I saw a 66 man xlx yesterday nice truck few spotlights nothing over the top nice new fridge behind it. It was a left ■■■■■■ so obviously meant for Euro work. Why the hell wasnt it a bigger cab? If he was an owner driver fair enough but why would a boss expect you to do Euro in anything but a top spec cab■■?
Bean counters. The extras on their BMW are more important than your truck. Does it earn any extra revenue? No. Does a higher roof cost more? Yes. Case closed for suits. The extras are nice from a drivers point of view, but unless you work for someone who sells their trucks second hand, you probably won’t get anything more than essential
We do Euro, don’t spec top notch trucks (halo slipping there), but 80% of the time, drivers are in hotels.
I drive as a company vehicle a second hand Vauxhall combo, the savings are definitely not spent on me.
Ive done european work for years starting out in an F7, flat top F10 (10 turbo six moniker) F12 standard cab and F16 GlobeTrotter. Tbh, sometimes the extra height is nice with the extra storage space which goes with it but overall a standard cab is no bigger. Ive just specced my new FH16 with the standard height cab not the xl and even that will more or less clear a 4m trailer, any higher and youre into fuel penalties…
AndrewG:
Ive done european work for years starting out in an F7, flat top F10 (10 turbo six moniker) F12 standard cab and F16 GlobeTrotter. Tbh, sometimes the extra height is nice with the extra storage space which goes with it but overall a standard cab is no bigger. Ive just specced my new FH16 with the standard height cab not the xl and even that will more or less clear a 4m trailer, any higher and youre into fuel penalties…
Not that I’ve been in a globetrotter XL but I can’t understand why anyone needs the extra height, unless they’re double manning. I’m 6’ 3" and I can stand up in my FH4 without my head touching the roof lining, even in my clogs!!
It just goes to show that drivers are thought of as the lowest of the low. If you are prepared to give up your life as a Euro tramper (which is what you do) and to some extent as a U.K. Tramper. Then the co should make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for you.
alterego:
It just goes to show that drivers are thought of as the lowest of the low. If you are prepared to give up your life as a Euro tramper (which is what you do) and to some extent as a U.K. Tramper. Then the co should make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible for you.
Don’t get a job at Stobart/Jenkinson/Wincanton/DHL etc, as you’ll get functional and that’s about it
Big cabs are nice of course, but necessity depends on the trip length. Doing Euro short haul, with lots of nights on boats, week-ends at home, etc a driver may be in the truck less than a UK driver. Longer runs with lots of week-ends away are much rarer now, Id say. 6 weeks away needs a lot of clean socks. The "need" for a bigger cab is not quite so obvious as in the past, maybe? And D-D 99 will tell us bunks are only needed for woosses anyway! Spot lights? Useful if youre in such a rush you cant be arsed to change a blown bulb in a headlight I spose.
Franglais:
Big cabs are nice of course, but necessity depends on the trip length. Doing Euro short haul, with lots of nights on boats, week-ends at home, etc a driver may be in the truck less than a UK driver. Longer runs with lots of week-ends away are much rarer now, Id say. 6 weeks away needs a lot of clean socks. The "need" for a bigger cab is not quite so obvious as in the past, maybe? And D-D 99 will tell us bunks are only needed for woosses anyway! Spot lights? Useful if youre in such a rush you cant be arsed to change a blown bulb in a headlight I spose.
Youre right. I do 4K km a week but its only 4 nights out a week. Start early monday morning and im finished late thursday eve/ friday morning, home every weekend.
My current FH has a few blinged bits and pieces, a light bar, durabrite Alcoas, side delectors and marker lights but nothing excessive…
goshow:
AndrewG:
Ive done european work for years starting out in an F7, flat top F10 (10 turbo six moniker) F12 standard cab and F16 GlobeTrotter. Tbh, sometimes the extra height is nice with the extra storage space which goes with it but overall a standard cab is no bigger. Ive just specced my new FH16 with the standard height cab not the xl and even that will more or less clear a 4m trailer, any higher and youre into fuel penalties…Not that I’ve been in a globetrotter XL but I can’t understand why anyone needs the extra height, unless they’re double manning. I’m 6’ 3" and I can stand up in my FH4 without my head touching the roof lining, even in my clogs!!
Ive only sat in the xl cab but just looking above me i found it totally excessive, im only 5’9’’ so a standard cab is fine…
I think it’s only 3 inches higher the xl is
AndrewG:
Youre right. I do 4K km a week but its only 4 nights out a week. Start early monday morning and im finished late thursday eve/ friday morning, home every weekend.
My current FH has a few blinged bits and pieces, a light bar, durabrite Alcoas, side delectors and marker lights but nothing excessive…
How the hell do you cover 4000 km’s in four and a bit days 
, how many Ks a day do you do on average ?
