Hi all, there’s probably a lot of you that will advise against it and otherwise that won’t but I’ve only been driving 3 years and really would like to try out driving on the continent and possibly getting into Motorsport no matter what it be. Just after some help,tips, advice etc. all appreciated and thanks in advance. 
If you’re single, look for a firm that does deep Spain, Germany or Italy. Firms like unitruc in Southend. They turn over drivers as the married guys don’t last, as trips are typically 8-9 days so they end up doing 3 weeks on the bounce before 2 days with the wife. They have a UK side, so you can prove your worth before copping a piggy back with another driver. Benelux is good to gain experience as it’s not to far away. But the best paying jobs are hard to come by, as most of this type of work has the driver home at weekends. There’s plenty of firms in Kent paying £400 a week for Benelux with jobs available all the time 
Thanks for the reply,I’m not single but understand the time away as ex military so not bothered by that. I’m based in Ely so anything close by or with in east anglia would be ideal. I will have a look at those companies mentioned though, thanks.
pocketpotter81:
Thanks for the reply,I’m not single but understand the time away as ex military so not bothered by that. I’m based in Ely so anything close by or with in east anglia would be ideal. I will have a look at those companies mentioned though, thanks.
You’re ex military so don’t mind having orders being barked at you, you don’t mind being away for prolonged periods of time and you’re looking for a firm in East Anglia…I can think of one very well known company that meets all of your criteria.
I’ve not worked there myself but have known people who have, but I won’t pass any sort of judgement, instead look here viewtopic.php?f=2&t=60533&hilit=richard+long
And it just so happens, that UNITRUC are advertising for drivers for their ESSEX site…feel free to look em up, phone em up, start Monday. 
maybe but good luck
Rumour has it they don’t do as much euro nowadays but I did see one of them last week on the A16 heading towards België.
robinhood_1984:
pocketpotter81:
Thanks for the reply,I’m not single but understand the time away as ex military so not bothered by that. I’m based in Ely so anything close by or with in east anglia would be ideal. I will have a look at those companies mentioned though, thanks.
You’re ex military so don’t mind having orders being barked at you, you don’t mind being away for prolonged periods of time and you’re looking for a firm in East Anglia…I can think of one very well known company that meets all of your criteria.
Beat me to it, assume you’re not overweight nor wear jogging bottoms, you should get on fine.
For the people on here who do/have done euro , what was it like your first trip? Did you use just sat-nav or maps aswell, how did you get on getting fuel etc all the basics really , trying to speak at delivery points etc
Smoggie89:
For the people on here who do/have done euro , what was it like your first trip? Did you use just sat-nav or maps aswell, how did you get on getting fuel etc all the basics really , trying to speak at delivery points etc
Didn’t have satnavs or mobile phones in them days! What there were, were far more Brits doing it who you could ask for advice, there was a time when you could pull into any motorway service area in Italy and virtually guarantee that there would be at least one Brit parked there, and often up to a dozen. Now you could spend a week driving round Italy and not see one.
