O.K. Mike-C, then we will just have to agree to dis-agree on this one because its getting too intense. I’ll bite my tongue and draw my own conclusions but I didn’t set the standards, the Ministry of Transport did.
TIR Original:
O.K. Mike-C, then we will just have to agree to dis-agree on this one because its getting too intense. I’ll bite my tongue and draw my own conclusions but I didn’t set the standards, the Ministry of Transport did.
Agreed !! I didn’t intend to get into a debate over it i was only pointing out that it was ironic !! No offence intented to you.
TBH the eastern europeans are much better now compared to when they first started coming over. Maybe theyre getting the hang of U.K roads? If they are prepared to work for less than a British trucker then that will affect wages, end of. There are other considerations to be taken into account though, high fuel costs for one causing hauliers to try and make saving wherever they can.
Id help out any driver if I could, but how can you explain difficult directions or instructions on how to operate some equipent to someone who either speaks very poor english, or none at all. You cant!
anecdote tme
Im younger than the average U.K trucker (28.), tall slender ad have dark hair with stubble. Im often mistaken for a Pole, sometimes even the Poles think im Polish! A few months ago I was verbally abused by a Scouse factory worker who thought I was an eastern european. The stuff he came out with was terrible! He had the shock of his life when I asked him what his problem was in English! Pure hatrid. He apologised profusely and went bright red. That experience was a real eye opener for me. Foreign visitors working in the U.K must get this treatment every day. Disgraceful.
Lankytim:
TBH the eastern europeans are much better now compared to when they first started coming over. Maybe theyre getting the hang of U.K roads?
I think its pretty accurate to say that when they first started coming over in 2004, there where plenty of Polish guys lured by the ‘big bucks’ of lorry driving here and so they got their licences before they came here only to have no experience and struggle. SOme of the things many of us seen where absolutley frightening, but like us all they learnt.
anecdote tme
Lankytim:
Im younger than the average U.K trucker (28.), tall slender ad have dark hair with stubble. Im often mistaken for a Pole, sometimes even the Poles think im Polish! A few months ago I was verbally abused by a Scouse factory worker who thought I was an eastern european. The stuff he came out with was terrible! He had the shock of his life when I asked him what his problem was in English! Pure hatrid. He apologised profusely and went bright red. That experience was a real eye opener for me. Foreign visitors working in the U.K must get this treatment every day. Disgraceful.
Thank God you wheren’t Black or Asian hey !! Where was your ‘scouse’ factory worker BTW, Warrington’ / Runcorn or Skelmersdale?
It’s somebodies fault that the economics of the world are so ■■■■■■ up, but it isn’t our fault and it isn’t the fault of the blokes coming over here either.
If I were so worried I’d “fight the system” so to speak, rather than fight the poor bugger who just wants to earn himself some money.
I would not hesitate to help them and I would do so to the best of my ability. Basically because I am not a moron.
Mike-C:
Lankytim:
TBH the eastern europeans are much better now compared to when they first started coming over. Maybe theyre getting the hang of U.K roads?I think its pretty accurate to say that when they first started coming over in 2004, there where plenty of Polish guys lured by the ‘big bucks’ of lorry driving here and so they got their licences before they came here only to have no experience and struggle. SOme of the things many of us seen where absolutley frightening, but like us all they learnt.
anecdote tme
Lankytim:
Im younger than the average U.K trucker (28.), tall slender ad have dark hair with stubble. Im often mistaken for a Pole, sometimes even the Poles think im Polish! A few months ago I was verbally abused by a Scouse factory worker who thought I was an eastern european. The stuff he came out with was terrible! He had the shock of his life when I asked him what his problem was in English! Pure hatrid. He apologised profusely and went bright red. That experience was a real eye opener for me. Foreign visitors working in the U.K must get this treatment every day. Disgraceful.Thank God you wheren’t Black or Asian hey !! Where was your ‘scouse’ factory worker BTW, Warrington’ / Runcorn or Skelmersdale?
Skelmersdale 
On that industrial estate off J1 of the M58. edit, J5 I meant! oops
Lankytim:
Mike-C:
Lankytim:
TBH the eastern europeans are much better now compared to when they first started coming over. Maybe theyre getting the hang of U.K roads?I think its pretty accurate to say that when they first started coming over in 2004, there where plenty of Polish guys lured by the ‘big bucks’ of lorry driving here and so they got their licences before they came here only to have no experience and struggle. SOme of the things many of us seen where absolutley frightening, but like us all they learnt.
anecdote tme
Lankytim:
Im younger than the average U.K trucker (28.), tall slender ad have dark hair with stubble. Im often mistaken for a Pole, sometimes even the Poles think im Polish! A few months ago I was verbally abused by a Scouse factory worker who thought I was an eastern european. The stuff he came out with was terrible! He had the shock of his life when I asked him what his problem was in English! Pure hatrid. He apologised profusely and went bright red. That experience was a real eye opener for me. Foreign visitors working in the U.K must get this treatment every day. Disgraceful.Thank God you wheren’t Black or Asian hey !! Where was your ‘scouse’ factory worker BTW, Warrington’ / Runcorn or Skelmersdale?
