Rottweiler22:
Overall, tramping felt much more like an adventure, with the added pay, but day work felt much more stable, and like you could have a life alongside work. I had very bad experiences tramping (including getting my curtains slashed on my very first night out!), but, and it’s a big but, it could be so much better if you worked for a decent firm, who respects and understands drivers’ limitations. I’d only go back tramping if I had a decent truck, to myself (don’t mind if it goes out at weekends, just not cab-hopping), the work is clean, parking’s paid, and the drivers there have a good opinion of the management (which rules-out the majority of local firms). If not, then days is what suits me best.
I think that you were luckier with your day work employers than your tramping employers, but I reckon that is purely by chance, I hear plenty of day men who have bad experiences with their management too
Started tramping when I was 18, never considered day work.
Did it for over twenty years, most journeys took weeks, known when you where leaving, not knowing when you would be back.
Average of 40 weekends away per year.
But admittedly started in a time when adventure was still possible, no mobile phones, not even phone boxes in certain countries, just waiting on a telex at the delivery address, or local post office.
Managed to do my own thing over the years, seen many many countries on several continents.
Went through several wives / girlfriends, lucky never had kids.
Is it a life or even a bloody lifestyle, no it’s not, but it’s a bloody good way to hide for life.
All your worries are left in the yard when you leave, you just got on with the job.
I would never advise you to do it, if you cannot be on your own, you must like yourself a lot.
And if you are a family man, than it’s not the wisest thing to do, as many trampers deal in divorces (mostimes when they be home to long and annoy their partner)
I have been out it for 16/17 years, would I do it again, probably not, as times have changed, transport have changed, people have changed.
The camaraderie is gone, the freedom is restricted by mobile phones and trackers.
On the other site, trucks are so much more comfortable now, with all the space and luxury inside.
We hadn’t TV, internet, airco, space (flat roof Daf 2800 / Volvo F10/12) air suspension, curtain siders etc.
My first TV for years was only a 5 inch black and white jobby, and you had to hand your music cassettes in when you wanted to go into Eastern Europe.
But I still have friends for live from all over the continents, that never gets beaten by any of the modern comforts.
I’ve been tramping for 5 years now, I’m 35 so still fairly young in this game I think and to be honest I find tramping far less stressful than doing days. I tend to rig up a week at home after say 8 or 9 weeks none stop tramping and it does my head in travelling to and from work that week. There’s no getting away from early starts whether you do days or are a tramper and the fact that you wake up at your place of work makes life miles easier in my opinion. The wife also doesn’t get woken up by me stumbling about at 4:30am.
As for lifestyle, there’s absolutely no need to be eating crap while tramping. Even if you’ve not got a fridge and microwave you can still get a little gas camping burner and boil some water for pasta or heat some soup up.
Personally I like others take some meals that my wife has knocked up so for example if she’s done a chilli or a curry then I’ll take a portion of that so there’s one nights tea. I usually have pasta twice with a Lloyd Grossman sauce or a tub of fresh soup. I like to eat out once a week so a decent truckstop or pub is usually in my week away. I rekon I eat more bad stuff when I’m home to be fair as it’s easy when the missus says do you fancy a brew and she lovingly comes in with said brew and the biscuit tin or I pop into the kitchen and look in the freezer for an almond magnum
There are showers about but you’ve got to get the experience of knowing where they are so again no major issues there. I might go 1 night now and again without a shower but that’s it.
Personally I like the freedom that comes with tramping. I get left alone by the office to get in with it and there’s no issues with traffic as where ever I get I’ll lay my head.
I also love the Friday feeling of getting home to my wife. I’m happy to see her and she’s happy to see me and there have been zero midweek stupid little arguements or debates about me not doing dishes or watching football all the time.
Got an interview for a new job on Thursday though so hopefully my tramping will still be as enjoyable as it currently is.
I have a confession, which is that I do sometimes toy with the idea of tramping. Being someone who likes my own company, the idea of just ■■■■■■■ off into my own little world every Monday morning and just being able to chill & not ever worrying about cracking on to get finished for a decent time does appeal to part of me.
However, I just don’t see how I could ever do it without a detrimental effect on my relationship & homelife. I know it works for some, but the warning signs are all there with the amount of divorced trampers there are out there and/or the ones who openly admit to regrets for missing out on kids growing up.
Never say never, but I reckon if I ever did do tramping I would eventually find myself in the same position I was when I worked back shifts and couldn’t see anybody outside work all week - single & lonely.
Because day work is boring. I’ve tried it periodically over the years and 6 or 7 months later I start getting itchy feet. I don’t see it as being trapped in a tin box, I see it as having the whole of europe as my garden! But I get why people don’t want to do it, it can harm home life but being perpetually single (through choice) and having no children means I have it easy
Time flies when you are tramping. That’s for sure. End of April already. I’ve done tramping/long distance work from the start. Saturated myself in work and then took a couple of months off to go and do some touring. It has ment giving up a job but a lot of times I’ve gone back to the same firm. I think I’d miss the craic if I did day work.
caledoniandream:
My first TV for years was only a 5 inch black and white jobby
Also had one of those, 5’’ screen and around a foot deep with a little pull out aerial! Pretty much useless, crackly sound and fuzzy picture but at the time there was little else.
82cm HD tv now and every comfort of home which is all taken for granted…times change so much…
i hate the spending all weekend doing all the jobs you could of got done through the week if you’d of been on days / nights , I’ve just polished the inside of the truck x2 as I’m that bored , I’m going too look for a job like judian has , 40 odd hrs , I wish
