i took my test in england in 1985 pal and would take it again tomorrow and pass it pal, every test i have taken car ,hgv class 1 bike passed first time,
plus pal you say your age is 68yrs so if i remeber rightly you did not take a test you would got your licence on grandfathers rights
rocky 7:
Wiretwister:
rocky 7:
As usual the point of the discussion as been lost in transit.the original point was , driving BRITISH registered trucks on foreign licences wether we like it or not we ARE different than the rest of europe , we are the only country in the EEC that still drives on the left, making our driving conditions uniqe in europe.
We have the most congested traffic conditions than anywhere else in western europe.
No Rory I dont think I am any better or any worse than any other driver, but because we are British (or Irish) we are taught differently than other european drivers.You sure about that? Last time i went to the Republic of Ireland it was drive on the left, like wise Malta. But hey don’t a small factual error get in the way of your xenophobic view.
your another one who doesn’t read the posts properly.
Nope. don’t see what you’re referring to. Care to give us a clue?
Hi Rocky 7.Forgive me for this question,but in answer to your statement toRorrykk about the him ‘‘maybe’’ being afraid of taking a new test.You,i assume are at least in your middle age,if,as you say,you have done more than 25yrs international.Do YOU think you would pass a new driving test after all this time and all the bad habits you have learned through the years.I know i would be dubious after 39yrs of driving 
international.Idrive by experience not by a book.The test means only that you studied a book and trotted out required answers parrot fashion and for maybe 2 hrs drove a truck to the satisfaction of the examiner on that particular day and within that timeframe. 
Only after you have the pass paper in your grubby paw do you start to ‘‘learn’’ to DRIVE a truck 
Surely driving a truck is a matter of experience which we all have to learn in whichever country,whichever side the wheel is on and whatever language you speak.
Over the years i have had to learn new driving ways and skills in the U.K.Holland.Canada,and now Lappland and i’m still learning every day.What about you
you know the saying about people and glasshouses Mike
hutpik:
Hi Rocky 7.Forgive me for this question,but in answer to your statement toRorrykk about the him ‘‘maybe’’ being afraid of taking a new test.You,i assume are at least in your middle age,if,as you say,you have done more than 25yrs international.Do YOU think you would pass a new driving test after all this time and all the bad habits you have learned through the years.I know i would be dubious after 39yrs of driving
Only after you have the pass paper in your grubby paw do you start to ‘‘learn’’ to DRIVE a truck
Surely driving a truck is a matter of experience which we all have to learn in whichever country,whichever side the wheel is on and whatever language you speak.
Over the years i have had to learn new driving ways and skills in the U.K.Holland.Canada,and now Lappland and i’m still learning every day.What about you
you know the saying about people and glasshouses
well said that man
rocky 7:
If you feel you are competant to drive in the UK, then you should have no problem in passing the Tests, like all UK nationals have to do.
I do feel competent enough to drive over here yes… (A word that me little Jonny foreigner can actually spell…) 
anyway… I just don’t see why I should have to re-sit my test when I did a perfectly acceptable test in Holland years ago…
As a matter of fact Dutch drivers where the best trained in the EU. (I am not saying best drivers)
How old are you again?
I have a funny feeling that my test in Holland was more comprehensive when I did it then your test when you did that…
Do you also think that a driver should re-sit their test every few years? just to make them aware of new rules and regulations? new equipment, busier roads, different layouts etc… etc…
I learn new things every day… still…
things that no test would have thought me…
hutpik really hits some nails on their heads there…
PS:
I have every class of licence and none by grandfather rights as I am only 29…
A, B, B+E, C, C+E, D, D+E
Turned 18 in October and passed the last test the following Feb…
oh and I took my MC (multi combination) in Aussie and drove triple road trains over there…
But hey what do I know…
Just some facts:
So Britain is not the only country where motorway driving is not a part of driver’s education, and I can understand why.
(the next entries are London and Edinburgh)
Believe or not, for me after all these years I’ve been driving vans and my own car in Poland, drivinng in London or in Britain in General is relaxing 
rorykk:
i took my test in england in 1985 pal and would take it again tomorrow and pass it pal, every test i have taken car ,hgv class 1 bike passed first time,plus pal you say your age is 68yrs so if i remeber rightly you did not take a test you would got your licence on grandfathers rights
Thats right pal but we had trucks in those days, we had to drive them,not just turn wheels,
I may be a little bitter about this subject,but I remember Britain when it had the word GREAT in front of it,but that went out of the window years ago.
I dont envy young drivers I feel sorry for them, because they missed my era,when discussions where done in transport cafe’s face to face.
