a new member from Europe..

[Flemming Andersen]

Hi, I'm Flemming, a Danish trucker who thought it could be cool to compare the ups and downs of trucking in the US to what we are dealing with over here I've got 21 years experience of international trucking all over Europe, both Western Europe, as well as the old East block countries. For the time being, I'm solely doing transports to Northern Scandinavia, mostly Northern Norway, wich is a good challenge, hence the lattitude - WINTER !! Due to some very different length restrictions, our trucks over here a somewhat different to US trucks, here's the truck I drive now, a Swedish built Scania R500 V8. 6 x2 (wich basicly means it has 3 axles, 1 traction axle, and a liftable tag axle.)

The trailer is a 3 axle Krone Reefer trailer, German company, built in Denmark. It's 13,6 meters long, and 2,5 meters wide - inside measures, the front axle is liftable.
I love making little Dashcam video's fro my trips, and here's a link to one I made recently, spring is early this, and it was a beutiful drive across the Arctic Circle.

 

[Duck]

Welcome.

We gave a handful of European truck drivers on here who pop in from time to time. @AlexGramm from Ukraine, @Daxaero from somewhere around there, @Geranimojess in Ireland and @Kent in Norway.

The guy from Ukraine required translation software to communicate with. From what I could figure out from translation errors he was an interesting guy but he disappeared from the forum right around the time the European Union vs. Russia thing started.

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Hi Duck, and thank you

I hope the poor man from Ukraine is still alright, it hasn't been all fun and games over there
Saying that, this European union thing is actually one of the biggest problems in our trade, since the expansion towards the old Eastern block countries, trucking companies and drivers in the old Western European countries has been put under extreme pressure, since the drivers from the East hardly get payed for what they do Let alone here in little Denmark, 7000 drivers has been made unemployed since 2009....

 

[Injun]

@Daxaero is Bosnian.

My step dad's name was Andersen and he was Danish. God rest his soul. He was a good man and I miss him.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Duck]

Competing with cheap labor from third & 2nd world countries is a global problem.

It's killing our manufacturing, technology & food industries.

 

[Flemming Andersen]

@Daxaero is Bosnian.

My step dad's name was Andersen and he was Danish. God rest his soul. He was a good man and I miss him.

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you Injun
I'm sorry that you lost your step Dad, I hope it wasn't at a too early age? Anyway, Andersens are a nice breed, I'll try to live up to the name in here as well

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Competing with cheap labor from third & 2nd world countries is a global problem.

It's killing our manufacturing, technology & food industries.

it's really uphill isn't it it's like nobody wants quality anymore, just a low price... Funny though, because when the dispatchers has a load that's important, and it should have been there yesterday, they know very well who to call

 

[8978]

Where is your camera mounted? Watching your video I was like move the F*** over your going to run off the road.

I would like to see pics of your dash and the sleeper.
What is the longest run you've done?
How much weight do you normally haul?
Is your truck and automatic or standard and how many speeds?
What is the horsepower?
Do you have modern truck stops like us?
Do you have 24 hour Walmarts?
What the Hell is a meter?
Do you have log books and restrictions on how many hours you can drive?
How long to you stay out before going home?
I have more questions but Good Times is coming on TV in a minute....Gotta run

 

[Rigjockey]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Good morning, thank you for the welcoming Skateboard, I'll get back to you with some answers later today,6 am here and I've got to get ready to hit the road in an hour...

 

[Blood]

Good morning, thank you for the welcoming Skateboard, I'll get back to you with some answers later today,6 am here and I've got to get ready to hit the road in an hour...

Buck up, sis.




Just kidding...
Welcome.


(I had to say that so the mods wouldn't get their knickers in a twist.)


And thank you for not being @Dinomite

 

[1988 MGM]

The Auto Plazas in Italy were great. Excellent food , clean rest rooms and a store. They put American truck stops to shame! BP, Pilot, etc. no tandem axle tractors there, all cab overs too. Roads are super smooth. Quite different than here in Detroit, with all the pot holes, etc.

 

[1988 MGM]

Ive been a city driver here in Detroit for 40 years. Operating a tractor trailer, picking up and delivering to general Motor factories years ago. Times sure have changed.

 

[1988 MGM]

Flemming , are you by Hivdore, Denmark?

 

[Dinomite]

Dude what's up with those narrow roads. I hope they are paying you good to do that gig. As president of the Super truckers Haul of fame. You guys are 1st ballot prospects. Those roads look like back roads in Arkansas. Noooo thank you. You need a claustrophobia warning on those video's. Very pretty up there keep the video's coming.

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Where is your camera mounted? Watching your video I was like move the F*** over your going to run off the road.

