Thanks for the good advice, I could do with brushing up on some of the rules and regs. It’s been nearly 3 years since I last made an arse of my self getting off the tunnel in coquelles at the front of the train when my truck wouldn’t start 
some non too happy flip flops behind me 
.
The flipper flopper brigade have an annoying habit of running engines all day and night on a day off or weekly rest.
They have satelite tv,Dvd,lap tops and phones to charge up.
Take my tip.
Park a long way away from them or get disturbed sleep and witness drunken fights and shouting matches at 3am.
I once saw four Russian drivers trying to kill each other.It must have been a long standing feud.
They were huge blokes.
Some cut the air lines on the trucks.Alcholol played a part in this.I stayed in the cab.On the bunk and let them carry on.
I’m gonna give S&K a call in the morning, only thing what might go against me is the fact I live up north (around 280 mile from Barry), but that’s partly why I wanna do 3/4 week stretches. I’m not bothered about the truck coming home, prefer to be in the car anyway. I’ll post the outcome, fingers crossed
I do intend to move to Bristol Toby. I used to live there once upon a time and as a result all my friends live there
I used to work in Wakefield.A 300 mile commute.It was not a problem.Most times i could bring the truck home on a weekend off if in the area.But then my car was 300 miles away.
Makavelli:
I’m gonna give S&K a call in the morning, only thing what might go against me is the fact I live up north (around 280 mile from Barry), but that’s partly why I wanna do 3/4 week stretches. I’m not bothered about the truck coming home, prefer to be in the car anyway. I’ll post the outcome, fingers crossed
Ring and ask for andy state you want 3/4 weeks away and they should ask you down for a start make sure you take your stuff no showwers in the yard or microwave etc so try avoid nighting out in there they wont ring you unless there is a problem and they are not bothered how far you live away some live in scotland and travel
adam1987:
Makavelli:
I’m gonna give S&K a call in the morning, only thing what might go against me is the fact I live up north (around 280 mile from Barry), but that’s partly why I wanna do 3/4 week stretches. I’m not bothered about the truck coming home, prefer to be in the car anyway. I’ll post the outcome, fingers crossedRing and ask for andy state you want 3/4 weeks away and they should ask you down for a start make sure you take your stuff no showwers in the yard or microwave etc so try avoid nighting out in there they wont ring you unless there is a problem and they are not bothered how far you live away some live in scotland and travel
That’s good to know, thanks very much for the info adam1987
toby1234abc:
The flipper flopper brigade have an annoying habit of running engines all day and night on a day off or weekly rest.
They have satelite tv,Dvd,lap tops and phones to charge up.
yes, it’s much more sensible to have a michelin atlas from 1973 instead of a gps, a bike instead of a laptop for all those rainy weekends in southern europe, a real man won’t let a blizzard stop him and last but not least - if you don’t make enough to pay for a fitter to come out to jump start your truck after you’ve been stupid enough to let the batteries run down, you’re in the wrong job. still, I personally haven’t seen or heard anyone idling “all day and night” but let’s not let truth get in the way of a good story shall we
By idling all day and night i do not mean constantly.Read the post again.It says day or weekly rest.So engine on in the day on numerous occassions and at night.
On and off.Run for 20 mins.An hour or so later repeat.
I take it you have not parked by EE drivers that DO run their motors.
well I am one of those EE drivers that use the alternator connected to the engine to charge the batteries, for the lack of a better option. I have never had a satellite dish nor a dvd player and I charge my phone when the truck is moving but in cold/damp weather I prefer to have the night heater on and the laptop is playing something even if I’m reading a book. so after the first two times I drained the batteries shortly after getting my licence, I make sure I don’t again. I also idle when it’s too hot to fall asleep during summer. I don’t think a big low-rpm engine makes that much noise compared to a clunky old spanish fridge on defrost, for example.
While on 45 hour breaks abroad i noticed that the EE drivers did not leave the cab for the whole weekend.
My point is you are in the cab all week so why stay in it on time off.
