If you work for UK haulage companies then you may occasionally make trips to the continent. This can sometimes be one of the best parts of the job as you get to experience different countries and sights, and many haulage workers enjoy this aspect. If you get the chance to get off the motorways and head deeper into the countryside, you may even be lucky enough to experience some really exciting roads. Here are three of the most interesting roads in Europe that you should check out if you get the opportunity.

1. Northern Ireland

If you carry out work for haulage companies in Northern Ireland then the coastal road in the north of the country is one you should definitely travel. This spectacular road will take you right up the coast, and you can join it anywhere from Ballycastle to Belfast. Right outside your window you will be able to observe one of the great natural wonders of the world, Giant’s Causeway, and the entire route is a stunning drive along spectacular coastline.

2. Germany

When you drive to Germany delivering for haulage companies, do yourself a favour and try to experience a bit of the Alpine Road. This is one of the most famous roads in Germany. It stretches from the west to the east of the country and is especially impressive for the natural features it contains, including stunning mountains and lakes.

3. Italy

If you manage to head as far south as the southern coast of Italy when working for haulage companies then the Amalfi Coast is one of the best roads on the continent. Here you will find excellent beaches on one side and towering mountains on the other, as well as small picturesque villages dotted along the route. If you get the opportunity this is one not to miss.

Enjoy the Wonders of Europe’s Roads

If you get to travel to Europe when you are working for UK haulage companies, do your best to try and visit any of the above areas where you will find some of the most spectacular roads on the continent. Take a break from the motorways and, instead, see something really special.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for haulage companies to buy and sell road transport and delivery work in the domestic and international markets.

Thank you for visiting Travel Articles Directory. Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

This article was provided by LeadGenerators – the smartest SEO agency in London, and the proud host of a series of Internet Marketing training seminars and Social Media breakfasts.

If you work for haulage companies in the UK then you will undoubtedly spend a lot of time in your vehicle. Working on the road is a great job if you don’t like being cooped up in an office, but it is even better when you get to see interesting sights whilst on the job. Here are three of the most interesting manmade structures that you might pass on the job!

Stonehenge

Stonehenge is one of the most famous manmade monuments in the world and always fascinating to behold – and you may well behold it often if you work for UK haulage companies. This prehistoric monument is located in Wiltshire, and you will see it when you are driving either on the A344 or on the A303, which both pass nearby. The huge standing stones are awe-inspiring. They still remain a bit of a mystery, and are generally thought to date back to around 2,500 BC. It’s no surprise that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Angel of the North

The Angel of the North has become the symbol of the northeast of the country since it was erected in 1998. Designed by Antony Gormley, it can be found in Gateshead near Newcastle, and you cannot miss it when you drive along the A1 or the A167. The project began in 1994, at a cost of £1 million, funded mostly by the National Lottery. It is 20 metres tall with a wingspan of 54 metres. It can withstand powerful winds due to its strong foundations consisting of 600 tonnes of concrete. Despite being criticised by many when it was first erected, it is now very popular across the whole of the northeast and quite a tourist attraction!

Concrete Cows

If you are ever working for haulage companies around Milton Keynes then you cannot miss the iconic Concrete Cows sculptures. These date back to 1978 when they were created by the artist Liz Leyh, and they consist of six cows in total. You can see these when you are driving along the A422 – although they are not actually the originals, but replicas. They caused uproar and were the butt of many jokes when they first appeared, but they are now the pride of the town.

Enjoy the Wonders of the Road

If you work for haulage companies then you will have plenty of opportunities to catch some incredible sights from the comfort of your vehicle. However, even if you’re just a passenger driving through any of the above areas, keep an eye out for these interesting manmade structures that are some of the best-known in the UK.

Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Haulage Exchange, the leading online trade network for the road transport industry across the UK and Europe. It provides services for haulage companies to buy and sell road transport and delivery work in the domestic and international markets.

Thank you for visiting Travel Articles Directory. Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

This article was provided by LeadGenerators – the smartest SEO agency in London, and the proud host of a series of Internet Marketing training seminars and Social Media breakfasts.

Given the state of the economy, rising petrol prices and other depressing news on the home front, it is no wonder that discouragement is one of the things affecting the entrepreneurial owner driver. Jobs are scarce – at least, that’s what “they” are saying. It’s hard to make a living in the haulage and delivery market with so many big players.

Or is it?

It may be true that employment is indeed scarce for many people. However, this is the reason that many have struck out to go into business for themselves, and this is true especially for the owner driver. Jobs may not be plentiful enough to go around, that may be true (although no actual statistics are available to confirm or deny this fact), but keep in mind these few basic principles and you could have the best opportunity of securing enough from the ones available – at least as many as you need to earn a good living.