Smoggie89:
For the people on here who do/have done euro , what was it like your first trip? Did you use just sat-nav or maps aswell, how did you get on getting fuel etc all the basics really , trying to speak at delivery points etc
Hi.First trip was a little daunting.But it’s pretty straight forward enough. Get yourself a european map as well as a sat nav.As for getting fuel.That’s no different to the Uk.Depending on what cards the company use.Be it shell,DKV etc.As for speaking at the delivery points.You’ll find alot will speak english.And if not.You tend to get by…
I’m the same as OP , I know everyone says it’s not like it used to be , but I would like to give it a go see what it’s like, there seems to be alot I take in with visas some places? Knowing the tolls paying for them , truck bans etc …
Smoggie89:
I’m the same as OP , I know everyone says it’s not like it used to be , but I would like to give it a go see what it’s like, there seems to be alot I take in with visas some places? Knowing the tolls paying for them , truck bans etc …
Bit different to hauling boxes to Heinz across that 62
Saw you today I think. Goole area ish
PremiumTrucker:
Smoggie89:
I’m the same as OP , I know everyone says it’s not like it used to be , but I would like to give it a go see what it’s like, there seems to be alot I take in with visas some places? Knowing the tolls paying for them , truck bans etc …Bit different to hauling boxes to Heinz across that 62
Saw you today I think. Goole area ish
Done that many times could do it with my eyes shut lol, yeah I seen ya reg just as ya went by too late to flash lol, the 1 I mainly see of yours is HXE always wearing his black hat haha
Smoggie89:
For the people on here who do/have done euro , what was it like your first trip? Did you use just sat-nav or maps aswell, how did you get on getting fuel etc all the basics really , trying to speak at delivery points etc
I’d been going with my dad since the age of 5 or 6 so it wasn’t such a big deal to me, though you do still feel a bit like a fish out of water. I had a tomtom that covered western Europe and national maps for my two main destinations, Switzerland and Germany and A to Z type maps for places like the Ruhr area in Germany and a few others. Never had much of an issue with finding places. Fueling for me was pretty easy as we had DKV cards which worked in most places and before long you just become a creature of habit and fill at the same places any how.
Getting tipped or loaded isn’t a problem, if you can’t communicate just show them your CMR if you’re delivering or your reference numbers if you’re loading and you’ll work it out in the end. Places such as Germany have even more foreign trucks than the UK so they’re all used to not being able to speak to drivers and as has been said, many people, especially younger ones will speak English, or enough to communicate. The Dutch are usually fluent, Belgium isn’t as good but they’re still right up there. The French don’t usually speak English in my experience but I’ve always found them to be very polite and never had an issue, the Germans and Swiss are 50/50, some will speak some English, some wont, some will be friendly and some will be exceedingly obnoxious, especially in Germany and I do say this as someone who is half German. I love Germany but most of my negative experience of being shouted at and treat in a very derogatory way have been in Germany and ironically, the worst incidents have been in and around my fathers own home town near Dortmund. Funnily enough they always say sorry when they realise you’re in an English truck, as they just assume you’re from Poland or CZ etc if you are not speaking fluent German.
If you ultimate goal is to get into Motorsport, I wouldn’t worry about driving experience UK or European, its not the most important thing in a race team I know plenty of Motorsport Truckies who’ve never driven a truck on haulage work, its also one of the few places where if you have a decent lad working for you, he’ll get put through his hgv’s at 21 or even 18 as it is now and head of across Europe with the best part £1m of truck and equipment. However quite often he’ll either be double manning the truck, or driving in a convoy or know somebody else heading the same direction and tag along.
Although personally I don’t mind meeting up with Truckies from other teams when you stop for the night I’d prefer to run on my own, but I never have a problem letting somebody who lacks the experience tag along, unless they turn out to be a goby know it all.
If you want to get into Motorsport as a Truckie, go in with your eyes open, you aren’t so much a truck driver working for a Race team, but a somebody who works for a Race team one of whose jobs is to drive the truck.
I think the best way to get a job is to knock on doors, all race teams get plenty of CV’s all the time. Several of the hospitality companies always look for truck drivers during the season, but its proper hard graft, seasonal work, and not really part of the race team, but it is a way of getting known on the circuit. Try MSL, Procar, or Edwards early next year.
S&k in Barry take newbies on also A+ in Newington kent advertising no experience required ! Both ain’t as bad as you think
Thanks for the replies guys, will have a look in to all of them. Cheers
Get your tramping gear together and licences passport etc and head for david davis road, barry, south wales (you will notice the only haulage yard on the road dont worry) and tell them your situation dont expect the best truck or wages and you shall be just fine my friend
To find a place, what I did when I first started was stop at the last services before the town I needed and have a sneaky thumb through the A-Z’s in the garage. Sometimes it was easy enough to commit the directions to memory, but even if it was tricky I’d still build a picture in my head and get a general idea of where I was going.
Can’t do it nowadays cos the A-Z’s are all cellophaned, but there’s hardly any need when you have a sat nav
Phone stobarts there advertising for 30 drivers on the formula 1 next season