Lucy:
It depends how you define “tea time”, though, doesn’t it. I don’t officially work weekends in my current job and have only run in a handful of Saturdays in the 7+ years I’ve been here, but it doesn’t take much for something to screw you up and force your hand, usually when you least want it to. And finishing Friday quite often means Friday NIGHT, not tea time. The reality of the situation is that even the most amenable planner can’t force customers to load on time, cars not to crash and reloads not to appear on his desk at the last minute marked “urgent”. It’s just not that kind of work, it isn’t that rigid and it can’t be that easily dictated, least of all by the driver. Just ask any tramper who’s tried to get to a 5pm Friday doctor’s appointment three weeks in a row and still not managed it…
Only dim trampers make Friday 5pm appts. Intelligent ones get Monday 9am ones and go in to work straight after.
(This is assuming the appt place is only open weekdays, normal office hours).
first of all guys i dont have rose tinted glasses on at all i know what the job is all about i dont lay the law down to anyone as i know it dont get you anywhere i know its all about keeping your planner sweet you do for them and they will look after you i know this from experience
i dont mind doing the odd extra shift if i anit got nothing better to do but i do mind staying out due to other people ■■■■ ups
also after speaking to the trampers at our yard they all say they cant remember the last time they did an extra shift so this is why i expect to be back every friday
thanks for the advice on kit needed il keep ya all posted on how it goes
Lucy:
It depends how you define “tea time”, though, doesn’t it. I don’t officially work weekends in my current job and have only run in a handful of Saturdays in the 7+ years I’ve been here, but it doesn’t take much for something to screw you up and force your hand, usually when you least want it to. And finishing Friday quite often means Friday NIGHT, not tea time. The reality of the situation is that even the most amenable planner can’t force customers to load on time, cars not to crash and reloads not to appear on his desk at the last minute marked “urgent”. It’s just not that kind of work, it isn’t that rigid and it can’t be that easily dictated, least of all by the driver. Just ask any tramper who’s tried to get to a 5pm Friday doctor’s appointment three weeks in a row and still not managed it…
Only dim trampers make Friday 5pm appts. Intelligent ones get Monday 9am ones and go in to work straight after.
(This is assuming the appt place is only open weekdays, normal office hours).
Very true… But you know and I know there are a LOT of very dim trampers out there.
Never “plan” to be home on a certain day. If your firm doesn’t do weekending, always tell your other half the latest you’ll be home. I used to have to be prepared for 4 weeks out, anything less earned me brownie points with 'er indoors. Forget making lists etc about what to take, you’ll get to know what you need after a while. As you’re UK only you’re never far from somewhere to pick up essentials. As long as you have clothes, washkit and food/drink that’ll do for a start. Not banging on about my experiences, (I was on distance work for 14 years, 6 of that abroad) but after a while you’ll end up with a load of crap you never use, best not to buy/take it to start with. If you don’t miss it, you don’t need it. I hope it works out ok for you, I loved every minute of distance work, inspite of my own “rose tinted” specs! Good luck.
Deepinvet:
Give the guy a break!!! All he asked for was a bit of advice on what to take.
To all you guys and gals who say trampers work 6 days and max hours, well I’ve been tramping with my present employer for nearly 4 years and I have never worked a Saturday or a Sunday or any bank holiday, have a good pension excellent sick pay and we are paid way above the national average.
It’s no wonder people don’t like posting on this forum…
cliffton 27:
first of all guys i dont have rose tinted glasses on at all i know what the job is all about i dont lay the law down to anyone as i know it dont get you anywhere i know its all about keeping your planner sweet you do for them and they will look after you i know this from experience
i dont mind doing the odd extra shift if i anit got nothing better to do but i do mind staying out due to other people [zb] ups
also after speaking to the trampers at our yard they all say they cant remember the last time they did an extra shift so this is why i expect to be back every friday
thanks for the advice on kit needed il keep ya all posted on how it goes
Cliffton! My post was describing worst case scenario! Mike Cunn worked there! I was planned out of there for 2 years! 3 planners on nights are OK the rest don’t know what they are doing!
I know a load of long term night Trampers based at Appleton! Chat with them they will put you right and how to work your planner! You should be asked in advance to do overtime! If your not then back to base! Remember the 4 month period though when you pick a fight with a planner/Manager!
