French Truckers

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Consumer goods that are imported to and exported from France have to get to their destination somehow.  While some companies will pay to have their freight transported by plane, those who are transporting their goods domestically will generally choose to have their products transported via truck.  This creates a need for truckers throughout France and these professional drivers have earned their income transporting everything from petroleum to sporting equipment for years.  Learn what you need to know about the lifestyle of truckers, the types of trucks and trailers that are used in France, how much truckers earn, and other valuable information by reading on.

French Trucker Lifestyle

If you enjoy driving, being a trucker may sound like a great lifestyle.  Not only do you earn money to drive on the open road, you also get to experience new areas of the country that you probably would not venture to if you were not a trucker.  While the trucker lifestyle is right for some, it is not designed for everyone.  You might picture the standard trucker wearing trucker hats, smoking, and stopping to eat at small cafes when their schedule permits.  While this is true for some, the modern trucker is nothing like what you might picture.

The quality of life for the trucker has improved dramatically as technologies have advanced the way trucks and trailers are built.  Electronics have also improved a truckers life on the road and given them access to directions and traffic reports in a matter of seconds.  Truckers generally sleep in a space that is referred to as a “condo” which has a stand up sleeper berth.  Gone are the days where truckers are forced to sleep in a small bunk.  With more space, truckers can bring some of their basic comforts from home on the road with them.  Some of cabs have microwaves, hot plates, refrigerators, televisions, and everything the trucker needs to cook, sleep and entertain themselves during off hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Trucks and Trailers in France

Now that you understand what trucker life is like, you need to find out what types of trucks and trailers are popular in France.  As previously mentioned, the inside of the truck’s cabin has significantly changed.  In the past, the cabin was very small and did not provide much room for the trucker to stretch as they worked.  But the increase in available space is not the only change that has happened over the years as technologies have advanced.

Gone is the rough ride the older trucks and trailers have offered.  Now, with French companies investing in trucks with air ride suspensions, the ride is smooth and far less noisy.  The suspension systems are not the only components that have changed in trucks used for transport in France.  More and more companies are moving away from trucks with a standard 10-speed transmission to invest in a fleet with an automatic transmission.  Not only does this make a long drive easier for the truckers, it will also save the company quite a bit of money in gas and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

Companies will use standard trucks or trucks that are called swap bodies.  Swap body trucks are designed to transition loads from the truck to the railway easily.  Cranable trucks are easier to load full loads when products are heavy.  Lorries are the front-end with the engine and trailers are attached to their lorries.  The trailers can range in size and there are several manufacturers in the industry.  Renault is a respected manufacturer of transport lorries in France and offers distribution, long distance, and construction trucks.  The Premium Route, Magnum, Midlum, Premium Distribution, Kerax, and Lander are all popular models for commercial transport.  Trailer sizes are available in 12 meters, 18.75 meters, and 16.50 meters.  These dimensions are based on regulations in France.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trucker Pay

You should always be concerned about how much you can earn when you are changing careers.  If you want to become a professional driver, you need to find out just how much and how truckers are paid in France.  You have to keep in mind that truckers are away from their families for days or weeks at a time.  They are also on the road for long hours which can make the career more dangerous than other jobs.  While truckers in France do not earn as much as Spanish and German drivers, they do earn more than several other workers in France.  The average income for truckers in France is between 14 and 19 euros per hour.  Full-time truckers will take home between 2300 and 3200 euros each month.

Most truckers will receive benefits from the company they work for because of the hazards that are on the road.  After strikes demanding better pay and benefits, employers have gotten better working conditions and benefits.  They have been given a lower retirement age and unloading and loading the vehicle is now considered working time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Price of Fuel

Most trucks operate on diesel fuel.  While employer truckers do not have to pay for fuel out-of-pocket, individuals who own their own trucking company in France are concerned with the rising cost of gas.  When your business is based on the road, the rising cost of gas can quickly cut into your profits.  Currently, as of April 19th, the cost of diesel fuel was reported at € 1.43.  There may be large variations throughout the country, but this average takes into account the highest and the lowest price at the time.  Most trucking companies will have corporate gas accounts with specialty gas stations so their truckers can fill up on company credit.

