I won’t bore you with the details, but it involves re locating with my wife and 2 young kids to wales…
Currently all I know is fridges doing 3:30 starts averaging 12 hours…mid week days off!
My question is to all you super tramps!
Is it worth me taking a 4 on 4 off tramp job, an hour or so away from the home, in the hope that I can earn a little more but mainly, actually see my kids more?
Anyone doing it with a young family? I don’t wanna be a tramp 5 on 2 off while the kids are young and the wife doesn’t hate me, but I can’t help thinking that the 4 on 4 off option tramping gives me more periods of time, as opposed to getting home just in time to eat dinner with the kids and 2 days with them.
Saw a 6 on 6 off the other day, money wasn’t great but your basically partime lol
work your 4 on 4 off wages out over 52 weeks of the year and see if you can handle the weekly equivelant.
i worked it for a cpl years a while ago.
for me it was great.
by the time the 1st trip finshed your on the downward side of the hill,as soon as your finished its 4 complete days off and its like a weeks holiday every week.
there was always the option of staying out if your wanting mega wages for the odd week or so.
just dont mae the mistake of thinking 4 days wages is a weeks work,cos it aint,base it over the 52 weeks of the year and itl look somewhat different.
Wish I was still on 4 on 4 off. You still get 28 days holiday a year and you only need to use four of them to end up with 12 days off in a row compared to having to use 10 to get 14 days off in a row so every time you take a “week” off it effectively feels like you get a fortnight’s holiday.
Conor:
Wish I was still on 4 on 4 off. You still get 28 days holiday a year and you only need to use four of them to end up with 12 days off in a row compared to having to use 10 to get 14 days off in a row so every time you take a “week” off it effectively feels like you get a fortnight’s holiday.
You only get 19.6 days (5.6x3.5) most round it up to 20 though.
Been on the cards for a while, specially before my son starts getting too old to start fresh
School/life long friends etc…
lifestyle change, countryside lifestyle, rural etc etc.
I’ve been going to Wales all my life as my dads Welsh, so it’s not a big unknown step.
Been on the cards for a while, specially before my son starts getting too old to start fresh
School/life long friends etc…
lifestyle change, countryside lifestyle, rural etc etc.
I’ve been going to Wales all my life as my dads Welsh, so it’s not a big unknown step.
The reason I asked was that wages seem to be lower than in the rest of the UK but you might get a good deal. Whereabouts are you looking to move to?.
Live in a relatively cheaper housing area, but maybe work from a better paid area on a tramping job? Longer commute, but offset by only being one return trip a week.
It is certainly an idea with merits. And as you recognize it has a big downside in you being away a lot.
Do a lot of talking with your family first.
And be prepared to change your mind if plans dont work out. There is a lot to be said for being determined to make a go of a job, but also recognising when things arent going to get better.
We are looking to up sticks and move to somewhere random in search of cheaper housing and a quieter life but still be near plenty of work. Pretty hard to find, any ideas anyone?
idrive:
We are looking to up sticks and move to somewhere random in search of cheaper housing and a quieter life but still be near plenty of work. Pretty hard to find, any ideas anyone?
Don’t know about work availability, but I’ve been doing bits around the Scottish border recently, and it’s a beautiful place. The Autumn reds and browns really stand out against the greenery.
I live on a Scottish island and have two infant children. Started off on day work with the local firm on the island doing 0700 starts and getting home around 1930 so barely seeing them through the week at all.
So I went out tramping for a firm on the mainland Mon - Fri and brought in an extra couple of hundred quid a week but by the time I got home off the last boat on a Friday until I had to leave for work again on the Sunday afternoon I was still seeing too little of them and neither me nor my wife were happy.
Eventually went on to 4/4 tramping and it’s absolutely transformed our lives. It’s less money than before as it’s a salary based on a 3.5 day week but getting four full days at home each week is absolutely priceless. My commute is a 55 minute ferry journey plus a 75 minute drive so my expenses are quite hefty but having so much time off has reduced my stress levels immeasurably and massively improved my overall quality of life.
I would whole heartedly recommend it if you’re concerned about family time. There will always be overtime available to you if you need the extra money either through the firm you’re working for or ad hoc through agency.
idrive:
We are looking to up sticks and move to somewhere random in search of cheaper housing and a quieter life but still be near plenty of work. Pretty hard to find, any ideas anyone?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
get yourself over to the land that time forgot.
bags of all kinds of work,theres only 2 average speed cams that are never switched on,and about 6 fixed cameras for the entire country.
you only realise how easy it is here when you have to drive back in england again and see just how it has changed to the state its in now with immigration,road congestion,cameras and plod/vosa.
Telt:
I’ve been in a very similar situation to you.
I live on a Scottish island and have two infant children. Started off on day work with the local firm on the island doing 0700 starts and getting home around 1930 so barely seeing them through the week at all.
So I went out tramping for a firm on the mainland Mon - Fri and brought in an extra couple of hundred quid a week but by the time I got home off the last boat on a Friday until I had to leave for work again on the Sunday afternoon I was still seeing too little of them and neither me nor my wife were happy.
Eventually went on to 4/4 tramping and it’s absolutely transformed our lives. It’s less money than before as it’s a salary based on a 3.5 day week but getting four full days at home each week is absolutely priceless. My commute is a 55 minute ferry journey plus a 75 minute drive so my expenses are quite hefty but having so much time off has reduced my stress levels immeasurably and massively improved my overall quality of life.
I would whole heartedly recommend it if you’re concerned about family time. There will always be overtime available to you if you need the extra money either through the firm you’re working for or ad hoc through agency.
One point I would make is how many operators are based in Wales as opposed to those that run into Wales from England to deliver and reload and return to England?
During the time I lived in the sticks companies changed hands and their transport requirements changed accordingly. A couple of examples involved abattoirs that were serviced by lorries based in the county but upon takeovers were then serviced by vehicles transporting their produce as return loads having delivered elsewhere beforehand. This reduced the number of lorries based in the county and likewise the number of jobs available.
waddy640:
One point I would make is how many operators are based in Wales as opposed to those that run into Wales from England to deliver and reload and return to England?
It all depends on the area you live in Wales and the work you wanna do, I live in West Wales and work is predominately Tanker work for the dairy farms but hard to come by but South Wales area Port Talbot,Bridgend,Cardiff Newport areas seems to have a real shortage of Drivers.
Glad I found this thread. I posted a new one yesterday called “Concerned About My Location” in the Wannabe forum. I moved to Wales from England in 2003 with my family, I’m still here now but minus the wife, living on my own in Mid/South Wales. I’m looking to do my Class 2. Looks like lots of commuting ahead of me unless I’m lucky enough to find a local employer which are few and far between. I really didn’t know what to expect when I came here originally. Don’t wish to put a damper on things but I now wish I was somewhere more accessible, but that’s just me. I would suggest to do your research and think carefully about all the consequences. All the best.
Conor:
Wish I was still on 4 on 4 off. You still get 28 days holiday a year and you only need to use four of them to end up with 12 days off in a row compared to having to use 10 to get 14 days off in a row so every time you take a “week” off it effectively feels like you get a fortnight’s holiday.
Er - in any “normal” job, if you take 10 days’ holiday you get 16 days off in a row, not 14…
Conor:
Wish I was still on 4 on 4 off. You still get 28 days holiday a year and you only need to use four of them to end up with 12 days off in a row compared to having to use 10 to get 14 days off in a row so every time you take a “week” off it effectively feels like you get a fortnight’s holiday.
You only get 19.6 days (5.6x3.5) most round it up to 20 though.