Some years ago I got into an argument in the Londra camp in Istanbul, that turned into a punch up, we where dragged apart before either could claim victory, but the following day I had a blow out and after a while the guy I had been fighting with pulled up and helped me change the wheel…THAT was a proper driver pal.
oh! and in answer to your question …No I probably wouldnt pass a test now,but like most drivers my age I have adapted over the years. I would fail on stupid small things not impotant things.You young drivers dont start learning to drive until AFTER youv’e passed your test, but the test is there to make sure you are competent to start learning.
Why on earth would you be a little bitter about change, change is good, back in the 70s you would have killed for wot we have now, my first artic was a 15yr old ERF doing the london markets, no power steering no air clucth no air seat that was not driving it was hell on wheels, ive slept across the seats on plywood, there are lads on here who got it worse than you or i, and as for britain being great sorry rocky it never was great and never will be, its a little island off the cosat of europe with a barbaric people who tried to take over the world and now its one of the most hated countrys in the world, plus why are you still working takeing the a job that could be suporting a young family, i realy feel sorry for you still living in the 70s
oh! and in answer to your question …No I probably wouldnt pass a test now,but like most drivers my age I have adapted over the years. I would fail on stupid small things not impotant things.You young drivers dont start learning to drive until AFTER youv’e passed your test, but the test is there to make sure you are competent to start learning.
[/quote]
as you DID NOT take a test wot or who makes you competent ■■?
rocky 7:
Thats right pal but we had trucks in those days, we had to drive them,not just turn wheels,
I may be a little bitter about this subject,but I remember Britain when it had the word GREAT in front of it,but that went out of the window years ago.
I dont envy young drivers I feel sorry for them, because they missed my era,when discussions where done in transport cafe’s face to face.
Some years ago I got into an argument in the Londra camp in Istanbul, that turned into a punch up, we where dragged apart before either could claim victory, but the following day I had a blow out and after a while the guy I had been fighting with pulled up and helped me change the wheel…THAT was a proper driver pal.oh! and in answer to your question …No I probably wouldnt pass a test now,but like most drivers my age I have adapted over the years. I would fail on stupid small things not impotant things.You young drivers dont start learning to drive until AFTER youv’e passed your test, but the test is there to make sure you are competent to start learning.
Mr. Rocky 7,
Don’t get me wrong I understand your bitterness in a way as some of the “foreign drivers” actually get on my moobs but there are plenty of British that are just as bad.
This is the world we live in and we will have to adept to that… Nothing we can do to change it now.
No bitter moan will blast you back to the past… and was it really better?
As for the “real drivers” Although I am only 29… (30 this year) I have been driving C+E since I was 18 and I have driven all over the world in vehicles that are older than you.
Yes I have driven in trucks with 3 gear-sticks and yes I have had to “drive properly”.
Just because trucks are easier to drive now does not mean drivers are incompetent.
The drivers culture still exists the way you describe it although it is fading and I agree with you that is a shame, however there are plenty of youngsters who are “real drivers”.
I could tell you plenty of recent-ish “trucker tales” that would put some early 70’s ones in a pale light…
But hey what is the point…
As to your re-take your driving test nonsense I think that a foreign national like myself is perfectly capable to drive a British registered truck on the British roads as I have had adequate training and did a perfectly acceptable test at the end of it…
I do agree that company’s should probably all take each and every new driver for a driving assessment to make sure that they are competent enough to drive their trucks, British as well as foreigners.
Because there are plenty of numbness morons out there but believe me they ain’t all foreign.
I also agree with you that they should speak English.
I mean like I said before I live by the believe that if it is your choice to be here you should adept and speak the language.
I bet that if you spoke to me over the phone you would never realise that I ain’t British…
Nobody ever realises…
That is because I have adapted…
Oh this just reminded me…
a few weeks ago I was on a Mc. Bride site in Middleton.
It is a tight yard with narrow parking spaces.
I arrived, pulled forward and backed my trailer into a spot on my “blind” side.
As a was grabbing the paperwork to go the office the BRITISH driver in his late 50’s, early 60’s a “real driver” as you would say pulled in the yard as he had been driving right behind me.
He faffed about a bit to get his trailer lined up to park on his “visible” side.
After a good few tries and shunts up and down he was clearly getting irritated.
He then moved back and hit the trailer on the left… ripping the curtain and a few straps.
Jerked forward again and then managed to smash the trailer on the right-hand side on his next attempt.
3 trailers damaged and 15 minutes later he got the trailer in the bay and got out…
Me and another young driver (he is 24) had watched in disbelieve…
I mean seriously if you can’t see or ain’t confident why not stop and ask one of us to see him in?
