il bestione ,that’s a trucking film I havnae seen for yrs,yup your right carryfast that early morning scene when the motor is running back home at the start is a classic 
.Had many mornings running the sunrise after nightshift and found the 4am -6am a real bad time to stay awake.
Nite Owl:
My personal experience after being on permanent nights for a good few years, it’ll catch up to you in the end!
Even in retirement for almost 20 years my body clock is still biased more towards staying up well into the night time/early hours and getting up very late often close to midday and I’m not as comfortable with getting up early in the morning for any reason.But there’s no way that I’d have taken on a regular 10pm and 2am start job then or now that’s just silly and likely to cause some bad body clock reactions sooner or later.
JIMBO47:
il bestione ,that’s a trucking film I havnae seen for yrs,yup your right carryfast that early morning scene when the motor is running back home at the start is a classic
I found when your body clock is ‘in the zone’ that wasn’t a problem I loved that 8.30 pm - 11 and 3 am to 5.30 period running along the M40 in the warm mid Summer evenings and sunset and dawns and sunrise with the changing deep blue colours of the sky and the smell of the fields and trees through the open windows and old DAF quarter lights.That’s what really takes me back in that scene and it’s everything which made the job great for me…
But if I was running late for any reason hitting the traffic at around 7am running back to yard from the M40 and the M4 could be torture and then the commute home after.I remember missing the junction off the M4 back to the yard when in that weird auto pilot mode when your body has finally had enough, once or twice.Which meant an even worse addition to my run to the end of the M4 and back again.Really couldn’t imagine starting a shift at 2am in that regard.
I do nights,I started at 1600 last night and finished at 0300,I’ve had a couple of goes on days but can’t seem to settle and always end up back on nights,I’ve set my stall out now that only time I’ll go back to days is if a tramping job came up.
Our nights start anytime after 1300 though so it’s not too bad,parking for breaks and road closures are the biggest problems on nights,as someone pointed out take some snap with you cos there’s not much open apart from McDonald’s.
If I’m going into services for a break and it’s before 10,I’ll try not to use a bay if there’s only a couple left in case a tramper comes in and needs it,I’ll try parking out of way,if you need to use a bay leave sidelights on to let people know not to park across front of you( Doesn’t work in Wetherby though,they park anywhere) reverse buzzer off too as people will be trying to get some sleep in motors beside you…
Road closures are usually easy as they’re normally signed diversions and after a while you find best ways around them…
If your new to driving I would give it a go…
If you’ve never worked a regular nightshift before forget trying to do driving on nights. Your body clock will never adapt to it and it’ll slowly driver you nuts
Reversing can just be white mans magic in poorly/non lit yards. Roads are quieter. With nighshifts i’ve done in the past you’ll be given your paperwork/keys and told to crack on, nights are a good opportunity to get longer runs done since the roads/warehouses are quieter so its usually a straight load/reload then back up or a turn and burn if the company have trailers there already. I generally enjoyed working nights, the only issue i had was feeling like my weekend was halved due to the dodgy sleeping pattern.
You also need to make sure you leave reversing beeper on, leave engine idling next to someone’s truck who’s sleeping and put the radio on loud just to add to the effect, and if dropping trailer wind the legs as loud as you can, and don’t wind all the way down so you can pull out fast and it will drop with a bang as you pull out. The trampers love it.
Also get out and look and check your surroundings before reversing. You’ll be amazed the amount of posts or fences just pop up then its too late [emoji1787]
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Rowley010:
You also need to make sure you leave reversing beeper on, leave engine idling next to someone’s truck who’s sleeping and put the radio on loud just to add to the effect, and if dropping trailer wind the legs as loud as you can, and don’t wind all the way down so you can pull out fast and it will drop with a bang as you pull out. The trampers love it.
Not to forget if doing a changeover in services or truckstops to bellow your conversation across to your mate while you’re uncoupling, instead of just downing tools a couple of minutes for a chat.
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Norfolkinclue1:
Rowley010:
I’m right in what I say and what I say is the truth but people don’t like the truth, so it makes me a prick.Quoted for it’s brilliance.
gratiaDei777:
Looking to do night driving for a while to get experience. 10PM-2AM starts.Would you say it’s something to completely avoid?
Any handy tips (to cope with the new sleep cycle)?
What’s it like in general?
Thanks
Each to his own, but I personally could not think of anything worse, more if a ‘workexistence’ than a ‘worklife’ in my humble opinion.
It would have to equate to time and a half rate to make me even consider it, there has to be easier options to make a living than that.
I did try it once briefly,.and all the so called ‘advantages’ already pointed out on this thread are correct, less traffic etc, but that would not be even near enough to make me do it.
On the other hand tramping that I prefer, does not suit many,…but only because they either listen to the wrong people, or they are not doing it properly to it’s full potential of enjoyment.
Btw @ Rowley, re the post you aimed at me…
You have brought all this stuff on yourself, by your previous baiting posts, as you well know, and if you want to revert to your natural state that’s up to you, it was only a bit of friendly advice, but like I said I don’t really give a ■■■■ tbh. 