Your reputation is your biggest asset.

This is true for any business in any industry, and it certainly applies to getting owner driver jobs. As we all know, a job well done leads to more jobs – repeat business from highly satisfied customers-turned-regulars is the key to job security for many in the delivery industry. Recommendations and testimonials lead to new customers as well.

If you’ve just started, building that reputation may be tricky. But with consistency in how you deliver you are sure to build your reputation, and with it, your list of people you can rely on to give you owner driver jobs on a regular basis. Bonus: these people can even include others in the same line as you!

Efficiency and reliability are more important than pricing yourself low.

Many people believe that undercutting prices is the way to get more jobs. This is very dangerous thinking for an owner driver. Jobs that are profitable tend to multiply at a fast rate, and if you price yourself too low you may find yourself biting off more than you can chew in order to make enough to keep you afloat. This can lead to dangerous habits like breaking the Drivers’ Hours rules, over-exerting yourself, and shoddy work – all of which can cut your delivery career short against your will.

Studies show that many people – small business owners in particular– would rather give their custom to people they know and trust and, for those whose businesses are focused on quality, are not averse to paying just a little bit higher on owner driver jobs for the assurance that their goods are delivered in the same condition they left the stores or workshops. On the other hand, don’t price yourself out either – prudence is key.

Technology is available. Use it.

We are living in an age where technology can help you find those owner driver jobs, secure them, and do them well. Websites and forums abound where jobs are posted, and gadgets are available that allow you to access them wherever you may be. Cellular phones have made communications easier and speedier, while GPS and mapping software allow you to make your deliveries more efficiently.

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world’s largest neutral trading hub for same day owner driver jobs courier services and the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe ‘wholesale’ environment.

Thank you for visiting Travel Articles Directory. Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

This article was provided by LeadGenerators – the smartest SEO agency in London, and the proud host of a series of Internet Marketing training seminars and Social Media breakfasts.

Everyone knows owner driver jobs are not for the faint of heart. The long hours, the strenuous drives and multi-tasking involved in carrying out the work – often on your own – that are involved in owning your own business definitely requires inner strength, fortitude and a whole lot of courage.

From another point of view, it also takes a different kind of bravery to be taking on owner driver jobs that require driving on UK roads late at night through to the wee hours of the morning. Especially after having heard the stories of spooky goings-on occurring on the highways.  What spooky goings-on, you may ask? Here are just a few…

The Ghostly Hitch-hiker

Drivers along the M6, said to be the road with the most number of ghostly sightings, have reported seeing a ghostly looking woman in white attempting to hitch hike. While some have laughed this off as tales told by sleepy, or perhaps even tipsy, drivers coming home from a night out, it takes credence when coming from people who are alert and fully awake working on owner driver jobs.   While presumably no one has yet stopped to give the honourable lady a ride, we do not recommend you be the first to do so.

The Roman Troops

On the same road, drivers have reported seeing ghostly Roman troops on the carriageway near the M6 toll section, making their bold way through the tarmac as if it were water.

The Glittering Victorian Coach

Up in the Highlands on the A9, near Loch Bhuie, a glittering Victorian coach drawn by six white horses is said to appear, complete with bewigged footmen in period costume. Since it often appears past midnight, it could hardly be Cinderella rushing off from the ball – it would have turned into a pumpkin by then! Still, it is good to be careful, so if delivering pumpkins is a regular part of your owner driver jobs, you may want to check your load to see if one is missing – but only when you are well away from the area.

The Phantom Dog Of Great Yarmouth

For the typical owner driver, jobs requiring long journeys often involve watching out for animals on the road. For some, however, this caution takes a creepy turn on either High Street or Suffield Road in Great Yarmouth, where a ghostly, dog-like creature with long legs has been seen running along at great speed before disappearing into thin air.

The Phantom Lorry

Imagine yourself driving down the M6 (yet again!) on one of those overnight owner driver jobs, singing along at the wheel to your favourite song and you spy, at a distance, a lorry speeding down the wrong side of the road. As you prepare to avoid it, it suddenly disappears into thin air. It hasn’t happened to you yet? Count yourself lucky – it has allegedly happened to many before you!

Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world’s largest neutral trading hub for same day owner driver jobs courier services and the express freight exchange industry. Over 2,500 transport exchange businesses are networked together through their website, trading jobs and capacity in a safe ‘wholesale’ environment.

Thank you for visiting Travel Articles Directory. Feel free to use any of our travel writing articles for your own website, on the condition that you also take the link we have included in the text. Check back for more travel writing soon; we’re uploading more original travel articles all the time!

