switchlogic:
Well fancy that, the French that many on this forum admire so much for ‘sticking up for themselves’ are shafted. And is it any wonder when you consider how many hours French drivers work.
You’re supposed to be on holiday. 
switchlogic:
And is it any wonder when you consider how many hours French drivers work.
And this is based upon what source of information: driver opinion; received wisdom; the slacker forklift drivers at Rungis . . . ?
Or have you worked for a French firm and speak from firsthand experience?
~ Craig
switchlogic:
Well fancy that, the French that many on this forum admire so much for ‘sticking up for themselves’ are shafted. And is it any wonder when you consider how many hours French drivers work.
Pray tell , oh oracle , how many hours do French drivers work ■■?
short walk:
By the way are you yourself back in the saddle or still being a shop assistant or whatever it was?
don’t know what you mean by a shop assistant, but I am quite happy doing body and paintwork on heavy machinery while occasionally driving one of the bosses lowloaders, tippers or Hiabs when the regular drivers need a day off. home every night, really interesting work, great coworkers, lunch paid for by the company and a very nice amount in my bank account twice a month 
milodon:
well that clears it up a bit, I was under the impression that the ro-pl plated trucks were simply replacing romanian and polish companies doing the same work, as I have rarely seen a french driver doing international work going further than antwerp or liege
Not only is most of the work short distance stuff to neighbouring countries but ND were in trouble recently in France for having Romanian drivers, in Romanian registered trucks doing nothing but domestic French work. You are right that these days and for many years the French havent really ventured that far but there have always been a lot coming to the UK, which is a main part of the work for ND.
My brother worked in the Kimberley Clark factory in Barton-upon-Humber until it closed down a few months ago and Norbert Dentressangle trucks were common in there loading for France and Italy. In the whole time he worked there he didnt see a single French driver in a ND truck, they were all either Polish or Romanian. All companies like ND do is buy a company in Romania, then flag out many of their existing French trucks to Romanian plates so that they are now with the Romanian subsidiary, replace French drivers with Romanians and carry on doing the same work within France and western Europe.
pierrot 14:
switchlogic:
Well fancy that, the French that many on this forum admire so much for ‘sticking up for themselves’ are shafted. And is it any wonder when you consider how many hours French drivers work.Pray tell , oh oracle , how many hours do French drivers work ■■?
Oh about four and a half, minutes, on a busy week. Let’s face it, the French don’t have a reputation for being overworked now do they? I notice no one commented on the sticking up for themselves bit. No surprise though, sticking up for themselves led to the large companies employing Romanians, SeaFrance out of business and Brittany Ferries to the brink of disaster for just three examples.
switchlogic:
Let’s face it, the French don’t have a reputation for being overworked now do they?
So now you’re going by ‘reputation’ as an indicator of truth . . . like I said before, received wisdom . . .
Next time you see a Galtier reefer truck at Rungis perhaps you might explain this theory of yours - should give the driver a good laugh 
~ Craig
Okie doke. Have a lovely day, don’t go working too hard now will you. 
Still not mentioned the ‘sticking up for themselves’ bit I see…
Quite amazing how Mr Dentressangle ever managed to build up such a huge company while having to employ all those idle French bar stewards who would rather spend a weekend at home with there family rather than sitting in an autohof eating tinned cassoulet heated on a butane stove.
But then I’m old enough to remember when ND were the prime target for our ministry boys when they were heading for Dover or Portsmouth because of there habit of getting on with it.
I wonder how long it will be before the poles and rumos are deemed to be slackers and it becomes neccesary to replace them with someone cheaper who thinks because he is in logistics he should think it normal to work 60 or 70 hours a week for a pittance.
gazza1970:
that was normal.
you would be loading in Italy for spain and at the same factory their would be a Spanish driver loading for the uk
you would be wk ended in spain and he would be wk ended in the uk.
very true especially when Frankie from Belgium got involved . but as you say Gaz it was a very good job then . give my regards to your dad 
Plenty of Frenchmen parked up with Me at a weekend over the years, saw them all over in fact & had many a good night with them, I used to often stop in Korinthos on Sunday evening the small French bar would be full of them, same going North East plenty of them up there too in the truckstops along the way, many back then driving lorries that weren’t flash either.
They probably won’t work for a jar of gherkins & a tin of fish so stay at home now & who would blame them, the sooner The EU collapses the better I reckon & I’m happy to see its well on its way already.
toby1234abc:
There used to be a ND driver who was English and lived in Ouistreham and he had a beard and long hair and ate in the Rouitier there.
That would be the late Dave Lawton (davel on here) RIP Dave
Hi Flying Foden,
The one thing you were never still when Francky was running you around for ND. He is still there but now in charge of securing work for all the subcontractors . Hence the reason our
depot no longer uses French drivers on distance work. Next time i speak to Francky will say hello to him for you.
frenchflyer:
Hi Flying Foden,
The one thing you were never still when Francky was running you around for ND. He is still there but now in charge of securing work for all the subcontractors . Hence the reason our
depot no longer uses French drivers on distance work. Next time i speak to Francky will say hello to him for you.
hi frenchflyer please do he may remember me as i worked for the UK side same as gaz some 15 years ago then it was a excellent job loads of tramping work around Europe very fond memory’s indeed of working with a cracking set of lads . .cheers jeff .
PS i was chatting to Les stoker (sp) who is still on ND tankers but only in the uk now .
Yes Les does not change much, see him often. Have just finished with ND in Santes due to redundancy, but i have managed to get a job in ND Le Havre. Jeff what is your last name, pm me with it just that we had a Geoff from Bruuge also, dont want to confuse Francky.
frenchflyer:
Yes Les does not change much, see him often. Have just finished with ND in Santes due to redundancy, but i have managed to get a job in ND Le Havre. Jeff what is your last name, pm me with it just that we had a Geoff from Bruuge also, dontwant to confuse Francky.
ok will do . im not the Geoff from zeebrugge . he was after my time
I must say they were the best company I worked for in my 33 years of European haulage.
Edit to add: yes Yuppie ,I think they were talking about our friend Dave