Truckin!

The farther back you go the less training, lads had to figure it out for themselves, no sat-navs, mobiles or other gadgets. I started the continent at the dawn of mobiles, which were very scarce here but the Italian depot of Intel had a mobile for every truck pulling their trailers. As @Sheebadog says there was only paper maps and your gob to ask directions. I found the Italians very helpful and manys the time someone hopped in their car or on to a scooter and led me to where I wanted to be.
The biggest challenge for some is driving a left hooker.

I’d recommend anyone to do some Continent truckin. You’re up high and you quickly get an idea of the lie of the land across lots of countries. I got to see pretty much all of the EU and the Maghreb. N Africa was fierce interesting. I took quite a lot of beef to Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The quality of diesel there was atrocious...you always had to bring about 6 spare diesel filters.
I got to see most of the US from the cab of a truck also.
A while ago we were talking about which mode of transport would we prefer to drive from here to Moscow and without any hesitation I can say I’d prefer an artic, good and heavy, for a spin like that. Cruising.
 
The biggest challenge for some is driving a left hooker.

I’d recommend anyone to do some Continent truckin. You’re up high and you quickly get an idea of the lie of the land across lots of countries. I got to see pretty much all of the EU and the Maghreb. N Africa was fierce interesting. I took quite a lot of beef to Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. The quality of diesel there was atrocious...you always had to bring about 6 spare diesel filters.
I got to see most of the US from the cab of a truck also.
A while ago we were talking about which mode of transport would we prefer to drive from here to Moscow and without any hesitation I can say I’d prefer an artic, good and heavy, for a spin like that. Cruising.
There is a great documentary on the lads taking beef to North Africa back in the 70s I think it was. How the trucks made it that far and home 50 yrs ago, I would wonder. Must have been one hard job
 
One summer in the seventies a friend of mine went out as a co driver on a meat run to North Africa. Everything was going grand and after they unloaded a War started. They headed for the ferry and when they got to the port the ferry had just left the jetty. After much honking and flashing lights fair dues to the captain he came back for them.
 
The farther back you go the less training, lads had to figure it out for themselves, no sat-navs, mobiles or other gadgets. I started the continent at the dawn of mobiles, which were very scarce here but the Italian depot of Intel had a mobile for every truck pulling their trailers. As @Sheebadog says there was only paper maps and your gob to ask directions. I found the Italians very helpful and manys the time someone hopped in their car or on to a scooter and led me to where I wanted to be.
when its established that you,re irish a lot of doors open on the continent i find from holidaying there
 
ah no, i think they will be very helpful in general once you let them know you are from ireland begorrah
True and if you make any effort at all to speak in their language, it goes a long way. Even just hello and thanks will make a big difference.
 
Cheers @bagenal @eire23 @Sheebadog I've done a few trips over to the UK with an 11 car transporter, I did find your heart would be in your mouth driving there at times. Driving the continent is something I'd just like to do a little of for a few months in the winter, wouldn't be able to do it full time or anything but it's an itch that might need to be scratched. Do most lads leave you off on your own first time or would it be a follow on job.
 
Cheers @bagenal @eire23 @Sheebadog I've done a few trips over to the UK with an 11 car transporter, I did find your heart would be in your mouth driving there at times. Driving the continent is something I'd just like to do a little of for a few months in the winter, wouldn't be able to do it full time or anything but it's an itch that might need to be scratched. Do most lads leave you off on your own first time or would it be a follow on job.
I was told I was going turning a a lad at Dover but then got there and was told to get on the boat. At least I wasn't thinking about it while going down throught the uk. I'll tell ya how green In my first week over here... Coming out of holyhead the checkpoint was open and vosa were sitting on the bridge, I sailed by all not a clue. Was followed and brought back to the weighbridge, took some convincing for them to believe I didn't know I had to go in😂
 
I was told I was going turning a a lad at Dover but then got there and was told to get on the boat. At least I wasn't thinking about it while going down throught the uk. I'll tell ya how green In my first week over here... Coming out of holyhead the checkpoint was open and vosa were sitting on the bridge, I sailed by all not a clue. Was followed and brought back to the weighbridge, took some convincing for them to believe I didn't know I had to go in😂
Sure how would you, I had just got my licence and a friend asked would I follow him over to Norwich with an 11 car transporter and bring a load home, the only time I'd driven a lorry of any description was in my test. Off I went as green as anything, no sat nav, using Google maps with a high load, he fucked off to collect cars somewhere else and I had to go for the boat myself, joined up with him at Lymm services for diesel, late for the boat tearing it through Liverpool, hadn't a clue how to use a tachograph, if I was pulled I don't know would they believe someone left me off.
 
