Hello. Would anyone be kind enough to help me? I’m writing a book, and in one of the parts, one of the characters escapes into a lorry to get away. But it has to be in a way that no one would be able to tell from the outside (obviously – or it’s not much of an escape!).
What I’d like to know is, is there any way you can close a lorry from the inside? Can you close the door from the inside? Or, if it’s a curtained lorry, is there any way someone could open the curtain part, pull themselves in, and close it again? If not, can anyone suggest any alternatives?
I’d be so, so, so grateful for any help. Oh, and I asked permission from Rikki-UK (as per Rule 5 on the Forum Rules) before I posted this here, so it’s all above board.
Interesting. What’s the story/context? Please give some more ratification. It is security information you’re asking for.
You’re not in Calais are you? We’re a rightly suspicious bunch and despite Rikki giving it the ok, due diligence is worth before spilling beans on how to enter lorries undetected. Those little gems have cost our brethren dear in fines thanks to HM governments policy
If you pass muster, only too happy to help. But only help on the open web with non real life slightly unfeasable solutions that would yet pass in a novel. .
In fact I suggest no information is provided until Rikki posts to ratify this himself. This isn’t a chancy post from an agency. You understand I’m sure OP.
I’m sure the information I give you will probably be in the public domain and won’t be a risk to national or border security.
Curtain sided lorries are really only accessible to people from outside. Gaining access is easy, but hiding that access would be difficult.
A lot of box trailers have roller doors, the sort you have on your garage. I would imagine you could close the door and hide your activity fairly easily. However, most of these would be padlocked to stop what you’re asking.
I did hear about people from across the channel climbing into tankers. Gaining access through the ports in the top. This of course ruins the contents if it’s foodstuff and would be rather hazardous to your health if it was powder. (Could be interesting if it was fuel!
James the Cat: Thanks very much for your answer – lol, no, I’m not in Calais, but I do completely understand!
The context is (roughly):
~~ Context remoooooooooooved ~~
Is that enough information? Also, with it being quite a sensitive topic, if anyone would be kind enough to help, it might be worth PMing me rather than writing it in public? And I can screencap the reply I had from Rikki if you like?
Hull: Thank you very, very much, that’s very helpful!!!
Firstly I’m sure that WW2 started because of Socialist aggression in whatever form ( Fascist or Soviet ),trying to extinguish the right of National identity and self determination,such as the right of Poland and France etc to exist as sovereign nation states for example.
As for hiding in a truck let the character jump into a full bulk refuse container he’ll possibly never be seen again unless someone sees him jump/fall in.Don’t ask me how I know that. Which could provide a good twist at the end in that no one then knows if he managed to escape or not.
Seriously it might be possible to hide in a curtain sider or box trailer and then someone closes and locks the doors from outside which is probably the only way.The difficult bit will be escaping even if/when it’s opened.
CAPTAIN Caveman (Cavey): I’m so sorry!!! I used to live near Hull, so it immediately caught my eye! I even noticed before I posted that it wasn’t your name, but forgot to change it!!
And…I’m a lady.
Oh, and I should probably mention, as this might make a difference, he has to be in there for some time. Considering we’ve had 11-hour driving limits for a very long time, we probably would whether the Second World War had happened or not, so I’m going with that in my book too; so counting up the amount of time the lorry would be able to travel (and it has to get to South Poland), he’ll probably be stuck in there for about two days. Two days in chocolate! Somehow I think I could manage…but in my lad’s case, can you give me any suggestions about what he could travel in, inside a tanker, for a longer amount of time, without dying? Apart from fuel and chocolate (and concrete?), I have no idea what tankers carry…
Thank you so much again for your help!
Carryfast: Thank you for your suggestion – and socialism is still going strong too in this universe. We don’t discriminate on ideological movements.
Cavalier:
so counting up the amount of time the lorry would be able to travel (and it has to get to South Poland), he’ll probably be stuck in there for about two days. Two days in chocolate! Somehow I think I could manage…but in my lad’s case, can you give me any suggestions about what he could travel in, inside a tanker, for a longer amount of time, without dying? Apart from fuel and chocolate (and concrete?), I have no idea what tankers carry…
Thank you so much again for your help!
Carryfast: Thank you for your suggestion – and socialism is still going strong too in this universe. We don’t discriminate on ideological movements.
Forget the 11 hour driving limit.He’s got to find a tanker running empty to Poland.While with maxed out EU hours regs he won’t need an 11 hour driving limit.
Cavalier: CAPTAIN Caveman (Cavey): I’m so sorry!!! I used to live near Hull, so it immediately caught my eye! I even noticed before I posted that it wasn’t your name, but forgot to change it!!
And…I’m a lady.
