Hi peeps my name is Alex and I’m from Dallas Texas, been driving the big 18 wheelers(lorries arctic) for 10 years but since moving to the UK a year a ago i haven’t been able to do what i love the most other than my wife no more which is drive the big trucks as i don’t have my LGV licence as of yet, i have enroll myself into a school or training centre call 1st class trucking based in enfield near london it cost me £2500 and i look forward to continuing my career as a truck driver in the UK, i would like to ask you guys for advice on a few things, i know is very different driving lorries here than it is across the pond, i always thought if i can drive a massive 18 wheeler over there in be able to deliver in the crowded little streets of new york city or the Bronx and Brooklyn i can definitely drive a lorry here since they are a lot smaller over here, i would like to know if they are truck stops all across the UK or if we are only limited to park at service plazas, also can someone tell me how does the pay is over here as far as driving at night or if i will only get pay for all the hrs i actually drive even though some nights i will be sleeping away from home, back in the US of A we truck drivers get paid by the mile so the more miles we drive the bigger the paycheck is but i heard here is by the hr so can i get some feedback on this, last question for now, can you the more season or advance drivers not the rookies please tell me or give me an idea of some good companies that i can have a look into maybe driving for them in the Buckinghamshire area as i live in High Wycombe, i would love to find a good company once i get my licence that will keep me out on the road no more than maybe 3-4 days and then come home to my wife and family, thank you so much for the help and info i will get from you lot…remember drive safe out there and keep on trucking whoop whoop hahaha 
Out of curiosity, what’s the average length of a US rig? Our’s might be smaller, but you haven’t seen some of the places ours have to get into…you’ll have fun here 
Adam_Mc:
Out of curiosity, what’s the average length of a US rig? Our’s might be smaller, but you haven’t seen some of the places ours have to get into…you’ll have fun here
hi my new friend here is your answer: They can vary in lengths up to 80 feet from nose of tractor to tail of trailer. Trailers range in length from 48-59 feet depending upon where your state’s length regulations lie. Regular over the road tractors are roughly 20 to 28 feet long themselves tip to tail.
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
Hi peeps my name is Alex and I’m from Dallas Texas, been driving the big 18 wheelers(lorries arctic) for 10 years but since moving to the UK a year a ago i haven’t been able to do what i love the most other than my wife no more which is drive the big trucks as i don’t have my LGV licence as of yet, i have enroll myself into a school or training centre call 1st class trucking based in enfield near london it cost me £2500 and i look forward to continuing my career as a truck driver in the UK, i would like to ask you guys for advice on a few things, i know is very different driving lorries here than it is across the pond, i always thought if i can drive a massive 18 wheeler over there in be able to deliver in the crowded little streets of new york city or the Bronx and Brooklyn i can definitely drive a lorry here since they are a lot smaller over here, i would like to know if they are truck stops all across the UK or if we are only limited to park at service plazas, also can someone tell me how does the pay is over here as far as driving at night or if i will only get pay for all the hrs i actually drive even though some nights i will be sleeping away from home, back in the US of A we truck drivers get paid by the mile so the more miles we drive the bigger the paycheck is but i heard here is by the hr so can i get some feedback on this, last question for now, can you the more season or advance drivers not the rookies please tell me or give me an idea of some good companies that i can have a look into maybe driving for them in the Buckinghamshire area as i live in High Wycombe, i would love to find a good company once i get my licence that will keep me out on the road no more than maybe 3-4 days and then come home to my wife and family, thank you so much for the help and info i will get from you lot…remember drive safe out there and keep on trucking whoop whoop hahaha
Unbelievable but if you really are from over there you’re now in the land of tachographs not log books,speed limiters set at 53 mph,synchromesh gearboxes or even worse slush boxes like you fit on cars.When you learn to drive here they’ll teach you to use only the brakes to slow the truck down with at 44 tonnes/88,000 lbs gross weight without downshifting at all.The hours regs are a nightmare,the roads can be a joke and you’ll be driving amongst ex warsaw pact tank transporter drivers if you’re lucky or the rest of them from over there who can’t drive at all who just got their licences in the post.You can’t get paid by the mile by law here unless you’re an owner driver.European trucks ■■■■ by comparison with something like a KW or a Pete with a Detroit in it and double drive axles on tractor units are something you’ll only find here on special types hauling around 100 tonnes+ these days.I would 'nt give it a month before you’re on your way back home on the fastest plane you can find.Anyway check out the posts on the topic ‘is 80 mph dangerous?’ at page 5 it should help you to feel at home.
