Hi all. I’m thinking of doing European work. Never done it before and I’m worried about border control and other things. Any advice please
There are no border controls anymore, years
ago, you would have to stop at each border and clear Customs and get permits stamped.Time to grab a meal or a coffee.!
The hassle now in EU work, is immigrants getting in your lorry at or near the ports.
Most dont park overnight near or in the ports.
The fine for each illegal found is going up to £ 3000, imagine a full trailer of them.
Parking is free in EU, but some you pay for secure parking.
Road side court deposits or fines, must be paid in full, then argue later in court.
Tacho rules offences can be 20,000 Euros or more,a trivial offence in the UK can cost more in EU.
Most EU work is done by Eastern European firms on two driver teams or solo driver.
No photocopies of the vehicle documents,originals only.
S & K haulage take on newbies,with Belgium runs, home weekends or EU, away a few weeks.
There is less congestion over there, except Paris and Milan, fantastic scenery and better food for drivers.
France has the Rouitiers network, fixed priced menus from 10 to 20 euros,five course meal.
Some countries, the load must be securely strapped down, or pay a big fine.
Virtually no border controls left in the eu, except maybe for the UK, most places gave turned the old border posts into service or rest areas. Although they can still be a hang out for various authorities.
Coming back into the UK, it’s important to do the trailer checks and document them, but most companies should have procedures for that.
Various toll and road charges round the eu, but you’ll soon grasp what you have to do for each country, and mostly on toll boxes so it’s just a case of driving through the correct peage lane.
I’m sure like most once you have a go, you’ll enjoy it far more than fighting your way round the UK overcrowded road network, less traffic in many places, better facilities for drivers,
The novelty soons wears off when you are parked up for 24 or 45 hours off in a Msa surrounded by EE trucks starting their engines all day and all night, to charge their batteries from watching Satelite tv from their cabs.
Family life is affected, your partner will need the patience of a Saint, when the driving hour’s are up, and you could not make the ferry back.
Most EE drivers live in the cab all year, and go home for two weeks at Christmas.
Some times you may have to wait a day or two for a reload back to the UK.
Factories shut for long lunch breaks, some for two to three hours of Siesta,s.
Truck bans on the evening before a public holiday starts, or religious holiday.
No driving is permitted until 22.00 or midnight after the holiday has ended, so you work nights to get a move on.
In Spain, on the tacho, the county area must be entered, for the start and end of shift.
The only country that this is required, due to many holidays in different areas.
Spain has clubs, these are brothels.Or baghouses.
Germany enforces load security to the letter of the law over there.
Ratchet straps must not have cuts in the straps or broken, the label must be intact and display the relevant information on weight bearing.
If BAG do a control, which is similar to Dvsa in the UK,BAG fine who loaded it, the driver and vehicle operator.
Hugh costs to get the load made safe with teams to do it.
The toll system takes practice, another driver will show you how to do it.
A German road atlas is needed to indicate which junction you enter and exit on, to reach the destination.
For Switzerland, you clear customs before you enter, by locating the agent,once in, clear again.
To pay the road tax in Switzerland, the emissions and number of axles is entered in to the self service machine.
It has to be correct, the mileage is charged at a set rate .
Austria has 24/7 commercial vehicle enforcement.
In Italy,headlights on in daytime.
Frejus tunnel is the route for Adr cargo, under ■■■■■■ with tunnel ■■■■■■ vans.
In France, stop at the fire brigade control, to check paper’s before Frejus.
They may check all the Ppe and Adr kit.
Fire extinguishers must be in test and valid.
When coming back towards France, stop on the Italian side before the Mount Blanc tunnel, to get a ticket, it’s for emissions numbering, with no ticket, they turn you back to get it, its about a 60 mile roundtrip.
When stood in the road for a breakdown, a hiviz must be worn, in Europe.
Two warning triangles are required.
Thanks some good advice there. I’m fortunate that I work for a company that does European work and they are looking for drivers. Just never done it before
go for it if you can handle being away…its night and day quality to chugging around the uk where your dung on the shoe of everyone.much better driving,roads,food,rest stops,and conditions.if you dont go for it,you will always wonder if you should have.
Go for it, I would recommend phrase books for the basics in language for the countries the firm send you.
Get stuck in with the locals, a quick way to learn, if they see an effort, they will not mock
or judge you for making an effort.
If stopped on the road by the Customs or the Police, remain calm and polite, most speak good English.
Open the cab door and offer to shake their hand, its a continental culture.
It may make the difference to being let off a potential fine.
On long ferry crossings, I do not want to share a cabin with three other snoring and ■■■■■■■ strangers with smelly feet.
I sleep in the cab below decks, but don’t let anyone see you.
Hop on the bunk, pull over the split curtain and rest in peace.
If the ferry has a fire or sinks, nobody will know you are down there and the engine fumes make you nauseous and sleepy.
It will be getting warm over there, pack the swimming trunks and sun tan lotion.
Go for it.
Just been told I can’t transfer to the other depot until I’ve been here 12 months
pickandmix:
Just been told I can’t transfer to the other depot until I’ve been here 12 months
Remind us what depot that was and who you work for please !! 
Lol couldn’t possibly quote my company but I’m sure you know
The no borders stuff is not strictly correct, if you were to do Suisse or Serbia, you would be faced with a lot of paperwork, and bureaucracy, that you may well think unreasonable, but this is the only way to transit these countries.
cracker-bar:
The no borders stuff is not strictly correct, if you were to do Suisse or Serbia, you would be faced with a lot of paperwork, and bureaucracy, that you may well think unreasonable, but this is the only way to transit these countries.
Not forgetting Norway 
I think the no border controls bit really refered to countries in the eu,