FIMO and Class 1 HGV License

[Frank]

Hi

Looking to pick the collective brain regarding HGV driving in France[:D]  I have heard that in France the FIMO is required to drive HGV and PCV/PCB (coaches) etc.  Has anyone any experience of doing the FIMO course and exam or is anyone aware of French transport companies that will employ English HGV drivers that are fully licensed????  Or know of a 'back door' scenario that could be applied, by that I mean registering with an English subsiduary of a French copmpany, but work based from France.  Or do some of the larger transporters such as Norbert Dentressangle (I think thats how its spelt) employ drivers with european licenses??  Apologies for a 'disjointed' post, but I have loads of questions and I am trying to find the best, quickest and cheapest way to gain HGV employment in France.  Any advice, links, opportunities[:D] greatly received, many thanks in advance

Jetlag

[Sunday Driver]

[quote user="jetlag"]

Hi

I have heard that in France the FIMO is required to drive HGV and PCV/PCB (coaches) etc. 

Correct.  You also have to do a refresher training course (FCOS) every five years.

Has anyone any experience of doing the FIMO course and exam

Details of the course [url=http://www.ecf-legon.com/article-2.php?id_article=4]HERE[/url].

or is anyone aware of French transport companies that will employ English HGV drivers that are fully licensed???? 

Not without the necessary certificates confirming you know all the French regulations pertaining to driving an LGV in France

Or know of a 'back door' scenario that could be applied, by that I mean registering with an English subsiduary of a French copmpany, but work based from France.  Or do some of the larger transporters such as Norbert Dentressangle (I think thats how its spelt) employ drivers with european licenses?? 

Details of Norbert Dentressangle driver vacancies are obtainable from [url=http://careers.norbert-dentressangle.com/fe/tpl_norbertdentre01.asp?newms=hm]HERE[/url].  You will note their standard qualifications are an EU licence plus FIMO/FCOS.  If you search for similar larger transport companies, I think you find they all require the FIMO/FCOS certificates.

Apologies for a 'disjointed' post, but I have loads of questions and I am trying to find the best, quickest and cheapest way to gain HGV employment in France. 

I think you'll have to bite the bullet and make the investment necessary for obtaining this kind of employment.

[/quote]

[Frank]

Many thanks Sunday Driver

[Boiling a frog]

A friend of mine, HGV driver, having been made redundant by his employers(Dutch) signed on unemployed .He was  given a grant by the Chambre de Commerce to complete the FIMO course, which costs around 2000 euros. I think he was given 1800 euros.

The course is in French so you need a working knowledge of French.

On completing the course he applied for a couple of jobs with French companies, was given an interview and is now employed by a French coy working out of DAX.There is another English driver working for the same company.

[Frank]

Many thanks Boiling a frog

I have also been told (whether it is true or not I don't know, will need to look into it) that some companies will 'sponsor' the FIMA, ie if you gain a job with them, they will pay for the course and you repay the company by staying in the job for a certain length of time.  If you leave within the specified period, then you pay the company the costs.  It may be an option and worth further investigation[:D].

Thanks again to everyone who has offered advice.

 

[Nick]

Hi, we moved here 4 years ago and my husband, who had been driving throughout Europe for most of his HGV career, found that he could not get a job driving over here without the FIMO. We have made extensive searches and come up against a brick wall. All I can tell you is that we have been told that on 10th September 2009 the French government is changing the law and that anyone holding a valid English HGV licence will be able to go to their prefecture and be given a FIMO. We are still trying to confirm this.

[Ron Avery]

.....anyone holding a valid English HGV licence will be able to go to their prefecture and be given a FIMO.

But not a job, a friend of mine with UK HGV and PSV licenses tried the local haulage  and coach firms and was told without a French license and CGT membership, he did not have chance of getting a job.  Might just be their local policies but I doubt it somehow.