U must be mental! leaving the USA for this sinking ship! wouldn’t your wife want to move to america■■?!! much better option if you ask me. Bad result for cowboys the weekend ay.
Are you for real “YanktruckerinUK”■■. You,ll not find many of your countrymen doing what your in the process of doing.What did you do, to get sent to what I now call Downthepanland.?This country , with it,s open door policy on Asylum seekers, and economic migrants is rapidly becoming a Third World outfit. It is also just a couple of years ago that we finished off paying the US Treasury the last payments on what we borrowed, via the Marshall Plan, to help us fight World War 2. To add to that, getting involved in Dubya and Blair,s “War on Terror via the non-existant Weapons of Mass Destruction” scam ,has not helped our current financially embarrassed state either. I don,t want to be putting a damper on your aspirations with regard to getting mounted up by Xmas, but there are many hundreds of experienced HGV Drivers in the UK who will be standing in front of you, whenever a driving vacancy occurs , thanks to the current recession which we are in.In fact there are some on here who have migrated to the USA and Canada to pursue their driving careers. You are certainly welcome in our country, but I have a strong feeling that you may well find that your decision to move here ,may be one that you have cause to regret. If I was you, I would be having an in depth chat with the missus, with a view to getting back in the USofA. and those wide open spaces, and Mom,s Apple Pie, ASAP. Good Luck.
hi pal i think that £2500 i would ask for a refund and jump back on the plane especially with the new driver cpc bull that has to be done. Then there’s the tacho rules and regs which this country can’t decide for themself’s. Apart from that america is a much nicer place than this, the places you are ask to put a wagon can be beyond belief to some i think the superstore drivers get the worst end of it. like the rest said can’t pay you by miles and the hourly rate varies in different areas. If you want to earn any money then hourly is sometimes better than salary where you get the same every month for what ever you do. Sorry for the rant but when you compare the two different contries this one is the worst. 
I was a truck driver in the UK for 15 years and it is not all bad as some of the guys are saying. It is very easier than in the States for a start. Sure roads are very crowded but as has been already said the trucks are much smaller and the longest trailers are only 45 feet long with much shorter wheelbases so they are more manouverable. Also don’t forget that all the tractors are short wheelbase cabovers. The traffic volumes are much higher but the trucks have syncromesh gears like a car or even have automatic shift so traffic is not such a problem. Also it is only legal to overtake on the right so things are simpler and the trucks are very modern with fantastic visability allround compared to North America.
The speed limits are draconian with a top speed of only 56 miles an hour and an unbelievable 40 miles an hour on roads that are not duelled but you will not be expected to travel more than 7-800kms a day absolute max on so it doesn’t matter that much especially as you will be paid by the hour.
Don’t get your hopes up about truckstops though. Even the actual parking is not free. No free coffee. The shower rooms are not cleaned between users and you will even have to provide your own towels which you will have to dry out in your cab after use. The food is expensive and poor with no buffets and no waitress service. I should think that truckstops or lack of them will be your biggest shock.
The trucks have very small sleeper berths with a narrow bunk right behind the seats which is a bit claustrophobic but they have very tall cabs with lots of space above your head.
On the plus side this does not matter that much as the UK is smaller than many of the individual US states so you can get almost anywhere in a matter of a few hours and there and back from most places in a day so the most you would expect to live in your truck is a few days and many guys are home every single night!
Also on the plus side is the fact that there are very few scalehouses and you will probably never get pulled in to weigh so no more sliding your trailer axles.
On the minus side, truck driving in the UK is not considered a very skilled professsion and truck drivers are not held in very high regard either by the public or even the staff at the places of delivery. Some warehouses and distribution centres do not even allow the driver to stay in his vehicle while being unloaded and all of them are ridiculously strict on health and safety which has become a growth industry in the UK.
