The joy of "Tramping"

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

Bikemonkey:
I’ve tramped for 7 years then 2 years in a transport office, money was [zb] so went back driving on days for about 6 months and have now been tramping again for the past 5 years. I’m sick of it now,but I do it mainly for the money ,less stress and more sleep.
When I did the 6 months on days I was constantly flat out trying to get home every night,stressing when I was delayed tipping/loading and a great deal of the time rolling back to the yard at 9pm at night having done a 15 hr day, a 15 minute drive back home,cook dinner,have a shower and try and get 5 hrs sleep having to get up an hour before being back at work. I can now roll out of bed 10 minutes before i start, not have to fly about all day and finish wherever, make my dinner and go to bed. :wink:

Extremely rare that I eat at MSA’s or fast food, usually have those micro rice pouches that I cook in a pan on my gas stove, I buy the decent ready meal sauces (sweet & sour chicken,Korean sticky pork/a curry) to have with it which I also cook on the gas stove as I don’t use microwaves. I’ll cook stuff up at the weekend also and freeze a few pots that go with either rice or pasta and usually have salad stuff once or twice a week with tuna mackerel or those cooked chilli salmon fillets that you get at most supermarkets. You can eat half decent if you can be bothered.

The only thing You really need is a gas stove and a fridge/cool box.

Thanks for posting. In paragraph 1 you’ve detailed similar to my dissolution which led me to post this thread. I’ve found I get little time to eat and bath when I get back home - it just does not seem worth it. Hated the thoughts of nights out but now thinking differently.

Just wondering what sort of stove you use? I’ve got a LPG cast iron double ring burner. I’ve seen on amazon fridge/freezer 12/24v types between £60-£100+. Presumably you have a small gazeebo/event shelter to cook under when there’s rain? I was thinking earlier today how to make up an awning and fixing to the trailer or unit.

22

jessejazza:
Just wondering what sort of stove you use? I’ve got a LPG cast iron double ring burner. I’ve seen on amazon fridge/freezer 12/24v types between £60-£100+. Presumably you have a small gazeebo/event shelter to cook under when there’s rain? I was thinking earlier today how to make up an awning and fixing to the trailer or unit.

No mate :open_mouth: ,just a Camping Gaz stove which take the small cans of gas!! I’ll cook rice/pasta 1st and then the main food 2nd and I do it in the cab,not outside. I also boil water for my tea/coffee as I’ve had a few 24v kettles in my time,but they only tend to last about 6 months before they pack up.
I have known people in the past who have had a 4.5kg butane gas bottle in the cab or in the side locker with a double burner stove, i was guilty of this for the first couple of years when i first started driving,but I would not recommend that at all,especially as I have been in a lorry that’s ended up on its side!!
As for fridges I take it that you don’t have one already built in? I used a 12v Halfords 24 litre cool box for years,about £60, they’re not too bad most of year,not so good when it’s hot in the summer though,Aldi also do one now and then for about £40 just make sure you don’t plug them in the 24v :wink: Waeco do 12/24v fridges,they are a LOT better but much more expensive.

23

i live 25mile from depot so its a no brainer for me into work sunday home friday.other wise id have to spend 70quid a week on fuel maybe less.im single no reason to go home and i dont mind it at all.did it with my dad when i was a kid in summer holidays.as for food i have to watch what i eat if its very greasy it goes straight through me with in a hour so always watch what i eat.but i always make sure i use the tiolet before i park up in the evening.but i keep few rolls of toilet paper with me and plenty of plastic bags if get caught short in middle of the night

24

Make what you want of it. I take my bike with me and have a multi gym membership so rarely short of something to do. Gym facilities are way better than whats on offer at truck stops and services so i don’t use them. Quite enjoy me nights out most of the time

25

vikingpete:
Make what you want of it. I take my bike with me and have a multi gym membership so rarely short of something to do. Gym facilities are way better than whats on offer at truck stops and services so i don’t use them. Quite enjoy me nights out most of the time

Could I be nosey and ask who you use for multi access?

