robinhood_1984:
If he’d put half as much effort in to finding a job in the 80s as he is doing arguing about it now, he could have worked for Astrans doing the middle east, Fransens doing Russia and John Mann doing Morocco. But no, they weren’t advertised in truck and driver or down the jobcentre, therefore it was impossible…Yawn.
You mean like Astran etc couldn’t get any drivers because they didn’t advertise so no one knew they existed and therefore no one ever phoned up asking if they had any vacancies.
robinhood_1984:
If he’d put half as much effort in to finding a job in the 80s as he is doing arguing about it now, he could have worked for Astrans doing the middle east, Fransens doing Russia and John Mann doing Morocco. But no, they weren’t advertised in truck and driver or down the jobcentre, therefore it was impossible…Yawn.
You mean like Astran etc couldn’t get any drivers because they didn’t advertise so no one knew they existed and therefore no one ever phoned up asking if they had any vacancies.
No, I mean like any company, their drivers didn’t materialise from fresh air. Unlike yourself, everyone else who started driving abroad put down their copy of truck and driver, got off their arse, and went knocking on doors asking for jobs. Thats why today those same drivers are here talking from experience, and you are not.
I’d imagine a lot of astran guys earned there stripes struggling down to the middle east for the more cowboy outfits before been recommended by astran drivers when a job came up rather than ringing up saying I’ve got a hgv1 and have watched Lawrence of Arabia.
robinhood_1984:
If he’d put half as much effort in to finding a job in the 80s as he is doing arguing about it now, he could have worked for Astrans doing the middle east, Fransens doing Russia and John Mann doing Morocco. But no, they weren’t advertised in truck and driver or down the jobcentre, therefore it was impossible…Yawn.
You mean like Astran etc couldn’t get any drivers because they didn’t advertise so no one knew they existed and therefore no one ever phoned up asking if they had any vacancies.
No, I mean like any company, their drivers didn’t materialise from fresh air. Unlike yourself, everyone else who started driving abroad put down their copy of truck and driver, got off their arse, and went knocking on doors asking for jobs. Thats why today those same drivers are here talking from experience, and you are not.
Wrong.For every one who went knocking on doors there were around 10 or more others who did the same but there was only one vacancy and in general TM’s aren’t in the habit of taking on drivers for specialist work without experience in that type of work.
However trust me cases such as those in which someone could walk into an international operator’s yard and get a job by telling the guvnor that their international ‘experience’ was going on holiday to Tenerife or being given the keys to an artic at 19 with a car licence were the exceptions which proved the rule.
There are a lot more opurtunitys out there if you are prepared to chance your arm in life. It’s no different to now when people say there are no jobs I know a fair few drivers who have walked un to jobs others who sit there ■■■■■■■■ there’s nothing about.
Carryfast:
Wrong.For every one who went knocking on doors there were around 10 or more others who did the same but there was only one vacancy and in general TM’s aren’t in the habit of taking on drivers for specialist work without experience in that type of work.
However trust me cases such as those in which someone could walk into an international operator’s yard and get a job by telling the guvnor that their international ‘experience’ was going on holiday to Tenerife or being given the keys to an artic at 19 with a car licence were the exceptions which proved the rule.
■■■■■■■■, everyone I know got a start that way experienced or not
Carryfast:
I’d say that in the case of intermodal operations road is in direct competition with rail in that there’s no way of getting round the fact that it’s payload weight and the distance that you can haul it that pays the wages and there’s more wages being lost to mile long freight trains hauling piggyback trailers and containers from road transport than there are,or would be, wages being lost from 36-44 tonners to LHV’s
The only ones who’d argue that point are the enviromentalists and the rail freight interests who usually try to get round the issue by saying that road and rail can and should work together in which road does all the local zb work and rail does all the distance work.The fact is all of the main population centres that are linked by rail freight services have sufficient rail heads to cater for intermodal piggyback and/or container traffic even in the uk let alone North America.
Therefore it’s my case that road transport needs to continue to evolve along the lines that it’s always done of ever increasing weight handling capability over long distances if it’s going to survive in the long term at least as a credible form of long distance trasport.