Oh yeah, just thought of something else. There is no extreme cold weather. Minus 6 or 7 is considered really cold so fuel waxing is very rare and you can shut your truck down safely on a night even in the middle of january and even deep snow is very rare although a few inches seems to bring the entire infrastructure to a complete standstill so that is just as well. As there is no mountain passes there is no legal requirement to carry snowchains or reason to use them so that is a bonus.
wire:
I was a truck driver in the UK for 15 years and it is not all bad as some of the guys are saying. It is very easier than in the States for a start. Sure roads are very crowded but as has been already said the trucks are much smaller and the longest trailers are only 45 feet long with much shorter wheelbases so they are more manouverable. Also don’t forget that all the tractors are short wheelbase cabovers. The traffic volumes are much higher but the trucks have syncromesh gears like a car or even have automatic shift so traffic is not such a problem. Also it is only legal to overtake on the right so things are simpler and the trucks are very modern with fantastic visability allround compared to North America.
The speed limits are draconian with a top speed of only 56 miles an hour and an unbelievable 40 miles an hour on roads that are not duelled but you will not be expected to travel more than 7-800kms a day absolute max on so it doesn’t matter that much especially as you will be paid by the hour.
Don’t get your hopes up about truckstops though. Even the actual parking is not free. No free coffee. The shower rooms are not cleaned between users and you will even have to provide your own towels which you will have to dry out in your cab after use. The food is expensive and poor with no buffets and no waitress service. I should think that truckstops or lack of them will be your biggest shock.
The trucks have very small sleeper berths with a narrow bunk right behind the seats which is a bit claustrophobic but they have very tall cabs with lots of space above your head.
On the plus side this does not matter that much as the UK is smaller than many of the individual US states so you can get almost anywhere in a matter of a few hours and there and back from most places in a day so the most you would expect to live in your truck is a few days and many guys are home every single night!
Also on the plus side is the fact that there are very few scalehouses and you will probably never get pulled in to weigh so no more sliding your trailer axles.
On the minus side, truck driving in the UK is not considered a very skilled professsion and truck drivers are not held in very high regard either by the public or even the staff at the places of delivery. Some warehouses and distribution centres do not even allow the driver to stay in his vehicle while being unloaded and all of them are ridiculously strict on health and safety which has become a growth industry in the UK.
Hi wire, and thank you so much for the kind words, i know ■■■■ well what i’m getting into, i know it is going to be very very different from what i’m used to back in the states, but as you mention all the good points of driving here just the fact that in most cases i will be home everyday is a big plus, all i want to do is drive the big rigs again as it is my passion and in runs in my vains, i am a trucker 100% and can’t seem to be happy doing anything else that is not driving a rig, so again my friend thank you so much for your advise, and keep on trucking…
tramp:
U must be mental! leaving the USA for this sinking ship! wouldn’t your wife want to move to america■■?!! much better option if you ask me. Bad result for cowboys the weekend ay.
