you always pull the brits and not the foreigners…to which he replied sarcastically…we like the brits…yeah me too…but after looking at the cmr`s let me go…the trip back home was a leisurely drive and got stopped again at Le-Man.
.they looked at all the documents for the truck…my driving licence…all the tachos…including the last one from the previous week…and he lok at them very carefully…but could find nothing wrong, as i do run strictly to the book. My ferry had been confirmed for 0200 thursday/friday morning so i had bags of time to get there.
My truck is limited to the usual 56mph but couldnt help wondering how all the foreigners seemed to overtake me…even when i`m running light…this time i had on 22 ton…but still no excuse as to why they dont stick to the limit…or the rules like we do…makes you laugh really.
.i did hear someone say that the eastern bloc companies are to be left alone with regard to tachos etc…to allow them to get used to the e.u. regulations…yet again another disadvantage against us…I saw a really bad accident on the way back and they were cutting him out of the cab…looked like another artic had shunted him up the back and sent him into the central barrier, as there were no other vehicles parked up…hope he is ok…but i then arrived in Caen and tried to find a garage between there and Cherbourg.
.only a shell…and a total that was closed…even in the town of cherbourg the total garage was closed…so i came back with only a quarter of a tank…much to the annoyance of the boss…so i had to tell him to find me a garage that i could fill up at …and i would.
.and i told him to follow the same route out as i did coming home…and he would see. I arrived in cherbourg port and was greeted by the police at the entrance…they asked for my passport.and i duly obliged…with a smirk and a word of
policeto which they replied withimmigration policeBrittany ferries office and terminal was deserted…it was 21.30 or 22.30 french time…but i booked in and just made the bar for a well earned lager…as they pulled the shutters down…i waited on the quayside as the immigration and drug squad searched under all the vehicles…and putting a heat/breath probe under the curtain,
i had a cord on the trailer which was sealed…and 2 padlocks on the rear doors…so maybe thats why they didnt want to look in the back…which made a change. The ferry is the oldest in the fleet
Coutancesits an old rust bucket…and once on board at 02.30 didnt ride the waves at all…i skipped the meal and went straight to bed…but couldnt sleep as the old girl was being pounded…it was the roughest crossing i had experienced for a long time…but we finally made it into port at around 07.30. Once through passport control i needed to park up for 2 hours but was told i had to go into the shed for examination first…as the police were waiting for me…which didnt please me too much…and when the police asked what i was carrying.
.and i told them
groupageasked me what kind of groupage…well i lost my rag and called him an idiot…i told him that in over 40 years of being in this industry.groupagewas groupage…as far as i was aware it meant different consignments for diferent people…a mixture of goods..so he asked me what was in the packages to which i replied i didnt know…
well its your job to knowhe said…so i told him that if he was so clever…he would make sure that we had more protection when it came to people sending parcels described as dolls when in fact they contained drugs.
.and if we knew what was in every parcel..no one would get caught smuggling drugs…certainly not the supposedly innocent ones
and while i was there i also reminded him that if they made all freight forwarders responsible for the goods they carried.
.the amount of drivers being caught for innocently carrying drugs would be reduced to zero,
and would make freight forwarders more responsible.I too reminded him that ours was the only industry whose captain/pilot was held responsible for smuggling drugs and asylum seekers…
he agreed…and so did his colleagues who were listening to my rantings…so there you go…
Is this a trucker’s forum 
.Or have we all become teacher’s all of a sudden Are you perfect hitch
Forgot to say good read truckyboy 
Good read Bob, enjoyed that.
good for you trucky sticking up for yourself. idont think i would have the patience for all the hassle you seem to get.
great read keep em coming.
thanks for the support lads and lasses…thank you too malc…i stick to my guns with regard to the rules…and as i always say…its my licence and my livelyhood, and lets face it…someones got to do it…
sorry if i rant on sometimes and i do have to watch my full stops and paragraphs etc.
i will learn to put photos up on this here machine one day…after all ive yet to put the american ones on..ill try tomorrow…
I like to write stories of my trips for there are a lot of drivers out there who do not go abroad and it gives them an insighjt into what its all about…i just wish others would do the same…i also wish i had as much money as coffee so i could own a lap top. 
do it properly then
Good read truckyboy 
Nice to hear of others exploits, thanks Truckyboy.
Good read again Bob. 
Great read Truckyboy
Very good Truckboy!!!
Great read Truckboy
Enjoyed that Truckboy
truckyboy:
he agreed…and so did his colleagues who were listening to my rantings…so there you go…
I think they were regretting pulling you over and just wanted to get rid of ya!
Good read altho I must say it was a bit easier on the eye when broken down into paragraphs but all the same a good read
As for the photo’s if you upload them onto a free online album such as
then highlight on “tag” right click then click on copy go back to your story the right click then click paste you will have your pics for your story as I have done here.
Sorry to go 'off topic, Truckyboy.but!
That is a ‘Nice Rig’ NHS
CM:
Sorry to go 'off topic, Truckyboy.but!That is a ‘Nice Rig’ NHS
Thanks for that , you can be chief polisher if you want
.