The only thing I can add to what has already been said here is that you take the drugs problem extremely seriously.
There are some loads which by there nature it will be nigh on impossible for people to hide drugs in, however there are far more where it is extremely easy.
Be vigilant, watch what is being loaded and look out for anything which seems a little out of the ordinary, including people. And, daft as it may sound, stick your nose around the pallets/boxes etc and have a damned good sniff about - hashish has a very distinctive odour.
Yes, can’t add much more, the drugs thing, aint big its not clever and it aint worth risking. There are better men than us, who thought they could make life a bit easier. Must be due out about now
Trust no-one, especially those who are trying to be helpful, friendly or overly interested in your habits & routes.
TheBear:
Steve, I noticed no one answered your query about how long you could be away.
It really is hit and miss, mate. It all depends where you ship from for a start. If you use Portsmouth or Poole, you are a fair bit closer to Spain then. In the unit I have now, I can make the border at Irun from Caen in just under 10 hours drive with a good run. It all depends what you are carrying … if you are pulling chilled back from Spain, then you can run Sundays. If not, you’re parked up from 10pm Sat night til 10 pm Sun night. I always reckon on 2 cards back from Valencia to Caen. I have never managed Murcia back to Caen in anything under 22 hours driving so you’re into a third card. From Madrid, reckon on 2 cards … same for Barcelona.
I would say if you are going down with one hitters and reloading with one hitters (if unlucky you can reload at two or three packhouses with oranges), then you are looking at 5 or 6 days.
As an example of being sodded about … I went down to Gibraltar in Feb (last time I saw sunny Spain ). I left on Monday lunchtime via Dover. Tipped near Gib Thursday morning. Boss mucked up and let a one hitter go that was for Liverpool from Murcia. Took on a load from Elche that was loading supposedly at 2pm Friday. I finally got loaded with a load of groupage weighing a grand total of 6 tonnes at 1am. I made it back to Castets by 11pm Sat night and sat out the driving ban (the one and only time I have pulled a euroliner on this firm). I left at 0330am Mon and caught the afternoon boat from Caen. Arrived back in UK with 3 drops at Street, Leicester and Bradford. Tipped them and reloaded Wed afternoon for Basingstoke. Tipped Basing Wed night and home by 0200 Thurs. So was away for 10 days.
Thanks Bear. I’m waiting on info regarding the job but I was thinking that a week plus was probably a good bet. I’m based out of Southampton so should be ok with the ports. But then again if I need to load in Scotland that’s not going to help much…lol
Hombre:
The only thing I can add to what has already been said here is that you take the drugs problem extremely seriously.
There are some loads which by there nature it will be nigh on impossible for people to hide drugs in, however there are far more where it is extremely easy.
Be vigilant, watch what is being loaded and look out for anything which seems a little out of the ordinary, including people. And, daft as it may sound, stick your nose around the pallets/boxes etc and have a damned good sniff about - hashish has a very distinctive odour.
Wheel Nut:
Yes, can’t add much more, the drugs thing, aint big its not clever and it aint worth risking. There are better men than us, who thought they could make life a bit easier. Must be due out about now
Trust no-one, especially those who are trying to be helpful, friendly or overly interested in your habits & routes.
chilistrucker:
also, if your pulling a curtainsider, tilt etc, be worth taking a t.i.r cord and some seals and a padlock.
fridge or box, padlock and seals.
Thanks I’ll remember that. Just delivered into Prologis Rugby today and they had three guys jump out of a truck last week apparently. They had cut the original seal and replaced it with their own…
As it stands if the job comes up with the goods, money, conditions etc then I’m going to take it on. Wife’s happy as she knows I prefer to drive distance rather than what I’m doing now…(Drive 2 hours, deliver, wait around 2 hours, drive back etc etc.)
Now all I need to to is work on the idea that she would love to live in Canada…
Don’t know if it’s still there as I’ve been grounded for 11 years but stop at Claudes in St Genis de Saintonge, always had a good meal and a good drink there. Although with the new Autoroute past La Rochelle etc it probably makes it too close to the boat on the way down. Just had a thought, anyone know if the Fish restaurant is still there after being bypassed?
ghosttrain:
Don’t know if it’s still there as I’ve been grounded for 11 years but stop at Claudes in St Genis de Saintonge, always had a good meal and a good drink there. Although with the new Autoroute past La Rochelle etc it probably makes it too close to the boat on the way down. Just had a thought, anyone know if the Fish restaurant is still there after being bypassed?
I was accused in a previous post of having a dig at leisurely drives but even 11 years ago Claudes would been too early from the boat (Cherbourg). Great place though.
The Fish Restaurant, if the one your thinking of is on the left hand side (going south) just past La Rochelle, it’s called L’aire Marin and it’s still there and well worth a visit for the sea food.
