hi all
I have been offered a job driving class 1 and tramping I have no e4xperiance in class 1 as im ex army but they said they would train me up.has any one got any advice as im a bit low on confidence with having no experience
cheers
Get a lot better results in the main forum (Both in searching old threads, and asking questions)
Also there is a Euro Driving forum EURO DRIVING FORUM (INTERACTIVE) - Trucknet UK
Best of luck pal!
You are diving straight in at the deep end. Some have done this and liked it but tramping is an acquired taste. You have no experience of class 1 and your confidence is low so would it be easier for you to do some weekends or just a day job for a while to build up your confidence before accepting a tramping job right of the bat? You might like it straight away but if you are one of those that hate it and want to go home…
Also when they say train you up it is not like the forces or a corporate training. In this game it is often training on the job and it could be a simple “well if you get stuck call us and we will sort it” 
good advice from alder. not much to add, i would go for the job and just take your time with it. tramping is not as pressured as day work and the army is good training for tramping being away and sleeping in a box.
one tip, try to plan where you will stop for the night and not leave it until you are about out of hours to find a stop. if you stop in a lay by you will get rocked all night long. if you drop the trailer and nudge forward a couple of inches and drop the suspension , the trailer will rock and the unit will stay still (tip courtesy of luke vernon )
Indeed, Alder’s posts spot on.
One problem with tramping and similar jobs keeping you away is that those who do it tend not to differentiate between their pay and their night out expenses/alowances, ie 4 nights out might net you say £90 in night out pay, that doesn’t mean you took home £500 that week it means you took home £410 plus allowances, and unless you live like a hermit eating cab cooked gruel you’ll spend most of it feeding yourself and having the odd pint to get away from the poxy tin can for a few hours to prevent you becoming another boring sod and part of the machine…so go into any job with an open mind about what’s on offer, don’t take their figures at face value.
allseyboy you might also be thinking “This is a job offer and I might not get another”. Put that out of your mind as there is an abundance of tramping jobs. Most drivers these days on the money that is offered prefer to be home. There is also an escalation in theft, lack of security, hardship on your family, extortionate charges truck stops etc. that all figures into it so think it all out. Ask the person who offered you the job if you can do a trial period of a couple of weeks and if you don’t like it could you go on days, nights, 4on 4off etc.
Anyway good luck, just trying to help don’t mean to sound gloomy 
alder:
don’t mean to sound gloomy
Gloomy? That was positively euphoric for you mate! 
And sounds like good advice too! What you done with the real Alder? 
Thanks guys for your advice and now iv took it on board I totally agree not having the experience and starting off tramping is probably a bit to much so ill prob stick with day/night shifts on agency till I get more experience and confidence
thanks again
I went from being a class 2 day driver, to class 1 tramping for a different company more or less overnight.
Love it, but as is said above, you need a certain mindset to tramp.
You might not speak to anyone other than a few grunts through a goods in window, for a few days at a time. I sleep better in my cab than I do in my bed.
Driving class 1 seems like a huge step, just remember how you were trained. Take as many shunts as you want to, to get it where it needs to be, and never be afraid to ask for help, and get out and have a shuftie, if that’ll help.
A few months down the line, you’ll wonder what you were fussing over.
You guys are painting tramping in a bad light. Tramping is nothing to be scared off, its all about preperation. The trick with tramping is to carry the essentials and not much else. Get yourself a camping stove and some gas cans so if you are stuck in a lay-by you can get some hot food. As you’re tramping your truck may have a fridge and a microwave which makes life a lot easier.
Take a weeks worth of clothes and some spare pair of trousers just in case you mess them. Also, as said above try and plan where you are going to stop ahead of time. While it made be “easier” to try and park as close as you can to your next drop in the morning, it might be a better idea to stop short when you have plenty of time left just in case the place you want to park at is full. No good sitting there with 15 minutes left only to find there is no more room at the inn.
Tramping does require a certain type of mindset. I love it, can’t get enough of it but there are some days where I am glad that I’ve finished early and are back in the yard so I get to go back home for a shower and my own bed (even though I do sleep better in my cab).
I’ve gone straight into class 1 tramping job and I’ve got to admit Im finding it extremely tough. Exhausting, stressful and mentally straining. I passed about 6 weeks ago and I used to drive vans for tesco.
It has broke me more than once and Im in a bit of a mess to be honnest. I hate quiting but I’m close…
bj86uk:
I’ve gone straight into class 1 tramping job and I’ve got to admit Im finding it extremely tough. Exhausting, stressful and mentally straining. I passed about 6 weeks ago and I used to drive vans for tesco.
It has broke me more than once and Im in a bit of a mess to be honnest. I hate quiting but I’m close…
Stick with it. I seriously thought I was never going to get it right. One day it’ll just click. I still drop the odd bollock now and again after 6 months, but it does get easier. Think about how many miles you drive it forward for, without incident, and how many feet you do in reverse.
Loads of Tramping jobs going…
bj86uk:
I’ve gone straight into class 1 tramping job and I’ve got to admit Im finding it extremely tough. Exhausting, stressful and mentally straining. I passed about 6 weeks ago and I used to drive vans for tesco.
It has broke me more than once and Im in a bit of a mess to be honnest. I hate quiting but I’m close…
Hang on in there pal !
As Paul says it’ll all click soon enough.
You’re better than you were 6 weeks ago,just remember that fact
What’s giving you the most grief ?
Some positives to tramping that I find:
- Usually get more sleep in the wagon, due to not having to commute at the beginning/end of the day.
- Save on petrol costs for your car.
- You value your weekends/time at home more.
Also if you plan where you want to stop for the night, and head there at least an hour and a half before your hours are due to run out then you should be able to avoid laybying it altogether.