newmercman:
Just as well we’re all different then isn’t it nearly there or there would be a lot of competition for your job!I did my share of running over the water, I always had the better paying jobs, but even so it wasn’t all about the money, happiness is my ultimate goal, money doesn’t buy that.
+1
well said that man
nearly there:
Im sick of hearing that bollox that its a lifestyle or its in the blood.what fool likes to spend there every moment in a truck.when your on your final breath i bet it be nice to think aahh i had great times pooping in a bag in a lay by up and down the uk aswell as europe when i never saw any friends or family for all they years,great times.well not me ill live a normal life seeing my child grow up and have quality time from family moments.im sorry this is a rant but it sounds lime a really dumb thing to crave living in a truck like a hermit
As others have said we are all different, and it would be great if society (not just truck drivers) were more accepting of that in general.
I couldn’t work as a carer for elderly patients, but I know people who do it and love the job, they must be getting more from it than money.
I got out of driving trucks and haulage for a few years, worked in IT departments, 35 hour weeks, nice conditions, promotion prospects etc, but just didn’t suit me. I did some trunking work, it was ok for a short period, but I found that it bored me being on the same road every day, but it really suits some people.
Although I don’t drive for a haulage company, I still spend a lot of time away driving trucks round Europe, I enjoy it, I like seeing different places meeting different people ,getting away from them before they annoy me and I comfortable being on my own for long periods, I know others who’d go nuts if they had to spend a few hours on their own.
For me I would plan where to stop for a 24 or 45 weekly rest period by looking at a map that lists a scenic tourist route, it would be highlighted in a different colour on the map.
My bike comes out the trailer or cab, then I am off all day visting museums or 17th century castles or chateauxs.
Forests and woods for off road biking.
Rivers or beaches.
I once spent four days parked up over Easter at Aosta, so took the cable car to the mountain to watch the snow boarders and skiers.
Motorway services are not a problem, exit via the staff gate to get out then down the lanes to the next village or town and mingle with the locals.
lucianoros:
It s rumoured they pay 130 euro per day.
I can only think of one that pays 130 (pounds) per day and it can be very seasonal.
I am not telling you who it is for obvious reasons.
No firm will pay good money doing Europe to anyone reading this forum. There is too much competition from the East.
There may be some decent Euro jobs left at small firms paying decent money but most of the money on offer as has been stated is £500 per week before tax deductions as there is a LEGION of blokes, English or not who will tramp for this money & be quite happy doing it.
As has been said, tramping, particularly Euro tramping is a lifestyle choice, not a salary choice. You do it for the way of life & not the money, if you’re English anyway. This is very true.
I was speaking to a 24 year old Polish lad recently he says they get £250 (can’t remember if it was euros or pounds he said, rubbish either way & the poor girl at home on her own…) per week for being way 2 weeks at a time. He had a young baby at home. How are you going to compete with that? 
No wonder they’re all got better wagons than us nowadays…
The EE drivers are on about 1000 to 1300 euros per month depending which firm they work for.
A driver for a large Hungarian firm with the sun man on the back of their trailers, told me as low as 600 per month as their fuel performance is tracked, then they lose their bonuses for high fuel use.
A Stop Trans driver had a beautiful girlfriend back home, but was happy tramping around Europe.
He showed me photos on his mobile phone of his work mates having barbecues on the beach, and having a good time on weekly rests or waiting for reloads.
The journeys he did resemble a triangle shape.
Lisbon to London.
London to Hull.
Hull to Scandinavia.
Norway or Sweden to Poland.
Poland to Spain.
Spain to Greece or Italy.
lucianoros:
Heritage pay 420 ponds pw■■? It is true? This wage include night out? Or night out is paied separately?
That’s take home with nites out inc .But to be fair to heritage/kingbrook that’s what they all pay ( with the odd exception) in that part of kent CSB, Salvatory, mbt online , Bywaters. all you will do is £420 -£430 away all week in your bin with a bit extra for sat/ sun .
toby1234abc:
The EE drivers are on about 1000 to 1300 euros per month depending which firm they work for.
wrong on both ends, I know some portuguese earn less than €800 and on estonia-uk-estonia work you get about €1600-€1800 or so in an estonian truck, €2000-€2500 tramping in western europe
Silver_Surfer:
…but most of the money on offer as has been stated is £500 per week before tax deductions as there is a LEGION of blokes, English or not who will tramp for this money & be quite happy doing it.
Well, if that is indeed the case and there is ‘a legion’ of English drivers who will be happily away from home all week (or longer) for £500pw on the top, then perhaps the reason for low wages on this kind of work lies a bit closer to home than eastern Europe.
I couldn’t work as a carer for elderly patients, but I know people who do it and love the job, they must be getting more from it than money.