You know what his argument was?
in nearly 40 years of driving he said I have never seen a trailer park as stupid as this!
It’s their own fault that these trailers are damaged because they don’t leave enough room…!! 
All I am trying to say there are good and bad drivers, regardless of age, nationality and whatever else you think is important.
Oh dear Rory you made a good post there with good points then ruined it with a pointless anti British rant at the end that makes you look just a bitter, twisted and xenophobic as the original poster. There was no need for it at all. He was wrong in his use of Great anyhow, it’s noting to do with how ‘great’ we are but simply refers to the land mass, ie all the islands and the like.
No Britians history isn’t all sweetness and light but then to be fair neither is Irelands. Both countries have made mistakes (WW2 anyone, or should that be ‘The Emergency’!) and let’s face it Ireland is one of the most hated countries in Europe at moment so swings and roundabouts.
I love Ireland and I love working for an irish company, in all the years I’ve been doing it I’ve never had a bad word said to me as a Brit in an Irish truck but if an Irishman wants to call the British barbaric and hated then I’m sorry I’ll be sticking up for the UK.
So why can’t everybody just lay off the childish stereotypical insults. Behind the language we speak and the country we were born we’re all just the same.
Good day all on a beautiful sunny day here in lappland with a fresh min28c.
Surely the point of foreign drivers working in another country is that they already have the confidence to try something new,look atr all the expats on here who have made the transition to Canada or other far off lands.
the main thing is to be adaptable.
Rocky7.How much did you have to adapt just driving to Istambul[or further]
It is not so much the driving licence as the driver.By all means do 1 or 2 days assesment for a company to prove your capability.
As TobyJug said it is a matter of adapting.When i moved to Holland in 1977[i lived there for over 25 yrs]ihad to learn a totally new way of life and learn another language.This,i felt was only right as i went to their country,noone asked me to go.When i lived in Canada i had to learn better French in short order[i lived in Quebec].Now i live in Lappland which was another culture shock and am learning swedish.
Sometime ago i got stopped by the police for a control.I speak swedish with a accent so first he asked if i was Finnish.Isaid no i’m English.Why do you want to live up here he said laughing,even we don’t want to be here.I like the winters i said. they looked at me as if i was one can short of a six pack.
During the control he saw that i had an English passport and a Dutch driving licence.Iquickly explained that i had been in touch with immigration,min of transport and police in Sweden to check that i was legal.No problem he said you’r within E.U.and you also come from the E.U. so any combination is valid to drive and work within E.U.boundaries.You only have to change your licence for a Swedish one when the old one expires and you can change your passport if you want to but its not obligatoryas its E.U.
My boss asked me if i would be prepared to drive a truck 1km underground in the mine and also a 22mtr road train.ok,we’ll give a go.No problems.I .also sometimes drive a snowplough. Its all part of the life
So lets relax.Everyone is entitled to to change their life,for whatever reason,be it economic,romantic or cultural.The few foreigners that come to drive in the U.K. nowhere compares to the vast amount that have left the U.K.to try abroad[i’m not including asylum seekers or scroungers]only people that want to work to improve their lives.Mike
Well I dont fancy the English test,I may have been hear 62 years but it is not my strong point as many of the readers on here may have gatherd.
What a good thread, it really does show that we have more than a few zealots with a revolutionary stance in Great Britain. Myself along with hundred of other drivers have come across drivers who stop and help you change wheels, rewire dashboards, help you load and lend equipment, they were not all upper class Englishmen, many were Poles, Turks, Swedes, Dutch and Belgium nationals and of course the hated French.
They were all drivers doing a difficult job in a foreign land, not difficult in the sense that not many could do it, just difficult circumstances due to language barriers, being unfamiliar with procedure and local customs. I have come across loads of poor drivers, some foreign, most English, but at the end of a day we had a job to do, my interest in road transport stems back over 40 years, my involvement slightly less. Not a day goes past without learning something new, and that is almost 2 years after I drove a lorry in anger.
Unfortunately segregation, a type of apartheid has been going on for many years, long before Rocky 7 was handed a driving licence. In the 13th century the Statutes of Kilkenny prevented the Irish and the English from mixing. I for one am glad we have moved on, last night I had a pint with a Belgian barmaid, a Polish Chef and an American Businessman, two of whom spoke far superior English to myself, or the American for that matter.
switchlogic:
Oh dear Rory you made a good post there with good points then ruined it with a pointless anti British rant at the end that makes you look just a bitter, twisted and xenophobic as the original poster. There was no need for it at all. He was wrong in his use of Great anyhow, it’s noting to do with how ‘great’ we are but simply refers to the land mass, ie all the islands and the like.No Britians history isn’t all sweetness and light but then to be fair neither is Irelands. Both countries have made mistakes (WW2 anyone, or should that be ‘The Emergency’!) and let’s face it Ireland is one of the most hated countries in Europe at moment so swings and roundabouts.
