Looking to do night driving for a while to get experience. 10PM-2AM starts.
Would you say it’s something to completely avoid?
Any handy tips (to cope with the new sleep cycle)?
What’s it like in general?
Thanks
It takes a bit to get used to it and to work out what works best for you. I find it easiest to go to bed as soon as I get home rather than have a few hours then go. I also find it best to go back to a normal sleep pattern for the weekends so it maximise “usable” time at the weekend. I tried staying in the same pattern at the weekend and whilst it’s probably better for you, I found I couldn’t do much in my days off like that.
Be prepared and take food and drink with you for the shift because the best you’ll get up and down the motorways is McDonald’s or a WH Smith’s.
It’s good once your used to it. There’s less bell ends on the road although there still are some, and you end up learning all the diversion routes which is handy.
It’s certainly not something to avoid, it’s not for everyone however. Some just find the unnatural sleep pattern and unsociable hours too much.
gratiaDei777:
Looking to do night driving for a while to get experience. 10PM-2AM starts.Would you say it’s something to completely avoid?
Any handy tips (to cope with the new sleep cycle)?
What’s it like in general?
Thanks
Firstly 2 am start isn’t really a night shift.10 PM is almost as bad.IE all the downsides of night work like having to sleep during a considerable part of the day.With none of the Upsides like relatively traffic free roads and Summer afternoons out and about, especially in the case of 2 am start.
7-11 am is going to be a knackered traffic driving nightmare with those start times.When any self respecting night driver is long at home and asleep by that time of the day.
As for your body clock the best advice is don’t try to change it during weekly rest periods.
Personally they can stick 10pm starts where the sun don’t shine.
2am starts are early mornings, by the time you’ve done 5 hours work the lemmings are on the road so that’s hardly a night shift, with 10pm starts unless the shift is very short you’ll still be stuck in the morning peak period crush just when you’re knackered.
Nights to me is starting from 5pm to about 8pm at latest, on most jobs you should be back home in bed before lemming time, plus virtually all of your work time will be at night rate, be careful with starting anything after midnight, make sure its paid at night rate, preferably all the way through, but at least until 6am.
Night driving is ok, but maneuvering takes an a whole new dimension.
Set your stall out before you start, clean the windows inside and out and the mirrors and lights, you do not want any silly glowing fairy lights in the cab (from say a bloody great DAF beacon just behind you on the back wall), you want it dark inside so no reflection so you can see out.
When you get to your destination don’t attempt to reverse in until your mirrors and windows are clean again, if you can’t see clearly you’ve already lost, make sure that washer bottle is full and has screenwash anti freeze added.
In your kit, carry a spray bottle of clean water and a soft silicone or rubber bladed squeegee, salty windows you can rub with cloths or paper till you are blue in the face, all you are doing is moving the salt around…few squirts with clean water, squeegee off, instant clean, same with the headlights.
If your washers freeze up during the shift, and that does happen on really cold nights, that spray bottle might be a literal lifesaver.
Get a spare headlight bulb from the company, H4 and H7 depending on what is fitted, and learn how to change bulbs on the motor you are driving (assuming you don’t work for brain dead outfit who won’t allow such a thing 
), if a headlight blows 20 miles out it will be miserable unsafe night trying to manage on one dingy headlamp, lots of motors don’t have front fog lights so you won’t be able to help that single light out by putting them on if the motor isn’t so fitted.
Rowley010:
It takes a bit to get used to it and to work out what works best for you. I find it easiest to go to bed as soon as I get home rather than have a few hours then go. I also find it best to go back to a normal sleep pattern for the weekends so it maximise “usable” time at the weekend. I tried staying in the same pattern at the weekend and whilst it’s probably better for you, I found I couldn’t do much in my days off like that.Be prepared and take food and drink with you for the shift because the best you’ll get up and down the motorways is McDonald’s or a WH Smith’s.
It’s good once your used to it. There’s less bell ends on the road although there still are some, and you end up learning all the diversion routes which is handy.
It’s certainly not something to avoid, it’s not for everyone however. Some just find the unnatural sleep pattern and unsociable hours too much.