This article was provided by LeadGenerators – the smartest SEO agency in London, and the proud host of a series of Internet Marketing training seminars and Social Media breakfasts.

Whether you are looking for a job in travel or teaching, PR or publishing, hunting for a new job can be a daunting experience. There is no flawless formula for finding the perfect job, but by taking some basic steps and remembering a few important principles, you can greatly enhance your chances of success…

Know thyself

If you are about to start searching online for a job, ask yourself a few simple questions first. What skills and experience do you have? What kind of work do you want to do? What parts of your previous jobs have you enjoyed and been good at, and where have you struggled? When you are hunting for jobs online, life will be a lot easier if you have a better understanding of what you like and what you are good at.

Do your research

Once you’ve built an accurate picture of your skills and experience, it’s time to do some online job research. Take a look in the print and online job listings of major newspapers and relevant trade publications to get an idea of what kind of jobs are out there, and find out how much experience or what specific qualifications you’ll need for the ones that interest you.

If you are lucky enough to have any contacts in an industry that interests you, talk to them about the details of their job. Online forums, blogs and message boards are also good places to learn more about an industry, potential employer or a specific kind of work.

Get some help!

There’s nothing like the advice of a professional to help you on your way, especially if you are heading into an industry about which you know very little. If you’ve recently graduated from university, you can still contact their careers service for advice. You should also consider contacting a recruitment consultancy. Recruitment consultancies are usually knowledgeable and specialised in specific areas, from travel jobs to publishing and PR, and they will have the experience and contacts to help you find employment. They may also be able to advise you on writing your CV and preparing for an interview.

Get some experience

Many companies like to see relevant experience before they will consider hiring you. Work experience and internships look good on your CV and can be a shortcut to employment – if you are impressive enough in an unpaid position, many companies will hire you full time.

Craft your CV

Don’t send out the same CV for different jobs – it’s easy to spot when a CV is generic and when it has been given a little thought. Focus on the skills on those that are relevant for the position you are applying to, and when writing about your previous jobs, emphasise the experiences they gave you that have prepared you for the job you are applying for.

That personal touch…

Try and find a way to stand out from the crowd with your application. Call the company to enquire about the position and/or follow up your application with a phone call (but don’t be pushy!) Try to speak to the same person each time you call the company so that you can develop a contact there. Consider submitting a paper CV and covering letter rather than applying for the job online. But don’t try anything to quirky when trying to add that personal touch – fancy fonts and a list of strange interests on your CV can make you seem unprofessional.

Be prepared!

If you make it through to an interview, preparation is the key to success. Read up on the details of the job and travel to the interview early – being late always makes a bad impression! Dress smart and simple, prepare a list of relevant questions, learn more about the company and the industry it is in, and so on. The more you prepare, the calmer you’ll be, the more you’ll know and the better you’ll do. Good luck!

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Puregenie, an online travel jobs website. The site deals with recruitment in the ever growing travel sector and offers a wide selection of travel jobs, as well as other roles involved in maintaining a presence online. Although the site is mainly travel focussed, it also displays vacancies in the hospitality and leisure industries.

School-Boy Errors

Including your Date of Birth: You’re advised not to include your date of birth for discrimination purposes. Besides, if you do you run the, admittedly slight, risk of getting it wrong. You’ll soon find that a few misplaced digits can cause a great deal of trouble. Very few firms will offer executive jobs to people younger than 14 or older than 140.

Using the wrong contact details: Perhaps the cruelest of mistakes. Re-check those digits or you’ll be the only girl not at the dance.

Submitting an unprofessional Email address: Popping up in the inbox as ‘hotmale@hotmail.com’ or ‘Suburbancowboy69@yahoo.com’ will not result in your appointment as Travel Director. Jobs in the upper echelons just don’t work like that.

Peppering your work with Misspellings: If you can’t be trusted with a spellchecker you can’t be trusted with a company. Don’t even consider applying for executive travel jobs by claiming you used to work in ‘Tennereefay’.

Redeemable Transgressions

Leaving Unexplained Gaps – Don’t try and hide those 2 years you spent as a roadie for Metallica. Who knows what horrors they might imagine instead?

Breaking the two-page rule – The secret of ‘image’ is judicious editing. Let your C.V. present only the cream of your achievements and save a little something for date night.

Using empty clichés – Put yourself in the employer’s position. Sooner or later phrases such as, ‘Good communicator’ and ‘Works well in a team’ begin to blur into obscurity. You might as well write ‘Regularly digests solids’ or ‘Breathes 78% Nitrogen’ for all the good it will do you. If you’re aiming for executive jobs, show proof of your excellence, not a repertoire of empty claims.