hi there, let me answer you and the other two guys Steve07 and Buycrader: sometimes i do ask myself why i moved to the UK when i had everything i need it in the USofA, had a big 3 bedrooms house plus two cars, and best of all a good trucking career with a good company, my wife lived in America with me for 6 years but we wanted to start having babys and if we would have stayed in America i would have never been able to make enough money trucking locally to be able to be with her and the kids everyday, to make money trucking in the US you have got to be out on the roads for at least 2 weeks at a time, i was lucky to be with a company that only keeped me out 5-6 days and then i went home for 4 days off, but like i said i was lucky to have a good dispatcher and a good company, anyways England is not that bad as it could be worse like many other countries are.I know for a fact it is going to take me awhile to get used to the tacho rules and stuff like that but just the thought of been able to drive a big lorry again and the distances here are much shorter than back home makes me want to give it a try, i do like the idea very much of been able to do a job that i enjoy and i’m good at and be able to be home just about everyother day, back in the US if you a trucker you will be away from home for at least 2 weeks if not more unless you want to drive locally and not make enough money, another reason i love the idea of living in England is the pay holidays we all get, hell in America you have to work a whole year just to get one week off paid holiday here you get 28 days now that is lovely, plus medical is free i love that, just those two reasons are enough for me to stay and make it here in the UK, but the biggest reason i have is that i love my wife more than anything else in this world and she wants to be happy here with her family and start our own here so i respect that, also i think or thought rather that now it is my time to return the favor if you can say it that way, 6 years ago she left everything here to move to the US to be with me, she had no family or friends or anything but me over there, so now i feel is my duty as her husband to do the same, it can’t be that much of a difference to drive lorries here than it is back home, regulations may be harder or a pain in the arse with the tacho rules and it will take me a while to get used to not been able to lie on my logbooks but hey we can’t always have the whole cake for ourselfs, i’m just trying to keep a positive thinking to the whole thing, thank you so much and hope you all have a great week
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
tramp:
U must be mental! leaving the USA for this sinking ship! wouldn’t your wife want to move to america■■?!! much better option if you ask me. Bad result for cowboys the weekend ay.hi there, let me answer you and the other two guys Steve07 and Buycrader: sometimes i do ask myself why i moved to the UK when i had everything i need it in the USofA, had a big 3 bedrooms house plus two cars, and best of all a good trucking career with a good company, my wife lived in America with me for 6 years but we wanted to start having babys and if we would have stayed in America i would have never been able to make enough money trucking locally to be able to be with her and the kids everyday, to make money trucking in the US you have got to be out on the roads for at least 2 weeks at a time, i was lucky to be with a company that only keeped me out 5-6 days and then i went home for 4 days off, but like i said i was lucky to have a good dispatcher and a good company, anyways England is not that bad as it could be worse like many other countries are.I know for a fact it is going to take me awhile to get used to the tacho rules and stuff like that but just the thought of been able to drive a big lorry again and the distances here are much shorter than back home makes me want to give it a try, i do like the idea very much of been able to do a job that i enjoy and i’m good at and be able to be home just about everyother day, back in the US if you a trucker you will be away from home for at least 2 weeks if not more unless you want to drive locally and not make enough money, another reason i love the idea of living in England is the pay holidays we all get, hell in America you have to work a whole year just to get one week off paid holiday here you get 28 days now that is lovely, plus medical is free i love that, just those two reasons are enough for me to stay and make it here in the UK, but the biggest reason i have is that i love my wife more than anything else in this world and she wants to be happy here with her family and start our own here so i respect that, also i think or thought rather that now it is my time to return the favor if you can say it that way, 6 years ago she left everything here to move to the US to be with me, she had no family or friends or anything but me over there, so now i feel is my duty as her husband to do the same, it can’t be that much of a difference to drive lorries here than it is back home, regulations may be harder or a pain in the arse with the tacho rules and it will take me a while to get used to not been able to lie on my logbooks but hey we can’t always have the whole cake for ourselfs, i’m just trying to keep a positive thinking to the whole thing, thank you so much and hope you all have a great week
Could’nt believe what you’re trying to do when I first read it but it seems to make some sense.There’s a topic on here where I’ve been arguing the case that it is possible to run long distance international work but still get a decent homelife by using more drivers to share the runs between them on a rota.It means not so much money but that topic was started by someone who was doing long distance continental work from here on a 6 weeks away 3 days home and 6 weeks away rota basis.But the bit I can’t understand is how you can’t run a decent rota in the States with those speeds and trucks which can run at them comfortably.You should be able to run from Dallas to LA or Cleveland for instance and get home again in a lot less than 2 weeks? where you could then hand the wagon over to the other driver for him to do a similar distance return run while you get some home life?.If you’re used to that type of work you really won’t like the type of UK multi drop distribution stuff which is what the British road transport industry mainly consists of now.You are going to have to go a long way and be lucky to find a firm here that will be as good as the one you were working for over there with that rota you were doing.It’s more likely that you’ll get less quality time off doing local work here than long distance either over there or over here.
I found the last but one post a very interesting insight as to how things work in the USA.