Major Routes Used in France

There are more than 1 million kilometers of road in France.  All of the roads are connected through the French motorway network or the autoroute system which is primarily toll roads.  There are about 30,000 kilometers of national routes and the remaining roads are owned by private companies.  The most popular routes taken by truckers are the national networks which have gates out of France.  Routes like France to Barcelona and Le Havre are the most popular traveled because they are major two lane highways.

Speed Limiters

The speed limits throughout Europe will vary dramatically.  Truckers should know the laws specific to France before driving in France for business.  In France, a truck up to 12 feet can travel at 50 km/hr on urban roads, 80 km/hr on highways, and 90 km/hr on motorways.  Trucks longer than 12 feet may travel at 50 km/hr on urban roads, 60 on highways, and 90 on motorways.

Licensing Requirements for Truckers in France

The licensing requirements for truckers will vary significantly in Europe.  You need to know the requirements of the country where you plan on working so you can meet these requirements before becoming a trucker.  You must have a valid European Union license in France to operate any type of motor vehicle.  You will need a Class D license to drive commercial heavy-duty vehicles.  Class A and C are the licenses for driving private passenger vehicles.  You must undergo a medical examination and have periodic exams when you have a Class C or D license in France.  You are also required to pass a written examination proving you know the safety laws.

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What you do not know about the logistics sector and Truckers in India.

 

In this article we are going to learn about the logistics industry and the general livelihood of the truckers (commonly referred to as lorry drivers) in India. In this article we are going to talk about the logistics sector first. You are going to learn about the nature of this sector and how it is different from other countries. Then we are going to learn about the general working conditions of the truckers in India. Lastly you are going to learn about one of the rampant problems faced by the truckers in India. By the end of this article you will have a general idea of the truckers and the logistics Industry in India.

 

The logistics industry is a highly unorganized sector to a large extent. All one needs to become a trucker is a heavy motor vehicle license. The trucks are usually manufactured by either TATA or Ashok Leyland. Most of the trucks run on diesel. Diesel costs about Rs. 50 (1USD) per liter. The prices keep varying and they usually increase over time. Diesel is subsidized by the Indian government and hence it is available at a lower cost compared to petrol. The freight ranges from vegetables to high end electronic items. The only competing transport of trucks is the Indian railway goods transport system which is not regarded as a reliable means of transport.

The truckers are usually illiterate or people with very little education. Unlike the truckers in developing countries they live in harsh conditions. For instance truckers in the United States sit in an air conditioned unit and drive their trucks. In India it is a totally different situation. You cannot even  imagine an air conditioner used by a trucker. The salaries are also very low and they currently range between 200-300USD or 10,000-15000 rupees per month. The employers usually provide other means of support to the drivers. They pay for the education of the kids of the drivers. They also help out with the family occasionally since the drivers are almost always out of town working.  This usually runs in a very informal manner and it depends on the employer-employee relation.

 

In the recent past the biggest problem among the truckers is HIV. Since the truck drivers stay away from their families for so long. They resort to other avenues for their sexual appetite and get affected by AIDS. The government is trying to counter this by spreading awareness among the drivers. These awareness programs are also publicized some of the leading actors in the country. On a different note TATA, which is one of the major truck manufacturer,  is trying to get this sector organized by conducting training programs for the drivers. The other manufacturers are waiting to see the results of this program to leap into it.

 

In this article you have learnt about the current state of the logistics sector. You also know about the competitor for the trucking Industry, the Indian railways, which is nowhere close to competing the trucks. You have learnt about the working conditions and general livelihood of the truck drivers in India. Lastly, you have learnt about some of the recent problems and developments in this sector in terms of health and training to the truckers. You now have an overview of the logistics industry in India.

 

Target audience: Fellow Truckers

The purpose of the article: Educate, entertain Truckers about their profession in different countries. In this particular article it is India. There is also a chance that truckers are informed of an opportunity in other countries.

