Hi guys I was well aware trucking is long hours. However I am just curious as my first job sees me starting at around 4:30am till 7:30pm. I understand being a newbie I have to learn my trade so that will take time. I just wondered what sort of times/hours a typical class 2 driver works? I know im in a hard multi drop job at the minute so im wondering when i gain a year or two of experience is it worth moving on or are other jobs similar with the hours?
I’ve averaged between 50-55 hours per week including breaks the last 3 years.
that sounds about what I thought it would be. I think im in the middle of learning and in a hard job so its just a matter of getting my head down and learning. Just wasnt sure if I was wrong. 
F-reds:
I’ve averaged between 50-55 hours per week including breaks the last 3 years.
You a part timer?
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
biker10:
Hi guys I was well aware trucking is long hours. However I am just curious as my first job sees me starting at around 4:30am till 7:30pm. I understand being a newbie I have to learn my trade so that will take time. I just wondered what sort of times/hours a typical class 2 driver works? I know im in a hard multi drop job at the minute so im wondering when i gain a year or two of experience is it worth moving on or are other jobs similar with the hours?
Hope your not doing those hours everyday of the week though…As your only allowed 3x 15s a week…
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
daftvader:
biker10:
Hi guys I was well aware trucking is long hours. However I am just curious as my first job sees me starting at around 4:30am till 7:30pm. I understand being a newbie I have to learn my trade so that will take time. I just wondered what sort of times/hours a typical class 2 driver works? I know im in a hard multi drop job at the minute so im wondering when i gain a year or two of experience is it worth moving on or are other jobs similar with the hours?Hope your not doing those hours everyday of the week though…As your only allowed 3x 15s a week…
Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
Also if your not finishing til 7:30pm you can only start 9 hours later (reduce your daily rest) 3 times a week,or it may be 2 I can’t remember exactly as I point blank refuse to reduce at all.
It’s 3 times per week but if he gets 3 hrs per rest in one block he can do 15 every day
EddieMD:
F-reds:
I’ve averaged between 50-55 hours per week including breaks the last 3 years.You a part timer?
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
No, just got a job where you don’t need to do 6x15 hour shifts to make the boss or the bank happy. Its only Monday to Friday too 
In hire and reward general transport then maxing hours every day, and a bit more besides, is quite normal.
You will find more sensible hours on own account work, eg supermarkets and service/manufacturers own fleets, and in the land of tippers and skips.
Ours isn’t a normal job, euro double manning, but our timesheets return at 45 hours if it’s a quiet week or 90 if it’s mental - that 90 is what we pay, but will include half hours on a 24 hour+ ferry and half hours on a rest day abroad ( ie, stand for 24 hours, usually at a hotel, and get paid 12), so take those out and it’s 65 hours of work, of which around 20 will be driving and 10 working because of the double man. Nothing overly physical, rarely more than a bit of strapping down.
EddieMD:
F-reds:
I’ve averaged between 50-55 hours per week including breaks the last 3 years.You a part timer?
clearly he is not a mug
m_attt:
EddieMD:
F-reds:
I’ve averaged between 50-55 hours per week including breaks the last 3 years.You a part timer?
clearly he is not a mug
You don’t say!!
Sent from my ONE A2003 using Tapatalk
biker10:
Hi guys I was well aware trucking is long hours. However I am just curious as my first job sees me starting at around 4:30am till 7:30pm. I understand being a newbie I have to learn my trade so that will take time. I just wondered what sort of times/hours a typical class 2 driver works? I know im in a hard multi drop job at the minute so im wondering when i gain a year or two of experience is it worth moving on or are other jobs similar with the hours?
I’ve been in the industry for 11 years and never worked anywhere near those hours. (Having said that I’ve never tramped.) I think those hours are excessive.
7:30 most nights I’m on my 4 th cuppa either be it at home in the yard or parked up some where
Friday is the only day I would do 15 h by choice as not to run in Saturday
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Blimey Biker10, those are some long hours! 
Basically it appears your firm are looking to max you and the trucks out every day they can… 
I agree with Juddian, and I’ve a mate who’s doing shop work and he’s almost on part time hours.
He’s contracted to 43, but doesn’t even do that! 