I have to get out and exercise.Walk or whatever.
What do the EE drivers do in there,all night disco,Skyping mates around the world.
Maybe a ■■■■■■ they found on the net is in there valeting the cab.
I am not having a go at you.But what can you do for two days with cab curtains drawn.
I sometimes thought they had passed away or were ill on the bunk.I once phoned the Police in the UK.
A Polish truck was parked by a pub/Kfc and hotel.
He had not moved for two weeks.
I passed the truck daily.Curtains in same position.Half drawn.
Police emailed the firm.Truck was broken down and the driver was staying with the Polish community in town and waiting for parts.
It always used to make me shake my head when the following situation would happen, and it happened often. I would regularly get weekended in Folkstone from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning if bringing back Swiss groupage to be unloaded in London. I, along with most other trucks there would idle from time to time to keep the batteries charged. I usually did an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, especially if it was cold and the night heater is running. Now, some drivers took exception to this and thought that it was unacceptable to make any noise, yet it was fine for them in fits of anger to blow their air horns to show their discontent. So a truck idling, which you stop hearing after a while and only do hear from a few trucks away is unacceptable, yet blowing your air horn, which startles every body within 300 meters is fine. Hypocritical idiots. Its also usually the same fools who are shouting and making a noise at 2am when they come back from the pub completely drunk.
I would try the Irish firms, virginia, Dixon, protrans, McGuire, tierney, Delaney, Donovan’s., there’s loads to choose from. Lots of them ship trailers out unaccompanied for trailer swaps at the ports and all would be delighted to have someone that doesn’t need to get back to Ireland every week.
All are running legal now, not like the old days. All would have good plant and a bit of distance with the fridge work. Give them a try, you have nothing to lose
kitbuilder123:
I would try the Irish firms, virginia, Dixon, protrans, McGuire, tierney, Delaney, Donovan’s., there’s loads to choose from. Lots of them ship trailers out unaccompanied for trailer swaps at the ports and all would be delighted to have someone that doesn’t need to get back to Ireland every week.
All are running legal now, not like the old days. All would have good plant and a bit of distance with the fridge work. Give them a try, you have nothing to lose
That’s what I thought, and there does seem to be a fair few English lads working over there. I need to find out for sure how they go on with bank acc’s etc. certainly not ruling Ireland out as that was my first idea. I’m not expecting a massive wage from any of them, and tbh I’ll probably get nowhere near the wage I’m getting at the mo doing uk. It’s the bloody wonder ■■■■ thing that some of us suffer from
Dont worry about bank accounts, just get yourself a job first. If they employ UK based drivers they’ll sort you out with what you need then. Normally they have an address for you to use to register at the local tax office for your tax number and get the BACS and IBAN codes for your account from your bank and the company will usually just pay direct into your UK account like any other job. Be warned some banks charge for the conversion to pounds though. I’m with Barclays and they don’t.
Smiths of scooter have two jobs available. Doing Italy. Very old school though but no running bent!
Smith824:
Smiths of scooter have two jobs available. Doing Italy. Very old school though but no running bent!
So they’re still on the go? Someone told me quite a while back that they had folded since I moved to Canada.
robinhood_1984:
Smith824:
Smiths of scooter have two jobs available. Doing Italy. Very old school though but no running bent!So they’re still on the go? Someone told me quite a while back that they had folded since I moved to Canada.
Nope, they are still on the go.
I saw one of theirs last week, well maybe only in the last month.
They work a totally different area to us, so I don’t see them often anyway.
Simon:
Nope, they are still on the go.
I saw one of theirs last week, well maybe only in the last month.
They work a totally different area to us, so I don’t see them often anyway.
Thats good to know. I think their usual work used to be (still is?) steel down to Italy and other places and reloading marble from Italy back to the UK. I remember talking to one of their drivers in about 08/09 and he had been taking over length steel sections to Poland or the Czech Republic and then running empty all the way to Italy for marble.
I was on the ferry on Thursday with one of their’s and he was loaded with marble