Tramping vs days vs nights

Just had a root around on the forum with the magic search method, and I’ve found a plethora of stuff on tramping/days/nights.

However, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of people’s reasons. Why do you prefer the job that you do?

Nights-less traffic, Mrs works opposite shifts, childcare etc? Day work-Struggle to sleep in the day, play on the darts team at 7pm etc?
Trampers-More money, simply enjoy it, long commute to work? Or do you work a 4 on 4 off pattern or similar?

I am genuinely interested in folks motives for doing the job that they do, and I would appreciate some full on honesty :laughing:

eagerbeaver:
I am genuinely interested in folks motives for doing the job that they do, and I would appreciate some full on honesty :laughing:

Money :wink:

I do earlies. New driver so like the quieter roads.

Not a tramper but do nights out. Like the longer runs as they are generally to parts of the country that are a bit more scenic.

Don’t see the mrs other than rest days due to hours we both work so happy to take the extra money for nights out

4 on/4 off tramping. (Barely tramping really!)

Tramping mainly because of where I live and to deliver pretty much most places means you ain’t getting back - so it’s pretty much the norm for most firms close by.

I do it mainly for money but like most people I suppose I do enjoy it the majority of the time.

Some days I get out the lorry and would happily never set foot in one again but not often enough to actually make me stop, and I’d be unhappy to go back to a normal mon-fri shift pattern.

When I first passed my test, I was worried that I’d struggle for work. I told the agency that I’d work any shift available just so I could get the experience. They put me on nights at my current place and I’ve been doing them here ever since.

I did the odd day shift back in my agency days, but always glad to get back on the nights. Still plenty of Muppets on the road, but with there being less traffic, they’re easier to spot and avoid. Just a shame about the road closures. Not sure I could cope with days now.

Although very much a people person I am also equally happy with long periods of solitude and I jealously guard my privacy when it suits me to. I’ve tramped for 30 years or so and it has never once been about the money, I’m paid subsistence allowance to make up for being away from home so I’ve always spent every penny of it.

Also, as I detest early starts it’s nice to have longer in bed by virtue of the fact that I wake up in the office.

4 on 4 off atm, it was the job and its location I was attracted to rather than the shift pattern, I was given the choice of nights or days so I chose nights because I actually prefer nights to days and it’s slightly more money too which is a bonus rather than the main incentive.

Monday to Friday tramping
Alocated truck so don’t share it with any hurberts
Week end and bank holidays are all mine

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Started full time driving as a tramping, basically because that’s what was offered and day jobs in the wilds of North Norfolk were and maybe still are far and few between.
In the convening years tried day work and night work sometimes found it enjoyable and sometimes not so much so.

Personally really love long distance driving, especially across Europe and specialising in the sort of work I do, but if job right and the company is decent, I’d probably be happy with any sort of work.

Living in NI to clear around £600 PAYE into bank each week you gotta tramp.
Working days or night’s you 'd struggle to clear £420/450 and hours would generally be longer.

On frigo work I start late on Sun night and usually finished before lunchtime Fri (5shifts mixture of days/nights)
So majority of weekend off each week.[emoji41]
Maybe wouldn’t be classed as “■■■■■■■■” tramper as get home for daily rest on a Tue or Wed morn “trips” depending.
(“Long trip/short trip” vice versa each week)

Suits family life well as boys busy with football/rugby/hockey teams Fri/Sat and getting home mid-week keeps Wifey happy making dinner/sorting bins/homework/sports training taxi service etc etc.[emoji106]

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I’ve done most of the above.

Did 4on 4off nights in the 80’s, though in practice used to work at least one shift and usually 2 extra on OT, earned some serious wedge, the job was fun, days before limiters and few cameras about so it was hell for leather, good cameraderie.

Did many years on car transporters, that was working all hours God sent and nights out in cut down cabs, hard mucky work and you can get hurt regularly but the money was there, interesting job too, not a job for old men.

