Having limped around a bit over the last 18 months I’ve learnt a lot in the variety of Aldi life bags I’ve lifted in and out of different cabs. I’ve had some gigs where the hours are short and so are the wages, to some great earners where life outside the cab exists of sleeping!
We’ve had our 1k a week club on here before, generally having handbags with Pop’s! But so far when I’ve dome stints on that money, the quality of life isn’t worth the wage clocking 59 WTD hours whilst posting as much break as you dare, as there is no life…
And yes, I won’t be in my current ‘perm ’ limp for that much longer!
Im going to get some flak for being a saddo here, but I do quite enjoy my job. . . mostly. Im salaried so dont need to chase hours to get my pay up. I plan on being away from Monday to Friday, so dont chase the clock to be at the depot before the shifts end. My start/finish times are pretty much down to me. Nights out are a chance to read a book, or eat a decent meal, with hopefully some interesting company in a restaurant. No wasting my time burning fuel in my car every morning and evening on the traffic jammed commute. I could manage a 3day working week and 4day weekend of course but will manage to keep going as is for the moment. Work for me is not separate from my life it is a part of it. Surely it is for all of us? If you hate your work so much you are always clock watching then go get another job. If I won the lottery, I wouldnt be punching my card in at silly oclock on Monday morning, but I would miss some aspects of the job. Sure I moan about tight difficult access points, but admit to a little self satisfied smile when getting in n out without excessive shunting around. Getting a smile and a "thank you" for doing a pick up from a small business is always a bonus. Being paid to visit tourist areas and watching the sun rise over the Alps is a free dose of "feel good". Maybe Im a fool to be happy about small pleasures but we fools don`t jam up the doctors waiting rooms after our prescriptions of soma!
I too love my job, and was very happy tramping Monday to Friday. But now I’m working 4on-4off (salaried! !), and it’s brilliant. I get to spend much more time at home, doing things I like to do at leisure. It won’t work if you need your weekends though.
55 hours last week. 45 minute each way. Night work, some nights are done in about 6-7 hours. No overtime until after 9 hours per night so when the work goes flat it starts to cost me to go to work… There are a few places opening the doors after Christmas so I’m counting down the days.
50 hrs last week for me that’s including breaks but it’s the run up to Xmas so should die down in the new year as I do like my 15 hrs off at least 3 times a week but it’s only going to get busier in the next 3 weeks unfortunately.
I tramped for many years when the money was good but had no home life though as was always away, and when I was home your trying to cram all the jobs in you need to do so was still stressful.
Now working 50 hours a week mon to fri with a small family firm with local deliveries. Some would say the job is boring and monotonous but it’s a job where I spend more time thinking about all the things I’m gonna do with all my spare time.
I’m now salaried, and with set hours, 50 Mon -Fri, which is fine for me personally, but my target is in 10 years time to be working a 40 hour week.
But on the truck it was 50-55 average, with the winter and summer months at 40ish hours and spring and autumn at 60 hours. This worked fine for me, but I wouldn’t have wanted more, and I never did a Saturday. The only thing I had to change was not planning anything like a 2200 cinema trip on a Friday as I would fall asleep, I could go clubbing or to the pub for a few fine, but if I sat down in a comfy seat I was asleep before you could say Scania…
Mon to Fri days.
Every weekend off.
Start between 6-7am and never finished later than 5pm unless something has gone seriously wrong.
20 minute commute to and from work.
Was 55hrs plus 1.5hrs travel to work each day starting or finishing at silly o’clock and not getting a full weekend off because nights so you get up around 1pm and waste Saturday with Monday spent waiting to go to work. So basically no life 5-6 days a week.
Work life balance now restored by jacking in driving and getting a 9-5 job.
Late boat out Sun night/early Mon morn and home again Tue morn.
Time off and away early Wed morn and finished majority before Fri lunch.
About 50/55hr week “on duty” and salaried,
suits to have weekends off and home during the week to taxi the kids about!!![emoji6]
Conor:
Was 55hrs plus 1.5hrs travel to work each day starting or finishing at silly o’clock and not getting a full weekend off because nights so you get up around 1pm and waste Saturday with Monday spent waiting to go to work. So basically no life 5-6 days a week.
Work life balance now restored by jacking in driving and getting a 9-5 job.
Averaging around 70 hours mon-fri with a couple of nights out, weekends off. Only been doing the job for 6 months and generally enjoying it although less hours would be nice lol.
wrighty1:
Averaging around 70 hours mon-fri with a couple of nights out, weekends off. Only been doing the job for 6 months and generally enjoying it although less hours would be nice lol.
Mon to Sat around 70hrs and 2.5K - 2.8K kms a week. Prefer Malaga- Portugal- Barcelona groupage and backload return buts its usually Malaga to Calais or Reims return. No loading/ unloading , just trailer swops at each end on this run which is great, no waiting around just grab the paperwork and go, can be a little monotonous at times slogging up and down the autoroutes but i like it especially further south where its hardly ever cold. Spend sunday at my home in Nerja close to the beach which overlooks the med, cant complain…
AndrewG:
Mon to Sat around 70hrs and 2.5K - 2.8K kms a week. Prefer Malaga- Portugal- Barcelona groupage and backload return buts its usually Malaga to Calais or Reims return. No loading/ unloading , just trailer swops at each end on this run which is great, no waiting around just grab the paperwork and go, can be a little monotonous at times slogging up and down the autoroutes but i like it especially further south where its hardly ever cold…
Sounds very easy but if it’s mainly driving how do you still rack up so many hours ?
AndrewG:
Mon to Sat around 70hrs and 2.5K - 2.8K kms a week. Prefer Malaga- Portugal- Barcelona groupage and backload return buts its usually Malaga to Calais or Reims return. No loading/ unloading , just trailer swops at each end on this run which is great, no waiting around just grab the paperwork and go, can be a little monotonous at times slogging up and down the autoroutes but i like it especially further south where its hardly ever cold…
Sounds very easy but if it’s mainly driving how do you still rack up so many hours ?
And Malaga Reims is nearer 2000km each way surely? Still, each to their own, I find nowt but autoroute driving boring, but we`re all different.
AndrewG:
Mon to Sat around 70hrs and 2.5K - 2.8K kms a week. Prefer Malaga- Portugal- Barcelona groupage and backload return buts its usually Malaga to Calais or Reims return. No loading/ unloading , just trailer swops at each end on this run which is great, no waiting around just grab the paperwork and go, can be a little monotonous at times slogging up and down the autoroutes but i like it especially further south where its hardly ever cold. Spend sunday at my home in Nerja close to the beach which overlooks the med, cant complain…
you have a nice regular job there…always nicer once your outside the uk…
when im working,by body is a temple…
when im off work…its an adventure playground…i always like to work to live which seems easier than living to work.
But so far when I’ve dome stints on that money, the quality of life isn’t worth the wage clocking 59 WTD hours whilst posting as much break as you dare, as there is no life… 