Cheers bud [emoji41][emoji41]

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26

thunder367:
as for food i have to watch what i eat if its very greasy it goes straight through me with in a hour so always watch what i eat.but i always make sure i use the tiolet before i park up in the evening.but i keep few rolls of toilet paper with me and plenty of plastic bags if get caught short in middle of the night

I sympathise with your metabolism condition mate, I seriously do, I thankfully have no probs in that department, and it must be bloody awful being like so in this job as a tramper.

But !..

Personally speaking, If that was me, I’d flatly refuse just to ‘accept’ (let alone admit) to myself that I would have to do that on a regular basis :open_mouth: , as a matter of self pride and dignity.
Firstly I would be saying ‘■■■■ timed deliveries and/or getting that extra drop off’ or whatever pertains to the job… I’d be planning my day primarily (as a PRIORITY :bulb: ) each day to be getting to somewhere where I could park where I could be sure there was a bog on hand through the night, your boss and planner has use of a toilet through night I would safely say…does your firm not pay parking or something?

In 2019 a driver should not be just accepting ■■■■■■■■ in a effin bag as a regular method of toilet use. :open_mouth: …end of, no question.

Ok I ain’t talking about a 1 off emergency dodgy guts situation after a couple of pints and a Ghandi’s revenge vindaloo we’ve all been there in the back of the trailer in that scenario :blush:
I’m talking about looking upon carrrier bag ■■■■■■■■ as as ‘The Norm’ :open_mouth: :unamused: …seriously??

This has been caused and brought about ONLY and exclusively by those ■■■■ s in authority that ban suitable parking places, then just conveniently ignore the chronic shortage of those overnight parking facilities in this country, …So don’t just accept this, but adapt to it. :bulb:
The way I look at it is if drivers just accept any old injustice related to this by parking in lay bys, and such crap holes, they are just rolling over and playing into ‘‘their’’ hands, which is why I refuse to park somewhere unless there is a basic or minimal amount of facility at the very least.
I won’t waste everybody’s time going off on one about the tired old… ‘We should refuse to accept it/stick together’ :unamused: , because we are talking about asking the spineless to stick up for themselves which will NEVER happen with UK truck drivers today…end of :unamused: .)

(My mate does Essex and Kent, those ■■■■ s down there have virtually annihilated hgv parking places, which is why I told my lot to never send me there again for an overnight stop, it’s ■■■■ totally unfair, and the only proper truck stop (if you can find a park) I am told is 36 bloody notes to park there ffs! )…
Anyway I digress on rants. :blush: :smiley:

So …rather than just readily accept what you are doing mate, my advice would be…

Firstly …if you ain’t getting paid parking, (taking into consideration your condition) change your job :bulb:

Do the ‘prioritising’ thing I mentioned.

Find a truck stop or (God forbid :open_mouth: ) a M.way service area.

Somewhere close to a retail park with a 24 hour Asda/Tesco.

Near a 24 hour Maccy Ds.

An industrial est where you can park near a night shift factory.
(I’ve been caught short on more than one occasion and have been allowed to use their bog)

In other words use a bit of initiative, and tell yourself you refuse to suffer such a ■■■■ indignity in your job as a normal practice :bulb: …it’s the 21st Century ffs man. :bulb:
:unamused:

27

Benjie83:

vikingpete:
Make what you want of it. I take my bike with me and have a multi gym membership so rarely short of something to do. Gym facilities are way better than whats on offer at truck stops and services so i don’t use them. Quite enjoy me nights out most of the time

Could I be nosey and ask who you use for multi access?

Cheers bud [emoji41][emoji41]

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Yes mate i use puregym. Often with them their gyms are in industrial areas or retail parks so its often handy for parking close to them

28

vikingpete:

Benjie83:

vikingpete:
Make what you want of it. I take my bike with me and have a multi gym membership so rarely short of something to do. Gym facilities are way better than whats on offer at truck stops and services so i don’t use them. Quite enjoy me nights out most of the time

Could I be nosey and ask who you use for multi access?