Sure how would you, I had just got my licence and a friend asked would I follow him over to Norwich with an 11 car transporter and bring a load home, the only time I'd driven a lorry of any description was in my test. Off I went as green as anything, no sat nav, using Google maps with a high load, he fucked off to collect cars somewhere else and I had to go for the boat myself, joined up with him at Lymm services for diesel, late for the boat tearing it through Liverpool, hadn't a clue how to use a tachograph, if I was pulled I don't know would they believe someone left me off.
My maiden voyage was getting pushed downhill by 30 ton of beet with a crash gearbox, fcuk all power and less brakes !
 
There is a great documentary on the lads taking beef to North Africa back in the 70s I think it was. How the trucks made it that far and home 50 yrs ago, I would wonder. Must have been one hard job
At the time I was going there, the older lads would tell stories that would stand the hair on your head.
 
Cheers @bagenal @eire23 @Sheebadog I've done a few trips over to the UK with an 11 car transporter, I did find your heart would be in your mouth driving there at times. Driving the continent is something I'd just like to do a little of for a few months in the winter, wouldn't be able to do it full time or anything but it's an itch that might need to be scratched. Do most lads leave you off on your own first time or would it be a follow on job.
Yerra the truckin community would have you think that driving trucks is akin to flying a spaceship. Nothing is further from the truth. If your well experienced at tractors/combines etc etc, it’s a piece of cake. A truck is just an engine/gearbox/drive axle...it’s the judgement of WEIGHT is the most important part. Jeez I remember coming down off the Blanc into Italy without a retarder and the brakes cooked...I was shaking when I finally made it, fcuked all the maps out the window and swore I’d never do a trip again. After a half an hour sure I was away again!
Best stay away from dry groupage into Germany..the megalopolis of Essen/Düsseldorf/Duisburg/Cologne can be awkward, especially if you’ve 20+ drops there. Likewise chilled groupage to Italy.

If you start with the likes of fish to Spain you’ll get into it quickly. The markets of La Coruna, Madrid etc are easy found, and you’ll probably be backloading fruit and/or veg out of Murcia. Fine long trip on quiet roads and lightly populated areas. Handy work.
I remember taking a good few loads of the contraceptive pill to Portugal. Lovely long trip that crosses the Estremadura..I’m a sucker for big open country.
Best avoid Rungis in Paris and Covent Garden in London until you’re well into the craic.
 
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transcon , now there,s a name from the past, lots of lads drove for them around here and the training was light enough , one trip out with another driver and handed the keys for the next trip, i,d say it was a real adventure for the first few trips
Paddy Heffernan owned Transcon in Rosslare, he’s still around grows a fair bit of winter crops near rosslare strand
He was collecting 10-10-20 other day so can’t be going too bad
 
Yerra the truckin community would have you think that driving trucks is akin to flying a spaceship. Nothing is further from the truth. If your well experienced at tractors/combines etc etc, it’s a piece of cake. A truck is just an engine/gearbox/drive axle...it’s the judgement of WEIGHT is the most important part. Jeez I remember coming down off the Blanc into Italy without a retarder and the brakes cooked...I was shaking when I finally made it, fcuked all the maps out the window and swore I’d never do a trip again. After a half an hour sure I was away again!
Best stay away from dry groupage into Germany..the megalopolis of Essen/Düsseldorf/Duisburg/Cologne can be awkward, especially if you’ve 20+ drops there. Likewise chilled groupage to Italy.

