Craig 111:
SteveWalsh:
Thats 28 calender days, rest days included to keep the gendarmes happyAnd don’t forget the ‘attestation’ for the days you’re not driving, just in case of a ‘controle’
I have never ever been given an ‘attestation’!! never been controlled thankfully 
Your boss certainly knows his stuff, eh? Dangerous having only one truck on the road, they might just get the idea that one is enough! Chassé (Vinci) have just sacked all their drivers, preferring subbies 
We have more than one truck, but with two off the road it meant that it would be necessary to use the older ones, these have done many years in quarries and are over 500,000 very hard km’s! in fact unknown to me there were two drivers programmed to go this morning, the turbo had been replaced, but it failed to work, so then the second driver said he would take the other lorry! The lorry I refused to take as it has a steering problem that has been evident for the last 18 months!!! and nothing has been done with it. I decided to use this fact to force the mechanic to get it sorted! then you get a complete tos*er get down on his knees and ■■■■■ the boss off! I am ■■■■ livid with him! rant over!
One thing you learn quickly in France: maintenance is viewed as an inconvenience and half of the trucks on the road here wouldn’t get very far in the UK or Germany.
Tonight I’m sitting here in Agde in a truck with no heating, other than the Webasto. Not too bad for the mo, but would be nice if it’s sorted by winter!
I have a link somewhere to a downloadable attestation if you need it. Needs to be filled in on computer, printed and signed by you and TM/Boss. Covers you for all non driving days/rest/hols/sick etc
Keeps gendarmes and check point folks happy
The gendarmes are not a problem, it is the ministry checkpoints. They always want the last 4 weeks and are very quick with the PVs. The good news is that when you are driving your bosses’ truck he is reponsible for everything you do, including speeding, should he name you, you get the points, he gets the fine! French drivers will never refuse to do anything because, as is the case with the majority of French people, they are in debt and cannot afford to lose the coveted CDI. Should you not be in debt you can afford to go elsewhere!
Day off tomorrow got to work Friday to replace it though 
Lorry was repaired ? the mechanic changed the 5th wheel ■■ for some reason he ordered it as he thought it was that causing the steering problem 
didn’t seem to matter that I had told him the steering problem was even more pronounced when you test drive it bobtail, perhaps it is me missing something 
I have never heard of anyone having to work a day to replace a bank holiday, could it be the famous day that we all have to work, once a year, for the old ■■■■■ who never paid their contributions? Though, taking into account your bosses’ competence with regard to driving hours and social legislation in general, it could just be another thing to note down, in the unlikely / inevitable case that you finish in front of an industrial tribunal (prud’hommes). Just a thought? 
Can’t see what the 5th wheel has to so with steering? 
Was it off centred? If the steering plays up “Solo”? Whatever, be sure that everything is written down! My experience in France is that if you have no proof, you are at fault and your best mate will not back you up! I have lost a few friends over the years - The worst was when I worked for ABLO from Nantes. They sent a young lad, 24 y.o., from Bordeaux over the Puy Dôme with a load of scrap, middle of the night and freezing cold, wet winter, no motor-ways in those days, and the lad had only just passed his test on a sychro’ 310. He was driving a Scania 110 crash box. He tried to drop a cog and hit brake fade, it didn’t matter for long, he fell off a cliff edge, killed “dead”. His wife, 3 kids, fourth on the way were more than a little upset! I was in the office when the gendarmes called, the boss asked first about the truck and a few minutes later about the driver - all five drivers in the office quit! I saw what was left of the truck, not a lot! The inquest found “driver error”. I don’t do bosses favours anymore! I have seen quite a few pass over through the years and now note everything down, I fill a pocket notebook every year. 
On a lighter note - the yellow peril is back from the hospital - hefty bill! It seems to be working perfectly, I’ll try it out tomorrow. they told me that the slew assembly was wrongly assembled, they ignored the fact that it was them that did it! I shall dig if a few holes tomorrow, if it stops raining!!!
Off to blighty at the end of the month, first time for 15 years 
It is down to the workings of the factory, at the moment we need 4 days to keep the clay reserves up so because we are not working today it necessitates us working Friday or they probably won’t have enough clay to see them through to Monday. It is definitely not ‘jour solidarité’ as the 7 hours for that were deducted from our hours bank (7 hours RTT less) so by working this friday we have actually got a full (near normal) week in so an additional 9 hours in the pot!
I doubt I will be needing the services of the Prud’hommes just yet! I didn’t just turn up and refuse to drive the lorry, I defected the lorry stating the reasons that it was not advisable for this lorry to used on a long trip (it is the 3rd or 4th time I have reported the same defect of the past 18 months!) they have had nearly a week to digest that I was not prepared to drive the said vehicle on the special assignment (probably the reason they decided that I was not needed last Friday) they know the problem is there and the driver in question used that lorry for the morning trip, but used the newer lorry in the afternoon for the second trip when it became available.
It has been drilled into us over the last few weeks that special attention must taken regarding all the rules, speed, code de la route, driving hours as well as the social aspect of us driving through narrow villages etc etc. One of our big bosses (number 2 boss in the whole group) happened to say to one of my colleagues that he had had a complaint about his speed through the village, I know he doesn’t go to the full 50kms he could, he normally goes about 30-35kph but he does it at 2000 rpm with lead boots on! instead of a nice quiet 1000rpm with slippers on hey ho!
Not been back to the UK for 15 years 
that will be a shock then! tis a busy place, where are you going, the hills of Wales might not be too busy
Well Tim, I don’t know what to think about your company? They are either the best or the second best? Still, I expect you know?
