Just a quick question, feel free to ignore.
I was wondering, why some drivers decide to spend 25 years as a trapper. I appreciate most might start when young and single, but do you not miss family life.
I couldn’t spend half my life in a tin cab purely because I like a balanced life and appreciate being home nightly.
Thanks
I’m no longer a tramper but one thing I liked about it is the lack of pressure to get back. If your running out of time you just call it a day
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pickandmix:
I’m no longer a tramper but one thing I liked about it is the lack of pressure to get back. If your running out of time you just call it a daySent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My thoughts exactly , I cant do day driving jobs as the pressure to get done and clock watching causes me to have a melt down if things go wrong
But with a tramping job if things go wrong and time races away with its self then hey ho I just park up
Also you tend to have the same truck all the time and don’t share it with an undesirable
i think many also go for the extra £100 a week tax free night out money, which they then add to their wage, when stating how well they are paid, and how large their take home pay is !! Me personally, i prefer to be away all week and try and make it home for the weekend, keep the same truck, dont have to keep moving my stuff backwards and forwards , and daywork normally guarantees a 15 hour day at least 3 times a week, or max hours whatever you want to call it.
I would say tramping is more of a lifestyle choice rather than a necessity. If your young free and single it’s a good way of getting out and about seeing the country, meeting new people and saving money without the stress of struggling to get home every night.
I’m another one who prefers it because I get stressed when I’m up against the clock and trying to get finished. Also the yard is 30 miles from home and there’s no chance in hell I’d do a 60 mile commute everyday.
Being out during the week means I get a bit of variety in the jobs and places I get sent where as the day drivers get sent to the same three sites day in day out.
All the above reasons are valid, plus variety of work: limiting yourself to a 4hour drive of home depot must mean a limit to work variety. Ill accept not all day jobs need be the exact same route, but a smaller radius must mean less variety. No set start/finish times, no-one checking up every 5 minutes. Being given a job, and being trusted to get on with it. I enjoy my time at home, and would like more of it please, but dont dread going to work. Also one return trip to work rather than 5.
If I had a regular family life and was used to being home every night, I may not be easily persuaded to start distance work. But having done it now, Id need a lot to make me give distance up. May not be totally logical, but thats my take on it.
Originally it was to see parts of the country I couldn’t in a day. I stated on another thread about my favourite road being the top end of the A1. I didn’t see that in a day cab. But I soon found it suited my lifestyle. No avoidable reduced rests, unless I want to. Lack of stress for said reasons. Dedicated truck, as you can tell from my regular appearances at truckfest, I have differing standards on cleanliness from others. And whilst I don’t do the volume of nights out as I used to, I can stay in the truck at the yard if I want. I do see the extra night out money as a bonus. The way I see things, 90% of jobs pay a standard Monday to Friday wage. I prefer to be away for the extra cash, and have my weekends with the kids, rather than work weekends for enhanced rates, just to sleep in your own bed every night. There is no right or wrong way, just the way you do things. Plus I can look further afield for work, and get a better wage than locally. And the running costs on the car are lower, doing one or two 70 mile round trips a week, than 5 ten mile round trips there the car won’t warm up
Put it another way last week I got to my last drop on Tuesday @3.30m, building site no one there so phone contact number site manger wasn’t expecting it till later in week can’t get no one there today but can at 7am next day , I said I’d have to check with my t’m as I had 1 collection to do next day , manager said just stay till morning and unload then ( couldn’t do that on days )so parked up by 4pm
Thursday did last drop in Long Eaton notts 11:30 had lunch , phoned office they said head to xyz cables near Mansfield and see if stuff is ready for collection ,Arrived at xyz cables about 2pm only 2 machine minders there no forkie or office guy wont be back till 4pm but stuff wont be ready till morning phoned office told them the situation and go told just sit and wait ,as xyz cables is on a farm industrial unit with electric gate I just stayed there the night and had a lovely kip left there 7am Friday 
Not all day work is geared around 15/13 hour flat out days, i average a 43 hour week and that’s based on working 1 month a year less than a normal 5 day week, but it isn’t 9 to 5 and i do a good proportion of weekend days into the mix, suits me and my lady, wouldn’t suit everyone.
