1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188 
Coffee To Go
Page 71
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
by Neil Hobbs
TO HIS credit, self-published author Neil Hobbs hasn't tried to write a book to convert the uninitiated. Coffee To Go is by a trucker for truckers.
It isn't a philosophical look at a job that requires the author to spend most of his time away from his family, at why the number of British truckers going overseas has declined so rapidly, or what effect mainland European practices (tolls, high-quality truck-orientated service stations and road driving restrictions) could have in the UK.
The hook is matter of fact and broken down into two sections a diary followed by a trip down memory lane -that give full accounts of weeks away from home pounding the asphalt across Western Europe.
If you've driven a truck overseas, it touches a chord instantly, but if you haven't,then you should still get your hands on this book. Routes out from Calais, tips, warehouses, waiting for return loads and Interaction' with European drivers at filling stationsit's a good eye-opener.
There should be a couple of surprises here for politicians and RDC managers, too. Hobbs reveals he always refuels in Luxembourg, never in the UK:pays tolls in France, Germany, Switzerland,Austria and Italy with ease through fuel cards; is rarely held up waiting to unload; and has never handed his truck keys to warehouse staff while unloading.
book is refreshingly honest about the nature of driving and if that was its aim, then it scores a hit.
Reviewed by Kevin Swallow Price: £9.60 Publisher: TruckNet UK; www.trucknetuk.com ISBN: 1-411637348