(I’m not bitter! )
Your firm does seem particularly bad though, as when I was on pallet work I was only doing about about 55 a week.
I think it’s your start time that’s the problem, as I used to start at 7:30 when I did it, and often finished the same time you are.
I found that knackering, so you must be buggered mate and I urge you to consider your safety and those of others on the road.
(Not a dig, just concern that your boss is an irresponsible F’ing Masturbater! )
I’d start looking around for a new gig now mate, sod the 6 months experience!!!
Those hours were very similar to those expected from my last job, which I walked-out of. Like Juddian says, in general haulage it’s common of them to expect you to max your hours out. On supermarket runs, if you mastered the art of timing your jobs, you could quite easily do 45 hours per week. Tramping in general haulage, you could do some serious hours.
I tended to do 12 or 13 hour days when tramping, but the manager called me and told me I was “underperforming”. He said I needed to start maxing my hours out, taking them to the wire every day, working three 15-hour days and two 13-hour days per week, possibly with a run-in on Saturday. Supposedly that was the only way he could make any money. It was also common for the planner to order you to do a 15-hour day, and demand that you take a reduced rest, to fulfil their schedule. To them, drivers hours are something they try to get as close to the maximum, rather than be comfortably within. If you gave them any lip, they’d normally respond with something like “it’s just the way the job is”, or “you’ve only been here a couple of months, this is the way it really is”. It goes without saying that I walked, and I hope the b******s struggle to get drivers for eternity.
Let’s face it, firms that max their drivers out would work them harder if it was legal. They’d probably plan you for 18 hour shifts, six hour’s rest if they could. Walk away, I’ve seen it, worked for a firm like this, and walked-away from a firm like this, and it’s the best thing I ever did. Ridiculous hours that none of the planners giving the orders would dare to work.
Ridiculous hours. Clearly taking you for a mug cause you know no better. Read up on what you can and can’t do and then stuck to your guns.
I’ve had it before where I’d done over my contracted hours within 4 days. I told them I won’t be coming in on the 5th day because I’ve reached hours and I was knackered and not fit to drive. It went down really well but I did not give a ■■■■. My safety and other people’s safety was my priority not some products that needed to be on a shelf some where.
Don’t be taken for a mug ever.
Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
biker10:
Hi guys I was well aware trucking is long hours. However I am just curious as my first job sees me starting at around 4:30am till 7:30pm. I understand being a newbie I have to learn my trade so that will take time. I just wondered what sort of times/hours a typical class 2 driver works? I know im in a hard multi drop job at the minute so im wondering when i gain a year or two of experience is it worth moving on or are other jobs similar with the hours?
This is why i wont take a full time job
Tues to Friday with agencies. 10 hour shifts max and 3 days off 
I work 7:00 to 16:30. 5 days a week. Skips. Rolon off. Grab.
Thanks for all the replies guys. You give me some hope in my future as its really made me think twice. I had every idea I was going to do 50-60 hours but I reckon I could be hitting 70. I know im not getting my daily rest. Driving wise ive improved rapidly, not being over confident but happy with my progression. One thing that takes my time is the work in the back of the truck. So much they dont tell you so you find out by making mistakes which costs time. I typically have 15 hours to do around 16 drops in cheshire usually Nantwich, sandbach, congleton areas ect lots of A and B roads. At each drop it can take several minutes to check orders and add miscellaneous items to them before dropping them off, waiting for the customer to check it and then return the cages and lock up the truck. Some drops are round the corner but some are also 30 minutes apart. A lad whos been there 18 years can do the route and be done around 3pm. Its taking me till 5 ish most days but then im hitting rush hour and its taking two hours sometimes to get back. Pretty gutted at the minute but nothing I can see going anywhere near me. Would like to get into skips/construction but all asking for experience! Think for now I will have to push on. Im not getting daily rest no way, not sure how they are getting round that. I do transit once a week usually Saturday so im not on tacho. Dont mind to be honest its a break lol. I know some of the time is down to me and learning my game but ive spoken to other lads there and im not alone. Some of the lads do really well there to be fair but turnover in general is high. Team and staff are all fine to get on with but hours are excessive. Ive yet to actually take a real break too but im off for four days now as I booked them off so rest time!!