Oh, and I should probably mention, as this might make a difference, he has to be in there for some time. Considering we’ve had 11-hour driving limits for a very long time, we probably would whether the Second World War had happened or not, so I’m going with that in my book too; so counting up the amount of time the lorry would be able to travel (and it has to get to South Poland), he’ll probably be stuck in there for about two days. Two days in chocolate! Somehow I think I could manage…but in my lad’s case, can you give me any suggestions about what he could travel in, inside a tanker, for a longer amount of time, without dying? Apart from fuel and chocolate (and concrete?), I have no idea what tankers carry…
Thank you so much again for your help!
Carryfast: Thank you for your suggestion – and socialism is still going strong too in this universe. We don’t discriminate on ideological movements.
Have you thought about car transporters? I’m not sure how realistic it is for some vehicles on the bed, especially the top deck, to be left unlocked. Certainly a lot safer than a tanker.
Bit far fetched idea but if your hero was to undo 4 or 5 buckles on a curtainsider he should be able to climb in, may need an accomplice to fasten em down. Or a daft driver who thinks they have just come loose (see agency threads ) and our hero has a narrow escape almost getting caught.
Lack of carbon monoxide detector in the 80’s should see him escape OK. To be fair even these days they only seem to work on UK registered trucks (Ooops a bit controversial that).
Anyway that’s all I can come up with but would be interested to know if there’s any love interest in the book, perhaps a menage et tois or two.
Maybe a buxom security guardess who would turn a blind eye if our hero was to ehhh slip her a crippler. Sorry I’m giving away ideas for me own book.
i think it depends on if he has an accomplice. If he does, then that broadens the scope considerably. We run folding wall trailers ( think big bi-fold doors down the side of the trailer ) and had illegals in the back once. All doors locked and secured, no obvious damage. Police and we concur, presume that they had a locksmith or at least someone with lock picking abilities to help them in and then seal it afterwards.
Or have you ever seen trucks parked up in laybys at night with a door left open. Sometimes it shows they are empty, other times they have items like plasterboard on that are too big to move easily and of relatively low value. Your main character could hop on one of those and hide out in the load. As long as he had food and drink with him , then he’s sorted.
You could have the lorry driver sympathetic to this lads cause and he could hide him in the cab under the lorry drivers bedding on his in cab bunk with
the lorry driver planning to kill and eat this lad further down the road but the lad escapes while the lorry driver is digging out his knife and fork,stove
and pot to cook him in.
Captain Caveman 76:
I did hear about people from across the channel climbing into tankers. Gaining access through the ports in the top. This of course ruins the contents if it’s foodstuff and would be rather hazardous to your health if it was powder. (Could be interesting if it was fuel!
That’s made me claustrophobic just thinking about that being inside a powder tanker . How would you get back out? You’d need a grappling hook. You’re stuffed if you forgot a way out . If a long run, you’d need an air tank to breath wouldn’t you, depending how full the tank is maybe you could reach the lid and pop it open for fresh air
In keeping with the under developed 1980s theme you could perhaps consider a roped and sheeted flat bed trailer. They’re not very common these days. That will make it quite retro and also provide a good escape platform.
He could loosen a rope just enough to climb up and the canvas sheeting and squeeze his way in between the load. In a blizzard he’ll be sufficiently covered from the snow that he won’t die, but it’ll be arduous enough to make it very unpleasant. Also, unlike an enclosed tanker, or box, under a sheet he could maybe see through some gaps to catch glimpses of the outside world. Would make more interesting reading than describing 11 hours inside a dark box.
There could be some added intrigue when he looks around and discovers what the load is, perhaps something dangerous, or controversial, or has delivery labels for a country elsewhere, necessitating a change of transport! Perhaps when the truck pulls up at night in a lone truck stop, sneaking across to a rail line and hopping aboard a freight train. Sort of 39 steps!
Great when we get creative.
An adventure on route would pad the story out nicely to keep the reader hooked.
How about whilst trying to catch some shut eye on the nerve wracking journey our hero is rudely awoken by the advances of another stowaway whose just forced entry by the back doors.
Perhaps a young lady or a sheep has snuck in, depending on the target demographic of this fictional story.
As mentioned a near miss with the driver has legs, defo like the idea our hero suddenly finding themselves on the menu.
How about our hero sneaks aboard a cattle truck by mistake and is gang raped by the cargo…
Gembo:
Ask “Dozy” about curtain siders, he’s the dogs gonads with em.[emoji1]
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Good thoughts. Yeah, the character could pick a Lorry to escape on. He notices there’s some damage to the rear of the trailer, possibly from a collision with a van. But he decides to go for it anyway.
Mid way through, comes face to face with the driver. A confused looking man. Mexican stand off, and your character grabs the shiny new fire extinguisher from behind the cab and bonks the driver on the head with it
The driver rolling around the floor ■■■■■■ and such about that ■■■■ fire extinguisher.
Which could provide a good twist at the end in that no one then knows if he managed to escape or not. 