If you start with the likes of fish to Spain you’ll get into it quickly. The markets of La Coruna, Madrid etc are easy found, and you’ll probably be backloading fruit and/or veg out of Murcia. Fine long trip on quiet roads and lightly populated areas. Handy work.
I remember taking a good few loads of the contraceptive pill to Portugal. Lovely long trip that crosses the Estremadura..I’m a sucker for big open country.
Best avoid Rungis in Paris and Covent Garden in London until you’re well into the craic.
When were you at the North African meat haulage? I often heard lads on about it but there little or none of it when I started so didn't get a chance to go.
I never thought the Italian side of the Blanc was too bad, coming down the French side I thought was 100 times worse especially at the Wall of Death.
Another handy run would be the sows to Detmold or Rhieda though they're swayey loads and you'd have to be switched on but only one drop and could be handy backloads.
Rungis would make a man out of a boy fair quick, I was given a load for there and only ever had passed by it, had to figure it out fairly lively.
 
Paddy Heffernan owned Transcon in Rosslare, he’s still around grows a fair bit of winter crops near rosslare strand
He was collecting 10-10-20 other day so can’t be going too bad
used to buy a lot of cattle one time for finishing, is he all tillage now?
 
When were you at the North African meat haulage? I often heard lads on about it but there little or none of it when I started so didn't get a chance to go.
I never thought the Italian side of the Blanc was too bad, coming down the French side I thought was 100 times worse especially at the Wall of Death.
Another handy run would be the sows to Detmold or Rhieda though they're swayey loads and you'd have to be switched on but only one drop and could be handy backloads.
Rungis would make a man out of a boy fair quick, I was given a load for there and only ever had passed by it, had to figure it out fairly lively.
Meat was around ‘84 on. I didn’t do much of it to be fair but I took any opportunity to go there. I did a fair bit of hanging meat out of Hackettstown for Rungis. I found Rungis much handier than Covent Garden...there’s good structure in Rungis tbf, whereas CG was chaotic. There’s absolutely no logic to the place. I got lost one time trying to find it and ended up around Marylebone...cops weren’t too civil.

It’s important to stress that things always go smoothly until large cities come into play. Anyone thinking on doing a few trips shouldn’t be put off at all. Once you stay away from the seriously populated areas of Europe it’s a piece of pIss. After a couple of trips to the likes of Spain you’ll be fit for anywhere. Back in the day there were hauliers always looking for drivers to do trips to support full time drivers. All I used to do was ring around a few days ahead of when I planned to go, and see what came available. Once I became trusted the drivers would be contacting me to replace them if something came up at short notice. It might be totally different now with all the drivers being E. European?
Either way it must be waaaay easier now with GPS etc and everyone running legal. They’re all using motorways now also. Back in my time you’d be shot for taking motorways. Plus with the single currency it cuts out a lot of hassle carrying many different currencies in cash. Feckin childs play!
 
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Meat was around ‘84 on. I didn’t do much of it to be fair but I took any opportunity to go there. I did a fair bit of hanging meat out of Hackettstown for Rungis. I found Rungis much handier than Covent Garden...there’s good structure in Rungis tbf, whereas CG was chaotic. There’s absolutely no logic to the place. I got lost one time trying to find it and ended up around Marylebone...cops weren’t too civil.

It’s important to stress that things always go smoothly until large cities come into play. Anyone thinking on doing a few trips shouldn’t be put off at all. Once you stay away from the seriously populated areas of Europe it’s a piece of pIss. After a couple of trips to the likes of Spain you’ll be fit for anywhere. Back in the day there were hauliers always looking for drivers to do trips to support full time drivers. All I used to do was ring around a few days ahead of when I planned to go, and see what came available. Once I became trusted the drivers would be contacting me to replace them if something came up at short notice. It might be totally different now with all the drivers being E. European?
Either way it must be waaaay easier now with GPS etc and everyone running legal. They’re all using motorways now also. Back in my time you’d be shot for taking motorways. Plus with the single currency it cuts out a lot of hassle carrying many different currencies in cash. Feckin childs play!
Never had the joy of rungis but i never found Smithfield in London that bad, if you can get all your drops off in London before it gets busy its grand. Used to hear lads dreading going into the fruit Market in Smithfield in Dublin, christ it was like a walk in the park!
 
Truck from down the road that a friend of mines doing up at the minute. Thought it might be worth a mention. Meant to be over 2 million miles on it from pulling spuds. She been lying up since 1998. Must get a picture when he's done. Mighty little truck.
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