Did several years on Kwik Save delivering from RDC to the small supermarkets, days, this was my most enjoyable job of all, good money all on the clock but paid proper rates dark money etc, lots of small pokey places to get around, day cab Scania was one of the best urban tractors ever, no lorry kudos so the glory boys didn’t want the job so it never got ruined by, er, glory boys.

Now have good job, permanent days shifts no nights out, usually early starts which is my ideal, work some weekends and part weekends, fewer hours and fewer days per year than anything i’ve done before so loads of time off, best paid job i’ve had when the pay per every hour worked calculation is done, mutual respect, own account, good kit, will hopefully see me final years out on this.

My prime motive has been following the money and going home after my shift, but you can make the best out of whatever job you have, it helps if you take a pride in your work and are loyal to the job you are on and don’t take the ■■■■ out of a good job if lucky enough to land one, companies worth working for treat good workers well but not all workers have enough nous to work out that you look after good employers as well, especially important is the customer who after all pays all our wages :bulb: its not creeping its looking after te job so it lasts, which seems beyond the comprehension of many.

Hated tramping, never really wanted or liked nights out only did them when it was part of the job no option.

Each to their own, transport is a broad church so there is something for everyone out there.

Nights for me, slightly better rate, less traffic, less nob heads on the road and can generally get a lot more done whilst management are tucked up in bed, instead of them on the phone all the time, so really I have no one to answer to most of my shift.

Tramping not for me, did 9 years away from home in the forces, I have no desire to work away all the time again - its one of the main reasons I left. Didn’t leave just to be in the same situation again. Besides I like my home comforts too much to sleep in a cab all week that you can’t swing a cat in but each to their own.

Tramping on a 5-on-2-off-5-on-3-off pattern. Prefer earlies 0200-0300 start, and pretty much get them.

I started tramping right away, as it’s all I ever wanted to do. I like the variety of places, with a mix of new and familiar, and I like driving not loading/tipping so the extra distance is good. Also, despite the stress of finding parking sometimes, my one week on days I found much more stressful.

I like the rolling week shift pattern. We’ve not got kids, and my partner is often away at weekends. The extra time off makes the regular 2 days off feel ridiculously short!

Doing days now starting from 0400 to 0700 generally. Done all round the clock in the past inc tramping. I like back shift which they do at our place but not been able to get on it yet, I don’t need the alarm clock and get a better kip with a bit of time to myself in the daytime!

Here’s one opinion on the subject…

transportoperator.co.uk/2016/12/ … d-species/

Some interesting replies so far…

I am basically bone idle and struggle to get my arse out of bed. 6am starts at my new job with an occasional 5am start which nearly shuts my body down :neutral_face:

Money (obviously :laughing: ) seems to be a key player so far in this thread, but location is popping up too. Seems like night work is far more popular than I thought :open_mouth: Who knew?

Nights makes sense regarding money & traffic. You lads who are doing 5/3 then 5/2 or 4/4 shifts etc, did most of you choose this pattern or was that how the job came? Also, do your other halves accommodate their jobs around yours, or do you end up with 3 days in the middle of the week on your own, and what do you go and do (fishing/doing the house up etc) ?

I have always been an early riser, so i had to go fir the earlies. Start at 3am…nice quieter roads ( shame about some road closures though) and usually tipping from 6-9 ish and finished in yard on average 1130ish.

When coach driving i did all diff times on the road, and i preffered the early starts.

Oh and there is no diff in pay from earlies or afternoons at my place

Lady Judd early retired, we have a small pack of dogs, the days off are great and go too soon, life is bloody good.

David H:
Here’s one opinion on the subject…

transportoperator.co.uk/2016/12/ … d-species/

Just read this article David, thanks for the link. Makes interesting reading.

2% of the LGV driving community were born in 1990. A somewhat useless fact really, I would prefer to know for example ’ What % of drivers are under 30 ’ ?

David H:
Here’s one opinion on the subject…

transportoperator.co.uk/2016/12/ … d-species/

Would you be the David Hogarth author of the article? :wink:

Good read, I would disagree with a couple of points, but it is a great start point for a discussion and would be interesting to see on here what the age split is between Trampers and Day work.