I like a bit of the two it takes the monopoly out of it and if you know a week ahead all the better you can make plans
AndrewG:
hammertothefloor:
AndrewG seems to have the job worked out, could get used to his set up alright but I’m happy with my 2 weeks away and 45 at home for the time beingTbh, i dropped onto my current route more by luck. Many drivers at my place dont like the Malaga-Calais return. Ill do it week in week out but in all honesty it does get to me occasionally and need a break from it. Its done on the understanding that if i need to do a shorter run the following week another driver is available on the rota to do it which works out ok
The good thing about that run or runs similar is you know you have earned your money as soon as you have left the yard
I think the week goes in quicker if you are away all week on distance,.and home for weekend.
I could not think of anything worse than doing a 13 or 15 hour day on locals, a drive home, a short time at home just to get your tea shower and some kip before setting off to work to start another shift, too bloody hectic for me, and it would bore my arse off, but each to his own.
Tramping is what I prefer, and more or less all I have done in this job.
On the other hand I aint one of these sad cab happy types either, I would jack it tomorrow if I could afford to.
I prefer darting around locally and being home every day.
Distance work, tramping, as I’d get bored going to the same places everyday.
used to do tramping in my owner driver days but now I like to be home every night. last spring I did do some tramping on general haulage but no its not for me. Give me blue chip brain dead work any day, pays well home every night and no STRESS 
elsa Lad:
used to do tramping in my owner driver days but now I like to be home every night. last spring I did do some tramping on general haulage but no its not for me. Give me blue chip brain dead work any day, pays well home every night and no STRESS
No stress with tramping either…if you do it right. 
ie.Don’t teararse and/or succumb to pressure, park in decent places, eat and wash properly…where’s the stress?
Stress only happens to those who treat the job like an endurance excercise.
I used to prefer distance, did Euro a while, but I’d head to the Highlands and Islands week in week out if I could.
Our work is a mix now, one week it’s maybe Scotland for two days and the three days of locals, 3-4 hours away, mostly one drop and the following week, out for four -five days. Again usually one drop, rarely loading back.
trucken:
Distance work, tramping, as I’d get bored going to the same places everyday.
The job I do now would have been my idea of hell 25 years ago, tip at the same place every day, but you change as you get older and besides which there is virtually no long haul continental work any more so distance work really means Bristol to Manchester then London then Liverpool and that’s just as boring to me.
always wanted to have ago at continental work when I was younger but now with a missus and family I like to get home every night, as harry says theres not much continental work about now days
adam277:
E.g. I’d have to make my own food to take with me due to MSA being stupidly expensive and if I get the urged to use them which I know I will then I’ll be out of pocket.
Not necessarily but it depends. Often you get the option if paying a couple of quid more for a meal voucher with your MSA parking and certain firms don’t really care about that when they refund you so you end up getting a subsidised meal if you like and can keep your night out cash for a rainy day (beers)
I did distance work for years running the wholesale markets with produce out of Cornwall, then moved to Lincoln and did tramping for years, then moved to Canada 11 yrs ago, lived in the truck doing US/Can for 4yrs and for 7yrs have been on local, 4 X 104km round trips a day on spring water into a bottling plant.
I enjoyed tramping but I now enjoy my own bed everynight.
elsa Lad:
always wanted to have ago at continental work when I was younger but now with a missus and family I like to get home every night, as harry says theres not much continental work about now days
When I started (1986) and particularly where I lived (east Kent) it would have been 100x harder to find a UK-only job than continental work. I only took my HGV lessons and test because there was so much continental work around, in my first ever job I took a trailer to Manchester, then shipped out empty to load in northern France, then the following week I went to Italy, then did Italy every week for the next five years or so. And there were dozens of local firms doing that sort of work back in the day.
Times change, and although the work still exists, it’s all undertaken by eastern European hauliers nowadays, which is a shame. I’m glad I did it when I did, and I will always have my memories, but if I was 26 again I wouldn’t dream of spending the (massively more nowadays) money on getting an LGV licence just to do what I do now, a run from Coventry to Crewe and back empty every single day. I used to have an enormous passion for the job, now I just do it for the money and have no interest in it whatsoever.
robroy:
I think the week goes in quicker if you are away all week on distance,.and home for weekend.
I could not think of anything worse than doing a 13 or 15 hour day on locals, a drive home, a short time at home just to get your tea shower and some kip before setting off to work to start another shift
^
This
Being away all week and home weekends is my preference. Drop and swop means the only other work i do accounts for a paltry 30mins per week. Maxing driving everyday means no more than 3x10 and 2x12hr days. Far far easier than doing a multi drop 15hr day then driving home…
I just go with the flow and do whats given to me. I could have a week of locals but long days. I also get Scotland, Cornwall and west Wales trips thrown into the mix to flesh it out.
I does not worry me where I go or when, or at what time.
AndrewG:
robroy:
I think the week goes in quicker if you are away all week on distance,.and home for weekend.
I could not think of anything worse than doing a 13 or 15 hour day on locals, a drive home, a short time at home just to get your tea shower and some kip before setting off to work to start another shift^
This
Being away all week and home weekends is my preference. Drop and swop means the only other work i do accounts for a paltry 30mins per week. Maxing driving everyday means no more than 3x10 and 2x12hr days. Far far easier than doing a multi drop 15hr day then driving home…
Similar situation here. Luckily, some of our yards are only two and a half/three hours away. A couple of them a week and you actually have some semblance of a life.
Wanderlust got me into this job and it’s the only thing keeping me in it tbh. My idea of purgatory would be doing the same run day in day out. I love the unexpected and I love the odd occasion when I have to think on my feet. My planner sometimes tries to tell me what he’s got planned for me all week, I simply put a finger in each ear and go "na na na na " until he stops talking. I don’t want to know.
I also don’t do stress and I reckon that as a day man any hold up would have me frothing at the mouth whereas as a tramper the only difference a hold up means to me is that the view from my bedroom window changes on a night.
I appreciate that what I’ve described may be someone else’s idea of purgatory, but it’s horses for courses really.
Twoninety88:
I does not worry me where I go or when, or at what time.
My attitude completely. When I do a few weeks away during festival/event/F1 season its nice to then do day runs and 3 day trips for the other half of the year.
Twoninety88:
I does not worry me where I go or when, or at what time.
Precisely the attitude to have. Sod scrapping around worrying about being home every night…
Elsa Dad, you mentioned an urge to try European driving.
The novelty wears off when you are in a motorway service area for 45 hour off.
The 45 hour legal break can be more if waiting for load.
On European expect to be weekended.
Fines are court deposits.
Fines have to be paid in full where they stop you, some fines can be up to 20,000 euros.
A trivial offence in the UK is not abroad.
On your daily or weekly rest expect to be surrounded by 400 Eastern European trucks of which run their engines 24 hours a day to charge batteries.
There are truck bans to contend with, some can be four days, religious festivals, national holidays.
And regional holidays.
Bans may end at 22.00 or midnight so that means you can now drive ten hours and a 15 hour shift to get the ferry.
You are now on night work all week.