robroy:
Nobody is disputing the fact that a truck has to be used to it’ s full potential, but do all you obvious daymen/agency men actually think that a tramper is being unreasonable expecting another driver to respectfully maintain the standard of cleanliness and tidiness that was set by him. bearing in mind he has to virtually live in it ?.. ffs.
I don’t think they are being unreasonable expecting it to be kept in a clean & tidy state, I just think it’s unreasonable to expect it to be left parked up & no one else to drive it. Something a lot of trampers seem to expect, having on a few occasions been thrown the keys to a trampers motor & had to eject their card.
Matford:
Why do you think it’s called tramping ?
By the end of the week you look like one.
You speak for yourself mate. If you come back looking like a tramp you aint doing it properly. I assume you must be o/n parking in [zb] hole lay bys, and not showering or changing all week. I choose not to, and if I had to do any, or all of these I wouldn’t do the job.
Makes you laugh doesn’t it. Some people literally take the description of " tramping" and think they have to live like a hermit all week and doss out just like the local ■■■■■■■■■ do on the park benches I get a shower every day either after my shift or in the morning ( usually the best time as the showers have been cleaned) I eat well (Cook my own snap like chicken and pasta, curries, chilli con carne etc) and eat ■■■■ like KFC, Burger King, kebabs etc when I want.
I don’t park in lay bys at the side of the A roads of this country I use a bit of initiative and find ind estates, car parks, council lorry parks that are near town centres or retail parks where I can go to the pub for a couple of pints and a descent meal if I can’t be arsed to cook and use the bog so I aint ■■■■■■■■ in a carrier bag in the night.
It makes you wonder how the Middle East lads went on in the 80-90s being away upto 3 month at a time with basic trucks and facilities. End of the day if you want to live like a tramp that’s down to yourself, there are many more of us out there that are away all week tramping and can cope easily enough and keep up good levels of hygiene.
dozy:
I think there’s been some story telling going on ,my mate told me he’s £200 p.w better off tramping than days ,maximum hours .
First day while he’s off ,12 hrs and now parked up for 13 hrs ,I do as many hours on days
So I recon your about £90 n/o money better off ,and you end up parked at a dump with no showers eating multi grain breakfast bars and ■■■■■■■ in a bottle in the middle of the night .
Yep possibly some exageration but like me you should find its swings and roundabouts, some days max hours some days less. Try and move away from the cereal bars maybe invest in a cooker for a decent evening meal. It is what you make it really, try parking up in truckstops if your company pay the parking dont worry if they are a little off route, not hours though.
Sometimes a little chat here and there with a fellow tramper can be interesting or incrdibly boring, pot luck really. As far as ■■■■■■■ in bottles I try and avoid this, much better to have a widdle up the wheel instead. In fact most nights at some point im outside me truck in just me flipflops and undercrackers holding me todger. To be fair this is more a hobby.
Zb the £90 ,I’d rather gammon ,new tates ,veg ( she rang me on purpose ) a shower and a toilet
9 days to go so still time to change my mind ,but it’s not looking good
WTF, oh I see home comforts, yes they will be missed but afterwhile you will look forward to those special moments the weekend and they will be more special. But tramping aint for everybody and may be better ar certain times of life than others. Give it a chance though mate and you maybe surprised.
robroy:
He reckons the planners send out the tramper’s motors at weekends just for the hell of it, while the day motors are left parked up.
A major bone of contention at our place too that is. I’ve come in on a Monday after a weekend off to find the motor designated to me has done 2000km over that time while the hired in for a week or two units haven’t moved. That is all down to spiteful planners imo.
Those complaining should remember who owns the wagon and who pays the bills on it and who is responsible for making sure it earns enough money to pay those bills. If the complainers want their own motor then buy one and pay all the bills.
I’m not naive enough to believe that “my” motor should not be used, I never said that, and you obviously didn’t read the bit about short term hire and demo units not getting used, or maybe you did read that but chose to ignore it in favour of flapping your gums once again about something you know little if anything about.
