I work harder “tramping” than i ever did as a day driver. Day driving i’d sit around for hours at a time if i was just doing abit of local shunting. For me doing 15hours wasnt the problem, it was the lack of rest that was the problem.
the maoster:
Ross v stobart:
I agree
Its,a big industry with,loads of different aspects to the job.
The rdc work is another story of long queue and drivers luxury waiting rooms.
its bloody complicated really,what with day rates and hourly payand monthly.
I suppose salaried would be the best option.
That would eliminate problems with doing to many hours and the wages would even out.
I’m just commenting from the experience of working shifts where you return home every night.
I did a,bit if tramping. To be honest 20quid is to cheap.Going back to trampers and none trampers.
There should be a limit of 12 hours maximum in,any day or night.
Based on drivers from the tipper driver to the van and any commercial driver who doesn’t sleep in a stationary vehicle equipped with sleeping facilities.
Is that to much to,ask.
A 12 hour maximum working day or night shift.(on duty) paid.I mean common is that unreasonable.
Drive safely.
Remember only a fool breaks the 3 second rule.
you are not the only one.
You get nothing by ranting.
I was asking for opinions.
And yes leave some space to stop safely.
What do you reckon is a good gap. 3 seconds or more or less.
.
I think your views on tramping and day driving aren’t accurate at all.
A delivery to a certain place is exactly the same regardless whether you are tamping, day driving, night driving etc
Day drivers don’t work harder than trampers, how can they when they don’t max their hours like most trampers do?? You’ve even said yourself no more than 12 hour shifts for day drivers.
I’ve merged the two topics incase anyones confused.
Thanks Mike.
I consider myself a tramper that gets home one or two nights a week , I still do 13’s & 15’s, there is no typical week or day, one day I could be doing locals then bring in a collection and set off with a full load for the following day, or run in with a collect at the start and do locals for the rest of the day, one week I can be away another I’ll be home every night. Whatever the work or how the day pans out, I honestly don’t care if I’m home or away. When I shook my gaffers hand in July I understood that I would be worked hard and I understood that transport (specifically general haulage) by it’s very nature requires a flexible approach with a can do attitude. IMO day drivers are no different to trampers, there’s no denying that the work is planned differently but I don’t think that either work any harder than the other. Now if you were talking about the difference between rigid and artic drivers…
you’d get a similar answer
I think the point Mr Ross is trying to make is when a non tramper does a long shift then the time spent travelling to and from work cuts into his daily rest which might mean a driver may not get sufficient rest before having to return to work. Whereas a tramper can get some reasonable bunk time because he has much less travelling to get into his bed!
He is guilty of waffling a bit though… 
and not spelling properly, nor, using proper grammar,
sorry, hat and coat on, at the bus stop.
Sapper
Mike-C:
I’ve merged the two topics incase anyones confused.
Now there’s a rare occurrence on TN 
To save fuel I observe the 1/2 second rule. Saves no end
Do day drivers use, more, or, less, pointless, and, unneeded, commas, than, trampers?
happysack:
Do day drivers use, more, or, less, pointless, and, unneeded, commas, than, trampers?
I don’t think anyone uses Commers anymore, tramping or otherwise.
As a tramper - recently returned home to be with a wonderful wife and child and drive local runs - I must take a rather vehement opposition to what the OP is suggesting here…
The graft I put in to establishing my family and making sure we had the money to get on our feet was ridiculous. If I were to continue this post, I might actually become quite angry and so I am simply going to end it here.
Re: united road transport union v the DFT Post by Phantom Mark  » Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:13 amWhichever bunch of crack smoking crazy heads decided it was safe for a driver to do 3x 15hr shifts a week and 3 reduced rest periods needs their head kicking in with steel toe cap boots, I can do it sure, but by god you 
r hanging out your scrotum at the end of it…that is not safe on any level IMHO. Phantom Mark 
YES i agree ross v stobart
even 12 hours is too much for anyone
but for example lets say everyone done 12 hours a day
a tramper can finish his shift and 5 minutes later
he can be tucked up in bed for a good nights sleep
whereas a day driver will probably go over his hours
cos he has to drive the truck back to his base probably in rush hour
meaning he often works 13/14 hours
and then probably faces a 1 hour car drive to get home
and a 1 hour drive to get back to work the next day
leaving hardly any time to eat or sleep during any 24 hour period
might be lucky if he gets 6 hours in bed
leaving him at serious risk of dozing off at wheel next day
where as the tramper is nice and fresh the next day at work
after spending 12 hours sleeping and dossing on his bunk
I worked out that a none tramper driver can work lets say over40hours by day 3 and has had about 10 or 12hours sleep if he is lucky.
I used to work the maximum at one unscrupulous employers.
By Friday evening I was completely knackered.
I wouldn’t mind but its not rare to work such long hours ,it is normal.
Well you have,to do the hours when,you on 7.00plus per hour.
Imagine how it would be if drivers constantly worked long hours.
Work life balance like a type two obese and a anorexic trucker.
I’m another one for a 12 hour maximum working day including paid break ! Why the hell do they take the time off for breaks , I don’t remember breaks not being included when I first started driving HGV .
villa:
YES i agree ross v stobart
even 12 hours is too much for anyone
but for example lets say everyone done 12 hours a day
a tramper can finish his shift and 5 minutes later
he can be tucked up in bed for a good nights sleep
whereas a day driver will probably go over his hours
cos he has to drive the truck back to his base probably in rush hour
meaning he often works 13/14 hours
and then probably faces a 1 hour car drive to get home
and a 1 hour drive to get back to work the next day
leaving hardly any time to eat or sleep during any 24 hour period
might be lucky if he gets 6 hours in bed
leaving him at serious risk of dozing off at wheel next day
where as the tramper is nice and fresh the next day at work
after spending 12 hours sleeping and dossing on his bunk
Although i agree with bits a pieces its not completely correct. We dont just tip then park up for the night you know and it is a day drivers choice as to where he lives and how far to travel to work etc.
Juddian:
Agreed, but for all drivers.We had a 12.5 hour max working day at one time if you recall, then we gained the EU rules and the tachograph and to make the job safer for all they upped it to a 15 hour day, brilliant.a short time later they phased out the full secondary independent trailer braking system, the blue line, another own goal in the search for real safety.
1984! and yes the blue line was awesome for red diesel on TAPS!