Tarmaceater:
The trick with nights out to avoid the temptation to take too much and before you know it the car is full to roof with stuff you may not need .
I would advise a strong and sturdy large sports kit bag to throw what you need every time you transfer stuff from your car to the truck and vice versa .
A basic camping cooker to make tea and coffee which save a fortune in motorway price hikes .
In case you are out of duty time and not in walking distance to a chippy or take away , I recommend basic food from Aldi or Lidl such as noodles, soup, cans of potatoes, Spam , crackers, mixed nuts , bottles of water, and cans of meat .
Then a washing up bowl, one for washing up after the in cab meal and one washing up bowl to wash and shave in , nights out are what you make it, with cinemas and inside dining open next week will make them better .
When driving, make a mental note of decent places to park up in, some drivers use leisure and sports centres and swimming pools for a free shower or pay as you go gym use .
Another issue is when someone else uses your allocated truck and your stuff goes missing or they break stuff.
The dilemma is whether to empty the cab or leave it there , and worse case scenario, another driver has an accident in your lorry and it is full of expensive kit such as a tv and so on and the police have confiscated it for forensic examination and it never comes back especially in fatal accidents, I know a lad that this happened to him , he was not allowed to retrieve his kit .
Plus, if you adopt the minimalist approach, there’s more room for the mayor’s daughter if you invite her back. 
Tarmaceater:
The trick with nights out to avoid the temptation to take too much and before you know it the car is full to roof with stuff you may not need .
I would advise a strong and sturdy large sports kit bag to throw what you need every time you transfer stuff from your car to the truck and vice versa .
A basic camping cooker to make tea and coffee which save a fortune in motorway price hikes .
In case you are out of duty time and not in walking distance to a chippy or take away , I recommend basic food from Aldi or Lidl such as noodles, soup, cans of potatoes, Spam , crackers, mixed nuts , bottles of water, and cans of meat .
Then a washing up bowl, one for washing up after the in cab meal and one washing up bowl to wash and shave in , nights out are what you make it, with cinemas and inside dining open next week will make them better .
When driving, make a mental note of decent places to park up in, some drivers use leisure and sports centres and swimming pools for a free shower or pay as you go gym use .
Another issue is when someone else uses your allocated truck and your stuff goes missing or they break stuff.
The dilemma is whether to empty the cab or leave it there , and worse case scenario, another driver has an accident in your lorry and it is full of expensive kit such as a tv and so on and the police have confiscated it for forensic examination and it never comes back especially in fatal accidents, I know a lad that this happened to him , he was not allowed to retrieve his kit .
What ■■?
Unless you can fill a small car with “stuff” your not doing it right . lol
Its good at our place there will only be one other driver in the truck I drive (in fact since covid started nobody has been in it except me )so I don’t have to clean all the kit out at the weekends and even then I leave most of the kit in the truck - I know the driver , we are on good terms and he’s clean and tidy so I leave the inverter , kettle, microwave , toaster and the tv . I also leave the tea bags , water and the tins of soup , microwave rice and breakfast cereal on the understanding that if he uses it he replaces it or leaves a donation towards replacing it . As I say we are on good terms and we get on so it works but if I’m coming home for a weeks holidays and not sure whats happening with the truck I empty it all out - I can fill a ford fiesta with it all .lol If you don’t provide for yourself nobody else will , if your going to be out all week you take what you need to have a decent existance do not expect anyone else to provide your comforts - they don’t care .
NWalesTrucker:
Is this just expected of you in every HGV job that provides a sleeper cab? If you’re not going to get your drops finished within the day, be prepared to stay out? Going for my class 2 plus wanting to go for my class 1 after and seeing what to expect.
Would appreciate any input, thanks!
Nights out enforced by too many relatively local drops to get finished in a shift obviously isn’t the same thing as nights out enforced because of the distance between one or two collection and delivery points v driving time. 
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
NWalesTrucker:
Is this just expected of you in every HGV job that provides a sleeper cab? If you’re not going to get your drops finished within the day, be prepared to stay out? Going for my class 2 plus wanting to go for my class 1 after and seeing what to expect.
Would appreciate any input, thanks!
We all love to have a pop at the planners when there’s an issue at a delivery/traffic delay that’ll mean running out of hours. But they aren’t Mystic megs so can only give you work based on previous experience. If you know that a day run is going to take you close to your hours before you set off, it would be prudent to at least put some bedding in the cab.