The general questions which will be answered in this article are :

What kind of trucks are used to transport goods in India? How much do the drivers get paid? What types of freight do they most commonly haul? What do they have to deal with in their daily life on the job? How they obtain that kind of job is there a special license they need? How much does the price of fuel cost?  Truckers in India

My name is Ravi. I have a Masters degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. I write articles and I also work on my own assets.

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Bolivia is a beautiful country with an extremely unique geographical perspective. The country has a hugely varied topography ranging to high mountains in the West called the Andes, middle lands that enjoy favorable weather and lowlands in the east that border the Amazonian Basin. As a result, the country has a huge range of biodiversity and planes which means that the state produces a range of crops and products. Ecological subunits are common with tropical rainforests, dry valley, flat lands, savannas and even low lying flood basins. Although this contributes to a huge range in ethnic population, cultures, food and cooking techniques; it inherently brings with it the problem of transport and road travel. It is very common to find trucks and expert truckers being the main route of transport for precious and agricultural commodities from the interiors to the outlands and beyond.

 

 

 

 

 

Current Political Condition and its Effect on Road Transportation and Trucking in Bolivia

Bolivia has always been fraught with political turmoil and civil wars. A large range of ethnic groups also added to the volatile mix resulting in flaring internal problems that plagued the state continuously from its inception to the early 1800s.  The problem was compounded by locals who invested heavily in the coca or cocaine trade and a range of wars with neighboring states. This resulted in an almost defunct local roads, non existent truckers and a destroyed transport network during the early days of the state. However, the geographical diversity meant that most food transportation was done by road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of Bolivia was isolated from its neighbors during the period of time. However, the economy picked up with the discovery of local silver deposits.  During the establishment of General Hugo Banzer, economic growth in the state improved considerably. The General was deposed quickly and by late 1985, Pas Estenssor came into power and the state started improving. At the time of Pas, most of the roads were cobblestones but there were slowly converted into paved roads.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The state was devolved to form the nine segments that it is in now and this led to significant improvements in the internal transport system  and trucker systems of the country.  In recent years, the Bolivian economy has been improving with leaps and bounds but that has not really affected the internal logistics of the state. Bolivia’s GDP in 2011 was estimated to be about $23.4 billion. Economic growth was estimated to about 5.1% and inflation was about 6.9%. Despite its rich natural reserves, the country is still dependent on foreign aid due to is poor internal structure and truckers network. Even though the country is about 1,098,581 sq km in size, it has a railway system that just extends to about 3,652 km. This system is also completely outdated and just extends to neighboring countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are only about twenty different stops on the train network and this is completely insufficient to deal with agricultural transport and mining product transportation. As compared to the rail, roadways are extensive over the country. Expert truckers on roads are also considered to be the only way to transport goods in the country effectively but they are in exceeding poor shape. At the time of writing, the country had over 62,479 km of roadway. Out of this, only 3,749 km (including 27 km of expressways) in paved while more than 58,730 km is unpaved resulting in considerable problems for truckers during land transport. This problem is compounded by the varied geography, different ethnic groups, flaring corruption, poor roads, uneducated truckers and civil unrest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Condition of Truckers in Bolivia

