This will be my first time driving in Europe .The only problem is I haven’t even drove artice in a couple of yrs .Any advice would be good on anything .Low bridges , fines , foreign police ( will I get a pull ) , load etc .Is it pretty much just the same as UK or is there anything I should be aware of that could cause a serious hazard .
Have a read up on the stickies on this forum. Do you have other drivers on your firm that do euro? If you do then pick their brains for any tips or problems you may encounter at regular tip/load points, best routes, places to avoid etc etc. What countries are you likely to be doing? Make sure the vehicle and all your documents are there and in date.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, life is one big learning curve.
Make sure you take a camera and if you like, share the experience in a diary on here.
Finally…enjoy 
alza1988:
Is it pretty much just the same as UK or is there anything I should be aware of that could cause a serious hazard .
Just don’t mention the war 
Dont forget, that over there “they drive on the wrong side of the road” 
(ps dont forget the snow chains)
Suedehead:
Dont forget, that over there “they drive on the wrong side of the road”
(ps dont forget the snow chains)
Thats a definate one to remember, and snow chains must be carried at all times from 1st of July until 30th June
Paul:
Suedehead:
Dont forget, that over there “they drive on the wrong side of the road”
(ps dont forget the snow chains)Thats a definate one to remember, and snow chains must be carried at all times from 1st of July until 30th June
You must also wear clogs (furry ones once you’ve done at least three trips) and have a wallet on a chain
you not stated whare you going first thing i wud do is check your trailor height 4.0 mtr most europe 4.3 in france germans and austria used to be keen on height swiz watch your weight its up to 40 ton no more and have been told they got weight detectors that weight you while on the move my old boss got done over weight on the pin (4 wheel unit ) but dont flap just take your time watch what you doing and enjoy it and have your camera with you
The most important bit of advice I can give is to get on the correct mini bus, I got held up again last week.
well sed russell had that my self that is if you can get on the bus dont know what it is with drivers they have to congregate round the door rest of bus is just about empty
has something changed on these forums ?
why has Britpete not been on to tell him that all roads to anywhere go via Luxembourg ■■?
didler:
well sed russell had that my self that is if you can get on the bus dont know what it is with drivers they have to congregate round the door rest of bus is just about empty
it’s a pain when your one of the last to get on, the door opens and there’s 2 or 3 on the steps and they just look at you
Make sure all paperwork for you and the truck/load are correct and up to date, drive on the right, plan ahead so you stop near a bar, take it all in and enjoy + Good luck and let us know how it goes!!
Make sure your phone works. If it don’t have change for a pay phone.
kr79:
Make sure your phone works. If it don’t have change for a pay phone.
Yeh and buy a map !
russell2587:
didler:
well sed russell had that my self that is if you can get on the bus dont know what it is with drivers they have to congregate round the door rest of bus is just about emptyit’s a pain when your one of the last to get on, the door opens and there’s 2 or 3 on the steps and they just look at you
Then everybody goes to sit on their own spread down the full length of the train, even though the train is full, both buses are full and everybody is going to end up sitting next to somebody. Result of this takes us back to people forgetting which door they got on and ergo getting on the wrong bus 
didler:
well sed russell had that my self that is if you can get on the bus dont know what it is with drivers they have to congregate round the door rest of bus is just about empty
That’s so they can share their “eau de ost Europa” with you !!
alza1988:
Is it pretty much just the same as UK or is there anything I should be aware of that could cause a serious hazard .
They drive on the correct side of the road there. If you will be driving like in UK, you can cause a serious hazard.
Glad I was able to help
I feel just as comfortable driving on the ‘wrong side’ of the road as i do over here. If not more as im sat next to the white line i know where the rest of the truck is! 
Main things i try to concentrate on are making sure everything is 100% legit as not to give the gendarms any reason to have your pants down if you do get a tug
If going into belgium or germany pulling a curtainsider if it has the gaps for slats or bars whatever you wanna call them make sure there in there lad at our place got a tug last week 60 euros a board and they said he was ment to have atleast 8 boards because he had 4 pillars in trailer meaning 8 boards would fit
fozzie:
If going into belgium or germany pulling a curtainsider if it has the gaps for slats or bars whatever you wanna call them make sure there in there lad at our place got a tug last week 60 euros a board and they said he was ment to have atleast 8 boards because he had 4 pillars in trailer meaning 8 boards would fit
i was looking in an eastern european trailer this morning and he was well kitted out, plenty of boards and everything over strapped to excess, he had corner pieces ect… absolutley everything.
if the gendarmes and dounes look hard enough they will find something if not make something up 
i was very lucky this week i came down the N12 and at the end was a massive gendarme and dounes checkpoint checking the other direction, the queue was massive cars lorries everything stuck, the lorries they were turning around and sending to a warehouse down the road where they were going through a mobile scanner and going over a temp weighbridge, lucky enough i was going in the opp direction.
after i had tipped instead of going back that way i dropped down to chartres and across instead, even just to miss the queue of traffic.
then going up yesterday from paris to lille at a peage was another gendarmes and dounes purge on the southbound side and again lucky enough i missed that as well.
phew!!!