Hi Patrik.Sorry,got a bit confused with the ‘‘bonjour’’.As you say i am English.I spent the first half of the 70s driving to the ME from the UK then i was offered a better deal by a Dutch Company and moved over there[and stayed for 30yrs]My wife was from Quebec who i met when i was driving to the ME.We lived for a time in Quebec driving for a company to the states.One of her uncles had a couple of trucks working in the NWT\Yukon for an oil co so we worked 1 Winter up there[more for the fun and experience than the money].Mike
hutpik:
Hi Patrik.Sorry,got a bit confused with the ‘‘bonjour’’.As you say i am English.I spent the first half of the 70s driving to the ME from the UK then i was offered a better deal by a Dutch Company and moved over there[and stayed for 30yrs]My wife was from Quebec who i met when i was driving to the ME.We lived for a time in Quebec driving for a company to the states.One of her uncles had a couple of trucks working in the NWT\Yukon for an oil co so we worked 1 Winter up there[more for the fun and experience than the money].Mike
Most people are confused when they hear me talking english, and I then explain I’m dutch, I’ve got this Yorkshire accent when I speak, can’t help it either…
And I speak some other languages as well, french and german and just a bit spanish, although it’s been a long while since I was in Spain, most of it is somewhere in the darker parts of me brain these days
But you speak some dutch and french as well then, having spend such a long time here and with the missus being from Quebec?
Some experience that is I reckon, when does the winterperiod starts up there, from october to march?
What are you up to these days then, retired? Or still out there doing the job?
Hi Patrik.Obviously where you live affects the way you learn a language.I speak Dutch like a Rotterdammer,German with a Hamburg accent and my French is a bit strange as it blends the French i learned whilst driving there with the ‘‘antique’’ French spoken in Quebec.My Swedish is special to the area of Lappland as it is affected by the Finnish people who live here and speak their own special language[Meankälli].
The winter usually starts at the end of October and goes through until about the end of April.The temps vary a lot going from +2-3 down to -40c
Last week it was -38c today its -5c tomorrow they forecast -18c.But at least we are guaranteed snow so we can have a lot of winter fun.
Sorry,i forgot to mention.I was not going to look at this site about V.D.Vlist but an old mate from Nijman\Zeetank left and started for Zwaar Transport Twente.He sent me a mail at Xmas saying he had left and was now working for V.D.Vlist.‘‘Coincidence or what’’.
hutpik:
Hi Patrik.Obviously where you live affects the way you learn a language.I speak Dutch like a Rotterdammer,German with a Hamburg accent and my French is a bit strange as it blends the French i learned whilst driving there with the ‘‘antique’’ French spoken in Quebec.My Swedish is special to the area of Lappland as it is affected by the Finnish people who live here and speak their own special language[Meankälli].
The winter usually starts at the end of October and goes through until about the end of April.The temps vary a lot going from +2-3 down to -40c
Last week it was -38c today its -5c tomorrow they forecast -18c.But at least we are guaranteed snow so we can have a lot of winter fun.
That altogether makes it, well fun I supose to speak foreign languages, especially if you got the accent right. But the most important quistion is, why on earth did you pick out rotterdam to live in, since you’ve been living here for that long you must understand by now that Amsterdammers and rotterdammmers don’t really eh get on with each other to put it mildly…
Well coincidence, yeah I think that’s the right word for it, hopefully he’s happy with the job over there with the ZTT lot, I will post some pics of ZTT as well soon
hutpik:
Sorry,i forgot to mention.I was not going to look at this site about V.D.Vlist but an old mate from Nijman\Zeetank left and started for Zwaar Transport Twente.He sent me a mail at Xmas saying he had left and was now working for V.D.Vlist.‘‘Coincidence or what’’.
And since you didn’t had the plan to look into this thread, I hope it’s not to big of a dissapointment
When i first moved to Holland i worked for a Company in Sluiskil and lived in Terneuzen so Rotterdam was an improvment on being a ‘‘reserve belge’’.There were more companies in the Rotterdam area specialising in the work i wanted to do [Eastern Europé,Middle East and USSR.]
I said my mate ‘was’ working for ZTT he now has moved up and is working for VDV.The site is of interest as the Dutch are quite good at ‘‘Zwaar Transport’’.
I am one of those lucky people who hates football so the rivalry and dislike had less effect on me.
That’s the only good answer one can give I suppose, but bear in mind that’s more civilised here in the capital And Ajax is the far more better team 
Did you run for Holtima then? My old man used to run for Jan de Lely, and did so for 15 years, these days were collegues, while working both for v.d. Vlist.
Yeah sorry about that, didn’t read that properly, but ZTT is part of the v.d. Vlist group, hence my mistake 
What’s his name then, I might have met him already then…?
I worked for Jan de Lely for a time as well as I.T.Holland, Veelo,Stolk int,Nedu,Ships Sped and Nijman Zeetank[Pilkington] amongst others.My mates name is Benny Nijhuis[baatje].
The name does ring a bell, I’ve met him before I think. And you did work for a lot of companies, most of them long gone now. You’re not Steve by any chance are you?
