Well after nearly 17 years of Mon-Fri tramping I’ve been offered 4 on 4 off tramping with the company I work for and have decided to take it. Salaried to £34,400 on basic with overtime plus nights out and extra shifts available plus 20 days a year holiday it gives me the perfect work/home life balance , I still get to do the job I love doing plus get to spend more time with my partner, 6 year old daughter and 5 week old daughter. I’ll get the chance to start going to the gym again and take up boxing/BJJ lessons plus a lot easier to sort doctors/dentist appointments. I’ve worked it out and I won’t be that much worse off plus probably earning the same or more than some folk doing Mon-Fri tramping plus the fact that by booking 4 days holiday gives you 12 days off. How many of you on here changed to 4 on 4 off and was it the best decision you made or do you actually regret it? Obviously there will be good and bad experiences out there.
I did it for a while and I enjoyed it, only real problem I had was I never seemed to know what day of the week it was. The extra time off was a Godsend and the four-day stint at work seemed to fly by.
Only real problem of course is that a lot of social stuff happens at the weekend, events etc, plus that’s when the kids have their days off school so you do tend to miss out on a bit there.
Been on it for nearly four years, great shift. Totally agree about not knowing what day it is though.
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Good for you, best shift pattern of the lot, decent pay too by the sounds of it, win win.
The only downside is if you have a partner on full time mon-fri so your weekends off arn’t together.
Within a few weeks once you’ve got used you’ll never want to go back to a normal 5 day week.
I do 4 on 3 off pattern as I do the same run every week.
Love the 3, to 3 and a half day weekends,.should have done it sooner,.love spending more time at home after a long career of tramping.
Potential down sides…If you have to share a truck with some dirty bast.
I’m lucky, the part timer lad who does 2 days on mine (Mon and Tues) is clean and like minded to myself,.we always keep it spotless for each other, make sure it is fuelled up, and pick up each other’s trailer ready to rock on the first day back.
Also,.(I dont get this myself) but they will more than likely get their money’s worth out of you by planning for 3x15 hour days out of your 4, which brings your ‘hourly rate’ down in effect.
Other than that you will find the job much more relaxed I reckon…good luck with it.
Edit…just noticed you get overtime paid on top,.so just ignore my third paragraph ramblings. 
It’s no where near the best shift , I did mon- thurs every week , with fri / sat /sun off , I’d pick that every day over 4/4 ,but if op is happy good luck to him , but I personally don’t class any shift that includes w/ends as good .
Not much use for night work.
4 on 3 off 3 on Four off would also be a good rota could probably maintain weekends off within that.
Obviously not enough of a ‘driver shortage’ for employers to offer shift rotas of choice.
Night work would be better with 12 weeks or even better 16 weeks holiday entitlement but no night premium.
after a long career of tramping
Oh, that made me laugh. Tramping-
A job = maybe
An existence = definitely
A career = deluded.
SteveBarnsleytrucker:
Well after nearly 17 years of Mon-Fri tramping I’ve been offered 4 on 4 off tramping with the company I work for and have decided to take it. Salaried to £34,400 on basic with overtime plus nights out and extra shifts available plus 20 days a year holiday it gives me the perfect work/home life balance , I still get to do the job I love doing plus get to spend more time with my partner, 6 year old daughter and 5 week old daughter. I’ll get the chance to start going to the gym again and take up boxing/BJJ lessons plus a lot easier to sort doctors/dentist appointments. I’ve worked it out and I won’t be that much worse off plus probably earning the same or more than some folk doing Mon-Fri tramping plus the fact that by booking 4 days holiday gives you 12 days off. How many of you on here changed to 4 on 4 off and was it the best decision you made or do you actually regret it? Obviously there will be good and bad experiences out there.
Been looking at doing a 4 on 3 off gig with my lot. Looking for a better work/life balance. No mortgage to pay and no debts so its time to ease of the throttle for the last 15 years of my working life.
Blackrat:
after a long career of trampingOh, that made me laugh. Tramping-
A job = maybe
An existence = definitely
A career = deluded.
Infinitely more honourable than taking backhanders, Masonic handshakes and turning a blind eye to child grooming gangs though.
