But today parked near Pforzheim Germany saw an English regitered Merc amo something or other was the name cant remember big bloody bright orange thing right hand drive too so I thought be nice to chat with an English driver… but you guessed it driver barely spoke a word of it 
he came from Poland freekin typical I definately seem to be in a minority out here 
It seems a life time ago when the Brits took over the Bp truck stop at Saint Andre de Cubzac known as the Cabbage Patch, a few fisty cuffs at bed time after all day on the “pop”, or cheap vino tinto, or vin rouge.
I would park up and get the bike out of the trailer and get some miles in, in the rolling hills and vinery area.
It had huge showers cleaned after each visit, the food was good then it went down hill, Arcotel took over, some lads went over the big bridge to the Rouitiers, and nearby was a few other eating houses.
Amco - amco.eu.com/index.php based in Derbyshire and they got some Polish and Hungarian drivers
I had the same experience a few months back. Pulled into TFE Toulouse to tip one night and there’s an Irish regd. RHD Scania already unloading - a fairly rare occurence down there now. Reversed up to the adjacent dock, went round to put the levelling plate in place and struck up a conversation with the driver of aforementioned Scanny (like you say it’s nice to talk about truckin’ and other stuff in yer own language for a change). Turned out the guy was a Pole who’d lived in Ireland for three years and admittedly had a decent standard of English, so spent a cheerful 20 mins chatting away while the French looked on in bemusement. When I got back in the cab and rung back to base I almost started off again in English, but suddenly reverted back to the local lingo, out of habit I guess 
On a related note, was having 45mins parked in Sete Intermarché last summer when a Brit car pulled up alongside my Frog regd. truck and I saw the bloke (in the driver’s seat, of course 
) usher his Mrs fairly unwillingly out of the car and over in my direction. She looked up to my already lowered window and in best Franglais asked which was the route for the Millau bridge. My response (or more likely my Cornish accent) caught her completely off guard, but she got the info she needed and trotted back to the car looking relieved!
It’s a shame we don’t see more Brit trucks on the continent, but maybe it’ll turn around one day?
~ Craig
Betz:
Amco - amco.eu.com/index.php based in Derbyshire and they got some Polish and Hungarian drivers
yeah that was the firm
toby1234abc:
It seems a life time ago when the Brits took over the Bp truck stop at Saint Andre de Cubzac known as the Cabbage Patch, a few fisty cuffs at bed time after all day on the “pop”, or cheap vino tinto, or vin rouge.
I would park up and get the bike out of the trailer and get some miles in, in the rolling hills and vinery area.
It had huge showers cleaned after each visit, the food was good then it went down hill, Arcotel took over, some lads went over the big bridge to the Rouitiers, and nearby was a few other eating houses.
Matron!! Toby has skipped his medication again 
toby1234abc:
Arcotel took over, some lads went over the big bridge to the Rouitiers, and nearby was a few other eating houses.
…one of which was the Albatross, one of the best on the road.
A couple of weeks ago I loaded at Nantes and drove down to Bordeaux to deliver. It had been a bit a of a grueller as I had had to drive overnight previously from the Dordogne so I was well ready for a meal and a kip and was looking forward considerably to renewing my aquaintance with the said Albatross after so many years away.
Imagine my disappointment when the lady of the house where I was delivering said ‘oh you poor man, you must be so tired and hungry, I absolutely insist that you eat and spend the night with us a la famille.’
(Except of course that this was all said in French.)
How could I refuse such a generous offer?
Still haven’t updated myself on the Albatross, anybody been there recently?..Wheelnut? Craig? 
There was also another good one on the Quay below the bridge , it had an American name ,I think it was the Orlando or the Florida or something similar
kerbut:
There was also another good one on the Quay below the bridge , it had an American name ,I think it was the Orlando or the Florida or something similar
There were several there. I only ate at the Albatross but once, when on an early finish had a drink in one of the others when, for some reason, my favourite wasn’t open. I went to bed in the afternoon and asked them what time they opened in the evening, whereupon they told me.
I was really mad when I turned out at 9pm and they were shut, never had opened. It must have been congé or something because I had to skedaddle quickly round to the C. Routiers for some grub.
After my recent trip via France & Germany to the Netherlands that seems to be where all the English are…well all White & Co removals trucks anyway…
going from caen to portugal after le mans you are lucky if you see five uk trucks in one trip
I see a few every day over there. Not a huge number, but enough.
I run down to Munchen and the Austrian border in Germany or across the top of Switzerland and down to Geneva.
Funny thing, I already have the same situation twice but the opposite way…
Approached Polish truck to find that the driver is English
One guy just moved to Poland as he got married there, but the other just works for Polish company and swaps the trucks in Holland. He says he is better of than in his previous jobs in Plymouth where he worked 5 or 6 days per week tramping. Now he is on 4 on - 2 off basis and brings home similar money
hanson:
going from caen to portugal after le mans you are lucky if you see five uk trucks in one trip
well I’m a brit in a Brit reg lorry.
There will be 3 Brit reg trucks heading out on the 1st. 1 to Paris and vitry le franchise. 1 multi drops down western France and I’m starting my multi drops near bourg en bresse then down to Cannes and all points across to Perpignan
russell2587:
There will be 3 Brit reg trucks heading out on the 1st. 1 to Paris and vitry le franchise. 1 multi drops down western France and I’m starting my multi drops near bourg en bresse then down to Cannes and all points across to Perpignan 0
I’ll keep an eye out for you then. If I can shake this infection I will be down to Bordeaux and back on the 1st, up to Calais on the 2nd, down to Montargis and back home on the 3rd, then Bordeaux and back again on the 4th.
I reckon you will be well ahead of me though,
vitry le franchise ,Hope he doesn’t put that in his sat nav, he will never find it !
kerbut:
vitry le franchise ,Hope he doesn’t put that in his sat nav, he will never find it !
Vitry-le-François I recon eh??
Ross.
bigr250:
kerbut:
vitry le franchise ,Hope he doesn’t put that in his sat nav, he will never find it !Vitry-le-François I recon eh??
Ross.
Lol correct, luckily it’s a weekly collection so we all know where it is. He ain’t even going there it’s the passau not Paris run he’s on.
We have a regular swiss run everyweek, sometimes 2/3 go, and 2 regular collections out of Ancona & piacenza !!
With the odd Germany and France thrown in. We had a regular weekly run down to Budapest, trailer change and back, but that finished in the summer, just before i started… Pah ! 