Cheers bud [emoji41][emoji41]

Sent from my VOG-L09 using Tapatalk

Yes mate i use puregym. Often with them their gyms are in industrial areas or retail parks so its often handy for parking close to them

Legend, bless ya… Funnily enough I’m with pure gym lol

Bang for buck, best chain about [emoji106]

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29

I’m currently tramping for an agency job that is UK national. I love it frankly. The two biggest challenges I find on a daily basis are where to use the bathroom for more than a number one, and where to get my food. I’ve been building a network of parking up spots for overnight stays. Doing pretty well although London is tricky. I echo an earlier comment about not sharing the info. Sorry. Got a few gems that regularly work for me depending on where I’m sent. All I can say is Aldi do a great 12 pack of baby wipes at less than £3. A sound purchase to keep clean if shower access is a problem. I never feel skanky and I’m hand-balling a couple of tonnes per day.

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30

I agree with those who say that it’s what you make it.

I’m not a regular tramper, but my nights out can swing between none for a couple of months to three in a week (the latter two usually unplanned) depending on circumstances and demand. Rarely use MSA’s, not down to the cost but rather because the nature of my work, palletised feeds to farms, doesn’t tend to fit into the motorway system unless it’s by chance. The upside of this is that whilst I do sometimes have a drag with me, normally it’s just the lorry which improves your options for both parking spaces and proximity to facilities. It also helps that there are showers available for me to use at all our mills, so I can keep myself clean even if it means having a shower mid-afternoon whilst I’m being re-loaded rather than in the evening. Like others, I sleep well in a truck; I suspect my early years in the army helped with that, if you can get a night’s kip in a dug-out on Salisbury Plain in January a lorry cab ain’t going to bother you much. Same applies to food; you don’t have to live on Pot Noodle and Greggs even if you only have the most basic of kit. Always keep a tin of big soup and a pot of instant porridge so I’ve got some sort of evening meal and a breakfast at need, though.

I’m the only one at our mill who does nights out, so consequently I get to travel a bit further than the others. During quiet periods, my job can get a bit like “I’m delivering to Fred Smith’s today, it must be Tuesday” so I appreciate the extended variety.

Totally agree with Robroy about the dearth of decent facilities for drivers in the UK. Unfortunately, neither drivers nor employers seem willing to stick together and make sufficient noise about it; and what noise we do make is inevitably drowned out by whinging Nimbies who’d have a melt-down if they didn’t have an en-suite to use every night never mind peeing in a hedge!

31

The much derided tramping job.

Why? For me it’s more money, variety of loads and locations plus avoiding a commute to and from work every day.

Only the lazy eat poor quality food and sleep in laybys. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle very easily if your willing to and you can get a shower at a gym after doing a workout pretty much all over the country if you plan properly. There are times when things don’t quite go to plan and for those instances a contingency is needed. Keeping a little gas camping stove is essential. You can knock up a bit of pasta easily, make a brew and also put hot water into a plastic wash bowl to have a wash in those times when things just don’t go to plan.

It’s not for everyone though but for me I see no point in doing a say 30-50 mile round trip for work, doing a 12 hour shift then going home knackered to basically shower, eat, sleep and repeat. Tramping can be a very relaxed way of doing the job.

I’m not tramping right now but I’m going for a chat with a potential employer later today. I’m currently doing ADR fuel but the job isn’t suiting me at all for a number of reasons. My colleagues think I’m a complete idiot for wanting to go back tramping rather than work there but I find the industry is very much horses for courses and we all have differing preferences dependant on lifestyle. For me tramping mon-fri and having every weekend off to spend quality time with my wife is better than being home every night knackered after a shift plus commute.

32

I tramp and I’d rather tramp as I get further and see more of the countryside and I’m happy with my own company . Living in Northern Ireland that means I get to see the whole of the UK and Ireland (North and South) and never really know where I’ll be from one day to the next .
I’m lucky as I have a truck assigned to me and a good boss who speced the truck with a fridge freezer in it . He also put an anderson plug into the passengerside locker so that I can run my own inverter which I use for a microwave , kettle and a toaster . Tv and the amazon fire stick / netflix stick as well so I’m pretty much sorted . I do have a small gas stove as well with a kettle and a sauce pan for emergency use along with a couple of sets of knife fork and spoons as well as tin openers and really sharp cutting / slicing knives . A stock of tins of soup , porridge sachets, tins of fruit microwave rice always means theres something to eat and no reliance on finding a pub , supermarket or a shop everyday - you can stock up when you find a suitable shop . I cook a lot of food at the weekend and portion it up and freeze it to take with me - why ? - I’m diabetic and have to watch my sugar intake - cooking my own food means I know whats in it - to much sugar leads to the emergency carrier bag in the back of a curtainsider . Something I’ve only ever had to do once in 23 years of driving . Shower every day on the road wether it be on a ferry crossing or a ferry terminal, truck stop or even some of our regular customers let me use their showers . Theres no need to live like a scruff.
My advice - if you like the idea comit to it and do it right theres no point in going at it half assed - get the gear , get it sorted and do it right - its a much more enjoyable experience .
Finaly a word of warning - it seems your up for it but what about your partner / other half ? This only works if they are on board for this as well. If they are not 100 % behind you and realise that you wont be home 4-5 days at a time dont even think about it . My wife gets the big picture , she understands what I’m doing and why (the best for her and the kids and the dog - its that simple )

