Nights Out

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

chaversdad:

redbob:
So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop

:

i find this one particularly useful [zb] :laughing:

Dear me! :unamused:

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

22

caledoniandream:

redbob:
Recently got a new job which will involve some (very short notice) nights out but having never actually done nights out its all a bit new. :blush:

So . . . is there any sort of website or book which will tell me where there are places to stop or is it just a case of get somwhere near the tip/load address then look for somewhere.

And are there any doā€™s & dontā€™s? :question:

Keep a bag in your truck handy if itā€™s short notice, just in it:

  • Sleeping gear (duvet, sleeping bag, pillows, teddy bear if necessary)
    change of clothes (have a extra coat with you in case your night heater packs in and you need a extra cover on your bed)
    Toiletries
    bottled water (nothing more annoying than thirsty in the night and nothing to drink, and try to rinse you mouth with diet coke after you cleaned your teeth :blush:
    something to eat (high calorie, low volume, in case you got stuck somewhere where there is nothing to eat)
    flip flops and a towel for the shower
    Toilet paper, wait till you be caught out without any, and you will be taking it as your first priority (also great for cleaning mirrors, windows, etc)

Do:
Use proper sleeping gear, just sleeping on the mattress and a coat rolled up as pillow is alright for a power nap,but not for a night decent rest.
Use every shower you can find, because you never know when the next one is available.
Ask customers if you can park in their premisses and use their facilities.

Donā€™t
Donā€™t sleep in your clothes, you smell in the morning like a home-less who sleeps rough :cry:
Park on town squares, your not the first who is caught out with the market building around him.
Park in front of houses, or the entry of a housing estate, some bugger will wake you up.

Some great tips there mate, thanks very much!! :wink: :wink:

23

shuttlespanker:
if you work for who i think you do, you will be given a list of places you can and cannot park :wink:

Who do you think I work for? :question: :confused:

24

WildGoose:
Iā€™m new to all of this nights out lark. Iā€™ve found the truckers handbook (by lisa marie melbourne) very useful, it has its faults and it misses out a lot, but better than having no clue at all.

Just ordered it from Amazon, many thanks for your advice too. :slight_smile: :wink:

25

redbob:

shuttlespanker:
if you work for who i think you do, you will be given a list of places you can and cannot park :wink:

Who do you think I work for? :question: :confused:

Elite?

26

Another must for a tramper is baby wipes, such a multitude of uses.

27

shuttlespanker:

redbob:

shuttlespanker:
if you work for who i think you do, you will be given a list of places you can and cannot park :wink:

Who do you think I work for? :question: :confused:

Elite?

No mate :confused:

28

Apart from whatā€™s already been said, donā€™t waste your money buying food in the services or petrol stations as itā€™s a ripoff, find a big supermarket where you can park up nearby, if it has a cafe inside even better, foods not perfect but itā€™s certainly cheap.

If you have a iPhone or smartphone google maps is your friend, you can easily find suitable parking places near to your destination.

Once you get a few nights out under your belt youā€™ll soon build up a good knowledge of where to park overnight.

29

Be very careful on some industrial estates if thereā€™s no other tucks parked around, it may be dodgy or you may find very small signs dotted around warning you about wheel clampers( PROLOGIS are one type of estate where u will get clamped!) as there is nothing more annoying than being woken up by the sound of a clamp going on ur wheel!

If ur parking in a layby most of the good ones are usually full by 5-6pm so if its a late night make sure u plan well in advance!

30

WildGoose:
ā€¦and if you canā€™t open your back doors in a layby you are asking for troubleā€¦

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :laughing: :wink:

Best to avoid ā€œthat typeā€ of layby!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

31

bullitt:

WildGoose:
ā€¦and if you canā€™t open your back doors in a layby you are asking for troubleā€¦

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth: :laughing: :wink:

Best to avoid ā€œthat typeā€ of layby!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

:open_mouth: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

32

do you have your own truck? if so you should find it easy iv been tramping 5 nights away for years
my tips are,
use proper bedding sheet and duvet much better than sleeping bag,
keep your cab spotless and smelling nice much better feeling environment,
have a t.v or laptop to help keep you entertained,
speak to the old hands they now all the little gems for parking with a good pub/fish shop etc,
i do a weekley shop when im home and buy all my supplys at a supermarket to save money,
its second nature to me now infact i sleep better in my truck than i do at home,
good luck mate

33

yorkshire terrier:
do you have your own truck? if so you should find it easy iv been tramping 5 nights away for years
my tips are,
use proper bedding sheet and duvet much better than sleeping bag,
keep your cab spotless and smelling nice much better feeling environment,
have a t.v or laptop to help keep you entertained,
speak to the old hands they now all the little gems for parking with a good pub/fish shop etc,
i do a weekley shop when im home and buy all my supplys at a supermarket to save money,
its second nature to me now infact i sleep better in my truck than i do at home,
good luck mate

Yes I have my own truck :sunglasses: - I dont own it by the way!

On the subject of TVā€™s, wheres the best place to get one>? . . . any links?? :question:

34

redbob:

yorkshire terrier:
do you have your own truck? if so you should find it easy iv been tramping 5 nights away for years
my tips are,
use proper bedding sheet and duvet much better than sleeping bag,
keep your cab spotless and smelling nice much better feeling environment,
have a t.v or laptop to help keep you entertained,
speak to the old hands they now all the little gems for parking with a good pub/fish shop etc,
i do a weekley shop when im home and buy all my supplys at a supermarket to save money,
its second nature to me now infact i sleep better in my truck than i do at home,
good luck mate

Yes I have my own truck :sunglasses: - I dont own it by the way!

On the subject of TVā€™s, wheres the best place to get one>? . . . any links?? :question:

Lap top and tv usb thing, although I found the best option was to load a load of stuff off the Iplayer when at home. Used to play it back through the Aux in on the truck radio.
One other tip I found was that most motorways have an A road shaddowing them. I often used to dive off the M5 onto the A38 or the M6 onto the A6 for example. Run up and often find a big layby with a pub nearby, or small truck friendly town to park in.

35

redbob:
On the subject of TVā€™s, wheres the best place to get one>? . . . any links?? :question:

You could also do what i do and use an inverter and a normal 240v household tv. Ive got a flatscreen 15.4 inch tv thats a perfect size to fit under the bunk when not needed its got a dvd player and a usb for a flash drive so i can play movies on it without the need for a diskā€¦ Dont get ripped off with the 12v/24v tvā€™sā€¦