YES, YOU DO NEED THE ROAD TAX for Belgium,Holland,Luxemberg,
here is a web site where you can find the locations of all the places where you can get the EURO–VINGETTE; it is a good siteand easy to use,
as all ready posted you require all doc,s for the car and yes put it on a CMR
just to be safe,YOUR ““fuel-card”” is one that i do belive will not be valid for
international use,check direct with the company ALL-STARS to get pffical answer. Most of firms use either DKV ;UTA; AS-24; EURO-SHELL; IF YOUR FIRM CAN NOT ORGINISE THIS IN TIME THEN YOU WILL BE HAVEING TO USE ““CASH”” this means EUROS and not ““POUNDS””
RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE ROUTE; from europort you could try this route
EUROPORT-- BREDA–ANTWERP–useing the ring and going through the
Kennedey Tunnel,heading for GENT–KORTRJKE–LILLE–PARIS
you may find traffic jams on this route between the hours of 0700-0930hrs
and 1630–1900hrs this is ths worst time for traffic along this route.
SPEED LIMITS:: in HOLLAND—80kmh fines start at 35€ and higher
Belgium…90kmh the same as above for fines,
these are thespeed limits for the motorway, you will need on board the lorry,
FIRST-AID KIT; WARNING TRIANGLE; HAZARD–VEST: SPARE BULBS;
Take a green card this does save problems when a accident occours,
you will need the log book,for the lorry as well,
i HAVE PUT PARIS charles de gaulle air port as you did not say exactly where you are heading for.
IF YOU HAVE IT TRY useing the http://www.viamichelin.com on the PC as this is a good navigation system,
A “” CMR"" IS A INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT NOTE WHICH IS REQUIRED WHEN TRANSPORTING GOODS ABROAD;;
IMPORT POINT FILL BEFORE FRANCE again as it is cheaper in Belgum
also when comeing back and you have to go to ROTTERDAMM
TRY this route back Montpieler. Marcon,CHALON…Dijon. Metz, LUXEMBERG;
in luxemberg you can fill up with cheap fuel and ciggies for home.
you will need EURO-VINGETTE for here and B+NL as well
use the site mentioned all ready to find where you can buy it before you go into LUXEMBERG;
any more questions requireing answers then post them here and some one willgive his or hers two penny worth to help you out,
Lost, a CMR is the equivalent of a POD… the first thing you get asked if stopped by the Police in any of the coutnries is “CMR, please”.
Whatever you do, do not leave the UK without having made sure you have filled one out for any items in the trailer. Ask someone you know if they have a blank one you can have a look at before then. They are pretty self explanatory and usually each box has the request in 3 languages. You need a new CMR for each item in the trailer that is from a different sender.
example… if I do 6 pick ups in the Uk for just one drop in Spain, I will have 6 CMR’s. But if I go to one of those pick ups and they have been holding goods from another sender apart from theirself, then I would get 2 CMR’s from that one pick up. It all depends on how many different peoples goods you have in the trailer.
The CMR, Community Authorisation and trucks paperwork are the most important items in that truck, Lost . more important than your tachoes because whilst the Gendarmes will fine you for a tacho offence, the Douanes will park you up forever if you do not have ALL the correct paperwork for truck and load.
Been trawling the net for more information on CMRs but couldn’t find much. My boss isn’t particularly well versed on the legislation side of things as we only deliver our own goods in the UK and he ocassionally collects from Holland. He hasn’t mentioned anything about these forms. I don’t think he would even have thought to do me some kind of consignment note untill I mentioned it last week. He’s a bit clueless really I think that because it’s all his own goods he thinks he is exempt from having to worry about things like that. As I am the driver I am trying to make sure I have everything I need to avoid run-ins with the law over the water.
So if my boss doesn’t know - Where do we get one of these CMR forms?
Oh, and I have asked in the office and they have given me a Euro-Shell card an PIN number that was gathering dust in a draw somewhere.
Right with your fuel card get your office
to check that it is stillvalid for use and
that you can use it abroad before you set
foot on the ferry,
if your boss is amember of the RHA or FTA
they should be able to supply you with some
CMR,s if not is there a freight firm near bye
which does international,yes then go and
scrounge a couple of CMR,s off them,
IF you decide to come back via LUXEMBERG
save your self the trouble ofgoing through
GERMANY as you have to then do a different
system to pay for their road tax ,and its easyier
to go F–L–B–NL if you are still haveing to go
back over EUROPORT- ROTTERDAMM :
If you eat on any of the Auto-route service area’s in France, tell the person at the till you are a chauffeur (truck driver) they may want to see your driving licence, and you will get a 17.5% discount on your meal including drink…(UK service area’s take note)
Ok, heres the latest. My boss finally saw sense and phoned the RHA, who informed him that as we are not hauling goods for reward we do not need a CMR or Community Authorisation. We do have a form similar to a CMR, which they sent us, for carrying our own goods for our own use. They also sent us a template for a driver authorisation letter detailing what should be in it.
Things are looking good. Not quite so worried now.
Thanks Brit Pete, fuel card is all good, and no I won’t be going via Germany.
Loading on Friday, will let you know if we manage to squeeze everything into the trailer - it’s gonna be tight
Word of advice, and something you may not be used to doing. The French like to see a complete 24 hour record for each day and this means recording your daily rest period on the tacho disc. If you take your disc out at the end of the shift it could lead to problems if you are stopped. The downside is it can also lead to problems if you record more than 24 hours on the one disc should you be starting later one day than you did the previous, they have you both ways.