33

Must admit…I’ll probably look back at my time as a tramper at lockwoods…as the most enjoyable time of my career.
Where companies/drivers go wrong…is they seem to think tramping means day work for maximum hours per week…rather than covering greater distances than a day man can.

34

commonrail:
Must admit…I’ll probably look back at my time as a tramper at lockwoods…as the most enjoyable time of my career.
Where companies/drivers go wrong…is they seem to think tramping means day work for maximum hours per week…rather than covering greater distances than a day man can.

Yep 100% I very rarely go over 8 hours driving let alone 9 and mostly do 10/12 hour days may be the odd 13
Most of those days if I was a day driver would be maxing out trying to get back to yard

Sent from my truck

35

I don’t tramp anymore as I want to be home with my family so got a job pulling containers from Yorkshire’s railheads doing normally no more than 12 hr shifts and 5 minutes from home,
But when I did the ones that moaned about it were the ones that just weren’t set up for it,
There cabs were a disgrace and they were living on McDonald’s and garage crap and sleeping in a bloody sleeping bag for god sake get some proper bedding that is the first rule of tramping SORT YOUR BED OUT.
Next get a basic stove and cooking set and plenty of water and a kettle for the stove,most units have a fridge in too so stock it up.
Fill the kettle up and put stove night before and turn it on to boil while you get dressed on a morning so you get your first brew of the day before setting off.
Buy tinned food,you will get stuck in some ■■■■ places.
Never ever let the brylcreem boys in the office tell you where to park or push you,let this start your in for an unhappy job.
Basically get out of your cab and go for walks,if you want a shower through the day stop and have a shower,tramping can play with your head if not done correctly just kit out your cab properly get a good tablet with plenty of data for TV etc and you can be quite comfortable on an evening.

36

As above, a good bed and a good pair of boots when you are not in one you are in the other. Dont slum it.

37

Got stuck in a layby up in Scotland last summer. Road was nice and quiet. There was a lake nearby… so had a swim then got my table,deck chair and gas stove out and knocked up some steak and eggs. Few beers also. It was red hot lol. One of the best nights out ive had. Its as enjoyable as you make it

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38

I have a sleeping bag in my bag, but I don’t tramp, just the odd night out a week…

39

When I first started tramping, I was bricking it, where to eat, shower and park. Like God himself (you know who you are Robster) I’ve got secret hidey holes dotted all over.
Getting the priorities right is vital to me, stop at teatime at a cafe/truckstop or heaven forbid a MSA for a meal and a shower then crack on to one of my spots.
I don’t cook in the cab anymore not even in microwave, just CBA.

Showers are important. If it’s about that time I will ask at a drop/collection if they have a shower I can use and 80% of the time I have struck lucky. That’s another piece of important kit, swimming shorts just in case there is a leisure centre to get a shower like Stratford or Chichester.

I’ve been asked by two different lads at different time to help them when they went tramping. Because they would not listen or take their time and treated it as an endurance test, they both could not hack it. One wanted to do Widnes-Seaforth-Pontypridd-Widnes in a day and the other Stockport-Aberdeen-Glasgow-Bishop Auckland in a day.

40

Lived in a truck full time for a decade and loved it. And almost never ate crap, as I cooked for myself. I find the ones who hate it tend to be the ones who see it as sort of endurance test, and feed themselves takeaway crap. No need for either.