When I’m not on the spanners, I drive my Dad’s wagon for him doing subbie work for a bulk firm. Whenever I go into their office whilst swapping trailers in their yard, they complain that these foreign subbies they use for work out to the Continent are useless. I’m 18 and I have 2 years (realistically a year and a bit) left of my apprenticeship so I’ll be hitting 19/20 when I am qualified. Afterwards I’m going full time for my Dad with my own wagon, I want to ship out onto the Continent as I’m one if the few subbies that can work pressure tanks. I want to approach the TM and tell him that I’ll do the work that the foreigners can’t do, but I’m not too savvy in the legislation of going abroad. I know it’s 18 to drive a car abroad, but I don’t know about wagons.
Can anyone enlighten me about young drivers driving abroad?
the maoster:
As long as it’s legal in the UK it is legal in the rest of the EU. That goes for licences, C&U regs and a whole plethora of stuff.
That makes sense. One of the things with the EU will be anti discrimination laws. If they discriminated against you because of your age, you could take them to court.
Irish drivers have always been able to hold C+E from 18 years old and never any problems around Europe although some of the younger looking lads do get asked for their licences for proof of age, only limit I know of is no one under 12 on the euro tunnel (obviously as passenger most 12 year olds over here couldn’t reach the pedals although it wouldn’t be for a lack of trying)
the maoster:
As long as it’s legal in the UK it is legal in the rest of the EU. That goes for licences, C&U regs and a whole plethora of stuff.
In this case I expect it’s fine but all the websites I’ve looked at say regardless of uk law you have to be 18 to drive abroad, I certainly waited till I was 18 to go to the mainland.
Could be a case they are using foreigners tho as the rate that bad a uk based Subby wouldn’t make any money
Don’t build your hopes up it a sign of the times
Uk fridge co rang me last week offered £1.30 mile les £225 trl hire
Wouldn’t make anything out if that
Told them to ring a rumo or bulgy
gettin-on:
Could be a case they are using foreigners tho as the rate that bad a uk based Subby wouldn’t make any money
Don’t build your hopes up it a sign of the times
That was also my first thought. Companies in the UK don’t use foreign trucks/drivers etc because they can’t find anyone in the UK to do the job, they use them because they’re cheaper and they can often do the job for rates that would be far below the poverty line for any one living in the UK.
I hope I’m wrong and you get the chance to do what you want. Let us know how you get on.
gettin-on:
Could be a case they are using foreigners tho as the rate that bad a uk based Subby wouldn’t make any money
Don’t build your hopes up it a sign of the times
That was also my first thought. Companies in the UK don’t use foreign trucks/drivers etc because they can’t find anyone in the UK to do the job, they use them because they’re cheaper and they can often do the job for rates that would be far below the poverty line for any one living in the UK.
I hope I’m wrong and you get the chance to do what you want. Let us know how you get on.
The foreigners in this case are Germans driving German registered trucks owned or permanently subbed to the German company which owns this one. And the UK TM, director actually, will use whoever he his told to by his employers in Heilbronn.
acd1202:
The foreigners in this case are Germans driving German registered trucks owned or permanently subbed to the German company which owns this one. And the UK TM, director actually, will use whoever he his told to by his employers in Heilbronn.
That may be so, but what wage are those Germans on? Germany isn’t renown for paying high wages to drivers these days.