I love Ireland and I love working for an irish company, in all the years I’ve been doing it I’ve never had a bad word said to me as a Brit in an Irish truck but if an Irishman wants to call the British barbaric and hated then I’m sorry I’ll be sticking up for the UK.
So why can’t everybody just lay off the childish stereotypical insults. Behind the language we speak and the country we were born we’re all just the same.
first of all swicthloc im english and live in ireland, second i have read alot of irish history and don’t remember reading about them invading other lands and treating the people like [zb] as the british did, they did not deal in people trafficing they did not explot any country of its natrael minrals unlike britain, how can you say the irish are hated all over europe i don’t think so thats something i have herd anywere ive been…
Once again this post as got out of hand,I have been accused of xenophobia, which I believe means a fear or hatred of foreigners.
I have no hatred nor indeed fear of anyone, My initial post, was licences for foreigners ,NOT I hate foreigners.
Most of you on here read half a post and then jump in before reading it all.
To the one who questioned my right to drive because I never passed a test,I was probably driving trucks before you where born. To the one who said I shouldnt be driving at my age , I totally agree, If the government looked after pensioners better I wouldnt have to work,And also since retirement age I have been trade plateing, and I can drive a different truck every day,COULD YOU■■?
PS To wheelnut…
I wasnt HANDED my licence WE drove all sorts of stuff on ordinary licences in those days,and you had to prove you had been driving the class of licence you applied for…during a 6 month period .The job wasn’t so glamorous then,
The only reason we didn’t have a test is because we where all brand new , even the examiners, the only qualification you needed at first was to hold a full clean licence, so theoretically I co0uld have been an examiner.
rorykk:
switchlogic:
Oh dear Rory you made a good post there with good points then ruined it with a pointless anti British rant at the end that makes you look just a bitter, twisted and xenophobic as the original poster. There was no need for it at all. He was wrong in his use of Great anyhow, it’s noting to do with how ‘great’ we are but simply refers to the land mass, ie all the islands and the like.No Britians history isn’t all sweetness and light but then to be fair neither is Irelands. Both countries have made mistakes (WW2 anyone, or should that be ‘The Emergency’!) and let’s face it Ireland is one of the most hated countries in Europe at moment so swings and roundabouts.
I love Ireland and I love working for an irish company, in all the years I’ve been doing it I’ve never had a bad word said to me as a Brit in an Irish truck but if an Irishman wants to call the British barbaric and hated then I’m sorry I’ll be sticking up for the UK.
So why can’t everybody just lay off the childish stereotypical insults. Behind the language we speak and the country we were born we’re all just the same.
first of all swicthloc im english and live in ireland, second i have read alot of irish history and don’t remember reading about them invading other lands and treating the people like s—t as the british did, they did not deal in people trafficing they did not explot any country of its natrael minrals unlike britain, how can you say the irish are hated all over europe i don’t think so thats something i have herd anywere ive been…
Ok fair enough your English but it doesn’t help you slagging off the UK when people thunk your Irish. I don’t want to get into a ■■■ for tat battle over who the nicest are. Read Empire by Niall Ferguson, fantastic and accurate book about the British empire. We were no saint but nor were we as bad as is commonly made out nowadays. It’s a controversial book because he implies many countries were better off under British rule. Also, Did you know we were the last country to enter the slave trade, and the first to abolish it. Royal Navy ships blockaded the ports in Western Africa to stop slave ships from all countries. As you cab guess from the authors name he’s no posh English toff!
How about World War 2 where Ireland stood on the sidelines and remained neutral at best with some republicans on totally the wrong side at worst. We saved the world from disaster twice, with help late in the day. It bankrupted us and led to the downfall of our empire. An empire that Hitler promised to protect if we’d stay out of his war. We didn’t, we fought a vastly more powerful country than us because it was the right thing to do. Did you know Hitler was a great admirer of the UK and really didn’t want a war with us.
I’m not flag waving patriot that’s for sure, I’m pleased I was lucky enough to be born British but not proud. I just get irritated when people cast us as an awful evil country, we’re not, and to be honest never really were. Our Empire was fairly benign compared to most others, it just gets flak because it’s the biggest Empire the world has ever seen. We’re really not as hated as you think we are, we’ve given the world a lot, and taken a lot in return. Why do you think we’re one of the most multicultural countries in the world (like it or not)? Because people hate us?