If you know you will be starting earlier in the morning on the next day but if it is later you would be better to change the disc when you park up, record your rest period on it then change it again in the morning, OK you use a few more discs, but it is a lot cheaper than the fines. If you do use this method the start and end places will be the same, mark the start date and finish dates as the different days and the same kilometres for start and finish. My method is to write ‘Daily Rest’ in the space usually reserved for km done that day. I’ve been using this method for years and have never had a problem with it in any French control, or in any other country come to that. It requires a little bit more effort and forward planning on your part, but trust me it is well worth it.
One other thing, if it is your normal practice to draw lines on the face of the tacho disc denoting start and finish times of your shifts DO NOT do it while in France, or on the discs you will have with you from the days leading up to your trip. The French take a very dim view of this practice and will try to fine you an amount that will make your, or your bosses eyes water.
You can always add the lines when you get back, if it is something you are normally required to do.
(Edited to help a newbie with his ‘bolds’ - David)
Lostpup:
Ok, heres the latest. My boss finally saw sense and phoned the RHA, who informed him that as we are not hauling goods for reward we do not need a CMR or Community Authorisation. We do have a form similar to a CMR, which they sent us, for carrying our own goods for our own use. They also sent us a template for a driver authorisation letter detailing what should be in it.
I glad you said that, as we don’t have a CMR or Community Authorisation for carrying the race team gear around and I was getting a bit concerned.
Although any chance of sending us a scan of that other form. Can’t beat having a bit of official looking paperwork to show when you get stopped.
As a bit of a Newbie on the Continental driving, I can’t give you much advice,Just like to say it seems to be a lot less stressful than fighting round the M25 of M6. Even getting round Paris isn’t to bad as long as you keep an eye on the destination boards. So once you’ve got all your paperwork in order, just enjoy the drive.
Coffee: I already leave my discs in overnight on nights out anyway I got told by my boss not to mark lines showing end of days on my tacho cos he sends em off to RHA for checking and they weren’t impressed. Thanks for the tip though.
Muckles: Will see if I can get a copy for you. Look for your PM I sent.
Lostpup:
Coffee: I already leave my discs in overnight on nights out anyway I got told by my boss not to mark lines showing end of days on my tacho cos he sends em off to RHA for checking and they weren’t impressed. Thanks for the tip though.
No problem, I thought I better mention it as I know one or two who have found out the expensive way that it is just not French to take them out or mark them.
Coffeeholic:
Word of advice, and something you may not be used to doing. The French like to see a complete 24 hour record for each day and this means recording your daily rest period on the tacho disc. If you take your disc out at the end of the shift it could lead to problems if you are stopped.
The official line, as I was instructed on my FCOS course, was that you leave the disc in only if you are certain you won’t overrun in the morning. As you can never be certain of not starting on time it was better to remove it, which I always did, ready with the excuse that I thought I was going to start later. I have been checked twice by the Ministry and at least twice by Gendarmes/Police and never has the removal been questioned. However, if you want to be doubly sure, your method of an overnight disc is as good as any.
One other thing, if it is your normal practice to draw lines on the face of the tacho disc denoting start and finish times of your shifts DO NOT do it while in France, or on the discs you will have with you from the days leading up to your trip. The French take a very dim view of this practice and will try to fine you an amount that will make your, or your bosses eyes water.
Can’t comment on this Neil as I have never from the very inception of tachos marked anything on the face of the disc. This is because the instructor at my training seminar insisted that any markings made by other than the stylus would be considered defacing and a serious offence.
Coffeeholic:
One other thing, if it is your normal practice to draw lines on the face of the tacho disc denoting start and finish times of your shifts DO NOT do it while in France, or on the discs you will have with you from the days leading up to your trip. The French take a very dim view of this practice and will try to fine you an amount that will make your, or your bosses eyes water.
Can’t comment on this Neil as I have never from the very inception of tachos marked anything on the face of the disc. This is because the instructor at my training seminar insisted that any markings made by other than the stylus would be considered defacing and a serious offence.
Salut, David.
Not long after I started driving the company I worked for had a ministry check, no problem, but they did say they wanted to see a mark on the card stating end of rest period and begining.
I did this for a few years and never had a problem, although I was UK drivign only. I later changed the method to keep everybody happy and note end and start of shift in the manual entry slot.
would be nice if we all were told the same thing, but I suppose Digital tachos will put an end to such problems. but probally lead to a new raft of differences and drivers myth about what is and isn’t acceptable.
I’ve never marked the front of any of my disc’s either David but I do know the French don’t like it and know personally a couple of drivers who paid large fines because of it.
Apart from my very early days of driving over the water, when the fact I didn’t keep a 24 hour record was questioned, I have used the method I mentioned. So to be honest I am unsure of how they would react now to not keeping it. Still better to be safe than sorry.
Muckles, it seems the UK authorites don’t mind, and indeed seem to prefer, the lines but in other countries they will nick you for it.
I met Lostpup on the way down on Sunday, at the Purdy Lodge coffee shop.
He had to go via a place just west of the A1 just off the N104, then meet up for something at Carcassone (sp?), so his route was decided for him. It’ll have to be the Bordeaux, Toulouse, turn left at Perpignon route.
I reminded him to take plenty of snaps.
I hope its a good trip, stuck in Beziers for 4 days, that will be torture .
Simon:
He had to go via a place just west of the A1 just off the N104, then meet up for something at Carcassone (sp?), so his route was decided for him. It’ll have to be the Bordeaux, Toulouse, turn left at Perpignon route
I do hope you are joking Simon , didn’t see any smilies though , seems to me the Clermont, Millau route is definitely the best bet.
Better for the snaps as well
I think that because it’s all his own goods he thinks he is exempt from having to worry about things like that. As I am the driver I am trying to make sure I have everything I need to avoid run-ins with the law over the water.
.
, didn’t see any smilies though 
, seems to me the Clermont, Millau route is definitely the best bet.