Less bell ends on the road that’s a joke coming from you as your posting every day how many you come across, or are you actually talking about yourself in reality
You see robroy you tell me I’m coming across as a prick so offer me advice, I do a sensible post to answer someone’s question and that’s the response I get so what’s the bloody point? I’ll revert to being a prick I think…
Ok then Robby doggy. Yes there’s less bell ends on the road at night which shows just how many are on the road during the day. I’m pretty sure you are one of them.
Rowley010:
You see robroy you tell me I’m coming across as a prick so offer me advice, I do a sensible post to answer someone’s question and that’s the response I get so what’s the bloody point? I’ll revert to being a prick I think…Ok then Robby doggy. Yes there’s less bell ends on the road at night which shows just how many are on the road during the day. I’m pretty sure you are one of them.
You couldn’t catch me all the time youve got a hole in your ■■■
What’s more you’ve made your bed you’ll have to lie in it
robthedog:
Rowley010:
You see robroy you tell me I’m coming across as a prick so offer me advice, I do a sensible post to answer someone’s question and that’s the response I get so what’s the bloody point? I’ll revert to being a prick I think…Ok then Robby doggy. Yes there’s less bell ends on the road at night which shows just how many are on the road during the day. I’m pretty sure you are one of them.
You couldn’t catch me all the time you e got a hole in your ■■■
What’s more you’ve made your bed you’ll have to lye in it
I’m sure your alter ego will be along soon to back you up you’ve both been vacant for a couple of days how strange
robthedog:
Rowley010:
You see robroy you tell me I’m coming across as a prick so offer me advice, I do a sensible post to answer someone’s question and that’s the response I get so what’s the bloody point? I’ll revert to being a prick I think…Ok then Robby doggy. Yes there’s less bell ends on the road at night which shows just how many are on the road during the day. I’m pretty sure you are one of them.
You couldn’t catch me all the time you e got a hole in your ■■■
What’s more you’ve made your bed you’ll have to lye in it
Like I said. I’ll revert to being a prick… which is robroys way of saying that I’m right in what I say and what I say is the truth but people don’t like the truth, so it makes me a prick.
Rowley010:
robthedog:
Rowley010:
You see robroy you tell me I’m coming across as a prick so offer me advice, I do a sensible post to answer someone’s question and that’s the response I get so what’s the bloody point? I’ll revert to being a prick I think…Ok then Robby doggy. Yes there’s less bell ends on the road at night which shows just how many are on the road during the day. I’m pretty sure you are one of them.
You couldn’t catch me all the time you e got a hole in your ass
What’s more you’ve made your bed you’ll have to lye in itLike I said. I’ll revert to being a prick… which is robroys way of saying that I’m right in what I say and what I say is the truth but people don’t like the truth, so it makes me a prick.
yep
Anyways… Time to get back on topic…
I found nights to be a great way to get experience and confidence. There are a lot less idiots on the road, getting loaded or unloaded is usually quicker, and there tends to be more space for manoeuvring.
Like Juddian said, clean windows and mirrors are a must to compensate for reduced visibility in the dark.
As for shifts, I’d say anything starting 6-8pm would qualify, finishing between 2-4am. Most companies and agencies will pay night shift rate for any shift that includes working 10-4 (or any part therein)
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When Iv done nights I have enjoyed it but I soon realise I want a to sleep at night time,
If I could get 2am to 3am starts with 10hr ish shifts that would suit me down to the ground,I don’t stay up late and I like having afternoons off
CookieMonster:
As for shifts, I’d say anything starting 6-8pm would qualify, finishing between 2-4am.
Actually 8pm-2am or 3am 
was the best case scenario during the best days of job and finish, pre limiters, direct trailer swaps, usually based on a 10 hour shift of either double runs as and when required and/or a long runs/short runs weekly rota.Worst case was usually finish by 5-6 am sometimes a bit longer if caught in traffic anywhere.
That all changed with limiters, hub systems and an end to proper job and finish contracts which meant what they said on the tin.Which seems to have degenerated now to run into a hub or RDC at silly o clock, either wait or even worse have to work in the warehouse on arrival transhipping trailers, then run back at even more traffic levels silly o clock in the morning .
