It seems something that has come about of late ,I guess it cheaper than getting a agency driver in .
Has anyone done it ,I’m specifically looking at holiday relief tramping ( been asked to do it .
I’m not sure ,it’s the taking over someone else’s home for a couple of weeks that’s bothers me ,when you read posts where drivers are raving and ranting after a weeks holiday about the state of there lorry ,I think do I really want the hassle ,but I do likevthe idea of a decent nights sleep .
I guess it’s a case of try it and see ,answered my own question really
Ta
No different to being an agency driver really.
So you’ll be giving HGV drivers “relief” whilst they are on holiday?
I have done it for a few companies and there is a lot of messing about with the various depot managers, ie Doncaster, Leeds, Felixstowe, Tilbury and Southampton.
The worse part is the early starts on a Monday, I was working for Hanbury Davies as a holiday relief driver many years ago, I would start on a Monday then finish late on a Friday night or run back on Saturday morning to the depot I was working out off for the week, then drive back home to South Wales in my car.
I would ring up to find out my start time and depot for the following Monday, to my disbelief it would be your start time is 4.00am start the only time available for you and you will be running out of Felixstowe depot and then expected to do a 15 hour day, with no consideration of my finish time on Friday or Saturday and the distances of were I live, it would take just under 4 hours drive to the Felixstowe depot,
also before I started work I had always have to ask the depot to ask the driver to strip out his truck I will be using before they go on holiday, some drivers would normal take there night out gear home or leave it in the transport office, one truck I had to use had flies of a dog in the two mattress total nightmare,
and because of your start time being in the dark and no one in the office you don’t get to see if the truck or trailer have’s any damage until you get to your first drop, some of the drivers from the various depot would not be your witness if it was as they didn’t want to get involved ? so good luck with that trying to explain you didn’t cause it,
so these are some of my experience working on holiday cover, I hope this gives you a heads up with your inquiry.
Happy Days
welshgooner:
I have done it for a few companies and there is a lot of messing about with the various depot managers, ie Doncaster, Leeds, Felixstowe, Tilbury and Southampton.The worse part is the early starts on a Monday, I was working for Hanbury Davies as a holiday relief driver many years ago, I would start on a Monday then finish late on a Friday night or run back on Saturday morning to the depot I was working out off for the week, then drive back home to South Wales in my car.
I would ring up to find out my start time and depot for the following Monday, to my disbelief it would be your start time is 4.00am start the only time available for you and you will be running out of Felixstowe depot and then expected to do a 15 hour day, with no consideration of my finish time on Friday or Saturday and the distances of were I live, it would take just under 4 hours drive to the Felixstowe depot,
also before I started work I had always have to ask the depot to ask the driver to strip out his truck I will be using before they go on holiday, some drivers would normal take there night out gear home or leave it in the transport office, one truck I had to use had flies of a dog in the two mattress total nightmare,
and because of your start time being in the dark and no one in the office you don’t get to see if the truck or trailer have’s any damage until you get to your first drop, some of the drivers from the various depot would not be your witness if it was as they didn’t want to get involved ? so good luck with that trying to explain you didn’t cause it,
so these are some of my experience working on holiday cover, I hope this gives you a heads up with your inquiry.
Happy Days
thanks ,there’s lots there to think about ,it’s not looking as simple as I thought
It aint as bad as it seems doze providing theres a good remuneration package.
Our place will only allow relief drivers on trampers trucks, no offence intended to agency drivers but some of you lot are scum.
To be fair though my job although easy has some technicalities which cant be trusted to your aversge agency pillock, like port procedures, contract sensitivity etc that can waste time or cause issues if the driver isnt au fait with them.
My relief driver who I know by name is great and we have an understanding that he leaves my truck clean and I dont drop him in it for smoking in the cab, which I dont mind as a even though I wont smoke in the cab (Im on the vape stuff but like one during my start and finish walkrounds) I have no issues as long as he is careful enough so the truck dont stink of benson and hedges.
Think he gets an extra £50 per week + mileage allowance + works on different contracts so gets a nice variety and increased skill set.
To add, I did think of doing this myself.
For tramping I reckon you will need 2 decent holdalls, one with pockets in for easy sorting of essentials and one for clothes and food.
Then a sleeping bag or in my case duvet, undersheet and pillow as thats my preferred sleeping atire. Dont forget loads of wetwipes as well.
Dipper_Dave:
To add, I did think of doing this myself.
For tramping I reckon you will need 2 decent holdalls, one with pockets in for easy sorting of essentials and one for clothes and food.
Then a sleeping bag or in my case duvet, undersheet and pillow as thats my preferred sleeping atire. Dont forget loads of wetwipes as well.
Commando or pink nightie? 
Evil8Beezle:
Dipper_Dave:
To add, I did think of doing this myself.
For tramping I reckon you will need 2 decent holdalls, one with pockets in for easy sorting of essentials and one for clothes and food.
Then a sleeping bag or in my case duvet, undersheet and pillow as thats my preferred sleeping atire. Dont forget loads of wetwipes as well.Commando or pink nightie?
Both 
Ditto! 
That’s what I did when I got past retirement age. The original idea was that I would work the odd week in the summer, but of course, I was cheaper than an agency and I knew all the procedures as well as the customers. The regular drivers were much happier to have me in their truck for a couple of weeks than some stranger. They paid me a little more per hour and I didn’t have to pay NI so win win.
There was more work than I could cover so another retired driver was recruited and between us we covered most of the work. It did require a good deal of flexibility on our part but it worked pretty well.