I’d say that for every small four wheeler Bedford type job that was lost there’s been more jobs gained in the progression to those eight wheeler drawbar outfits which then progressed to 32 tonner artics and then 40-44 tonner artics etc etc and in every sector where LHV’s have been used,such as Scandinavia,they seem to have improved growth and efficiency not removed it.However,as I’ve said,it’s only by making that jump to full weight combined with long distances where that potential can be realised.
I think we’re really arguing about the already proven progression of the road transport industry over the years and it’s the point where these types of outfits are seen as nothing unusual,in just the same way as the average four wheeler Bedford driver of the late 1940’s would probably have shaken his head in disbelief at that AEC eight wheeler drawbar outfit of the 1950’s,let alone a current generation 6-8 axle 44-65 tonner Artic or Scandinavian drawbar outfit,but now it’s seen as nothing unusual,that will be the next step.‘Unless’ that is the road transport industry is now finally,after all these years,going to listen to all the rail freight industry bs and give up it’s dominance by letting rail freight effectively take over the long distance sector.
Now that has to be, even by your standards the single most inaccurate load of testicles ever written.
Maybe you can provide a more ‘accurate’ version of how the industry arrived at the point where it is then.
Easy, just take all your assumptions and conclusions as being wrong. Job done
At the very worst, a company would have you follow another truck down to, lets say Italy, on your first trip if you’d never done it before. But to suggest that there were no oppertunities or only experienced drivers could stand a chance at getting a job is complete ■■■■■■■■.
I’d suggest that the reason you didn’t get a job running into Europe back in the 80s wasn’t because there were no oppertunities for you, but rather every time you asked for a job, you proceeded to tell them how they’re running their company wrong and how they should be doing things, because you’d read about it in ‘Truck & Driver’ or heared someone chatting about how they used to run to Mongolia, down the local jobcentre.
robinhood_1984:
At the very worst, a company would have you follow another truck down to, lets say Italy, on your first trip if you’d never done it before. But to suggest that there were no oppertunities or only experienced drivers could stand a chance at getting a job is complete ■■■■■■■■.
I’d suggest that the reason you didn’t get a job running into Europe back in the 80s wasn’t because there were no oppertunities for you, but rather every time you asked for a job, you proceeded to tell them how they’re running their company wrong and how they should be doing things, because you’d read about it in ‘Truck & Driver’ or heared someone chatting about how they used to run to Mongolia, down the local jobcentre.
Yep I’ve babysat loads of noobs at various companies to various places in Europe. Even though it generally meant a slower trip and therefore lost earnings Seemed only fair as I was babysat on my first few trips
kr79:
If everyone needed experince how did the first bloke get the job?
That’s exactly what I said to more than one guvnor after being turned down yet again on those grounds.No surprise I never did get an answer to the question but I also never got the job either.
CF you are spouting BS as normal my first euro job was on the car transporters in an olf FL6 by just making a phone call and going in for a chat so IF you REALLY want a job they are out there. As for doing UK only work for a company instead of euro again more BS my last company started on UK only work then a run came up down to Spain and was offered to me then moved onto full time Eruro work, again ‘earning my stripes’. As for Canada and USA work if you want it then go get it and you are just spouting even more BS because your lack of real knowledge on the units and set ups only going my something you seen online or in a book. Most of the guys here are or have been out there doing the wqwork and using the kit so they know what they are going on about.
End of the day you come across someone who wants the easy nice long runs but not willing to work your way up to them by starting at the bottom so you stick to your 3 hour trunk down the motorway every night
He’s doing that thing again where he keeps hanging on to and mentioning a couple of comments that he thinks strengthens his case but neglects to mention the rest of us that got euro work by trying relentlessly. Like the 10 years it took me to get my ideal job. I love that he seems to think drivers are born with euro experience. I’ve said it before Carryfast, for most of us we got it because we never gave up trying, unlike you. If indeed you even started trying.
taffytrucker:
End of the day you come across someone who wants the easy nice long runs but not willing to work your way up to them by starting at the bottom so you stick to your 3 hour trunk down the motorway every night
He also strikes me as someone who wants everything to fall into his lap.
taffytrucker:
End of the day you come across someone who wants the easy nice long runs but not willing to work your way up to them by starting at the bottom so you stick to your 3 hour trunk down the motorway every night
He also strikes me as someone who wants everything to fall into his lap.
robinhood_1984:
to suggest that there were no oppertunities or only experienced drivers could stand a chance at getting a job is complete ■■■■■■■■.