Skelmersdale
Listen here you Polish faced…!! Just joking !!!
Tim, they probably ain’t scousers. They ‘sound’ like scousers, but from Skem they aint !! Just a technical point !!! Even from Kirkby they ain’t scousers !!!
Mike-C:
Lankytim:
Mike-C:
Lankytim:
TBH the eastern europeans are much better now compared to when they first started coming over. Maybe theyre getting the hang of U.K roads?I think its pretty accurate to say that when they first started coming over in 2004, there where plenty of Polish guys lured by the ‘big bucks’ of lorry driving here and so they got their licences before they came here only to have no experience and struggle. SOme of the things many of us seen where absolutley frightening, but like us all they learnt.
anecdote tme
Lankytim:
Im younger than the average U.K trucker (28.), tall slender ad have dark hair with stubble. Im often mistaken for a Pole, sometimes even the Poles think im Polish! A few months ago I was verbally abused by a Scouse factory worker who thought I was an eastern european. The stuff he came out with was terrible! He had the shock of his life when I asked him what his problem was in English! Pure hatrid. He apologised profusely and went bright red. That experience was a real eye opener for me. Foreign visitors working in the U.K must get this treatment every day. Disgraceful.Thank God you wheren’t Black or Asian hey !! Where was your ‘scouse’ factory worker BTW, Warrington’ / Runcorn or Skelmersdale?
Skelmersdale
Listen here you Polish faced…!! Just joking !!!
Tim, they probably ain’t scousers. They ‘sound’ like scousers, but from Skem they aint !! Just a technical point !!! Even from Kirkby they ain’t scousers !!!
Why would anyone pretend to be a scouser 
I do not want to being involved in your discussion at main subject, but I can tell you few answers.
fuse:
how mutch do east europeans pay to obtain an lgv licence and medicles ect have we got a level playing field
I was checking this couple of week ago. To upgrade my licence from C to C+E I will pay in Poland about 2500-3000 zl (500-600 pounds) topped by medical examination and test fee. If you will compare this to average polish salaries that’s mean, that you will pay much more then average british man.
And apart of that to work as a driver in Poland you need to do additional courses for commercial driving which can cost up to another 900 (200 pounds). Simply license is allows you to drive the lorry for your own company or farm, but not to work as a commercial driver in Poland.
Of course I know that you are angry that poles are going to Poland for their licences and have it cheaper. If you think, that is cheaper and easier in Poland - do it yourself as well. We have XXI century now, and plenty of germans are doing that.
Or you can even go to Ukraine, and have this few times cheaper.
Ukraine, got some very nice looking birds out there so may be an 
Wonder how the Ukies would feel about me going over there & nicking their jobs, don’t suppose you happen to know if I could claim benefit while I’m there do you then I could sit on the ■■■■ all day on someones hard earned tax £
TIR Original:
This was exactly the point that I was trying to make in an earlier posting.
I wont bother about the lack of medicals and how it is possible to by a licence over the counter or how if you drive a bendy bus or agricultural tractor they give you a licence for a HGV !
What a fairy tales are you talking here? You must pass your test in Poland to european standards as in every other countries. You cant get your HGV only becouse you have bus licence!
Everyone has the right to work but only with the ‘right’ tools !!
Do you trying to tell, that my EC driving license is somehow worse then your EC licence? And what abot german or french EC licenses? Are they better then british, equal or worse?
newmercman:
Ukraine, got some very nice looking birds out there so may be anWonder how the Ukies would feel about me going over there & nicking their jobs, don’t suppose you happen to know if I could claim benefit while I’m there do you
Of course Ukraine is not in EC yet, but you can come to Poland and claim benefit, as an European Citizen. In some cases the polish goverment will pay you not only standard amount of money, what you would get if you would be polish, but this cash, what you would get in your own country - so claiming jobseekers allowance there gives you more, then factory worker earns full time.
orys:
TIR Original:
This was exactly the point that I was trying to make in an earlier posting.
I wont bother about the lack of medicals and how it is possible to by a licence over the counter or how if you drive a bendy bus or agricultural tractor they give you a licence for a HGV !What a fairy tales are you talking here? You must pass your test in Poland to european standards as in every other countries. You cant get your HGV only becouse you have bus licence!
Everyone has the right to work but only with the ‘right’ tools !!
Do you trying to tell, that my EC driving license is somehow worse then your EC licence? And what abot german or french EC licenses? Are they better then british, equal or worse?
Picture the scene, a 5 mile queue of traffic, a car on its roof up the bank, 200yds further on a lorry with slight damage to the right hand front corner, will it have French, German, Italian, Spanish, Belgian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish plates NO, chances are it’ll be Polish, Czech, Romanian or Bulgarian plates. This may be why you are experiencing this ‘discrimination’ I used to do a bit of Poland & I found the Poles to be a nice bunch so this isn’t a xenophobic rant, I also worked in Italy because the £ was better than I could get in the UK so I sympathise with your plight more than most, but I gotta tell you I am sick to death of sitting in traffic jams caused by some useless female genetalia from the former Eastern Bloc who can’t use his mirrors:!: 
That’s strange, what you are talking about.