It just goes to show that the only people who KNOW what it’s like elsewhere are those that have lived there - the grass always seems greener is a phrase that comes to mind.
My brother (not a trucker) but lives near Tulsa and he mentioned the health service over there is very expensive.
ROG:
I found the last but one post a very interesting insight as to how things work in the USA.
It just goes to show that the only people who KNOW what it’s like elsewhere are those that have lived there - the grass always seems greener is a phrase that comes to mind.My brother (not a trucker) but lives near Tulsa and he mentioned the health service over there is very expensive.
Rog the health service here is very expensive too which is one of the main reasons that we have to pay almost £5 per gallon for road fuel and all of our other taxes are’nt exactly cheap.The yanks are right when they say that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.If we could have the Canadian system and road transport regs then we’d probably have the best of both worlds.
wire:
I was a truck driver in the UK for 15 years and it is not all bad as some of the guys are saying. It is very easier than in the States for a start. Sure roads are very crowded but as has been already said the trucks are much smaller and the longest trailers are only 45 feet long with much shorter wheelbases so they are more manouverable. Also don’t forget that all the tractors are short wheelbase cabovers. The traffic volumes are much higher but the trucks have syncromesh gears like a car or even have automatic shift so traffic is not such a problem. Also it is only legal to overtake on the right so things are simpler and the trucks are very modern with fantastic visability allround compared to North America.
The speed limits are draconian with a top speed of only 56 miles an hour and an unbelievable 40 miles an hour on roads that are not duelled but you will not be expected to travel more than 7-800kms a day absolute max on so it doesn’t matter that much especially as you will be paid by the hour.
Don’t get your hopes up about truckstops though. Even the actual parking is not free. No free coffee. The shower rooms are not cleaned between users and you will even have to provide your own towels which you will have to dry out in your cab after use. The food is expensive and poor with no buffets and no waitress service. I should think that truckstops or lack of them will be your biggest shock.
The trucks have very small sleeper berths with a narrow bunk right behind the seats which is a bit claustrophobic but they have very tall cabs with lots of space above your head.
On the plus side this does not matter that much as the UK is smaller than many of the individual US states so you can get almost anywhere in a matter of a few hours and there and back from most places in a day so the most you would expect to live in your truck is a few days and many guys are home every single night!
Also on the plus side is the fact that there are very few scalehouses and you will probably never get pulled in to weigh so no more sliding your trailer axles.
On the minus side, truck driving in the UK is not considered a very skilled professsion and truck drivers are not held in very high regard either by the public or even the staff at the places of delivery. Some warehouses and distribution centres do not even allow the driver to stay in his vehicle while being unloaded and all of them are ridiculously strict on health and safety which has become a growth industry in the UK.
I’d swap a Euro wagon for a cab over KW or Pete with a proper constant mesh box and a decent motor in it anytime thanks.Those short wheelbase trailers come at the expense of large overhangs which make a big tail sweep so you’ve got to allow room both sides not one. It’s just a shame that you could’nt bring your log books and speeds with you over here.So you reckon that you could get anywhere and back in a day and I was one of those who got about as far as it’s possible to get and back in a day/night and home even before those draconian limits came in.450 miles is about as far as you’ll get and you’ll have just about enough time to have a sleep and some dinner before going back in to work paying £5 per gallon for your car’s fuel for the priviledge.
