Thinking of Trucking in UK/EU

Nord All international licenses are not transferable to the U.S...that's the law...they simply won't accept it!
Before you start your trucking dream in the U.S you need to be legal(have green card or citizenchip).Second you need to have a U.S car license first for two years with a clean record,third money to pay up for the driving school wich costs around...$3.000.oo and remember U.S truck have longer bodies so they are more difficult to maneuver.For the final one companies simply won't hire bigners but only some will hire and those companies will take out of your salary to pay for your training.

 

I "trucked" around Europe for 20 years. It was generally a lot of fun.
The scenery and history are important if you are into that sort of thing.
I remember seeing the leaning tower of Pisa as I headed round the Pisa
by-pass en route to the airport. Massive war memorials in France, Belgium,
and a memorial in the French alps where the Nazi's killed women and children from a French village during WWII. On the other side of the coin,
Industrial areas are the same across the world....and you see a lot of them.
The most frightening place I went was Kosovo, UNHCR load. The crappiest place I went to was the Port of Marseille. Illegal North African immigrants living in and around the port under corrugated metal sheets.
The best places were anywhere there was a beach where you could park a truck. There is a lot of those in Europe

 

me too i would love to drive there , but is the same thing we have to get others countries licence in orther to met their requirements . My cdl took me 2 months with a bunch o idiots on the back

 

wow! Thank you . I would like to live that dream. How are those trucks they look SHORT can you guys send pictures i would apreciate

 

Sotrekker is so right. Every towns or cities industrial estates are all the same, no matter what country your in.

I trucked around europe for 7 years back in the 1980's when we used to have T2 forms and 6 trip permits. it was a lot different then. Didn't have to worry about stowaways, or having your sheet slashed on a brand new tilt trailer, nor did we have sat-navs, GPS, or mobile phones. Once you were across the channel, nobody new where you were, you just got on with the job. There was an awfull lot of time waisted at various customs places just about everwhere you went, but you also plyed hard as well as worked hard. I can't remember that many because most of the time I was drunk!!!! One of the worst places was Zona-franca, in Bacelona. Some drivers have been known to be stuck there for days.

 

I don't understand why it is harder to maneuver with 80,000 lbs, that is 36 tons. In Europe you can pull 40 tons with regular driving licence.

 

zona franca "quality "spent many a weekend around there or marca barna ,worked t2's all that myself for years and now with cmr's and yes spent god knows how many days clearing customs at various borders arguing with various agents but in all honesty i would have those borders back tomorrow ,at least that way some of the uk transport industry might still exist

 

Hi Canada bound Manc,
I expect you can remember clearing customs in Irun (old TIR park) where you had to get a taxi to take your papers to the agents down the town.
It was about 3 miles away, but the taxi driver thought he was doing you a faver by getting you there in about 3 seconds by going down one way streets, the wrong way around a roundabout with trucks heading straight for you, and don't stop at red lights. When you arrived at the agents, the first thing you wanted was the bogs, or take a clean pair of pants with you. Then it was back to the TIR park for large cafe con lache, hopefully with a large brandy in it.
Thats if Spanish Tony didn' drink it first. Somebody recently told me that he had died about 5 years ago, if so, running down to Spain has just got cheap again.

 

Absolutely mate,i was told the same about tony,pity still he enjoyed himself,did spain & portugal every trip for about 12years ,job's finished now no way to compete with the rates the eastern block will do the work for, i miss spain a lot had some good times over the years freds old place was allways worth a visit went to his new place in coslada couple of years ago and it was not great at best,the sisters ,lajonquera all finished now that "NEW BREED" dont spend so game over,i'm on for the dutch now but that's played out so as you can tell by the user name ,,hopefully i'm out of here !!

 

I cant say as I would blame you, theres nothing left in Europe now, not even in the UK. I can remember Freds old place in Coslada, or airport on sea as some used to say. Can always remember parking on the grass outside of his place when you had to pay some local Spanish kids 200 pasaters each so that nobody damaged your truck. If you didn't pay up, they would damage the truck for you, heh heh heh, little buggers, but Freds potatoe soup soon made up for it, it was a meal on it's own. Then afterwards, he would give you a couple of vouchers for a 'bag house' that he part owned just down the street, so I can honestly say that GOOD FUN WAS HAD BY ALL !!!! just don't tell the wife. Got blind drunk one night in La jonquera, could'nt find the wagon keys, so crawled under the front and went to sleep. 7.0 in the morning, my boss is kicking my feet wondering whats the problem with his motor. After bagging my head on the sump, I crawled out from underneath telling him where he could stick his job, and his wagon. Found the keys in my pocket, where I had put them, thats san maguel for you. Spent 8 years doing tilts to Spain, been just about everywhere. stopped doing continental in 1993, just after they openend all the borders, and done away with customs, the job went down hill after that. Then spent 12 years as an owner/driver until deisel hit a pound a litre, then told Tony Blair what he could do with his 'fuel escalator' and sold up. Now work for Wiltshire County Council driving a Dennis Eagle 6 wheeler dust cart. The moneys crap, but the hours are good, home every night, and weekends off. At 52, that will do for me. After spending 30 years working on my own, its nice to work with a couple of lads now that have been with me about 6 months, but by 2.30pm, I'm heading for home. (2.0 pm on a friday)
I don't hardley look at any big rigs now, I certainly dont miss it, thats unless I see someone that used to do the Iberian run, then start talking about 'the good old days' but then gets a funny look from the missus. Maybe I should start a new thead on here for us continental old timers. will have to see!!!!