BUT
The problem is the weight limit in Marans on the N137 north of La Rochelle means it not practical to visit without a lengthy detour.
ok I agree claudes was only 8 hours from the boat in those days but what was in reach? The cabbage patch (I don’t think so) or autoroute services and to be fair, the following day, Barcelona was still within reach as was Burgos, much further and a bit of constructive time keeping was called for (this I often used on the way back up to reach Claudes).
L’aire Marin was the name of the restaurant I was thinking of I should have remembered just by the name really, but it was always referred to as “The Fish”.
squarepeg:
The Fish Restaurant, if the one your thinking of is on the left hand side (going south) just past La Rochelle, it’s called L’aire Marin and it’s still there and well worth a visit for the sea food.
BUT
The problem is the weight limit in Marans on the N137 north of La Rochelle means it not practical to visit without a lengthy detour.
Caveat Emptor, or some other italic word
I was told by many of our French drivers who ply this route regularly that if the road is classified with an E number, the N137 is also the E03 and that the local 7.5 tonne limits cannot be enforced as the roads were built with European grant money as a through route. Im waiting for someone to tell me otherwise.
I dont know the actual wording of this law, but normally if you are stopped and are en-route for a meal at a routier or resto the French police will allow it, whatever the road sign says. Even the Spanish would allow ADR trucks to come off the motorway to eat.
squarepeg:
The Fish Restaurant, if the one your thinking of is on the left hand side (going south) just past La Rochelle, it’s called L’aire Marin and it’s still there and well worth a visit for the sea food.
BUT
The problem is the weight limit in Marans on the N137 north of La Rochelle means it not practical to visit without a lengthy detour.
Caveat Emptor, or some other italic word
I was told by many of our French drivers who ply this route regularly that if the road is classified with an E number, the N137 is also the E03 and that the local 7.5 tonne limits cannot be enforced as the roads were built with European grant money as a through route. Im waiting for someone to tell me otherwise.
I dont know the actual wording of this law, but normally if you are stopped and are en-route for a meal at a routier or resto the French police will allow it, whatever the road sign says. Even the Spanish would allow ADR trucks to come off the motorway to eat.
Didn’t I read somewhere that it was actually the local Mayor who put this weight limit in force and it has no legal standing?? Am sure I heard that but then I may be wrong.
I believe it is something like that Bear. There are still some cracking little routiers on the route nationals and they still rely on the regular drivers to patronise them. At one time we had to have a fax from the office to run the peages, it was never a problem for me.
I have also made myself look rather foolish by following the buffalos
ghosttrain:
ok I agree claudes was only 8 hours from the boat in those days but what was in reach? The cabbage patch (I don’t think so) or autoroute services
Only ever stopped at the cabbage patch once and I vowed never again.
Usually tried to make Lipothey or Cap de Pins, though these days, like most places on the forest road, by the time you have driven from the boat all the parking spaces have gone.
Wheel Nut:
Caveat Emptor, or some other italic word
I was told by many of our French drivers who ply this route regularly that if the road is classified with an E number, the N137 is also the E03 and that the local 7.5 tonne limits cannot be enforced as the roads were built with European grant money as a through route. Im waiting for someone to tell me otherwise.
TheBear:
Didn’t I read somewhere that it was actually the local Mayor who put this weight limit in force and it has no legal standing?? Am sure I heard that but then I may be wrong.
A French driver who lives near Marans told me a similar story, but I wouldn’t chance it.
Wheel Nut:
I dont know the actual wording of this law, but normally if you are stopped and are en-route for a meal at a routier or resto the French police will allow it, whatever the road sign says. Even the Spanish would allow ADR trucks to come off the motorway to eat.
Maybe if it was a few K’s but from leaving the motorway and using the N137, to rejoining is about 140K’s.
ghosttrain:
ok I agree claudes was only 8 hours from the boat in those days but what was in reach? The cabbage patch (I don’t think so) or autoroute services
Only ever stopped at the cabbage patch once and I vowed never again.
Usually tried to make Lipothey or Cap de Pins, though these days, like most places on the forest road, by the time you have driven from the boat all the parking spaces have gone.
ghosttrain:
ok I agree claudes was only 8 hours from the boat in those days but what was in reach? The cabbage patch (I don’t think so) or autoroute services
Only ever stopped at the cabbage patch once and I vowed never again.
Usually tried to make Lipothey or Cap de Pins, though these days, like most places on the forest road, by the time you have driven from the boat all the parking spaces have gone.
So now usually Castets, which is fine by me.
Castets was always worth a visit
The last time I looked the parking stank, the toilets and showers were a disgrace, food was not too bad though.]