The trucking profession is completely private in Bolivia. On an average, there were about 110,000 vehicles in the
country in the early 1980s driven by poorly educated truckers. This number tripled with an increasing focus on jeeps, motorbikes, trucks and buses being registered in the city. The poor condition of the roads also meant that most people, who could afford a car, would prefer to own a truck to transport food, people and goods. Bolivia does not have any indigenous manufacturing plants of cars and trucks and most models are imported 4WD or consumer cars which are very expensive. One advantage for truckers and locals is that gas costs are low at about US$0.45 to US$0.50 per liter. Most truckers in the state own their own truck or drive it as a part of a local transportation company. These truckers-based companies compete amongst each other for business and this can frequently result in cost-cutting measures like longer trips with lesser breaks in between for the truckers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truckers are usually uneducated and come from the highlands or the mountain regions of Bolivia. Most of them have just completed primary education and they have a commercial driving license issued by local authorities. Due to the poor condition of the roads, most truckers spent about 1-4 weeks on the road as compared to international average rates of about 4 days. About 14% of the drivers spent about 1- 4 months away from the families and they went on trips all over the country. More than 18% also went on longer trips to neighboring countries carrying goods for transport. Due to the poor road conditions, most drivers also had to lower speeds to about 20 km per hour which was considerably lower than the 60 km per hour speed seen in the US and Europe. This slow speed and extended period of delivery also results in a national backlog in transportation of agricultural products and necessary products.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most drivers also carry out a high risk lifestyle where they are frequently exposed to HIV and sexually transmitted diseases. Due to the slow speed, truckers were also paid abysmal amounts ranging from 1001–2000 Bolivianos (Bs.) per month which amounted to roughly $143–$286 depending on the distance covered and the goods transported. Younger inexperienced drivers got paid even less ranging to about $143 per month.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Road Conditions Which Affect Truckers and Truck Transportation in Bolivia

In 1964, the National Road Service or SENAC was established to convert paved roads into concrete roads along with pavements. The Service was also entrusted with maintenance of the roads but it was not able to keep up with modern standards. In late 1980s, it was funded by the IDB to repave the Cochabamba-Santa Cruz which is the main nodal pathway for trucks to carry agricultural produce. Although this road was improved, it did not help. Most roadways on mountain tops were winding and less than 4 feet in width with no guard rails to protect drivers. Low land roads were often flooded and impossible to cross and had no safety features. In fact, accidents and deaths were very common and heavy goods-laden trucks on the thin roadways damaged them even further.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Road of Death: Synonymous with Road Condition in Bolivia

The roads are in such bad condition that one road is called the Road of Death. This road in divided into the North Yungas Road and the Yungas Road has been christened as the world’s most dangerous road and it extends from Paz to Coroico being 56 kms long. This road symbolizes the average condition of roads in Bolivia but it is particularly dangerous due to its height. The road is unpaved and is only about 3.2 meters in width with no guard rail. Rain and fog at the altitude can decrease visibility and make the road dirty and muddy and difficult to traverse. One of the most well-known local rules for traversing the road include that downhill truckers have to move to the right or the outer edge of the road while the uphill truckers move to the inside getting a better view for passenger safety. However, this has not helped, with more than 200 casualties being reported on the same road every year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On an average, one vehicle falls off the road every week on the same road leading to very scary statistics. This same riskiness has made the road very popular with international tourists though. Mountain bikers use this road to race downwards from the top to the bottom and several tour operators have set up special runs for the cycling enthusiasts but even then there have been at least 20 reported deaths of motorcyclists on the route.  In recent years, several international road crews have also come down to film on the road. For example, world-famous TOP GEAR was the first to film a road series on the country. The hosts traveled 1,610 kms on the shaky Bolivian roads with the last part of the trip concentrated on the Death Road. Host Jeremy Clarkson had a serious fright when the road started crumbling under the tires of his car while he was forced to the edge to allow another car to pass. Another program was hosted by the History Channel called the ‘IRT Deadliest Roads’ as a kind of exciting reality documentary. Drivers curse their way through their road on a heart-stopping trip that is difficult to watch even on TV.

 

 

Bolivia has free port privileges with port access in Peru Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. As a result, its local port has considerable trade but this trade is backlogged most of the time due to the poor local transport and logistical support.

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Trucking has been a closed profession in Greece since 1970. This means that the 33,000 licenses that were in existence then are the only ones that are still in existence today. The passing of reform acts on September 23, 2010 was meant to set in motion the re-opening of the profession to many more Truckers. This would also end the current method of obtaining a trucking license in Greece, which can be accomplished two ways. One is to purchase a license at an exorbitant price, and the other is to inherit it. Now, the government is supposed to start issuing more licenses sometime before the end of 2013 in the hopes that the increased competition will help stabilize transportation costs at a more affordable level.