Carryfast:
YANKTRUCKERINUK:
tramp:
U must be mental! leaving the USA for this sinking ship! wouldn’t your wife want to move to america■■?!! much better option if you ask me. Bad result for cowboys the weekend ay.hi there, let me answer you and the other two guys Steve07 and Buycrader: sometimes i do ask myself why i moved to the UK when i had everything i need it in the USofA, had a big 3 bedrooms house plus two cars, and best of all a good trucking career with a good company, my wife lived in America with me for 6 years but we wanted to start having babys and if we would have stayed in America i would have never been able to make enough money trucking locally to be able to be with her and the kids everyday, to make money trucking in the US you have got to be out on the roads for at least 2 weeks at a time, i was lucky to be with a company that only keeped me out 5-6 days and then i went home for 4 days off, but like i said i was lucky to have a good dispatcher and a good company, anyways England is not that bad as it could be worse like many other countries are.I know for a fact it is going to take me awhile to get used to the tacho rules and stuff like that but just the thought of been able to drive a big lorry again and the distances here are much shorter than back home makes me want to give it a try, i do like the idea very much of been able to do a job that i enjoy and i’m good at and be able to be home just about everyother day, back in the US if you a trucker you will be away from home for at least 2 weeks if not more unless you want to drive locally and not make enough money, another reason i love the idea of living in England is the pay holidays we all get, hell in America you have to work a whole year just to get one week off paid holiday here you get 28 days now that is lovely, plus medical is free i love that, just those two reasons are enough for me to stay and make it here in the UK, but the biggest reason i have is that i love my wife more than anything else in this world and she wants to be happy here with her family and start our own here so i respect that, also i think or thought rather that now it is my time to return the favor if you can say it that way, 6 years ago she left everything here to move to the US to be with me, she had no family or friends or anything but me over there, so now i feel is my duty as her husband to do the same, it can’t be that much of a difference to drive lorries here than it is back home, regulations may be harder or a pain in the arse with the tacho rules and it will take me a while to get used to not been able to lie on my logbooks but hey we can’t always have the whole cake for ourselfs, i’m just trying to keep a positive thinking to the whole thing, thank you so much and hope you all have a great week
Could’nt believe what you’re trying to do when I first read it but it seems to make some sense.There’s a topic on here where I’ve been arguing the case that it is possible to run long distance international work but still get a decent homelife by using more drivers to share the runs between them on a rota.It means not so much money but that topic was started by someone who was doing long distance continental work from here on a 6 weeks away 3 days home and 6 weeks away rota basis.But the bit I can’t understand is how you can’t run a decent rota in the States with those speeds and trucks which can run at them comfortably.You should be able to run from Dallas to LA or Cleveland for instance and get home again in a lot less than 2 weeks? where you could then hand the wagon over to the other driver for him to do a similar distance return run while you get some home life?.If you’re used to that type of work you really won’t like the type of UK multi drop distribution stuff which is what the British road transport industry mainly consists of now.You are going to have to go a long way and be lucky to find a firm here that will be as good as the one you were working for over there with that rota you were doing.It’s more likely that you’ll get less quality time off doing local work here than long distance either over there or over here.
let me explain to you why it takes two weeks out, we all know that it takes 1.5 days to legally drive from dallas texas to LA, but the reason it takes two weeks out on the road is because after you get to LA your company will then send you across country to NY and that takes another 5 days, it is every trucking company policies in the US to keep drivers out on the road going from coast to coast and back to the home terminal for 2 weeks before you are entitle to have 2-3 days off at home, trust me mate when i say i know for a fact i will be able to enjoy driving in the UK even with all the bull rules i will still be able to get home every 2-3 days
As far as I can see the only thing US trucks have over European ones is living space. Let’s face it, technologically they are miles behind Europe. Give me a Scania Longline over anything American anyday.
Anyway, my advice would be not to listen to the naysayers, you seem from your post to understand that
life’s what you make it so with that in mind you should get on just fine.
does the USA have a “VOSA” across the pond or is it just a free for all on drivers hours etc etc 
switchlogic:
As far as I can see the only thing US trucks have over European ones is living space. Let’s face it, technologically they are miles behind Europe. Give me a Scania Longline over anything American anyday.Anyway, my advice would be not to listen to the naysayers, you seem from your post to understand that
life’s what you make it so with that in mind you should get on just fine.
thanx a lot for that one, i know exactly what some of the other guys are trying to say, but at the end of the day i’m a truck driver: here, there, in china or where ever, to me is an honest job and is something i love to do, so as long as i can provide a good living for my family then i dont really pay to much attention to what negative people have to say, i do however miss my big Peterbuilt and the big sleeper in it but i live here in the UK now and things are different so i just have to make the best of what there is here and move on in life, be happy and possitive with everything and we can all make it in this world…thanx and take care