As for Ireland being hated in Europe. It’ll be down to people blaming Ireland and Greece for their pension ages going up, along with taxes etc. Like it or not Ireland and Greece arent that popular in Europe at the moment.
I do apologise for spelling, its not easy typing long posts on a phone!
switchlogic:
I do apologise for spelling, its not easy typing long posts on a phone!
I hope your parked up■■? 
orys:
rocky 7:
(When I visit my mate in germany I drive there in my RHDcar, but If we go out anywhere i share the driving in his LHD,and it takes me a little while to get used to it again…
Well, I have not a problem to drive car (although I feel weird doing some maneuvres like reversing into the garage etc.) but this is not a problem.
Worse is that it still happens to me for example to take roundabount wrong side or start driving on the right in UK or on the left over the water
I read your post regularly Orys, and I am sure you are a competent driver on a RHD truck and as such you would not mind taking a british test.
Dont get me wrong I have some polish friends who are drivers , some are good some not so good, my argument is not a drivers nationality, but his ability to drive,to british standards.Well, thanks for the nice words about my driving. I surely would not mind to go for a British test, as it’s bloody easy compared to Polish one. The question is: who should pay for it? Why me? I already passed my test and paid for it. And it’s valid in most countries of the world who signed mutual agreement about respecting each other driving licenses (and Britain respects Polish for much much longer than EU even exists…). So why should I? And if not me, who will? Will you like to pay me for resitting my test?
And as for “British standards”: as you said some drivers are good and some are not so good, I think you are right and it’s true about all nationality. I don’t really get this bit about “British standards”. If you mean some slight differences in Highway code and (the biggest of them) driving on the left, well, I’ve been driving in most countries of Europe and also in Asia, if the country regulations are up to Vienna Convention standards, the slight differences should not be an issue (as long as you drive on correct side of the road off course).
If you mean “British standars” as something that British drivers are somehow superior to other nations, well, I am sorry but I have to disagree with that. They are just like the other nations, although you can draw some generalisations. From my observation they are amongst the most polite drivers of all European countries and I really like it. But they are also one of the most negligent people when it comes to keep their vehicles in shape. The amount of the cars/vans/trucks running with incomplete lights for example. The only worse country on that matter I’ve been to is Bulgaria.
I am Polish and at the beginning I used to let the other drivers know about that their lights are not working - for example when we stopped on the traffic lights. I used to do it in Poland and it usualy resulted by the guy pulling over and fixing the lights at first convienient place.
Here some answers I had were appaling, such as “Oh, I know, it’s like that for months and months” or “No problem it will go for MOT in march, they will do it then” etc…
Look at the amount of the vehicles running with half of the lights missing on the motorway. I can believe that some had one or two bulbs burned during the trip but not 11 (this is my record of my pre-run check on the van I was given to drive). 11 bulbs just don’t happen in one day!
We have someteen vans in our company and you can easily tell which ones I was driving recently: they have no more than one or two lights missing…
As much as I like British politeness on the roads, the attitude to lights is my pet hate
But as I told every nation have some good and bad habits on the road
Back to the topic, as I drifted aside on my “bulb issue”, what’s that definition of “british driving standards” I hear here so much when it’s about foreign drivers?
darren23:
i agree, there is western europe who have the same standard, but go east they havent, we have always had western europeans driving in this country, look at the reg plates of the trucks parked up on the hard shoulder, need i say more!With all my due respect, Poland has the same standards of Drivers training as Western Europe much longer than Britain, together with driving license categories, driver’s CPC and all that.
And I see many of British trucks parked on the hard shoulders as well, but off course not as much as foreign ones.
But i think there are two issues with that:
- In some countries (like Croatia for example, or Italy) to park on the hard shoulder is a normal thing. So their drivers are used to that.
- The other problem is lack of parking spaces in Britain. Even in Germany you can spot trucks parked on slip roads to the motorway parkings when there is no free spaces on them. You, British truckers know all these truck stops away from the motorway network and every nice lay by on the pararel road. I know many of such nice parking spots as well. But foreing drivers don’t. So they can’t risk leaving the motorway and then having problems to find place to stop.
There is also one issue I was always wondering: if Britain is so concerned about safety issues regarding parking on the hard shoulders, why the Police stops vehicles on the hard shoulders?
In Germany or in Poland they will never do that. They will just display “follow me” sings and lead you to safe spot, then deal with you there…
tl;dr
Can you summarise all this into a couple of sentences please.