Really.
So as there’s a ‘driver shortage’ in Canada does that mean that a new driver from here can just go over there and get a licence and then get a start with no previous experience.If what you’re saying is true of how things were here during the 1980’s then the same would obviously apply there .If not why not.
billybigrig:
Yep I’ve babysat loads of noobs at various companies to various places in Europe. Even though it generally meant a slower trip and therefore lost earnings Seemed only fair as I was babysat on my first few trips
Thats right. I followed someone down to Switzerland on my first two trips and then was on my own from that point on.
The guy I followed down on my second trip was one of those chaps I mentioned who’s first ever trip in a truck, days after passing his test was Bradford to Milan. He said when he got to the Milan ring-road he went round a few times, got desperate and pulled on to the hard shoulder, almost in a state of tears when a passer by stopped to offer help…who then pointed to a building on the other side of the motorway which just happened to be where he was tipping…definetely not an experienced European truck driver, just willing to do the job.
robinhood_1984:
to suggest that there were no oppertunities or only experienced drivers could stand a chance at getting a job is complete ■■■■■■■■.
Really.
So as there’s a ‘driver shortage’ in Canada does that mean that a new driver from here can just go over there and get a licence and then get a start with no previous experience.If what you’re saying is true of how things were here during the 1980’s then the same would obviously apply there .If not why not.
NO you got to have some experience they do prefer some euro work but dont have to have it. Yes your permit is waiting at the airport for you at immigration and after you have passed your Canadian test you are ready to work and earn the money. If you are good bout 2 weeks after landing youre off down the road
robinhood_1984:
to suggest that there were no oppertunities or only experienced drivers could stand a chance at getting a job is complete ■■■■■■■■.
Really.
So as there’s a ‘driver shortage’ in Canada does that mean that a new driver from here can just go over there and get a licence and then get a start with no previous experience.If what you’re saying is true of how things were here during the 1980’s then the same would obviously apply there .If not why not.
NO you got to have some experience they do prefer some euro work but dont have to have it. Yes your permit is waiting at the airport for you at immigration and after you have passed your Canadian test you are ready to work and earn the money. If you are good bout 2 weeks after landing youre off down the road
Yet he couldn’t even manage to get a job in his own country, where experience wasn’t required, nor a work permit. Canada in 2012 has nothing to do with his inability to land work in the 80s on a completely different continent.
taffytrucker:
CF you are spouting BS as normal my first euro job was on the car transporters in an olf FL6 by just making a phone call and going in for a chat so IF you REALLY want a job they are out there. As for doing UK only work for a company instead of euro again more BS my last company started on UK only work then a run came up down to Spain and was offered to me then moved onto full time Eruro work, again ‘earning my stripes’. As for Canada and USA work if you want it then go get it and you are just spouting even more BS because your lack of real knowledge on the units and set ups only going my something you seen online or in a book. Most of the guys here are or have been out there doing the wqwork and using the kit so they know what they are going on about.
End of the day you come across someone who wants the easy nice long runs but not willing to work your way up to them by starting at the bottom so you stick to your 3 hour trunk down the motorway every night
Don’t you ever read anything.I haven’t driven any wagon since 1999.As I’ve said I did more ‘working my way up’ than many others just as many others of the other unlucky ones did.The fact is the only way that anyone can start out later in the industry than someone else and then end up on better work is with luck on their side.Simples.It’s that inconvenient truth, of the disordered career progression path in the industry,that says it all.
But you’re right I’ve never believed in all the working your way up bs.You go for the jobs you want from day 1 and the fact that it’s someone who gets sent out on their first run to Italy driving an artic at 19 on a car licence and then tells someone,with a 20 year career spent on uk work doing everything from local council plant haulage to local builders work etc etc etc and 15 years of night trunking,about ‘earning their stripes’ says everything about the hypocricy of all the ‘experience’ bs.
As for Canada and USA I don’t think I’ve said anything that isn’t actually correct about the issues faced by anyone wanting to work there from here during that time or the type of equipment used there.What they’ve got is made to do the job in most cases.
You mean like Astran etc couldn’t get any drivers because they didn’t advertise so no one knew they existed and therefore no one ever phoned up asking if they had any vacancies. 
.If not why not.