I am off to “Blighty” this weekend for most of the week. It’s unbelievable, I have driven about 3 times around the World, or the equivalence, and am feeling nervous! I haven’t been to the UK for around 15 years (Except by 'plane for 1 day) and I haven’t driven on the right (left) side of the road since then. I don’t know how much a pint costs 
, though I intend to find out “Big Time” (Felinfoel were doing a pint for a quid when I was there last). I am not going to Wales, it’s too far to drive, as I have to go to Thirsk, Darlington, Barnards Castle and Hull. I will be staying in a Weatherspoons, another first! My first night will be in Godmanchester, staying with aged relatives.
I think things have changed? I have never seen an Eddie Stobbard truck 
. They tell me that the average colour of skin is now khaki? Do I have to speak English?
My wife can’t stop crying, I think with joy at the thought of me being away. In 1985 I went home 5 times and on my final visit my wife had gone (Not the same one).
I do occasionally go to Jersey for the day, but am drunk from lunch to home and I don’t drive, except my wife up the wall!
I am starting to prepare myself for going back to work, March or April 2015, I feel tired already 
Yellow peril going great guns Dug a big hole today - will try and get it out tomorrow Just come second in our areas farmer of the year competition - there were only two entries
Craig 111:
One thing you learn quickly in France: maintenance is viewed as an inconvenience and half of the trucks on the road here wouldn’t get very far in the UK or Germany.Tonight I’m sitting here in Agde in a truck with no heating, other than the Webasto. Not too bad for the mo, but would be nice if it’s sorted by winter!
That’s a variation on the times we didn’t have a night heater and kept the engine running all night
daidog:
I would drop the trailer and drive up to “La Bergerie” 2 kms up the road and get paid.
I had a little jollie up that way last Friday, with all the problems we have had with our kit we had borrowed a lorry from one of our other factories (etablère just at the back of le bergerie) and I had to take it back (because my twit of a colleague had noticed that his digi card had past its sell by date) I was a bit nervous to be honest, I haven’t driven on open road and through towns for about 10 years. Plus, in a strange lorry too, it was a MAN and all the controls were not in the right place:) nasty autobox too, you all know how I like those. I wonder how DiaD is getting on with the UK?
Daidog is at this very moment drunk in Weather spoons in Thirsk, wonderful.I am surprised by the quality of service and low prices!
More soon, off to Hull tomorrow
mind you, this morning you could be 
whereabouts in Hull are you going?
Driver-Once-More:
whereabouts in Hull are you going?
An old schoolfriend of mine owns the Blacksmiths’ Arms on Naylor road.
I am back home now. Stayed one night in Hull and then drove down to Newhaven and got straight on a boat, so drove down to Nantes in one hit. 2250 kms since Sunday afternoon, not bad, but I am too old for that nonsense! I haven’t been to Hull for around 30 years, it’s changed a lot.
I had a great time and did a bit of business as well as catching up with some old friends. I saw my first Stobbards truck and about 999 more very quickly. I stayed in Wetherspoons in Thirsk and loved it, that’s a company with the right ideas. The weekend will give me some time to recover, I hope Next trip is around my fields to check on the animals
Yellow peril broken down again, same problem! Another couple of hundred euros put in the pocket of someone who knows everything, but knows nowt! I am going to get hold of the workshop manual (any ideas?) and do the work myself.
Winter is settling in - getting sheep pens ready - I will bring all my girlfriends in on Christmas Eve, one never knows who will turn up? Getting cold but log fire burning brightly! Who would swap this life, eh? My poor old donkeys!
Well, evening in front of the fire, feet on the ■■■■ (joke), the only stress is thinking that I have signed up to go back to work in April.
Life is hard. . .
Speak soon
daidog:
Yellow peril broken down again, same problem! Another couple of hundred euros put in the pocket of someone who knows everything, but knows nowt! I am going to get hold of the workshop manual (any ideas?) and do the work myself.
Try Ebay. We’ve picked up several old tractor/digger manuals on CD from there.
Craig 111:
daidog:
Yellow peril broken down again, same problem! Another couple of hundred euros put in the pocket of someone who knows everything, but knows nowt! I am going to get hold of the workshop manual (any ideas?) and do the work myself.Try Ebay. We’ve picked up several old tractor/digger manuals on CD from there.
Very good advice! Thank you very much!!! I went on E Bay and found the CD for 15 C/dollars I have ordered it, but I think it may be for a more recent model than mine, still, I doubt that the basics have changed that much? Yesterday I changed the bucket, 45 minutes for two of us! I am sure that the last digger driver I saw on site did it much quicker, like 2 minutes! I don’t think that I am ready to pass my test! I have dug a few more holes and tomorrow will start filling them back in again. Our local “Maire” told me that he is a bit concerned about me buying a JCB and asked what I intend to do with it. I won’t record my reply! What a stupid question? What does one do with a digger, if not dig? (I also own a shotgun). I told him that I am not happy with a 19% increase in “Dustbin” charges and may buy a dustcart! I don’t think he likes me? What a great machine for planting fence posts!!! In France I am also allowed, should I wish to : Drive on roads (10,5 Tonnes) with no license (I have one) and no green card, drunk, no MOT, bald tyres, leaking pipes, no brakes, no lights, no number plates and the capacity to drive through any roadblocks, any infractions can only be punished with a fine (No points no disqualification) 
- Crazy
No points only a fine or prison if you kill someone got cases tomorrow cat 1 minipelle cat 2 pelle greater than 6 tonnes and cat 10 lowloader in a quarry have you seen the forecast for tomorrow 