I now work as a carer and yes it is job satisfaction, BUT, you can be on call 168 hours a week, no sick pay etc and all for £61.15 a week to look after a relative.
Oh and I can smoke in the workplace!
Olog Hai:
Silver_Surfer:
…but most of the money on offer as has been stated is £500 per week before tax deductions as there is a LEGION of blokes, English or not who will tramp for this money & be quite happy doing it.Well, if that is indeed the case and there is ‘a legion’ of English drivers who will be happily away from home all week (or longer) for £500pw on the top, then perhaps the reason for low wages on this kind of work lies a bit closer to home than eastern Europe.
In my experience it always has, unfortunately the lure of running to the sun has always been the same, it’s a lifestyle rather than a job.
I started out at a firm that paid good wages and obviously any job move was to improve my lot, so money was always decent, but I did have the advantage of living in London where every other firm went over the water, so there was a bit of healthy competition.
Although on the other side of the coin, some of their practices left a lot to be desired. On many jobs a day cab would’ve been fine.
As stated its a lifestyle choice and each to theirown
And being weekended ive never crapped in a bag or on a night out for that matter
Always parked with facilities
Was having this conversation with 2 mates the other day
One only done ukother like me euro
The question was
2 jobs on offer you needto work no choice of dole as family and house to pay
Kids all teenagers or older
1 uk only tramping mon to fri away all week poss home sat am
2 euro work weekends away aswell
Money be same for both and truck the same
2 of said euro guy only done uk said uk
He couldnt understand why but like i said 1-2 weeks driving solely in uk would do my nut in
Connor
Just because your happy doing one thing doesnt mean everyone is
I wouldnt do supermarket work for £15 hr
Or£1000 week and a shiny v8
Its not for me but its fine for others
Same as trunking same route day in day out
Ive had jobs in past before being self employed
Paid good money
Last paye in management role over 40k salary plus bonus car prp etc etc
After 3 years it bored me to death i jacked it and got my own truck
I was brought up on euro work school hols and even knocking off school for a wuick trip out so yes prob is in my blood more
My mates old man jacked in euro work 15 years ago said had enough
Had lots of offers to go back but wouldnt enjoyed the home life again and grandkuds
Then 5/6 year ago got talked in by his son do a change over take grandchild
First 2 were st malo
3rd down nr bordeaux
He was hooked again went to work for his son and still does now
Olog Hai:
Silver_Surfer:
…but most of the money on offer as has been stated is £500 per week before tax deductions as there is a LEGION of blokes, English or not who will tramp for this money & be quite happy doing it.Well, if that is indeed the case and there is ‘a legion’ of English drivers who will be happily away from home all week (or longer) for £500pw on the top, then perhaps the reason for low wages on this kind of work lies a bit closer to home than eastern Europe.
Well said that man 
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
Henry David Thoreau
Read more at brainyquote.com/quotes/quote … p8ktVSG.99
I gave up doing Spain and Gib, working d/manned with the wife in Aug 14, when she was taken ill, she passed away in Sept.
I’m now on weekend fridge work locally, easy work, reasonable money, but I miss Europe, we did 13 European countries in the last few years, paid tourists really, rough at times, but I’ll treasure the memories to my last breath.
Helens last trip.
Truck kindly supplied and driven by my old boss Mr Steve Swain.
gettin-on:
ConnorJust because your happy doing one thing doesnt mean everyone is
Its not what he is happy with though, its his wife as well. And my main beef is not being paid a fair wage for the job. Why is £7 an hour acceptable on continental work when it isn’t for UK work? At least if you’re going to do something that has a high risk of the missus buggering off you should be paid the same as your UK only counterparts.
lol, always somebody who knows better
I know some people slate off the E/E drivers, but when their economy is a lot lower than others, can you really blame them for working for small wages. European transport often pays more than internal work so you can see how they are enticed into being away from home for long periods. Upon reflection, the wages do seem very low at times considering they still have to buy their food to cook at western prices in most instances, and most have trailer boxes like we did when we were on middle east work.
My boss pays way above average, 1800 euros for a Bulgarian/Romanian driver, and £2000 for a brit driver and these wages are after tax, and paid without fail every month, the trailers are going through a refurb process at the moment, and the units are big cab high spec MAN. The wages are a lot higher than most brit companies on eurowork, we run 100% legal, all documents legal and to hand, but we are on BG plates. We have a choice of where we want to run, be it Turkey or Spain, north or south of France, Germany or Austria in fact anywhere in Europe, and we are asked and not told, and a lot of what we would call personal equipment is supplied if needed, like a sat-nav or fridge, kettle to a cooker, how many companies look after their drivers in that way ?
truckyboy:
and the units are big cab high spec MAN.
in the current economic climate and the money for which bulgarians and romanians are willing to spend eons in western europe this sounds a bit too good to be true, but I am willing to be proven wrong 