Indefensible Indictments

Lying – If you once drove three of your mates to Dieppe on a ‘Booze Cruise’ then don’t claim you spent 5 years as an International Travel Director. Jobs at that level often aren’t as easy as them seem and one would like to think you’d be caught out.

Using friends as a reference – Unless your friend is a talented web-designer and a vocal impersonator on a level with the ‘Fonejacker’ you will not pull this off. In fact, like many Con Artists, you may end up putting more effort into the deception than it would take to make the same profit from legal pursuits.

The rest, of course, is up to the quality of your presentation. With competent, clear and direct writing there is no reason that you shouldn’t secure the interview for the job that you deserve. If possible try and read as many of other people’s C.V.s as you can and try and work out exactly what the employer is looking for. If you know that, and are confident you’ve the relevant experience, the most desirable executive jobs should be well within your grasp.

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Gail Kenny Executive Search, a recruitment agency specialising in executive travel jobs. The site caters exclusively to talented individuals with skills and experience to succeed in the travel management, and businesses looking for such candidates.

Australian tourism has received a much needed boost in recent weeks as its innovative travel recruitment strategy has drawn to a close. Tourism Queensland’s campaign to find someone to act as “Caretaker” on Hamilton Island incorporated social media and Reality Television-style elements into its interview process, making it a worldwide media spectacle. The campaign attracted about 35,000 applicants, along with unknown thousands that were unable to register when the site crashed as they tried to apply online. Jobs and opportunities like this one don’t come along very often it seems, so it is no wonder the demand for it was so high.

The successful candidate was Ben Southall from Petersfield, Hampshire, whose first feat was to get noticed among so many rivals. Along with the 35,000 others, he was asked to make a 60-second video presentation about why he should get the job – a question any employer looking to fill online jobs will ask. Ben’s video showed him to be an outgoing, zany character, as he loudly declared his love of adventure into the camera before showing footage of him riding an ostrich and kissing a giraffe.

‘Once in a Lifetime’ Opportunity

In general, when applying for travel jobs, kissing wildlife may not be the way to go, but what is clear is that Ben made the effort required to catch the attention of his recruiters and make his application outshine the others. His application was obviously tailor-made to the employer.

When you apply online, jobs won’t all have the same requirements, and emphasis on certain skills or experience will be different, which means the CVs and cover letters you send out must be different too. Some applicants would rather send many generic CVs and vague cover letters to numerous travel recruitment companies in the hope that one will get picked up. The truth is that a targeted approach is more likely to catch the eye of the person whose task it is to sift through numerous applications.

So tailor your CV to suit each of the travel jobs you apply for, and making your cover letter just right is particularly important with online jobs where the written word may be your main mode of contact with your clients.

Enthusiasm

The most obvious element to Australia’s travel recruitment campaign was the enthusiasm it stimulated. When it comes to more everyday travel jobs, you should try to convey some of the same desire for your intended position, but sending a video of you shouting and jumping into swimming pools is not the way to get that across. Even if you want to project a sense of fun, you still have to remember that to some extent you will be the company’s reprehensive – the face of their company – so accuracy and professionalism are important, too. In Ben’s case, a sense of his dedication and hard work was portrayed by the footage of him running a marathon and swimming lengths in the pool.

Nonetheless, enthusiasm is important in online jobs. Be original, be specific, be focused. In the cover letter, and in your interview, the confidence and enthusiasm you embody will likely transfer to your potential employer, making them in turn feel confident in your abilities and consider you with enthusiasm.

Experience is Key in Travel Jobs

If the travel job you are applying for is related to a specific region of the world, try to make clear your knowledge of that area. In the case of the Hamilton Island caretaker job, not many of the thousands of applicants will have been there before. Even though the advertisement claimed that ‘no experience was necessary,’ they still had the problem of showing their suitability to their workplace.

So how would you demonstrate experience for travel jobs about regions you don’t know intimately? Ben Southall’s application made clear that he once worked as a tour guide in Africa and his video showed him scuba diving. Both activities have elements transferable to the ‘demands’ of the Hamilton Island Caretaker/Publicist role. When you apply for jobs online you should think the same way: ‘How is what I know relevant to what is required’? Your own research will have to fill in the gaps.

Ben Southall’s “best job in the world” ends in six months time, so it won’t be long before he has to start applying for travel jobs like the rest of us. He will be trying to make his experiences and his enthusiasm work in his favour.

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Puregenie, an online travel jobs website. The site deals with recruitment in the ever-growing travel sector and offers a wide selection of online travel jobs, as well as other roles involved in maintaining a presence online. Although the site is mainly travel focused, it also displays vacancies in the hospitality and leisure industries.