Fancy doing some tramping before the wtd kicks in, or will it not change anything ?
The rates seem a little on the low side, circa 6.50. One I’ve been provisionally offered is 6.30 for first 8 hours , x 1.5 after. So for 70 hours I’m looking at £500, which I can live with, anything less and I’m in crap street…
I’ve been told I’d be running max hours, which are ?
Apart from night out money is there anything else to make it up ?
Any trampers want to ward me off ?
Not spent nights out in truck to date, quite happy to give it a go sunday through to friday with decent rig… Would prefer to have a “drink” than watch tv in a cab.
do they pay parking, a night in a truckstop or msa will cost about a tenner and thats just the parking charge.
communications, do they operate with telephones or some other messaging system or do they want you to use your phone?
what type of work too, on contract to another company, general haulage with regular outbound work but using freight brokers for backloading, tippers, fridges, flats etc.
84 hours and six days of working . Doing that kind of work
must be hard considering doing as conor said no life, friends or family
as you’ll not get to see them. I hope the money reflects the job you might be doing.
steve_24v:
[Are you telling me there’s no fun in being a tramper ?
steve ive done it on class 2 for a few weeks after i passed and i loved it and i have had some fun nights at the stockyard and the night owl near newcastle a couple of beers and osne tales told
steve_24v:
Are you telling me there’s no fun in being a tramper ?
When I was tramping I had plenty of fun!! There again I was younger, wasn’t married with kids then, was happy to only see my lunatic girlfriend for two days a week and while the hourly rate wasn’t the best out there, there was plenty of hours to be had!!
steve 24, i’m going to assume that newport is newport gwent?
if so your not far away from a company that could put you out over the water, s&k haulage are to be seen regularly on the highways of europe, i think they are from swansea, theres also another company down that way, tk or tm phillips i think theyre called, you could try them for a gallop across the sea.
Steve, go tramping and you will never want to do anything else!!!
It knocks spots off doing ‘regular’ runs etc!!
Leave home on a Sunday as I do and I NEVER know where I am going from one day till the next! One day I can find meself up North tipping… then reloading for Holland or Spain… its a great life. One thing I will mention… it can get expensive going for a drink night after night… if you get decent kit and a fridge… buy wine or beer and have a relax in the cab with a drink!
There are plenty of firms down your way that go ‘over the water’ … but beware… S & K Haulage have “dated” equipment lolol all I have ever seen is flat top P and R reg Volvo’s
johnny:
what type of work too, on contract to another company, general haulage with regular outbound work but using freight brokers for backloading, tippers, fridges, flats etc.
Talking to one of their drivers last night it’s general haulage pulling curtains,all contract work, no brokers… He was happy, little to no pressure, and he gets back once or twice a week.
johnny:
steve 24, i’m going to assume that newport is newport gwent?
if so your not far away from a company that could put you out over the water, s&k haulage are to be seen regularly on the highways of europe, i think they are from swansea, theres also another company down that way, tk or tm phillips i think theyre called, you could try them for a gallop across the sea.
Yes, newport gwent…
My firm do continental but I’ve only been with them a few week Have asked them for distance work but it’s not forthcoming, they want me on this contract they’ve got but I’ll tap them up again before long.
If I do a 9 hour run to somewhere is that it, get paid for 9 hours only ?
Ha ha!! With the firm I worked for there was no such thing as a 9 hour day anyway! They’d have been happy if there was such a thing as a 19 hour day and as a driver you were often saying “No, can’t do that; I’m almost out of hours now.”
Mind you, funny how a 14½ hr day always made it to the timesheet as a 15 hr day (3 x per week ) and any other day was always a 13!! If i’m not getting home I might as well work to the max.
That of course, would be totally different if I was on fixed money but when I was tramping I was on hourly rate.
I suppose the answer to your question is if the company can afford to only the run the truck for 9 hrs per day and have it parked up for the other 15 hrs, then they must have some good (well paying) contracts. Chances are they’d try to double shift the truck; it’d earn much more money in a 24 hr period.
I’d be suprised if you, as a tramper, do very many 9 hr days. If you are paid hourly then I expect you would only get 9 hrs pay.
If I do a 9 hour run to somewhere is that it, get paid for 9 hours only ?
I’d be suprised if you, as a tramper, do very many 9 hr days. If you are paid hourly then I expect you would only get 9 hrs pay.
It’s not that I want to do only 9 hours but if I have no driving time left wouldn’t that be it, 15 hours sat in a cab ?
I’m trying to get me head around the daily/weekly hours, I’d sooner get paid, and do, max hours, but then if you run out of driving time after 9 hours then I assume that’s what you get paid for, 9 hours. At the rate on offer that wouldn’t be a lot of dosh…
Being pickey, you couldn’t do a 9 hr day to use up your driving time as in the middle of the 2 x 4½hr (or other permutation) driving periods there would have to be a 45min break. At this point it might be the time to point out that one of Davey’s Drivers Hour Guard would help you no-end with keeping legal.
Going back to the ‘9 hr day’ issue, some companies don’t pay you for your break or, deduct 45 mins pay from your pay (which I’ve never agreed with) and so I guess you could say it is a ‘9 hr pay day.’ In that case, yes you could be sat in your cab for 15 hrs. (There are other things to be considered but we’ll keep it simple for now)
And yes, if that was to happen, you wouldn’t be on ‘a lot of dosh’.
I’ll say again though, I can’t imagine the company being able to run the motor for just 9 hrs and staying profitable.
TheBear:
Steve, go tramping and you will never want to do anything else!!!
It knocks spots off doing ‘regular’ runs etc!!
That’s what I like to hear Bear…
So pleased you enjoy tramping as most everyone else don’t seem to have a good word to say about it, knew there had to be more to it.
I’m going to give it a go as soon as I get the chance. This lot are giving me so must jip it’s getting beyond a joke, 2nd suspension in 6 week and all because I answer back to the TM, “4 am start ? that’s a night run” He’s now reported me for taking too long…
So pleased you enjoy tramping as most everyone else don’t seem to have a good word to say about it,
Steve,
Maybe I didn’t make myself totally clear; I really really enjoyed my time tramping despite the negatives! It suited me then as I was single etc etc. Now with 'er & 2 little 'uns it would be difficult and probably an anit-climax after the good time I had before!!
steve_24v:
The way I see it is I’m already doing excess of 60 hours on days so don’t get any social as it is… May as well go the whole hog ?
Besides, kids are spreading their wings, been married to ‘er indoors for 25 odd years, and she’s not going anywhere so what would you do ?
I’d like to think tramping would open some doors to what I’d really like to do, continental.
Are you telling me there’s no fun in being a tramper ?
Wanna bet she won’t go elsewhere? Ask yourself if there is any point having a relationship with a person you get to see for 12 hours once a week and who are that knackered that they just want to sit in front of the telly?
Our industry has a very high divorce rate. Usually the hours are the cause.
I enjoy the tramping and as The Bear says you don’t know where you’ll be from one day to the next. This week for instance, tipped in London monday morning, reloaded then tipped in Glasgow tuesday morning, Birmingham wednesday, London again thursday, so you certainly get around and put a few miles under your belt. I’ve being married 20 years and the wife seems to enjoy the (as she says) peace and quiet when I not around So it works both ways. Best of luck as I don’t think you’ll regret doing tramping.
. Doing that kind of work
) and any other day was always a 13!! If i’m not getting home I might as well work to the max.
peace and quiet when I not around 
So it works both ways. Best of luck as I don’t think you’ll regret doing tramping.