Late 70,s day cab Marathon, 1 40ft box to Rotterdam, 1 30ft back
My first Euro trip in an artic was to Phillip’s TV factory, Zona Franca, Barcelona.
No aggro at Barcelona TIR park for me on that job, cos it was a factory customs clearance. 
That was back in the days when we normally did Spain by using a T.I.R. Carnet, before Spain joined the EU.
dieseldave:
My first Euro trip in an artic was to Phillip’s TV factory, Zona Franca, Barcelona.
Did you ever meet ‘Dirty Harry’ the security guard who had shot a number of people attempting to break into the factory, stories at the time (1986ish) had it that he had shot 3 people in different incidents. The thing I do remember was that he loved to get his gun out and wave it around.
Ross.
bigr250:
Did you ever meet ‘Dirty Harry’ the security guard who had shot a number of people attempting to break into the factory, stories at the time (1986ish) had it that he had shot 3 people in different incidents. The thing I do remember was that he loved to get his gun out and wave it around.Ross.
Hi bigr250, no mate, I’m afraid I don’t remember him, but maybe he wasn’t there when I went.
That would have been 1981/2.
I’ll never forget that first trip though, because it was also my first time of being ‘weekended.’
Mind you, it was a baptism of fire, because it was an Easter weekend, normally four days, but the factory had decided to have an extra day off at each end of the ‘normal’ holiday. 
Dont worry about age i was 21 when i went over the water 2 weeks after my class 1.
I was lucky enough to find a boss who wasnt worried about my age or lack of experience just that i was keen, willing and i would do the job to the best of my ability.
So there i found myself off to Rungis then onwards to Turin and milan before collecting groupage for my return trip.
I am 26 now and havent looked back since!!
Took two computer servers from Palnapina Freight Forwarding in Dublin (about 1/4 ton) to Luxembourg Airport Freight Centre,shipped out from Dublin with two other Kellys drivers so got the crack about the train off of them.
Headed down from Holyhead stopped at Warwick services for a break and tagged onto a couple of McArdles of Dundalk drivers as I had heard horror stories about driving onto the train the right way!
Got on and off the train no bother and went for about two hours before stopping for daily rest in a clean and friendly service area.
On to Luxembourg early next morning and found the Airfreight Centre easily (well signed) and tipped my load straight away had to wait a while for a load of empty airfreight trays for my return trip via Brussels Airfreight Centre.
Tipped my trays in Brussels and got my return load at Jan De Rijks for British Airways Freight at Heathrow,got loaded and headed back for the train making Heathrow for 5 the next morning,tipped and got my time off before going to Stanstead Airfreight Centre and loading back for Shamrock Logistics in Dublin.
All this done with a Michelin European Atlas and not a Tom Tom in sight.
Not down the road anymore due to young kids but still do the odd flyer on the weekend.
My first trip to Euroland was fairly straight forward. Boss broke me in gently with a nice trip to Lens and a backload out of Brussels.
2nd trip (the same week) was an absolute nightmare, but thats a story for another day.
my first trip over the water was my first trip i passed my test monday shipped out tuesday with my boss he drove down to dover then off the boat & up to gent then told me to get in the driver seat its the only way to learn. i’d passed my test in a ford cargo then straight in to a fh12 nearly had a nose bleed sitting in that driver seat we done about 5 drsops around germany all strip outs with a tilt the next trip i was on my own & was xxxx it but got through it sum how & every trip after just seemed to get better ended up doing saudi so every little step & all that you’ed be surprised what you can do when your left on your own just go for it & enjoy yourself
before my first trip (in a Merc 407)
my boss said driving on the wrong side would be ok
just be careful when you get home drive on the left
also its true when you get in a flap over there you end up trying to drive on the wrong side of the road
ive just got back from my first euro trip
tip kassel in germany reload antwerp then tip whitstable and reload whitstable
all in all i loved it and feel it got really into my blood even more so than before
the only bad point of the trip was getting back to the yard to find i had no job lovely