I don’t think there’s any particular reason anyone tramps, the industry has a (shrinking now the bloody logistics mobs are ruining everything they touch) wide variety of work, each of us will gravitate towards what we want to do what we enjoy or suits our lifestyle once we’ve got enough experience and history to go for the better work, whatever field that might be in, one mans meat etc.
For the record i hate tramping, but then i hate supermarket type RDC hell holes with a vengeance too (unless working for the supermarket itself), not too keen on multi drop either 
Thanks for the replies, seems it is a life style choice … I see what some of you guys mean re the 15 hour shift.
Easier to stay in the cab then go home and be tired, less pressure, seeing the countryside etc.
I’m just about to give up my tramping job, I love the freedom, but now I’ve moved back to Scotland, the flying down to Thurrock every second weekend is taking it’s toll, that’s where the truck is based, so my boss is looking for another driver now, lorry mounted crane on a daf ssc, all the work is moving containers and lifting on and off, easy money, mon to fri, very good money, I did 45k last year, anyone? Don’t have to have ticket, he’ll give you that, a good driver is whats needed.
Pm me if you are interested.
Sapper
I’m just about to give up my tramping job, I love the freedom, but now I’ve moved back to Scotland, the flying down to Thurrock every second weekend is taking it’s toll, that’s where the truck is based, so my boss is looking for another driver now, lorry mounted crane on a daf ssc, all the work is moving containers and lifting on and off, easy money, mon to fri, very good money, I did 45k last year, anyone? Don’t have to have ticket, he’ll give you that, a good driver is whats needed.
Pm me if you are interested.
Sapper
Tramping gave you the chance to have a greater variety of work and destinations,especially if you done international,then you always had the possibility of going somwhere new and exciting.Also you had the possibility to make and save a bit extra.Also,depending where you went there was the possibility to buy and sell things,with quite often excellent profits.
If Labour win the election, we might all want to consider being a “Carer for a Tramp” rather than a “Tramper for a career”. 
Those care allowances are quite meaty already, and set to increase under a Labour government. 
I was all set for tramping as my 4 are now all growing up a bit, until Thursday night when the missus told me she was pregnant again. So looks like I’m grounded for a bit.
Winseer:
If Labour win the election, we might all want to consider being a “Carer for a Tramp” rather than a “Tramper for a career”.Those care allowances are quite meaty already, and set to increase under a Labour government.
Wow ! £62.70 for a 35 hour week !
gov.uk/carers-allowance/overview
Wonder how many would rush to knock an elderly relative over the head to take advantage of that? And if you care for two or three people you dont need to apply for extra, because youre not eligible for it.
Winseer:
If Labour win the election, we might all want to consider being a “Carer for a Tramp” rather than a “Tramper for a career”.Those care allowances are quite meaty already, and set to increase under a Labour government.
Now come on there might have be some weird election results but no way will Corbyn get elected 
wrighty1:
Winseer:
If Labour win the election, we might all want to consider being a “Carer for a Tramp” rather than a “Tramper for a career”.Those care allowances are quite meaty already, and set to increase under a Labour government.
Now come on there might have be some weird election results but no way will Corbyn get elected
Dusty Bins got a better chance of being elected than Corbyn has. [emoji3]
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I started driving in the wilds of North Norfolk, tramping or at least a few nights out a week was really the only choice, very few jobs within commutable distance for day work and they would normally be word of mouth and taken by the old boys who now could afford not to do nights out.
Also for the family men in that area, it was probably one of the few semi skilled jobs (not just driving jobs, but any job) where you could earn enough money to support a family.
Also having done both tramping and day work, on day work I was always working out how various delays would effect my getting home in my hours, tramping it was just well that delay has stuffed getting to my favourite place, what are the options.