As others have stated, as part of the recruitment process a decent employer, with indepth knowledge of the job he’s offering will KNOW if there’s a likelihood of occasional /regular nights out.
we don’t do nights out generally,but told to be prepared for one.we have our ‘own’ units,so no excuse for not having a few bits with you.also,Company insist on parking at a ‘secure’ place of parking,for insurance purposes,and all expenses are paid,as well as £26.20 n/o money.
mbax81:
Salary: £35k to 40k per Annum
Night Out Payments - £16.20 Mon-Thurs &
Night Out Payment - £26.20 Fri -Sun
uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=4d7b … 277f6b99df
That’d rancid that. Maybe food goes up in price at the weekend?
Seriously can’t think of a reason why there’d be a difference. Surely a night out is a night out.
toonsy:
mbax81:
Salary: £35k to 40k per Annum
Night Out Payments - £16.20 Mon-Thurs &
Night Out Payment - £26.20 Fri -Sun
uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=4d7b … 277f6b99df
That’d rancid that. Maybe food goes up in price at the weekend?
Seriously can’t think of a reason why there’d be a difference. Surely a night out is a night out.
I’ve never heard of them and I could name you nearly every haulier in that area. Job description clearly shows they want their pound of flesh and more. Not seeing anything remotely interesting in the ad vs. a choice of about 100 other hauliers in the area offering the same unappealing package.
toonsy:
mbax81:
Salary: £35k to 40k per Annum
Night Out Payments - £16.20 Mon-Thurs &
Night Out Payment - £26.20 Fri -Sun
uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=4d7b … 277f6b99df
That’d rancid that. Maybe food goes up in price at the weekend?
Seriously can’t think of a reason why there’d be a difference. Surely a night out is a night out.
I think there should be a premium for weekend work therefore weekend night outs too, but this isn’t doing that, its reducing mon-thurs rate. That’s a shocking rate of pay! I certainly wouldn’t agree to overnight for £16.
DCPCFML:
toonsy:
mbax81:
Salary: £35k to 40k per Annum
Night Out Payments - £16.20 Mon-Thurs &
Night Out Payment - £26.20 Fri -Sun
uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=4d7b … 277f6b99df
That’d rancid that. Maybe food goes up in price at the weekend?
Seriously can’t think of a reason why there’d be a difference. Surely a night out is a night out.
I’ve never heard of them and I could name you nearly every haulier in that area. Job description clearly shows they want their pound of flesh and more. Not seeing anything remotely interesting in the ad vs. a choice of about 100 other hauliers in the area offering the same unappealing package.
They pull fridges with white Ivecos. I think they are in the yard that Boococks used to have as you drop down to Batley from Shaw Cross?
mbax81:
DCPCFML:
toonsy:
mbax81:
Salary: £35k to 40k per Annum
Night Out Payments - £16.20 Mon-Thurs &
Night Out Payment - £26.20 Fri -Sun
uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=4d7b … 277f6b99df
That’d rancid that. Maybe food goes up in price at the weekend?
Seriously can’t think of a reason why there’d be a difference. Surely a night out is a night out.
I’ve never heard of them and I could name you nearly every haulier in that area. Job description clearly shows they want their pound of flesh and more. Not seeing anything remotely interesting in the ad vs. a choice of about 100 other hauliers in the area offering the same unappealing package.
They pull fridges with white Ivecos. I think they are in the yard that Boococks used to have as you drop down to Batley from Shaw Cross?
Ah I know who you mean. Just before the roundabout half way down Soothill ? Don’t remember Iveco’s but I remember some plain white DAF XFs with a SWIFT label on the side. Didn’t realise their full name was Swift Rescue which is a bit ambiguous when they do fridge work. 
I didn’t think my post was a Troll attempt as I was only trying to help out the OP .
Truckulent:
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I agree mate. I’d never do it as well and I think the 20-30 quid for sleeping away is a insult, don’t know how these boys do it.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
ag1992:
Truckulent:
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I agree mate. I’d never do it as well and I think the 20-30 quid for sleeping away is a insult, don’t know how these boys do it.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
You do it because it’s part of the job you take on.
It’s maybe hard for some of you to take in, but some of us don’t consider sleeping out any hardship,. 
…ok, granted it would be nice to get more subsistence money for it, I just look at it as either beer money, and/or funds to go towards paying my week’s tax, I’ve never looked at it as part of my ‘wage’ as such, and never quote it as my actual income when asked.