I’ve done my best to stay on “Perm Nights” for nearly 30 years now.
At the weekends, I base my home life around my working shifts, so I’m not available in the mornings for “things at home” let’s say.
I also find that it is the switching of shifts - that buggers up my bio clock far more than just staying on the same shift, week in, week out.
I’d hate to go back to full time - only to be “rotated” for that reason. “Any 5 from 7” also don’t cut it. I’d need a fixed shift, and since I don’t mind doing 12-15 hours - a 4 shift week is a must for me now.
For the time being, I can achieve the correct home/work balance doing agency shifts. This week I’ve got Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday all with start times between 21:00 and 23:00.
I’m not sure if there are any employers offering that as a “fixed shifts” full timer proposition - but please enlighten me if there are everyone…
With agency, I’m effectively on “Any 4 from 7” - which I’d like to improve to “MY choice 4 from 7” in due course.
It’s too quiet in January/February to pick and choose at the moment though, so I just take the four I’m given without argument.
The best “sleeping tips” I could give are:
Don’t go to work hungry/thirsty, and of course definitely not tired.
Don’t burn the candle at both ends! Actually sleep the full night’s sleep amount, even if it is the middle of the day.
Neglect social events in the middle of your working week.
Get your shopping trip with the wife done - at the END of the working week, rather than “ahead” of it. Eg. If you’re working Monday-Friday nights - don’t do your shopping Monday afternoon before going in! Do it on Saturday morning, coming home from Friday Night’s shift…
and last… Don’t work nights for crappy money! Every worker prepared to ■■■■ in and do a job for minimum wages - pulls rates back down for the rest of us already working those shifts!
I’ve heard it said that foreign-owned outfits running yards in this country - are playing a downward spiral game with the Night Rate - using everything from “no job for you - except on an equal pay (with days) rate” or more often Fiscal Drag used to let day rates catch up with the former, higher night rate. 
If the “night rate” is less than £2ph over minimum wage - then walk away, and if the job stays unfilled, then perhaps only then will skinflint employers trying to bag pro drivers for less than a burger flipper gets - will get the message!
If you do find your eyes closing, DON’T try to fight it.
Park up
set your alarm for 20 minutes
get your head down
wake up, splash cold water on your face
do 2-3 mins knees bend, touch toes, run on the spot
Don’t bee scared of repeating it.
Optimum:
If you do find your eyes closing, DON’T try to fight it.
Park up
set your alarm for 20 minutes
get your head down
wake up, splash cold water on your face
do 2-3 mins knees bend, touch toes, run on the spot
Don’t bee scared of repeating it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
alternatively
dont stop.
window down,tip a bottle of water into each eye like an eyebath,drink a can of coke in 1 gulp,sing and shout,phone a friend and talk crap for a while till the sleep wears off.
or,try this…they all work well without stopping.
youtube.com/watch?v=hSSJ6Wxlajs
I don’t understand why when you’re volunteering for night shifts you think you are entitled to an enhanced rate . If my firm wanted me to do night work then they would have to offer me an enhanced rate but if I volunteered for it I wouldn’t expect it.
Personally I prefer nights.
Less traffic, less accidents, less random road closures. Usually more room for manoeuvres on industrial estates etc. Also takes less time to get to work in the first place. More money.
Downside are the planned road closures and diversions but they are usually planned in advance so you can check your route.
Services are usually full so can be trickier taking a 45.
Radio can be a bit crap
Smaller cafes and places to get food can sometimes be closed so plan for that.
Don’t have a big meal before the shift or you’ll get sleepy quick. First week can be a bit of a struggle if you’re not used to nights.
Nothing wrong with 10pm-2am start, depending on the shift length.
Beau Nydel:
I don’t understand why when you’re volunteering for night shifts you think you are entitled to an enhanced rate . If my firm wanted me to do night work then they would have to offer me an enhanced rate but if I volunteered for it I wouldn’t expect it.
And there lies the problem why drivers wages are crap…you SHOULD expect it, night work SHOULD be an enhanced rate.
It does not matter a ■■■■ whether you are willing or volunteering, …but if you are it’s a bonus towards enjoying a crap job.
Beau Nydel:
I don’t understand why when you’re volunteering for night shifts you think you are entitled to an enhanced rate . If my firm wanted me to do night work then they would have to offer me an enhanced rate but if I volunteered for it I wouldn’t expect it.
Any work that involves working unsociable hours, whether it be nights or weekends, should come with premium rates to compensate.
They want people to work these shifts they have to give them some incentive or benefit for doing so. How many people would honestly work nights or weekends for the same money as weekday shifts?
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m.a.n rules:
https://youtu.be/6GFuTaNqUOo^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
try not to let this happen…
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
classic. 
if the o/p really wants to try night driving without the commitment,then theres always the option of just keep driving daytime and wearing sunglasses to get a feel for the job?