I’m going to be looking for new work in a couple of weeks time. I’m finally going to do some class one, and the agency have suggested trunking work to begin with. Can anyone share experiences of this type of work, what to expect hours and job wise? I’m just looking for a heads up before I start?
Not a real lot to say. Drive from A to B. Drop trailer or wait to be tipped then return to A. Can be a pain waiting for return trailer to be loaded, but IME it’s not too long.
Start times depend on who you’re working for and where you’re going. Short runs, expect 7 or 8pm start, longer runs, earlier start. Remember they have to get the stuff back early enough to be delivered, they don’t want van drivers hanging about waiting for stuff to deliver.
jbaz73:
I’m going to be looking for new work in a couple of weeks time. I’m finally going to do some class one, and the agency have suggested trunking work to begin with. Can anyone share experiences of this type of work, what to expect hours and job wise? I’m just looking for a heads up before I start?
Start around 6-7pm, finish around 6-8am.
Turn up to yard, wait for trailer to be finished loaded, strap it down, close curtains. Drive to hub, park up and open curtains, get called in to tip, tip, park up for several hours and get some sleep, get called in to load, load up, pull out, secure load, drive back to depot and dump it in the yard.
Take a pillow and some entertainment. Netflix and a good data package on your phone are worth it if you do this a lot.
Lack of sleep could be an issue.
jbaz73:
I’m going to be looking for new work in a couple of weeks time. I’m finally going to do some class one, and the agency have suggested trunking work to begin with. Can anyone share experiences of this type of work, what to expect hours and job wise? I’m just looking for a heads up before I start?
You need to be able to have the knack of sleeping in the day otherwise that drive back to the depot at 04.00 could be a mare, i can get up at 03.00 and drive to Cornwall easy peasy but to do a whole nightshift i find difficult staying awake towards the end of the shift.
Conor:
jbaz73:
I’m going to be looking for new work in a couple of weeks time. I’m finally going to do some class one, and the agency have suggested trunking work to begin with. Can anyone share experiences of this type of work, what to expect hours and job wise? I’m just looking for a heads up before I start?Start around 6-7pm, finish around 6-8am.
Turn up to yard, wait for trailer to be finished loaded, strap it down, close curtains. Drive to hub, park up and open curtains, get called in to tip, tip, park up for several hours and get some sleep, get called in to load, load up, pull out, secure load, drive back to depot and dump it in the yard.
Take a pillow and some entertainment. Netflix and a good data package on your phone are worth it if you do this a lot.
I take it your talking about palletforce or similar there?
Take a bag containing the basics, might have an unplanned day out.
bald bloke:
You need to be able to have the knack of sleeping in the day otherwise that drive back to the depot at 04.00 could be a mare, i can get up at 03.00 and drive to Cornwall easy peasy but to do a whole nightshift i find difficult staying awake towards the end of the shift.
I done trunking a few times over the years… and like you I used to struggle on the way back to base and always
had to stop at Oxford services for Coffee and Doughnuts, if only to relieve the boredom! Lol 
I prefer days and the madness of a busy, chaotic motorway & town work… Not enough going on at night
to keep my brain active!
I started my class 1 career on night trunking and never got off it. It’s simple. It’s usually whole trailer loads going from depot to depot.
You might do one long distance trailer swap, or you might do shorter distances, but 2 or 3 deliveries/trailer swaps per shift. It all depends who you work for and what contracts they’ve got. One word of warning though, expect road closures. There’s more of them these days than there were 10 or 15 years ago. Also, the roads are a little busier at night than in years gone by.
It’s not a bad crack, and nights always commands a small wage premium, which over a year can be an extra £1500-£2000 on your salary. If you’re a natural nightowl it’s nice to earn more for no extra inconvenience.
Good luck mate.
I’ve been night trunking for the last 15 years and love it. BUT IME you can either cope with nights or not. You have to be able to sleep in the day and make whatever adjustments to your life and family to do so. I have heavy blackout curtains in the bedroom and can easily get my eight hours a day beauty sleep.
The work is relatively easy if you don’t mind waiting around (and being paid for it!) but make sure you have a good map with bridge heights and weight restrictions - trunk routes are frequently closed at night and diversions are not always signed accurately if at all. If you’re pulling a Double Decker road closures can be a nightmare. My mate was diverted into a town known to be very tight by a copper who assured him that they’d had bigger than that through here! They really did have no idea 
The biggest issue I have is day people. They seem to think that because we work nights we have all day free to help them out. They do not understand that we have to sleep in the day and think we have a great bonus being free all day. Also trying to keep up with normal chores can be difficult - the neighbours don’t seem to appreciate me putting up shelves or mowing the lawns and 4:30 a.m. and trying to paint the outside of the window frames in the dark can have interesting results.
My advice would be to give it a try but be prepared to admit it’s not for you if it doesn’t work out. You don’t want to be driving at night, half asleep. If it works for you it is easy money without the problems of chaotic traffic!