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GRASS IS GREENER ABROAD

24th May 2007, Page 60
24th May 2007
Page 60
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Page 60, 24th May 2007 — GRASS IS GREENER ABROAD
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Keywords : Truck Driver

With better facilities and more respect for drivers, no wonder many enjoy taking their vehicles abroad. David Harris outlines the benefits and the pitfalls of driving outside the UK.

Anybody who thinks that the British all loathe Johnny Foreigner could do far worse than talk to UK international hauliers. In fact, the reverse seems to be true. British truck drivers enjoy Continental work. Not just because of the romantic lure of those longdistance journeys to foreign climes, but also because they are treated better overseas.This is not just about more and smarter fad lities,but also about being accorded more respect for the job they do, say operators.The result is that British truck drivers are rather keen on the European way of trucking.

Paul Marklove, transport manager for international operator Eric Vick Transport,says:" I t's a big enough difference to make most of our drivers prefer doing the Continental work. When they pick up and deliver they are looked after much better than they are in the UK —not just left in the cab and ignored."

Since the sixties

This view is shared by Ray Grocott, chairman of GroContinental, which has been doing international business since 1966. "The main difference between the UK and the Continent is that drivers there are treated with the

utmost respect," he says. "It is regarded as a true profession." The facilities for drivers are also better, Cirocott adds. He explains that not only are the motorway service areas far superior to their UK counterparts, but on European motorways there are rest areas -every 10 to 15 kilometres".

It's not only drivers who feel the benefit; many of the hauliers who regularly deal with the rest of the European Union see more advantages than drawbacks to dealing with foreign business cultures.

Language, which might seem the most obvious obstacle to doing business abroad, is not an issue that troubles them.This is for the simple reason that most business people on the Continent speak at least passable English.

rocon, whose company does a quarter of its business outside the UK, says:"Nowadays English is universal and motorway signs are the same in most places, so it is not really a problem."There are still plenty of differences. of course every country has its own way of doing things and when you're doing business overseas you need to be aware of this.

Grocott says:-I've always found Europeans very clear in their business practices. but your service must he right.You also have to be on time and an exact time particularly in places like Germany and Austria.They expect you to turn up when you say you will rather than within a vague two-hour slot."

Clichés of culture Cultural variation in matters of timing does seem to follow cultural clichés. Grocott reports: "The French and the Spanish tend not to be so hot about timekeeping, although the French do have a habit of trying to find a reason to fine you if everything is not exactly as it should be."

If the cultural distinctions sound like something from Yes Minister,it's because they are.According to Neil Payne,managing director of Kwintessential.This language and culture specialist advises British firms on foreign habits and business methods Payne says stereotypes are "often a reflection of reality".

Kwintessential has not yet been approached by a haulier for advice, but he cautions against companies believing that because foreigners speak good English there will be no problem in communicating with them: 'Although they may speak English well there are often important differences in how you should address people. In some cultures, for instance, it might be completely unacceptable to argue with someone in front of others. it might be seen as disrespectful."

Other non-verbal communication, such as body language, can also be a minefield, says Payne, and drivers going to foreign countries should at least try to pick up what is acceptable and what is not.

Even the trade associations in Europe seem to conform to national stereotypes.The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has cordial relations with most of its European counterparts, but some are easier to get on with than others. Don Armour, the FrA's head of international service, explains:"I meet most of the European associations twice a year and we are pretty friendly with the Dutch and the Germans. We try to be friendly with the French as well, hut it can he a bit of a battle."

Armour says most Continental hauliers experience the same problems as their UK colleagues, although he believes foreign drivers have fewer problems with UK police than UK drivers encounter with the police in the rest of Europe.

Problems with police

One of the most frequent problems that lead UK operators to contact the international section of the FTA is their drivers being stopped or arrested by police abroad. It is not that the rules are different,Armour points out; it's simply that foreign police enforce them more rigidly.This means that when UK drivers are stopped and a fault is found they are often required to pay a fine immediately before they can continue on their way.

Armour adds:"The fines seem higger.They can be €.4,000 [.£2,700], so it is essential that international operators make sure they avoid them by obeying all the rules to the letter. Failing that. they have to make sure that drivers have the means to pay the fines so they can continue on their way."

And he warns that these differences in policing practices are likely to continue for years to come. despite EU efforts to harmonise standards: "My impression is that most countries worry about what they're doing themselves, rather than being in harmony with anybody else."

But behind all the cultural differences across Europe are the solid commercial realities that underlie business everywhere. And for UK hauliers those realities have made it hard to remain competitive over the past few years.

John Faulkner, chairman of Hythe-based ICI' Logistics and a partner with Canterbury Christ Church Un iversity's Truck Speak project (see panel, left), says the hard rules of economics trump any cultural awareness: "Ten years ago we operated 50-odd trucks on the Continent but gradually we have pulled back and now we are operating as a freight forwarder. This is almost entirely due to the fact that sterling has increased so much in value that it became uncompetitive to operate trucks directly."

Faulkner is pragmatic about the exchange rate and points out that if it goes into reverse things could alter again: "If the currency devalues by 25% then we will go back into Europe. I hope to live long enough to see it."

But Faulkner adds that another factor has made it tough for UK international hauliers in recent years —a lot of the exporters they serviced have closed down or left the UK: "When manufacturing switches, haulage tends to as well. If a factory is producing something in Prague, the factory operator will usually look fora haulier in Prague." •


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