R143-500:
AndrewG:
Youre right. I do 4K km a week but its only 4 nights out a week. Start early monday morning and im finished late thursday eve/ friday morning, home every weekend.
My current FH has a few blinged bits and pieces, a light bar, durabrite Alcoas, side delectors and marker lights but nothing excessive…How the hell do you cover 4000 km’s in four and a bit days
Around 900km a day. Im doing nothing but drop and swop trailers at each end…
At the very least a highline, I prefer a Topline being over 6 foot, but the highline has ample storage.
It’s more about having goodies such as a built in fridge and microwave, would turn down a job if there wasn’t at least a fridge and inverter.
A.
alterego:
I saw a 66 man xlx yesterday nice truck few spotlights nothing over the top nice new fridge behind it. It was a left ■■■■■■ so obviously meant for Euro work. Why the hell wasnt it a bigger cab? If he was an owner driver fair enough but why would a boss expect you to do Euro in anything but a top spec cab■■?
And the problem is , only recently noticed a Turkish driver at Charnock Services with a new MAN , a bog standard narrow cab model , and the driver was no spring chicken , also have noticed a few Turkish Merc Axors up in Scotland ( with the tall cab !!! ) , also remember seeing Willi Betz in Scotland with standard Merc Actross with standard long distance cabs and they were double manned , finally a yard I operate from is visited by Turkish Renault Premiums which must be about 6/7 yers old , and almost weekly Dutch Volvos the FM model that is call and drop off containers , no wonder foreign drivers are stealing your jobs !!!.
shugg:
alterego:
I saw a 66 man xlx yesterday nice truck few spotlights nothing over the top nice new fridge behind it. It was a left ■■■■■■ so obviously meant for Euro work. Why the hell wasnt it a bigger cab? If he was an owner driver fair enough but why would a boss expect you to do Euro in anything but a top spec cab■■?And the problem is , only recently noticed a Turkish driver at Charnock Services with a new MAN , a bog standard narrow cab model , and the driver was no spring chicken , also have noticed a few Turkish Merc Axors up in Scotland ( with the tall cab !!! ) , also remember seeing Willi Betz in Scotland with standard Merc Actros
s with standard long distance cabs and they were double manned , finally a yard I operate from is visited by Turkish Renault Premiums which must be about 6/7 yers old , and almost weekly Dutch Volvos the FM model that is call and drop off containers , no wonder foreign drivers are stealing your jobs !!!.
So because a Turk is prepared to live in inadequate surroundings for weeks at a time then we all should? I have seen Turks double manning a flat cab M.A.N tipping in Coventry no one should have to work in those conditions and to all the pro EU crowd who constantly say that the EU looks after workers think again, there are plenty of areas concerning drivers conditions where the EU could intervene but that would mean upsetting big business and we all know the EU won’t do that.
I specced a XL Globby on my last truck (FH 13 540). With the air kit set to the correct position it stands 3.99m high.
Geoffo:
I specced a XL Globby on my last truck (FH 13 540). With the air kit set to the correct position it stands 3.99m high.
Did you also spec the low set fifth wheel Geoffo? With trailer coupled i can get it down to 3.85 (long wheel base 4x2) . Very close coupled the gap is down to 28cm…
mazzer:
shugg:
alterego:
I saw a 66 man xlx yesterday nice truck few spotlights nothing over the top nice new fridge behind it. It was a left ■■■■■■ so obviously meant for Euro work. Why the hell wasnt it a bigger cab? If he was an owner driver fair enough but why would a boss expect you to do Euro in anything but a top spec cab■■?And the problem is , only recently noticed a Turkish driver at Charnock Services with a new MAN , a bog standard narrow cab model , and the driver was no spring chicken , also have noticed a few Turkish Merc Axors up in Scotland ( with the tall cab !!! ) , also remember seeing Willi Betz in Scotland with standard Merc Actros
s with standard long distance cabs and they were double manned , finally a yard I operate from is visited by Turkish Renault Premiums which must be about 6/7 yers old , and almost weekly Dutch Volvos the FM model that is call and drop off containers , no wonder foreign drivers are stealing your jobs !!!.So because a Turk is prepared to live in inadequate surroundings for weeks at a time then we all should? I have seen Turks double manning a flat cab M.A.N tipping in Coventry no one should have to work in those conditions and to all the pro EU crowd who constantly say that the EU looks after workers think again, there are plenty of areas concerning drivers conditions where the EU could intervene but that would mean upsetting big business and we all know the EU won’t do that.
Wouldn’t affect the Turks thay are not in the Eu
A single driver should be ok in most standard height sleepers, its only double manning that they would become cramped. IMo some UK drivers are a little spoilt having for instance GlobeTrotters when all they do is Scotland to Southern Uk with most likely 4 nights out max. Three weeks away would be a little different, many european drivers dont have the ‘luxury’ for want of a better word of a taller cab but do weeks away without complaint…