It’s no where near the best shift , I did mon- thurs every week , with fri / sat /sun off , I’d pick that every day over 4/4 ,but if op is happy good luck to him , but I personally don’t class any shift that includes w/ends as good . Weekends are for going out and getting ■■■■■■ up with mates , going to the football , not sat on your Todd in a bloody lorry
Though I’ve no doubt will have 99 % of trucknet telling me how the roads are quieter at the weekend & how they get a fabulous rate , theres no que at the till in Morrison’s etc on a Monday etc
Good luck Steve I really hope your happy with you’re new shift , I really do , but I’ll never accept anything that includes weekends is the best shift , never
the maoster:
Blackrat:
after a long career of trampingOh, that made me laugh. Tramping-
A job = maybe
An existence = definitely
A career = deluded.Infinitely more honourable than taking backhanders, Masonic handshakes and turning a blind eye to child grooming gangs though.
I’m happy to say that I never did any of those, or any other illegal/immoral things during my CAREER.
I do accept that such things may have happened occasionally but if you think that they are the norm then you are dafter than you sound.
msgyorkie:
Been looking at doing a 4 on 3 off gig with my lot. Looking for a better work/life balance. No mortgage to pay and no debts so its time to ease of the throttle for the last 15 years of my working life.
I’m sort of similar except I do six months on/ six months off. Won’t be going back to work until September. 
Blackrat:
I’m happy to say that I never did any of those, or any other illegal/immoral things during my CAREER.
I do accept that such things may have happened occasionally but if you think that they are the norm then you are dafter than you sound.
Career ;
noun
an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework:
He sought a career as a lawyer.
It’s a pity that during your CAREER you didn’t spend some time on education as opposed to sarcastic and supercilious attitudes then isn’t it? Perhaps if you had you’d be more likeable and less contemptible.
the maoster:
Blackrat:
I’m happy to say that I never did any of those, or any other illegal/immoral things during my CAREER.
I do accept that such things may have happened occasionally but if you think that they are the norm then you are dafter than you sound.
Career ;
noun
an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework:
He sought a career as a lawyer.
Thank you, that was exactly my point. Tramping for a career, very funny.
Ive done 4on-4off for nearly 5 years now. I wont be going back to a 5 or 6 day week again.
Rob, the reason companies offer 4on-4off is because they can absolutely max the trucks hours. The truck runs 7 days a week, and because you have two drivers, each can get 3 15 hour days in… that’s 6 a week. 
it’s a planner’s ■■■■■■■■■
But on the plus side the driver gets 4 days off, with the option to do an extra day occasionally for extra money, and still having thre days off. I’m doing the odd agency job on the supermarket, since the rates have gone up recently. #£20ph # getin
the maoster:
It’s a pity that during your CAREER you didn’t spend some time on education as opposed to sarcastic and supercilious attitudes then isn’t it? Perhaps if you had you’d be more likeable and less contemptible.
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?
the maoster:
the maoster:
It’s a pity that during your CAREER you didn’t spend some time on education as opposed to sarcastic and supercilious attitudes then isn’t it? Perhaps if you had you’d be more likeable and less contemptible.Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?
Clearly a lot sharper than you. I have to admit though that superlciloius was a good word for a lorry driver.
the maoster:
the maoster:
It’s a pity that during your CAREER you didn’t spend some time on education as opposed to sarcastic and supercilious attitudes then isn’t it? Perhaps if you had you’d be more likeable and less contemptible.Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?
Did you just slag yourself off there? 
the maoster:
the maoster:
It’s a pity that during your CAREER you didn’t spend some time on education as opposed to sarcastic and supercilious attitudes then isn’t it? Perhaps if you had you’d be more likeable and less contemptible.Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?
He certainly ain’t, another example of the dumbing down of the Police force, not just in height evidently. 
He picks me up on a turn of phrase ffs. and thinks he’s being clever.
Why are you even still on here mate?
(Not you btw Maoster )
The last time you graced us with your presence not only did you make a fool of yourself by unsucessfully trying to belittle me by your misperception of my social status, and go on to boast about the size of your house (as if anybody gave a ■■■■) you informed us that you were ashamed to disclose to your ‘‘friends’’ that you now drove a truck. 
Still slumming it I see.