It may have been the same for Alfie. He used to like to go down the pub & I suppose if he slept in the van he wouldn`t disturb his eldery mother when he came home. I remember whenI came home I found the soft beds uncomfortable…
My first artic job at 25/25 was driving all week with nights out. Young, no family comittments or ties and it still drove me down. I quit after a year. Now, after 18months driving on a days/nights rota I am no better off and going back to my old job on Monday - this time with no nights out unless it’s unavoidable.
It’s a job to suit some but not otheres, I don’t mind Mon and Thurs night to stay out as your are home either side with the weekends. All week though? No thanks.
i like the nights out 4/5 a week normally, doesent bother me being on my own
When I am away I want to be home and when I get home I want to go again …anyone else like that?
Yeah, Hungry Joe from Catch 22.
harry:
Yeah, Hungry Joe from Catch 22.
Who is hungry Jo, H ?
Hes a character in the novel Catch 22` . He was a world war 2 bomber pilot Who would scream & shout when on a mission due to nerves & then when told he was getting sent back home because he had accomplished the regulation number of missions would scream & shout until they allowed him to fly bombing missions again…Its called battle fatigue ( I think )…or Love/Hate?
thecoder0:
When I am away I want to be home and when I get home I want to go again …anyone else like that?
You do get used to the nights out…
I stopped doin int because 2/3 weeks worth of nights out ruined my marriage.
Now doing only UK work its crappy but when you find spots to park up at and use them regular it gets bettter. When i first started nights out it was a lonely time as i didnt have all my tv and reading gear but you pick these items up and they kind of make a home from home. I prefer being away all week now as it saves so much money on petrol in the car driving it to and from the yard. When you find a good place to park you will find other lads who park there on a regular basis too. Usualy near a pub or a chippy on an industrial estate somewhere and it’s more or less like being in the boozer at the end of the street.
I have a 15month old lad and i miss him like crazy while im away. BUT and its a big but, stamp your feet and hold your ground and only keep it to 4 nights away. If the tm’s get an hinklin that you will be away friday night then they will use that to there advantage. I will NOT under ay circumstances stay out on a friday night unless i have agreed it with them on the monday at the start of the week. Hold your ground with them and start sriving back if you are running out of time. Normally after 4 nights out im shattered to the core so running in on a saturday just kills any home time you get. At the end of the day you are doing them a favour by being away all week, so dont let them take advantage by forcing you to be out an extra night
The £100+ extra in your pay packet for being away all week comes in useful. Saves the extra £40 spending it on fuel getting to and from the yard all week.
Send me a pm if you want to know a good place to park near West Bromwich if you are ever in that area. Catch up for a few bears 
thanx for the advice folks, i’ve been doing the nights out for a month now and i have to do 5 a week unfortunately, im sticking the job just now for the sake of the money but its not really getting any easier so im going to look for one with less nights out, even if i could get one or two nights at home during the week it would help a lot i think coz i dont mind the actuall nights away if you know what i mean, its just missing the wife and kids that i hate.
anyway thanks again.
GRIZ:
thanx for the advice folks, i’ve been doing the nights out for a month now and i have to do 5 a week unfortunately, im sticking the job just now for the sake of the money but its not really getting any easier so im going to look for one with less nights out, even if i could get one or two nights at home during the week it would help a lot i think coz i dont mind the actuall nights away if you know what i mean, its just missing the wife and kids that i hate.
anyway thanks again.
You must be knocking up some hours by having 5 nights a week out.
How are you managing with the WTD?
Or are you working for yet another firm that thinks they are exempt.!!!
Tony b
I run an artic bulk tipper as an O/D and have a wife and 8 month old son and the unit will be sold before I would be forced into having nights out 
The idea of leaving home at “silly o’clock” on a Monday morning and not getting back until Friday evening as well as living in a tin box for four nights would just fill me with dread.
I don’t know how you guy’s with young families do it and I take my hat off to you,but to get home every night and see the “wee mans” face light up is just what gets me through the mad urban driving day 
.
Ive been doing 5 nights out for over 20 years now.I leave on sunday night and return home saturday morning.Ive got 3 Kids 8,10,22 never had problems with wife as she meet me when i had my first lorry and were happy as ever.I bring in good money have a house in Surrey and one in southen France which we spend 3 months a year at and its a good stopping point on my way to spain.I put it down to being in the blood as my great great grandfather started with a hand cart in 1873 and spent most of his life running his transport company untill his death in 1948.Most of the goods he moved were for his family’s food company(Chivers jams)and was one of the first UK transport companies that did regular runs to Italy and Spain.So as you see it’s in the blood the only anser is if you cant cope with night away or dont like them get anther job doing local work
I nearly fell victim to the nights away for the lure of money.I had an opportunity to get a run which paid well as an o/d 6000 klm in 6 days a real push but the money was consistant long term and very very good. I sat down and thought long and hard about it. and luckily, I believe passed it up. the timing and the pressure would have been great. money isnt every thing. my plan was to do this for 2 years. but I took the soft option. I still have the what ifs and try to work out where I would be at a certain point of the week. I even did the run once just too make sure b4 I made the decision. glad I did If I was 10 or 15 years young I would have jumped at it not now I’m afraid.
meggala
Sorry to be so harst but in the last 4 months i have given 3 new drivers the chance of their first job only to be let down by them moaning about nights out.Its not a hard job mon-fri 7.30am till 6pm 4 nights out a week .Trailer loaded for them for monday morning,good trucks(xf95 super space,globby xl)both under 3 years old.No chasing them on time(open bookings)I would only phone them if there were promlems with loads and visa versa.Paid all parking,£25 per night away money(tax free).£450 basic p/w + bonus.If they wanted saturday mornings paid time and half(even just to wash down).Always told them if they had promblems at home to tell me and i would put them on locals or give them time off (paid)all this was told to them when they came to the interveiw and also told them if i wouldnt do a job i wounldnt expect them to do it.
so Have i just had some dreamers who just wanted to sit in nice large cabbed trucks or does the new driver today expect more ? and to be home every night.I wish i could be home each night knowing on friday afternoon i get paid £550.Just to let you know i dont sit in a office all week i do the same work as them but i start sunday loading the trailers and on saturday i do all the invoices.
So tell me do i ask too much from them ?
You seem to be offering all the right Terms and Conditions except the pay, personally I’d expect to take home at least £450-£500 after tax (incl. night out money) for mon -fri. If thats what your offering I can’t really see too many jobs being better. If there told on interview its 4 nites then its 4 nites and no whinging about it.
If I was down your end and was looking for a job you’d be getting a PM 
I agree with you money is not every thing.i beleave it takes a certain type of person to do this kind of job,and i know nights out can be hard at first but after a time it becomes a way of life for most and if you have a strong relationship it works and you have to remember with moden lorries it’s a lot easer these days (night heaters,better beds,power every thing.most lorries are easier than driving cars)
On the up side i tolk on a driver 6 months ago( he only passed his test 2 days before he stated with me)never been away from home before but wanted a chance to see if wanted to do this work(nights away etc.)I put him on locals with 1 night away a month.now he’s doing a run to spain and back with weekenders in spain and he loves it even take his wife with him now and then.As i said it take’s a certain type
Itsons european:
On the up side i tolk on a driver 6 months ago( he only passed his test 2 days before he stated with me)never been away from home before but wanted a chance to see if wanted to do this work(nights away etc.)I put him on locals with 1 night away a month.now he’s doing a run to spain and back with weekenders in spain and he loves it even take his wife with him now and then.As i said it take’s a certain type
Give up will ya, you’ll have me moving to Surrey next 
no you stay up there.too bloody expensive down here