I would like to see pics of your dash and the sleeper.
What is the longest run you've done?
How much weight do you normally haul?
Is your truck and automatic or standard and how many speeds?
What is the horsepower?
Do you have modern truck stops like us?
Do you have 24 hour Walmarts?
What the Hell is a meter?
Do you have log books and restrictions on how many hours you can drive?
How long to you stay out before going home?
I have more questions but Good Times is coming on TV in a minute....Gotta run

Hehe... you really put to work there
*My dashcam is mounted roughly a foot to the left, from the center of my windscreen, the windscreen is 2,5 meter wide / 2.5m = 8ft 227⁄64in
So the overall length of my truck is restricted to 16,5 meters/16.5m = 54ft 139⁄64in
and the inside length of my trailer is 13,6 meters / 13.6m = 44ft 77⁄16in

*The engine is a 16 liter V8 Diesel / roughly 976cubic inch/ develloping 500 bhp
here are the specifics -
Model : • Scania DC16 500 16Litre 90° V8
• Euro5 (ADR 80/03)
• Power - 500hp (368kW) @ 1800rpm
• Torque - 2500Nm (1844ft/lb) @ 1000-1400rpm
Engine Features : • Scania electronic fuel injection
• Single stage turbocharger
• SCR with catalytic converter
• Centrifugal engine oil filter
• Spin-on turbocharger oil filter
• Cartridge style fuel filter
Fan : 11 Blade, electronically controlled viscous drive
Alternator : Scania 24V, 100amp
Compressor : Knorr 720, twin cylinder, 800L/min with air drier
Air Cleaner : Donaldson 16” air cleaner with safety element mounted behind cab with High Intake
Gearbox : Scania GRSO905R, Overdrive 14 speed, Scania Retarder
Gearbox Features : • Scania Opticruise
• Gearbox oil cooler
• PTO – Electrical Preparation

The Opticruise gearbox is automatic, this is the first ever truck I've driven with an automatic gearbox, at first I thought this is not going to work, but even on the icy mountanious roads of Norway, I've been positively surprised ! it's a breeze !!

* the weight of my truck and trailer empty is 21 tonnes, and payload 29 tonnes with this setup, normally I my loads are in the range of 22 to 26 tonnes, mostly fruit and vegatables going north, and Fresh fish from the North of Norway back to Denmark.

I'll get back to you with some photos of my cab, in a few hours, need to get to the next place of loading here in Oslo

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Flemming , are you by Hivdore, Denmark?

Hi there just a quick answer, no Hvidovre is near Copenhagen (on the island Zealand) I live near Aarhus, situated on the part of Denmark, attached to mainland Europe Do you somebody there?

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Dude what's up with those narrow roads. I hope they are paying you good to do that gig. As president of the Super truckers Haul of fame. You guys are 1st ballot prospects. Those roads look like back roads in Arkansas. Noooo thank you. You need a claustrophobia warning on those video's. Very pretty up there keep the video's coming.

Hahaha... That's Norway for you! You need to know the corners of your rig and no, it doesn't pay any better than driving elsewhere in Europe, the only bonus is the scenery and the adreanaline kicks I promise to keep the video's coming !

 

[Flemming Andersen]

Where is your camera mounted? Watching your video I was like move the F*** over your going to run off the road.

I would like to see pics of your dash and the sleeper.
What is the longest run you've done?
How much weight do you normally haul?
Is your truck and automatic or standard and how many speeds?
What is the horsepower?
Do you have modern truck stops like us?
Do you have 24 hour Walmarts?
What the Hell is a meter?
Do you have log books and restrictions on how many hours you can drive?
How long to you stay out before going home?
I have more questions but Good Times is coming on TV in a minute....Gotta run

Hi again, a little waiting time here at Coca Cola in Oslo... as usual *sighs*

Anyway, I promised some pictures:













I hope these pictures makes sense? Yes we do have restrictions on our driving/working and resting hours over here, and the fines for breaking those limits are very high... Starting from 300USD to the driver and 600USD to the trucking company, The company always gets fined twice as much as the driver. The black box with the green display on it, is a Digital Tachograph, you insert a personal chipcard in the thing, and it's records every move, speed, rest or loading minute you do... The chip card will record 28 days back, and the tachograph holds 3months of data, both sets of data will have to be stored every 3 weeks, and kept by the company for 2 years. You are allowed to drive 10 hours 2 times a week, with a minimum break of 45 minutes after a miximum of 4,5 hours driving. and then 9 hours of driving for 4 days in the same week. After 6 days - 6 x 24 hours the driver must have a minimum of 24 hours break, if you drive/work into the 7th day, you stand to loose your license, along with a fine in the range of 3000USD.... The rules are complicated, so I wont go further into details now... they are clearly made by desk jockeys in the European parliament, and not by someone who knows the trade !!

We do have Truckstops yes, but not like the ones you are used to, most are regular gas stations, with a little extra space for trucks, and cafeteria's, showers and son on.

My longest run.. hmmm... I believe it was years back, I had a trip to Portugal, reloading in Spain, went to Greece offloaded and reloaded there, and went from there to England. When empty I went to Belgium and loaded for Sweden, and from there back home to Denmark.. it was around 12000 kilometers / around 7500 miles. When I started driving, I was always on the road for 6 weeks at the time and 12 days at home. Now I'm away for around 10 days at the time, and home for 2 or 3 days, there's roughly around 4000 to 6000 kilometers in a round trip, depending on on how far North I have to go, and wich way...

 

[1988 MGM]

The truck stops or Auto Car stops in Italy were very nice. Cafeteria, excellent food, rest rooms and a store. I was impressed.