While these changes have been tried to be pushed through by the Greek government in order to lessen the long and short term financial effects of accepting the bail out from the European Union, there has been little forward movement beyond the signing of the acts. This means that in order to become a trucker in Greece, an individual needs to have the finances to be able to purchase one of the existing 33,000 licenses. Through regular markets it is not unheard of to pay €39,000 to €71,000. However, this also requires knowing someone who is willing to sell. An individual can try to purchase the license on the black market, but the price there has been known to reach €309,000.

Since the profession is still closed, once a trucker has a license and a truck the cost that he or she can charge for his or her services are well beyond what an open market would tolerate. Many businesses and residents of Greece have complained that it is cheaper to have items shipped from foreign countries thousands of kilometers away by foreign truckers, than to pay for shipping the same items from within the country by Greek truckers at a distance of less than 160 kilometers.

It is unclear how much the average truck driver makes in Greece. While the high rates that can be charged would lead people to believe that this would be a very lucrative profession, the initial costs to enter into the profession and then the fees of the union along with other costs quickly eat into the profits. Among those costs would be the expense of fuel.

Most of the trucks on the Greek roads still run on diesel. As of March of 2012 diesel was ranging from €1.75 to €1.85 per liter depending on the area in which it was purchased. Considering the relatively poor fuel economy that the transportation Truck’s engines receive, generous estimate would be that it would take upwards of 45 liters to travel 100 kilometers, and it is easy to see how this profession has such a high overhead. This estimate is based on the fuel economy of newer truck designs. However, diesel prices have increased on average 0.50 in the past four years, making 100 kilometer trip Fuel’s cost rise from 60.75 to 83.25. Add this with the fact that average commuting distance that a trucker will travel in one week is around a couple thousand kilometers, and it becomes understandable why many truckers are wary of new competition driving down the rates that they can charge.

However, for those who enjoy seeing the country there few other options that allow them to combine this enjoyment with work. The two major port cities within Greece are Thessalinoki and Piraeus. Thessalinoki is located on the north-eastern region of the major peninsula, while Piraeus is located in the southern portion near Athens. It is through these two ports that a large majority of goods are imported and exported. While the majority of Greece is a peninsula giving the country a high ratio of coastline to landlocked regions, there are few areas that can support a safe protected harbor needed for strong port city.

One of the oldest European civilizations was birthed in the land of Greece. Since the fall of the Ancient Greeks there have been many others that have laid claim to the land. For this reason the road system in Greece is an interesting amalgamation of ancient verses modern infrastructure. While there have been relatively new highways constructed in the 1990s, many of the others were built back in the early 1960s when traffic demands were vastly different from today. Yet, even these older highways seem marvelous when compared with some of the one lane rural roads, or the dirt cut ways that people have blazed to connect one locale to the other.

Currently the trucking market in Greece is facing uncertainty do to an economic recession that has last more than five years and no clear majority of any political party within the newly elected government. The banks of the European Union that extended loans to help Greece turn its economy around are pressuring the government to open many of the closed professions within its country. Add to this the fact the many businesses are looking for ways to bypass the Greek truckers and utilize foreign truckers instead to save themselves on expenses, and it is clear to see why so many are concerned about whether or not they will be able to recoup the costs of buying into the trucking market.

However, it is clear that without truckers Greece will not be able to revive its failing economy. While the current status of truckers maybe uncertain,the need for them is not.

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A quick history of Indian truckers and the Indian trucking industry.  India is a vast country with a range of geographical variations. Agricultural lands are usually located in the interior of the country far from any central cities. Most manufacturing units and industries are also located in the interiors to make use of tax exemptions, cheap land value and manufacturing costs. Both of these industries are completely dependent on good trucks and roads or a fast railway system that can ferry fresh produce, crops and manufactured goods to the cities for sale. Cities that are located close the sea can easily access fresh seafood and imported goods but all of these goods are also dependent on trucks that will haul these goods to interior cities where these goods are unavailable and have to be trucked in.

