Just spent 9days touring france and i did not see one english truck until i got to calais.So where have all the the english truckers gone? What made it worse was the fact i saw3 greeks,this industry is in one big mess.
Surely if they were in Calais then it’s an indication that they were in mainland Europe.
You just didn’t see them.
damian39:
Surely if they were in Calais then it’s an indication that they were in mainland Europe.You just didn’t see them.
So was he which is the point he’s making. Compared to the heyday of the late 80s and early 90s when 50 ish % of road exports from Britain were on British trucks to today when it fluctuates between 10-15% and about 40% (according to the last figures I read about two years ago) are on Polish registered trucks alone it says everything. People go weeks on end without seeing British trucks because there are hardly any compared to how it used to be.
I used to do regular Germany until moving to Canada in 2009 and most trips I wouldn’t see a single other British truck in Germany and would only start to see the odd one in Belgium. Wind the clock back to lets say 1995 when I was a youngster in my dad’s truck in Germany, and every rest area and autohof would have a healthy representation of British trucks. Not huge numbers, but enough to give the impression that there was something of a balance on import/export work between the UK and Germany that British trucks had a fair share of. Something that is certainly not the case now.
alfnat:
Just spent 9days touring france and i did not see one english truck
I agree that would be something to boast about.
There is only one thing worse than seeing an English truck and that’s seeing an English driver.
I’ve done a couple of trips in the last month, one to the Lausitzring, near Dresden and one to Paul Ricard near Toulon. On those trips I saw very few trucks from British haulage companies, especially away from Northern France and Belgium.
The ones I regularly see furthest away from the UK are Matthews of Great Yarmouth, Longs and S&K, Saw a few Stobarts in Germany, maybe on the NAAFI contract?
I know there are plenty of drivers who fit the stereotype, but there are plenty of other ones who are ok, we just don’t notice them and there are plenty of loud mouthed East European driver on the train who are just as bad as the gobby brit.
Ben9:
alfnat:
Just spent 9days touring france and i did not see one english truckI agree that would be something to boast about.
There is only one thing worse than seeing an English truck and that’s seeing an English driver.
Lol but not as bad as seeing a patronising eejit who thinks he is superior to everyone else
I often wonder how much of the withdrawal from European transport by UK firms was somewhat self inflicted? I ask this because we all know that as soon as 44 tons on 6 axles was allowed, most UK fleets adopted that configuration very quickly as running on 5 axles at 40 tons (or was it still 38 then?) would have put them at a considerable disadvantage on UK work compared to those running at 44 tons. Now, I remember from my own personal experience how problematic running a UK truck in to Europe on six axles could be and more than once was turned away at the point of reload in Germany for not being able to legally load what they wanted to put on me because 40 tons gross is still 40 tons gross whether you have 5 or 6 axles so the weight of my extra axle made all the difference.
I know many loads would never bring you to gross weight but many also would, how much of an effect on the UK international sector do you guys think this had? After all, most UK fleets of whatever is left who are dedicated to European work still run 4 wheeler units. I know the rates are crap these days and there would have been a reduction no matter what, but if the UK was 40 tons of 5 axles do you think we’d be seeing considerable more UK trucks on international work as the trucks themselves would actually be suitable for it?
Still plenty of Irish representing the RHD brigade! Saw quite a few Irish trucks on my trip to Hungary this week, but people are right, beyond Luxembourg I never see any british trucks generally.
Personally i just think it’s a case of companies going where the money is, which for many is just UK now. After all many of the companies from the heyday of British European trucking are still going, but just do the UK. No point digging a dead horse just for the prestige of sending trucks to far flung places. The Irish are still at it because very few (relatively) Eastern European trucks venture to Ireland, and even fewer fridges, and those that do often head back to the UK empty as the Irish operators have got it pretty much sewn up, a bit like the Greeks. When i worked for HSF even they struggled to find back loads from Ireland sometimes
UK drivers a plenty at the Creperie at St Leonards.It was ran by a Mum and her daughter.A few hours South of Cherbourg.The daughter had a neck brace on.
She overturned her car while being distracted with her cat in the car.The French love to take their cats in cars.
Another haunt for drivers was the Shell garage near Rennes and the cafe at Le Mans called Eigors,the owners dog was called Eigor.
Their Croque Monsiurs were fab.Cheese or ham toasties.
Then for Spain it was Victors at Burgps.
Freds at Coslada.
The Parrot bar in Matosinos port or Leca de Palmeria in Portugal.
The Atlantico beach cafe on the beach at Porto.
Sunbila truckstop Basque country Spain.
The Cabbage patch BP at Bordeaux France.
Saint Genis or Claudes France.
toby1234abc:
The French love to take their cats in cars.
#TobyGold
switchlogic:
toby1234abc:
The French love to take their cats in cars.#TobyGold
lol I’m sure its not really a “pan-Frenchism” but the only two times I’ve seen drivers have a pet cat in the truck in Canada has been with French Canadian drivers.
I forgot to add how our French cousins love to walk their cats with a lead and collar.Not a wind up.
I didn’t think it was just Frenchmen that liked to have a ■■■■■ in the cab■■?
I have got visions of a Persian , Siamese or bog standard old moggy going on the long haul from Vancouver to Miami.
The driver taking it for a walk with a collar and lead.
toby1234abc:
I forgot to add how our French cousins love to walk their cats with a lead and collar.Not a wind up.
True… I saw it last week! 
I am not sure why anyboby would want to walk their cat.
In France it is normal for a cafe owner to let his dogs or cats to sleep on the counter.
If you have seen the O2 mobile phone tv adverts in the UK , they have a cat that thinks it is a dog.