No my name is Mike.I worked for different Companys to get different types of work.IT Holland was Middle East,JDLwas Marrocco,Tunisia.Stolk was ME.Veelo was USSR.Nedu was everywhere.Ships Sped was everywhere as was Nijman\Zeetank.The last 10yrs with NZ was driving glass up to North Scandinavia every winter,thats how i came to move here.I got fed up with the stress and general crap in Holland and Europé and wanted peace and a relaxed life to spend my old age in.Mike
Doesn’t ring a bell, only ones I knew from JdL were Steve and Allen, no idea what they’re up to these days.
I most certainly understand your point there, there’s not much fun in driving these days, as long you don’t get into problems with the gendarmes you’re allright, but’s not only that, collegues get mugged while sleeping, diesel get’s stolen, and some of them even died while trying to stop the muggers…
But aside from that, it’s still worth doing the job, I can’t think of anything else that could give me the same pleasure, you still get to go to places most people never heard of and meet all types of people.
I worked for JDL in 1986 so it was back in the past.I agree that the job can still be interesting but for me the good times were from 72 until 2008.Now i just drive part time in the mine,no tachos,no WTD,no stress.When your young you can handle it as you still have the energy and enthusiasm but i just want a stress free life.My old boss takes 2 hrs to drive from Barendrecht to Spijkenisse [25kms].I drive to work in Gällivare from my home [90kms]in 1 hr 10mins summer and winter.Normally i only work in the summer 7days x10hrs then 7days free and i make enough to last the whole year.
pv83:
Fergie47:
Hello to you heavy guys. Great thread, great photos… Tell me please, do you have mates with you ? If so, are they with all the trip, or just to help you in loading ?. Many years ago in the UK, the drivers had one or even two mates, I’m just curious, thanks !!Bonjour mon ami, ca va?
It’s just like Danne said, most of the times you’re on your own, so you have to be able to operate on most machines, and sometimes it takes a bit longer to figure out how it works, the new CAT wheelloaders and graders for example aren’t equipted with a steering wheel anymore, steering is now being done by joysticks, that took me some time to discover it…
And if I really can’t figure it out, a simple ring to one of the collegues will sort things out
But in Germany (where else…) it’s due to the permit, the lenght, width and total mass.
Patrick
Bonjour …oui, merci, comment allez-vous ? ?
Thanks to you and Danne for your reply… How times have changed. Just 1 lorry to do the work of 3 in years past, and only 1 driver, when there use to be 3, and at least 3 or maybe 4 mates…!!!..
I know some on here like the old Scammels, so here are a couple of picture of my friend / brother-in-law when he drove this Scammel, he was only 22 years old at the time, and has just retired from driving last year…
Also attached a couple of more at a show in Cornwall…
hutpik:
I worked for JDL in 1986 so it was back in the past.I agree that the job can still be interesting but for me the good times were from 72 until 2008.Now i just drive part time in the mine,no tachos,no WTD,no stress.When your young you can handle it as you still have the energy and enthusiasm but i just want a stress free life.My old boss takes 2 hrs to drive from Barendrecht to Spijkenisse [25kms].I drive to work in Gällivare from my home [90kms]in 1 hr 10mins summer and winter.Normally i only work in the summer 7days x10hrs then 7days free and i make enough to last the whole year.
Hmm, that’s ancient history My dad started working for JdL in '92 till '06, maybe the two of you have met before in the past, he’s a short bloke, always on clogs and listens to the name of Heinz.
If just 25km already took 2hrs, I can see now why you’re fed up with it, if I had to do that, I don’t think it did last long as well. But you’ve got a point there, for me it’s the whole fading social thing, just a few years ago you’ve always met someone you could talk to and have supper with, whether it was in France, Spain or Italy. These days though, you need to speak polish or romanian everywhere you go, you can’t take a shower at a factory anymore because those lot took the whole bloody thing with them. Obviously there not all like that, last year I’d spend a weekend at a centre routier near Niort, and I had a great laugh with a polish bloke that worked for nearly 15yrs for a Irish company…
Sounds like a real bargain you’ve got there up north mate
Bonjour …oui, merci, comment allez-vous ? ?
Thanks to you and Danne for your reply… How times have changed. Just 1 lorry to do the work of 3 in years past, and only 1 driver, when there use to be 3, and at least 3 or maybe 4 mates…!!!..
I know some on here like the old Scammels, so here are a couple of picture of my friend / brother-in-law when he drove this Scammel, he was only 22 years old at the time, and has just retired from driving last year…
Also attached a couple of more at a show in Cornwall…
[/quote]
Bonjour mon ami, common ca va? Moi ca va bien merci.
It’s a whole different world these days, but some of it has got to do with the price as well, if you can load a machine on your own, or you can take a load that used to be done with more lorries, then that’s the winning at the end of the day pricewise spoken…
But can I just salute you sir for posting those incredible pics, you’ve just really made me a verry happy man 
That had to be quite something back in the day, to be a 22yr old lad and already behind the wheel of a Scammell, if I was given the chance I’ve done it without thinking!
I was in your backyard this week, tipped in Rennes and loaded some simulator parts in Morlaix for Orly airport. The vieuw at St. Briec was astonishing, I hope that I will be back in that area soon, I like to be there, nice people, good roads to drive
oiltreader:
Hi pv83, came across these when looking for something else.
Oily
Hiya oiltreader,
Cheers mate, very nice pics indeed.
That’s the heaviest lorry in the Holtrop fleet, and always looks brand new
Right, after all that talking time for some more pics, couple of “oldies” from the old DAF this time
