Trying to decide whether to move on - on the good side I work about a mile from home, have a great boss, a decent truck to drive and good colleagues. On the downside - general haulage doesn’t really float my boat, a lot of what we do is boring work not far from home, or involves sitting at one place for 2-3 days unloading other trailers with a moffet (we do a lot of gym installs). Ideally I’d like to get further distance work, on fridges, with runs overseas, or Scotland way - the ideal would be a round trip from Scotland to Western Europe on a regular basis, with weekending close to home. Any ideas of any companies who would be worth approaching? I’ve tried Grocontinental, EM Rogers, S&K, heritage and a couple of others, but would welcome other suggestions. Basically, I want to see as much of Europe as I can!
At one time UK drivers found it hard to get local work,it was all international long distance.Great life but heavy on divorces & alcohol abuse. Good luck with your search but I think its been ripped to bits by commie block lads?
Hi Scaniason, you have missed the boat by about 20 years, it will not happen, most fish trucks from scotland have more than enough scots to drive them.First mistake is weekends at home forget it,Euro Transport was run on shipping out over the weekend,i doubt it has changed. if you live near a Dentestrangle depot go there, and offer to do anything,weeks away 3 then 1 weekend at home ,if you are a family man stay where you are ,the grass is [belive me ]never greener. the romance of trucking over Europe is good to talk about but doing it is another story, i would give you 2 weeks and you would want to jack it in, stay home…have a life that is what you have now if you venture into EUROPE ,CUTAINS .Most of the trucks you mentioned are well estasblished and local men will man the trucks ,unless you have the exsperance and can go to a company and say =yes i will do that and can do this…enjoy what you have…IMAGINE you are stuck in a pack house in spain and the weather goes ■■■■ up ,you have to wait. and ring the wife up to say ,sorry cannot make it home after 2 weeks,the kids are missing you …you are royaly f–ked… and that is what you will have do …sometime…
Try Pulleyns at Reading for all of Europe with some Turkey and Greece.Scandinavia.Pharmaceutical work.
Ask for Scott.Away for weeks or months.
Ralph Davies at Cheltenham,mostly UK work with some Euro work.
TD Williams at Bridgend.Finland Sweden and Denmark and Europe.
Gerry Jones Europe.Wales.
Unitruc for Italy.
SJ Pierce Europe.
On Time car transport Europe.
Stobart International Europe on steel work or for Pirelli racing tyres to F1 race tracks.
Good luck with the search.
Broughton transport Melksham Europe.Ask for Toby Ovens.
Being weekended in a foreign motorway area is not the glory of what was like.
No camaradie out there,as said all the EE firms dominate the market.Double manned trucks.
Never book events back home,never make it due to truck bans on public holidays and huge court deposits to be paid on the spot.Some can be 10,000 to 20,000 euros.
The truck is immobilsed until they get their cash.
Thanks for the suggestions and advice everybody - I appreciate what you’re all telling me. There has to be a happy balance between the work I’m on now and the ‘away for weeks’ type - at the moment I’m lucky if I hit 30 hours driving a week, with the rest of it sitting waiting. I know to some this would be heaven, but I’d rather be seeing the world rather than the same bit of fence!
scaniason:
Thanks for the suggestions and advice everybody - I appreciate what you’re all telling me. There has to be a happy balance between the work I’m on now and the ‘away for weeks’ type - at the moment I’m lucky if I hit 30 hours driving a week, with the rest of it sitting waiting. I know to some this would be heaven, but I’d rather be seeing the world rather than the same bit of fence!
Gary
I get why you want a change is there not still alot of companies do runs to Holland these days that seems like the job for you
If you are a single man then get out there and go for it.If you are married stay where you are .The big pay days and camping in the cab will mostly end up paying for your ex-wifes lawyer having continental holidays but staying in hotels.
I same off euro work and went on to uk tramping and even that in the end ground me down .,I now do local ish container work with the occasional night out which suits me fine.
I was single when I was in euro and all my mates were out with there birds and enjoying them selfs,one day I just thought right iv virtually lost all my years of been in my twentys due to this job and had a change.
If you really want to try it the chances are you will enjoy it,but I’d be weary of leaving a job with a good boss and workmates because they are hard to come by these days.
Defo about good boss and work mates! Left a firm 15 months ago that I’d worked at for 7 years. The grass is not always greener. Tried to go back but there is no job for me! He only has 5 wagons and no one leaves! (Apart from silly me) you can end up working with right dock heads!
Forrestgrump:
Defo about good boss and work mates! Left a firm 15 months ago that I’d worked at for 7 years. The grass is not always greener. Tried to go back but there is no job for me! He only has 5 wagons and no one leaves! (Apart from silly me) you can end up working with right dock heads!
Too true mate we only have 5 trucks and one of them is driven by the boss.
All lads get on great and do what is asked.
My last job I worked with some of the worst people I have ever met in my life and I couldn’t even stand to speak to most of them.
Trouble is, the majority of the time, all of Europe you’ll see is the main roads and industrial estates. Sure, there are some very pleasant runs. But unless you’re very very lucky, you’ll be doing exactly the same there as tramping here - namely, visiting ■■■■■■ industrial estates, commercial districts and the like. Plus, if you’ve family now, you won’t have if you tramp around Europe for any length of time.
For a single person, no ties and an interest in the commercial districts of Europe, it’s probably a good bet. In your case, I’d steer well clear. As has been said, a good boss and good jobs are not exactly common these days!