I make my cab as comfortable and ‘homely’ as possible,I reckon those who condemn nights out have more than likely just had one or two unexpected ones in a non regular motor in a makeshift sleeping bag bed parked up in a lay by after a dodgy burger and a Costa coffee for their teas, if it was like that in reality, neither would I do them.
I’d much rather have a week or longer doing maybe Europe away for instance,.than 5 return journeys delivering bog rolls to Tesco,.and commuting everybody back and forwards.
The thought of that horrifies me as much as nights out do you lot…but maybe not as much. 
ag1992:
Truckulent:
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I agree mate. I’d never do it as well and I think the 20-30 quid for sleeping away is a insult, don’t know how these boys do it.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
They all love it because despite their claims for not seeing the money as part of their wage, the truth of the matter is that they do. There would be a very simple way of proving this too : if HMRC actually enforced their own rule of the subsistence money needing to be spent on, you know, actual subsistence, backed up with receipt evidence of £26.20 worth of subsistence purchases for each away from base stay, then the desire to do nights out would evaporate overnight (pun intended) as they’d no longer be getting any “free” money.
DCPCFML:
ag1992:
Truckulent:
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I agree mate. I’d never do it as well and I think the 20-30 quid for sleeping away is a insult, don’t know how these boys do it.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
They all love it because despite their claims for not seeing the money as part of their wage, the truth of the matter is that they do. There would be a very simple way of proving this too : if HMRC actually enforced their own rule of the subsistence money needing to be spent on, you know, actual subsistence, backed up with receipt evidence of £26.20 worth of subsistence purchases for each away from base stay, then the desire to do nights out would evaporate overnight (pun intended) as they’d no longer be getting any “free” money.
It’s not love it’s greed for 25 quid.
Any other industry or job would tell a company stick it up there arse and get paying for a motel or hotel and a proper evening meal. same as what they do in other countries like NZ.
I operate mobile cranes. it’s the same in this industry. Now you get a operator wanting stay in a transit van instead of a hotel with meal and allowances for a couple of quid extra.
DCPCFML:
ag1992:
Truckulent:
Personally, I think those that tramp are very under paid and under valued.
I wouldn’t do it as I believe in working to live, not the opposite.
Asking you to commit 5/7ths plus of your life for the pay and conditions on offer to trampers is a joke.
Each to their own of course. But truck stops, motorway services and lay byes et al. aren’t my idea of fun.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
I agree mate. I’d never do it as well and I think the 20-30 quid for sleeping away is a insult, don’t know how these boys do it.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
They all love it because despite their claims for not seeing the money as part of their wage, the truth of the matter is that they do. There would be a very simple way of proving this too : if HMRC actually enforced their own rule of the subsistence money needing to be spent on, you know, actual subsistence, backed up with receipt evidence of £26.20 worth of subsistence purchases for each away from base stay, then the desire to do nights out would evaporate overnight (pun intended) as they’d no longer be getting any “free” money.
You are right in one respect, because SOME do love it for the reasons you point out.
Ie…Those that tell you how much they are on who count their night out money as part of their take home pay and quote it.
As I said I don’t, and never have, …So the word you are looking for is ‘SOME’ …(maybe even ‘MOST’) rather than ‘ALL’
It would be a pain yeh, if you had to show receipts for it, I don’t sit in the cab all night, but neither do I spend the full amount every night on my meal.
If that was the case it would have to be booking in hotels which would cost them more anyway, it would be ok from my pov, but finding parking may be a bigger problem than it is now, but at least it would stop some clowns working their time to the last second before parking up.
As I said I’m content to stay in my cab, …look upon it as a ‘luxury’ camper van with a trailer behind it.
Hey! maybe I’m a frustrated caravanner struggling to ‘come out’.
I just really appreciate the fact that I get out of bed an hour later than a day man for a similar start time.
robroy:
As I said I’m content to stay in my cab, …look upon it as a ‘luxury’ camper van with a trailer behind it.
Hey! maybe I’m a frustrated caravanner struggling to ‘come out’.
That’s how I always looked at it. A chance to travel all over Europe and not have to pay for doing it. I don’t do nights out any more as I’m sort of winding down to retirement, and the Euro work isn’t really there any more anyway, but I’ve certainly seen a lot more of the world than if I only ever did day work.