When during better days any sensible night trunk driver would have been home asleep after at most a 10 hour 400-500 mile shift, often closer to half that, starting at 8pm.Sometimes 7pm if you got a call from the guvnor saying we’re running early.All direct trailer swaps.
While ironically doing the 8 pm - 5 or 6 am Scottish changeover in mid Summer being one of my favourite days in the job.The late evenings running out and the early mornings running back, on the M40 in June, being a bit like that opening scene of the film Il Bestione and almost living the dream for me.
Rowley010:
It takes a bit to get used to it and to work out what works best for you. I find it easiest to go to bed as soon as I get home rather than have a few hours then go. I also find it best to go back to a normal sleep pattern for the weekends so it maximise “usable” time at the weekend. I tried staying in the same pattern at the weekend and whilst it’s probably better for you, I found I couldn’t do much in my days off like that.Be prepared and take food and drink with you for the shift because the best you’ll get up and down the motorways is McDonald’s or a WH Smith’s.
It’s good once your used to it. There’s less bell ends on the road although there still are some, and you end up learning all the diversion routes which is handy.
It’s certainly not something to avoid, it’s not for everyone however. Some just find the unnatural sleep pattern and unsociable hours too much.
I’d agree with most of that, however, I strongly suggest you keep the same sleep pattern at the weekend. Doing otherwise really knackers you for the monday shift.
Personally, I found getting up a few hours before your shift and having that as “useful” time was better than spending the weekend as a zombie.
Saying that, the op is talking about 10pm - midnight starts. It might be better in that case to stay up after the shift and maybe going to sleep late morning/early afternoon to maximise their time.
It all depends on what the op intends to do on their down time.
My personal experience after being on permanent nights for a good few years, it’ll catch up to you in the end!
gratiaDei777:
Looking to do night driving for a while to get experience. 10PM-2AM starts.Would you say it’s something to completely avoid?
Any handy tips (to cope with the new sleep cycle)?
What’s it like in general?
Thanks
I did a little bit of “night shift” work and found it wasn’t for me, night trunking however was a completely different animal. I did about 18 months of trunking from the northwest to mossend and loved it.
I found the routine of trunking made it much easier, you could (roughly) set your breaks, snacks and fuelling.
I did Monday to Friday and usually worked 6-7pm and finished around 5 maybe 6am, usually did a 15 on the way up, 30 in Mossend and then had a 15 or 30 on the way back, those breaks were mostly at Southwaite as it broke it up and also welcome coffee at tebay when I fuelled.
I usually rode it through on a Saturday and took the kids to their various things but slept a few hours Saturday lunchtime so that Saturday nights and Sunday were relatively normal.
During the week though, and it does sound weird, I tried to live the opposite. I had a big meal when I got home in the morning and then bed ASAP but had cereal and coffee when I got up.
I also tried to steer clear of red bull etc. Plenty of water and fruit seemed to work but I can’t lie, I did always have the emergency can of Scheckters in the bag ( like red bull but less ■■■■ in it).
The trouble I had with actual night shift work was the various start and finish times, it could go well for a few days and then a sudden 13 or 14 shift would throw everything up in the air.
I should imagine with the various alarms on modern trucks, like lane departure, emergency braking…coupled with cruise control you could do as I have done in the past…Dozed off in lane 1 and woke up by the alarm in lane 3, just before the Armco did it for you.
Not funny, not big and not clever, nature and the natural sleep patterns of a human need to be taken into account and any drugs used to change that will have an affect.
gratiaDei777:
What’s it like in general?Thanks
Dark
You will have people telling you that you will get into your own pattern in time and you will, but when they tell you that you will get used to it you won’t and never will, its a upside down sort of life with the eyes hanging out of your head every day, even on a rest day,
Even with that some people would never change
Rowley010:
I’m right in what I say and what I say is the truth but people don’t like the truth, so it makes me a prick.
Quoted for it’s brilliance.
Try and get in a routine as quick as possible, some people prefer to stay up for a few hours after a night shift, for me though about 30mins to an hour after getting home i would be in bed.
Also depends what shift you are giving up to go and do it and what the gains to you are if its worth it ?