[Jollity Farm]

Wouldnt have thought they would GIVE you a FIMO- will probably help you sit the exam! My husband started off with an English subsidiary of a French haulage firm, when they closed the English depot, he negotiated to be employed on the French side-  because we have a house already in France and are planning on moving over permanently they agreed to take him on. He was able to sit the FCOS and  FIMO, paid for by them, and he was allowed to have one of the office guys to translate anything he wasnt sure about as his French isnt completely fluent- he actually got higher marks than the French guys sitting it with him! To get the initial job he sent his CV and a covering letter/ e-mail to all the  French firms he could think of -good luck with the job hunting

[grawigz]

hi

i found a similar problem so visited the director de l'equipment bureau in poitiers and asked why i could not drive hgv in france with a european license even though i drove for a french company when i was in my 20s

after them getting all the books out they were very sorry but because of the introduction of the fimo there was no way round it except to take the full beginners course costing thousands

however they did tell me that if i wait until sept 2009 i will be able to drive because of the change in the law and the fact that we get our uk driver cpc by grandfathers rights so i suppose you could consider this as being from the horses mouth so to speak

its crazy i have 2 companies willing to give me work but red tape is preventing them so much for the eec

hope this helps

gra

[anth83]

Hi,

i've been working for the local brasserie for the last two years, only seasonal. I was finished today for this season but may get one more weeks driving at the end of October. On finishing i was told i would need FIMO next year if i wanted to drive.

I take it from your coments that this is the same as CPC.If we get this by Grandfathers rights have you any idea how we go about obtaining one.

Thanks Anth 83 

[Maricopa]

[quote user="anth83"]

On finishing i was told i would need FIMO next year if i wanted to drive.

[/quote]

Take a look at this thread.

[Frenchie]

So, is Fimo now strictly  necessary to drive a truck in France?

[jbbkt]

[quote user="grawigz"]

however they did tell me that if i wait until sept 2009 i will be able to drive because of the change in the law and the fact that we get our uk driver cpc by grandfathers rights so i suppose you could consider this as being from the horses mouth so to speak

[/quote]

Hi everyone, I know this post is a little old but I cant seem to find anything on the internet after the supposed september 09 law change regardless of finding or not finding a job with english hgv license. Does anyone know if the law actually came into effect and english drivers with a hgv license can now drive for a french firm? If anyone knows of any companies that may take on english drivers also this would be of great help.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

jbbkt

[Sunday Driver]

Latest position:

Formation Initiale Minimale Obligatoire

• Obligatoire pour tout conducteur d'un véhicule de plus de 7,5 tonnes entrant dans le métier

• Attestation délivrée par équivalence si :

  • le conducteur est titulaire de l'un des diplômes suivants : un CAP de conduite routière, un BEP de conduite et services dans le transport routier ou un certificat de formation professionnelle de conducteur routier.

  • le conducteur salarié était en activité en qualité de conducteur au 1er juillet 1995

  • le conducteur non salarié était en activité en qualité de conducteur au 1er janvier 1999

• La formation se déroule sur 4 semaines uniquement dans les centre agréés.

http://www.midi-pyrenees.equipement.gouv.fr/82/professionnel/transports_routiers/formation/formation.htm

 

[pitway]

Hi,

The answer to this question is still probably no! as far as I can see the Drivers card cannot be issued by DVLA to a driver until he has completed the 35hr refresher course, so without that card a potential employer would probably just refuse to employ you!! they don't appear to know anything about the new regulations in the UK (and why would they?) so I think it will take a bit of time before they feel confident that they could employ a UK driver without falling foul of the authorities. will be interested to see what will happen when someone with a UK license and a drivers card applies for a job here.

I am currently driving for a company at the moment covering for a sick driver but because the sector I am working in is for a factory maufacturing tiles and bricks and that I only transport the raw product I do not require a FIMO or FCOS and carry an "attestation" spelling out the law should I be stopped by the police. It still wasn't without its problems though, the factory had offered me the job but didn't want to give me a direct contract with them, preferring the agency route for temporary work, however, after going in to the agency and filling out all the paperwork and doing a couple of little exam/questionnaires then turned round and refused me the work because of the lack of the FIMO!! the outcome was that if the factory wanted me I would have to work for them on a direct contract so they put me on a CDD (temporary contract). so there are a few exemptions, but not many, and jobs like that will be few and far between.

if you are still in the UK or can go back for a short period you could try doing the refresher course early and apply for your card but there is still a risk that a French employer might be too nervous to take you on.

On another note, I was made redundant last year and the company employed to follow our progress and and help us find work also suggested that as well as having to do the FIMO I would also have to do the "code de la route" as well so for the amount of driving I would want to do and the expense and aggravation I couldn't be bothered to follow it up.

Hope you find a solution

Good luck Tim