 

 

 

 

The importance of the trucking industry in India The trucking or road delivery system in India is an integral part and parcel of transport. The only other method of transportation that is comparably faster and cheaper is rail transport. But there are problems there too. Even though, rail transport is cheaper, improvements have not been made in that transport option and most manufacturing and consumer industries rely on trucking to make sure that goods reach their destination. In the last few years, India has also improved its economy, streamlined its production and improved local and national roadways to facilitate the quicker transport of goods.

 

 

 

 

Accordingly in the last decade, road freight exploded by a growth rate of 11.9% as compared to 1.4% on Rail. Roads carry more than 70% of the freight in India and it has a share of about 4.46 in the Indian GDP. At last count, India has more than one crore to three crore truckers all over the country and they frequently transport goods over into neighboring countries as well. The number of trucks that were purchased to ferry goods also increased by as much as 20% in the last decade with 36 lakh new trucks being registered in the last two decades. Impact on truckers Even though the industry is so vast, it is riddled with problems. The sheer fragmented nature of the industry means that more than Rs 2, 00,000 crores will be required to streamline the trucking sector and provide equal salaries and opportunities to truckers.

 

 

 

 

 

A few of the common problems seen in the trucking industry include the following- • Most trucks are owned by private operators and truckers are liable to the whims and fancies of the owners regarding salaries and transport procedures. According to the latest statistics, 89% of the truck driving industry was run by operators who owned five vehicles or less while 6% of the business and industry was operated by companies that owned 20 trucks or more. As most of the business is controlled by independent operators, this has given rise to agents who vie and bid for a transport contract by putting the lowest price possible. This would have been economically  viable but in the recent shaky economy and subsequent hikes in petrol prices; most private truckers have been facing severe losses.

 

 

 

 

 

• On an average, each trucker covers about 230-340 km per day which they may push to increase the distance and trips they take. This distance is also much lower than any distance covered by a trucker in a developed country due to poor roads, bad weather and no logistical support along the route. The National Highway system of India forms only 2-5% of the entire road network but is handles over 45% of the entire freight transport result in a huge backlog of trucks as they move around on the congested network. Due to the backlog, most truckers spend weeks on the road transporting goods and then returning with a full load back to their starting point. On an average, more than 37% of all trucks spend 5-8 days on a trip while 26% took about 8 days to return back to their starting point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average speeds vary to about 20 mph which far lower than the 60 mph average seen in developed countries with a good road connection. The good news though is that road conditions may improve with US $13billion funding in 1998 which was used to improve highways in Mumbai, to create North-South and East-West corridors and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Silchar to Porbander. • The problem of congestion is also seen in the twelve major ports of India which handle most of the shipping that comes into India. In the year 2007-2008, the traffic at all the major Indian ports was estimated to be about 333 million tones. A part of the shipping is also relegated to the 184 minor ports which again do not have the best roadways and facilities to speed up unloading of containers. Pre-birthing delays and larger ship turnaround times in the ports are common leading to a jam with truckers who wait for the containers to unload. The large capacity of shipping jammed into twelve cities means that truckers are also perpetually delayed. •

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A serious shortage of truck drivers. In India, the trucking industry and truckers are considered to be a very low-paid job with long hours and a lot of hard work. According to industry experts, in recent years, the trucking industry has improved with 5.6 million vehicles on the road but with a severe shortage of about 700,000 to about 800,000 drivers. The problem was compounded by the Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways in 2007. New rules were enforced which required all truckers to be at least Grade 10 educated for carrying dangerous chemicals like petrol and gas. For other consumer goods, drivers had to complete their education till Grade 7. This problem is steadily improving with private truck manufacturing companies taking the initiative to teach and train new drivers. As a result, large companies like Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors (which are currently the market leaders for truck manufacturing in India) have set up private driving education firms for interested candidates to train them and provide candidates with jobs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most popular brands of trucks in India The market leader for manufacturing and sales of trucks is currently TATA motors with Ashok Leyland chasing close on it heels. In the last two years, the huge potential in the Indian market has also lured in foreign truck makers like Daimler, MAN, Navistar and Volvo who are promising lighter and much more petrol and diesel- efficient trucks.

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