And after 12 months continuos employment tell them to do one!
cliffton 27:
first of all guys i dont have rose tinted glasses on at all i know what the job is all about i dont lay the law down to anyone as i know it dont get you anywhere i know its all about keeping your planner sweet you do for them and they will look after you i know this from experience
i dont mind doing the odd extra shift if i anit got nothing better to do but i do mind staying out due to other people [zb] ups
also after speaking to the trampers at our yard they all say they cant remember the last time they did an extra shift so this is why i expect to be back every friday
thanks for the advice on kit needed il keep ya all posted on how it goes
Cliffton! My post was describing worst case scenario! Mike Cunn worked there! I was planned out of there for 2 years! 3 planners on nights are OK the rest don’t know what they are doing!
I know a load of long term night Trampers based at Appleton! Chat with them they will put you right and how to work your planner! You should be asked in advance to do overtime! If your not then back to base! Remember the 4 month period though when you pick a fight with a planner/Manager!
And after 12 months continuos employment tell them to do one!
“Meh” to everyone else!
im already through that 4 month period buddy im planned out of stoke based in trafford park i have spoken to my day planner before when i was on nights and by all acounts she seems ok and we get on ok always a good start in my opinion
I’m sorry cliffton I forgot your out of Trafford Park!
You have no worries there my friend! What wagon are you in mate? See you out there maybe only I’m a nighttramper!
dessy:
I’m sorry cliffton I forgot your out of Trafford Park!
You have no worries there my friend! What wagon are you in mate? See you out there maybe only I’m a nighttramper!
5877 for the first week and then i change over into another full time as it has a second bed in ( more room for stuff ) cant remember the fleet number name is samantha jane
dessy:
I’m sorry cliffton I forgot your out of Trafford Park!
You have no worries there my friend! What wagon are you in mate? See you out there maybe only I’m a nighttramper!
5877 for the first week and then i change over into another full time as it has a second bed in ( more room for stuff ) cant remember the fleet number name is samantha jane
6317 or Anthea Caroline! Follow me on Twitter @dessy1969 loads of us on there and we help each other all the time!
i can say opposite to that …im a stobart tramper out of crick …been doing mon to fri since may 2008 I’ve only been stuck out once and i ran out of hours only a hour and half away from crick and to be fair it wasn’t planners fault…im back every friday with out fail sometime though after 8 hours sometimes 14 …but thats rare…ive never ever had a problem getting back if it looks dodgy on the isotrack I’ve always rang up and my work as been changed … i have to be back on a friday because my partner works weekends and i have to be back for the kids … AND I ALWAYS AM
in all my years tramping the first thing i learned was never plan when to be back. sometimes we used to come back friday, wash off thinking we were going home, then be given a job that needed tipping, usually locally(upto 2 hours away roughly), then when you get there, the load wasnt booked in till this or that o clock, and sometimes this even resulted in another night out. to be fair, the friday tips were always shared out fairly though, and even our european lads used to get them from time to time. these days i do 4 nights out, and can be home from friday dinner time, right up to friday night. i for one love the tramping, but go with the advice of the previous poster just taking essentials and adding to it as and when. good luck, and keep us posted. cheers steve
well its been 3 weeks and so far so so good latest i have been back is 5pm and to be honest i could handle that every week kit wise i pretty much had it sorted just sorting out an inverter so i can get a microwave and use me laptop at night as there are only so many dvds 1 man can watch driving wise its great i dont feel rushed as long as the job gets done and i keep everyone in the loop im never really hassled on by the office just need to brush up on decent parking spaces now so its happy days at the mo
Know the tramper at the place over the road from us, he’s the only tramper there and the waiting list for his job is longer than the queue outside the Apple store this morning,
Starts Monday 8 or 9am dependant on how he feels, Friday is run back and wash day, he said last week he’s only had 2 jobs on a Friday this year, easy work, happy as a pig in ■■■■ and pulling reasonable money.
Only dim trampers make Friday 5pm appts. Intelligent ones get Monday 9am ones and go in to work straight after.
asked our office for a 4pm finish today as i had a doctors appointment they went one better and at 10.30 am i was heading home decent wage earned this week and off till tuesday.
sounds like the planners at appleton are the same numpties that worked at newton le willows when i worked there, a few good uns but some wrong uns too!
