Coffee To Go
Page 71

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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