I am driving here over two years altogether, and I haved seen only one accident with polish truck involved. And that was hungarian lorry who smashed this polish truck (I helped them with translation, as hungarian driver spoke only hungarian, slovak and german, what I have basic understanding and polish driver spoke only polish and english).
But there can be more accident’s down there, as they are more continental lorries there, which have driving wheel on the “wrong” side of the road, what can be a reason (not a nationality of driver).
I can give you another example. I left ferry in Bologne and when i were joining the motorway I seen the crash, as ford transit havent given the way to cars, which were already on fast carriageway. Do you think, that it had french, german, italian, polish or russian numer plates? No! It was on british plates.
And what that’s change in main subject of the discussion? Nothing.
But I am sure why you have such bad opinion on polish drivers: Most of them what you meet are agency workers.
No good driver will go work for polish agency, unless he don’t speak english at all (but then how he can be good driver in UK?) So most of them are some newbies or people, who cannot get work anywhere, even in Poland.
Please, answer yourself: will you want to live your home and family in Poland and go to the UK to work there for slightly better money, than you can earn in your own country, if you will have a choice?
Someone told, that salary in this company is 6.80. I personally do not know any polish driver here, who earns less then 7.00 (when class 2) and 7.80 (when class one), and I know couple of them. But no one works for polish agency. If these drivers what some one talking about are working for polish agency and earning 6.80 you must remember, that they are by law employed in Poland not in UK, so as agency still charging them some fees for accomodation etc they can sometimes earn below british minimum wage. You must be stupid to work on such conditions or you must be so bad driver, that no-one want to give you a job. And that’s why you see so many poor polish drivers if your company is using polish agency.
Lorries on polish plates are other story. As every good polish drivers are already driving in western europeans country there is not much left in Poland. So there is wery often some bad sort of drivers on polish lorries, or Ukrainians or Russians etc. But then we have the same story again. If some polish company is employing Ukrainian drivers through ukrainian agency… etc.etc.
One day put on your CB on EU channels and turn on 29. That’s “polish” channel. You will be suprised how many polish drivers are driving arround. And you can even know, that they are polish, as they driving british, german or dutch lorries.
It’s always, that bad cases are most famous. I’ll give you an example:
We all were reading in every paper for months about missing Madleine. Anybody seen any information about thousends of british kids, who weren’t kidnapped in Portugal?
And the same is with Poles. You can read that some of polish labourer was having ■■■ with vacuum cleaner (what is, by the way, a fake, according to polish community paper) or about some lazy pigs, who claiming benefits but you can’t read about hundred of thousends of these, who are working here hard, making profit for everyone.
newmercman:
orys:
TIR Original:
but I gotta tell you I am sick to death of sitting in traffic jams caused by some useless female genetalia from the former Eastern Bloc who can’t use his mirrors:!:
what if there is nothing to be seen in the mirrors? can’t say I have too many good things to say about polish drivers, but it’s not their fault some part of europe decided to drive on the other side of the road
Orys, Transit vans in Boulogne could’ve been driven by any idiot with a licence so not a very good argument, I mean it could even have been a Pole
As for driving on the wrong side, myself & many others on this very forum have driven a lot of miles on the right hand side of the road in RHD lorries without incident & I’ve personally driven left hookers in the UK without incident, had a few close shaves in both instances because of self pleasurers in cars that did silly things BUT because my windows were clean & empty of flags, banners, number plates, open laptops, tv screens & shell suit clad legs, it was easy for me to look in my mirrors, little tip you could pass on to your compatriots, if you look in your mirrors all the time then nothing can sneak into the blind spot without you noticing
PS what’s with the flags in the windscreen personally I want to see where I’m going, not where I’ve been
Mike-C:
turnip:
There is a political party that promises to not only stop that but reverse it all as well !! Support them at the ballot box if you feel so strongly over it. Seems daft to loose your job over it?Mike your hardly stooping down to BNP opinions
It is an ironic state of affairs now, that the only British political party that seems to cater to the needs of the white working class
is an extreme right wing racist party. 
Stan
newmercman:
if you look in your mirrors all the time then nothing can sneak into the blind spot without you noticing :!
if you look in the mirrors all the time you’ll be off the road in no time, you obviously haven’t had a lot of experience driving, according to your post.
A few months ago I read in truck and driver mag (I think) that accidents involving eastern europeans were up, I think Ukranians were up 200% or something. Probably due to the larger numbers coming over here.
Although I stated that the eastern europeans are on the whole better than they were when they first started coming over, is it fair to say that on average an eastern european is more likely to damage equpment/have an accident or run bent compared to a Brit driver? Ive heard loads of stories about eastern european drivers driving double shifts. and reversing into stuff.