Hi any info would be much appreciated here. We have been asked to move six electronic control panels for a new Dam being built in a place called Mass in northern Turkey. With a collection of a specialised silicon fron Serbia on the way down. The dimensions of the control pannels means they wont go on one trip so may send two vehicles or send one then the other after the safe return of the first. Any info on Turkey and Serbia please.
asked my old man But as he finished taking the cement mixers to Baghdad from northampton in 1978 his knowledge of Turkey is a bit out of date!!!
Believe it or not, Serbia is fine.
Some BG hauliers prefer Serbia route when going to the west. Borders are not that busy to cause any more delay than Danube ferries, roads are much better so make faster progress, you can drive at night (what many try to avoid in Ro and BG), fuel is a bit cheaper.
Also, most coach tours and individual car trips from SK & H to GR prefer Serbia route as it is faster and more comfy.
Don’t know where in SRB you’re going but essentially have to possibilites, coming from HU or HR, either way you’ll go to your loading point and then towards BG and TR (probably, unless you want to do MK-GR-TR).
You’ll need motorway sticker (when going by m-way), buy at border or first fuel pump. IIRC Hun border to Belgrade was ~3000 dinars for truck which was some 20eur then… 2005? jeeeez, the time flies!
Foreigners pay more than Serbs. You used to need special Serbian insurance but now they accept green cards. You also used to need visa but not anymore.
I think Zagreb-Belgrade motorway is 2+2 all the way, Belgrade to Hungary was half profile at stages but some works were going on. Anyway, on single carriageways you’re supposed to drive on the verge to leave space for overtakers. Serbs do not give a s…t about speed limits and double lines. But the police are all over the place with radars!
Further down, Nis to BG there was a tunnel closed for quite some time with some lengthy diversion (but that may be fixed by now).
Food OK, beer too (Jelen, Apatin…)
No worries
Thanks Homerfaber for the feed back The collection point is a Place called Nis in Serbia■■?..
jj72 oh well if you don’t ask you don’t get you never know you I might be able to help you in some way some time, we are all never to knowledgeable or worldly wise to not nedd a lift at some point. I dont really think i can compete with your operation and this may or may not be the start of something new for us or a competitor in the near future. thanks any way.
with hindsight i was a bit harsh, it wasn’t meant personally - i would never see anybody in trouble, but equally have had many good jobs over the years which people have cut in on cause their own spud delivery work or whatever is quiet, drop the rate without thinking about job properly (not saying that applies to you), makes a right horlicks of it and quietly disappear - trouble is then the shipper whines “but joe soap could do it for 65% of what you did…” yeah, whatEVER
We use the Serbia route on the way to Kosovo. We normally go D-A-H and cross the border at a small station at Tompa about 50km west of the motorway crossing.
The motorways have normal peage or toll booths. Generally only the dualled parts are charged for. So from the border to near Novi Sad is single carriageway with shoulder running to allow overtakes. Then from there to Belgrade is mostly dual except for a couple of bridges. Cops are particulary plentiful coming into Belgrade.
Belgrade to NIS is all dual and just take a ticket at the north end and pay at the south.
Nis is the city where the route splits for Macedonia or Bulgaria.
If you need to park in Belgrade there is supervised parking at Hotel National right beside the route through Belgrade. Food in the hotel is good - specially recommend the Vranac red wine from Montenegro.
Thanks for the new info on Serbia I am taking it all in thanks again.
jj72 I do understand your concerns and believe me our family started in Haulage in 1974 so we have seen the highs and lows, the I can do it cheaper ,better and out of business within a month thus stunting the growth of the industry as a whole. This particular contract is currently undertaken on a regular basis by all manner of haulage companys outside the U K and Europe. I have been approached to take this on as the Cheif executive of the company is not happy with different aspects of the shipping collection and delivery to date. Fortunatley he is my next door neighbour and our kids are the same age and play together. This is the first time I have been in favour of nepitisim As this is a chance to start something outside of Europe Thats the reason to try it for us. Although I think it may be one of the sides of the business that is a learning curve and may well cost as you have already expressed
well genuinely the best of luck with it - unfortunately you may find that although Billy Wetz or whoever is the biggest shower of ■■■■■ going according to the shipper, when they realise you’d have to charge double to do it properly, often suddenly they ain’t so bad after all
Thanks jj72, and again i can fully understand what you are saying, the adagge of reaching and exceeding customer satisfaction does fly out of the window usually when it comes to price differentials of some magnetude, but as I said we will try these two loads and see what their response is. A great character once said he who dares wins Rodney he who dares wins!
As this is a chance to start something outside of Europe Thats the reason to try it for us. Although I think it may be one of the sides of the business that is a learning curve and may well cost as you have already expressed