Good evening all. I am off to Germany again in January for three weeks going to Frankfurt then shipping trailers from Rotterdam to Frankfurt.
I will be going Dover Calalis then onto Frankfurt to the Messe to be exact. I am following another driver there so hopefully not a problem going with tolls etc. Problems will start when I head off on my own to pick other trailers up. I am fully aware I can not drive in Germany on a sunday between certain hours off the top of my head now I know one is not till after 10pm.
I have been once before and on attempting to us the toll payment system at the services I am sure I messed it up and luckily got away from it. Does anyone have a guide anywhere on how to use them correctly? i have checked the video someone kindly posted on my old thread but no clearer. Can anyone tell me where the nearest toll payment centre is from the Frankfurt messe, as I thought you could just stop as soon as you got on the motorway at the first services but this does not seem to be the case.
Also I know I have to take a fire extinguisher but is there any specific size or type, i.e foam or water.
NEW question. As I will be doing commuting between Zebrugge and Frankfurt at the end I will be staying in my wagon. I so far have been fortunate and the company has put me up in hotels. I have slept in my truck many a time in the uk but never abroad. My question is do I have to pay at services etc for parking. Any advice gratefully accepted.
I’ll try to go through the maut toll, most of it is pretty self explanatory, but there are a couple of bits that I’ve struggled with. You do also find sometimes other drivers will see you having problems and help you.
First pick your language
Then but maybe not in this order, but it will all be in your langauge,
Enter Registration
Enter Country Code
Enter emissions type
Enter vehicle axles, there is a picture to help you.
Then you get to start point, It will give you some option or you can opt to use the map, but the map only shows the MAUT network, so I do take my map in with me to make sense of it. tapping the screen zooms it in.
Select your Entry point
Then do the same for the exit point.
Then you enter start time, but that normally is what they show you.
It will then come up with the route, cost and times.
You ok that then
Enter payment method
It will then want you to put your payment method in unless it’s cash.
When the green light flashes put the card in the card reader.
So you go to the pin pad and this bit is in German,
basically
bestätigen is validate, the green button (might also have Best or V on it, can’t remember)
Bitte Warten is please Wait
Bitte Entenham (I’ve spelt it really really badly) means Please remove.
Then wait for the tickets, the ticket dispenser will flash green and the first ticket will appear,
Take that and wait for the second one, both tickets do seem to take an age to arrive.
One ticket is your receipt the other has your route and times, make sure you follow that route I normally put it in my sat nav as way points. You normally have more than enough time to get the trip done.
I don’t know whether that’s confused you more or cleared it up hopefully somebody will tidy it up or add the bits I’ve forgotten, but once you get the hang of it it’s not to bad.
That has helped a lot thankyou. Last time I obviously didn’t wait for the second ticket. Cant believe how lucky I was that time. I am really looking forward to it but just this part worries me as believe if you deviate off the route the fine is massive. I think I will do what you said choose my endpoint then go with there route on my sat nav.
Darrenb:
Thank you for the video I will have a look. Any further contributions re fire extinguishers etc
I personally have never heard of a requirement to carry an extinguisher in Germany unless carrying ADR, but I do have a 2kg powder one fitted in the cab.
Every thread I have read on here seems to say you need a fire extinguisher. I am not carrying an ADR so am unsure what to throw in the cab. Just worried if got stopped they would say need water and i have powder. Them germans lol
It’s not a massive fine if you go off route but it spoils your day. I speak from experience! From Aachen Maut will send you via the 559 Bonn rather than the direct route via the a3
It is legally required to have a fire extinguisher for the cab and the trailer, regardless if the load is Adr or not.
When broken down and stood in the road side, you must wear a hiviz, two warning triangles are advisable and wheel chocks.
toby1234abc:
It is legally required to have a fire extinguisher for the cab and the trailer, regardless if the load is Adr or not.
When broken down and stood in the road side, you must wear a hiviz, two warning triangles are advisable and wheel chocks.
2 amber flashing lamps instead of triangles are also acceptable, independent of the truck electrics.
Sorry your right, you dont need snow chains to be legal, you just need them when it snows and theres signs flashing no onwards travel without snow chains, or the police wont let you carry on your journey because you have no chains.
NEW question. As I will be doing commuting between Zebrugge and Frankfurt at the end I will be staying in my wagon. I so far have been fortunate and the company has put me up in hotels. I have slept in my truck many a time in the uk but never abroad. My question is do I have to pay at services etc for parking. Any advice gratefully accepted.
Normally no, thee are some places you pay now, but they’re are mostly secure parking, they seem to be popping up on the services in Belgium.
However if you’re staying in Germany I’d go for an Autohof, which are normally signposted off the Autobahn. They are truck stops and quite often have good restaurants as well as decent showers etc, you might have to pay to park, but the fee will be taken off the price of you meal, its just done to stop trucks parking there without using the facilities, which also means they shouldn’t be as full as the services, (Rasthofs)
I’m sure some others on here will point you in the direction of a good one.
If you go the A4 and A3 direction Aachen-Cologne-Frankfurt than there is a good Truckstop /Autohof on the A3 at junction 38 Ransbach-Baumbach/Mogendorf 10€ for 24 h…it´s a little bit more than 1 h driving time (max. 1.20 h) from there to Frankfurt.
After this exit there are only motorway services on the A3…
