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Trucking Report * UK - So whats it like to be a British Trucker?
Hi all !! As with everything in life, there are good and bad things on a truckers life over here...
London,UK -Grumpy Old Trucker, by Ian -23 April 2009: -- To be honest, it's a thoroughly thankless task. Crowded roads, impatient drivers, inconsiderate employers and draconian legislation all add up to stress, tiredness and misery. British road are very busy. Rush hours are, as you'd imagine the worst time to travel - but they seem to be getting longer. Morning rush is between 6.30 and 9.30, and the afternoon peak seems to be from 3 to 6. There are no roads over here that you can just get on and drive for hours and hours. The longest single road in the UK is a little under 400 miles, but to travel the length of it would be considered a full days work. Along the way you're sure to encounter road works, road hogs and road rage. One thing you won't find is good food or places to park for the night. The days of the family owned truckstop are long gone, so now all you'll find are service areas that cater for all road users, and are owned by large "hospitality" companies. As a result, they are totally focused on separating you from your hard earned cash, and giving as little as possible in return... Life tends to be easier if you travel out of the UK and into Europe, but not always... Most of the European bound traffic travels from here to France, and the bulk of that travels by ferry or tunnel from Dover in south-west England to Calais in north-east France. As this is a very busy route, it has become a focal point for French strikers, so whenever the French farmers or truck drivers have some sort of greivance, the first course of action is to block the roads approaching Calais... However, if you're lucky enough to get over unscathed, Driving in Europe is a much more relaxed and pleasureable experience, and drivers seem to be treated with a lot more respect... So your deliveries in Europe are done, and you've got your collection and you're heading home - but your problems aren't over yet! Believe it or not, there is a massive movement of people out of Africa, and they all think that England is the promised land. They pay all thier savings to people traffickers and make epic journeys up through the Sahara desert to Libya, across the Mediteranean sea to Italy, then up through Italy into France where they all converge on Calais. Here, at the final hurdle, they're looking for an England bound truck on which to stowaway... You must check your vehicle VERY carefully, as there is an automatic fine of £2,000 for every illegal immigrant that comes in to the country in your vehicle, even if you can prove you didn't know they were there. Drivers used to report any stowaways they found, but now are more likely to let them go free to avoid the fines....(Picture from dickydrew.co.uk: Across the channel, Folkestone to Boulogne...)
Labels: truckers' stories
posted by Unknown @ 9:55 AM
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