Matford:
Why do you think it’s called tramping ?
By the end of the week you look like one.
You speak for yourself mate. If you come back looking like a tramp you aint doing it properly. I assume you must be o/n parking in [zb] hole lay bys, and not showering or changing all week. I choose not to, and if I had to do any, or all of these I wouldn’t do the job.
Makes you laugh doesn’t it. Some people literally take the description of " tramping" and think they have to live like a hermit all week and doss out just like the local ■■■■■■■■■ do on the park benches I get a shower every day either after my shift or in the morning ( usually the best time as the showers have been cleaned) I eat well (Cook my own snap like chicken and pasta, curries, chilli con carne etc) and eat [zb] like KFC, Burger King, kebabs etc when I want.
I don’t park in lay bys at the side of the A roads of this country I use a bit of initiative and find ind estates, car parks, council lorry parks that are near town centres or retail parks where I can go to the pub for a couple of pints and a descent meal if I can’t be arsed to cook and use the bog so I aint ■■■■■■■■ in a carrier bag in the night.
It makes you wonder how the Middle East lads went on in the 80-90s being away upto 3 month at a time with basic trucks and facilities. End of the day if you want to live like a tramp that’s down to yourself, there are many more of us out there that are away all week tramping and can cope easily enough and keep up good levels of hygiene.
That could me me writing that as I’m the same so I totally agree.
I don’t take any notice of the agency lot or the 100mile radius crew’ s comments as they don’t understand a ■■■■■■ thing about tramping, so it aint worth arguing with them.
As for the tramp thing, it’s the type of eggy vest tramper that never wash and live in ■■■■ all week that give us a bad name.
Then we have the newbie tramper who thinks it’s option number1 to park in a lay by as they are too sht cared of their planners to go slightly off route, or do not want to deviate off their sat navs bless em, to find the types of parking places that you mention
I’m doing the classic trampers mentality tonight. Last drop in cardiff and given the choice of night out in Cardiff for collection AM or go to Glastonbury for AM collection so I’m on way to Glastonbury now. A few extras hours drive, 30min break on route and park up by a pub and 24hr tesco. Max the hours if not going home and already know a nice place to park.
Thank Christ for that I was beginning to think it was just me.
I can never understand these guys that park up in some unfit for purpose lay by and sit vegetating in their cabs all night waiting for 10.59 to click over so they can start again. Do they think their night out money means that they are comitted to being some kind of sentry or what.
It’s a job not a ■■■■■■ endurance test.
I don’t go out every night admittedly, and I certainly do not go out for a skinful, just a quiet pint with a meal.
It makes the job more bearable, you cab happy types should give it a go.
mrginge:
I’m doing the classic trampers mentality tonight. Last drop in cardiff and given the choice of night out in Cardiff for collection AM or go to Glastonbury for AM collection so I’m on way to Glastonbury now. A few extras hours drive, 30min break on route and park up by a pub and 24hr tesco. Max the hours if not going home and already know a nice place to park.
Cardiff is a top night out. Eastmoors Rd near Celsa steelworks, short 5 min walk over the bridge and past the prison (keep it on your left) and you’re in the city centre ■■■■ loads of pubs, restaurants, and the shops don’t shut till about 20:00 oh and plenty of skirt to eye up
peirre:
Have you considered the reason the hire trucks don’t move, is because if they don’t move they don’t get charged for that days hire?
The ones our lot hire charge irrespective. Although I should have said “the numerous demo units” that we have don’t move.
Things may have changed since, but over a decade ago I was involved in the office side of things, inc arranging the hire of units & depending on the hire Co contract. Some of the units we didn’t pay for unless they turned a wheel
Parked up 16.00 last night ,5 am start ( 13 hrs off) ,the sleep is good though ,I’m actually awake at the wheel ,went in greggs to get a cup of tea ,and was so hungry I got 2x corn beef pasty and a Belgian bun ( I normally just get cup of tea and have my satsumas,Apple ,pear with it ,or something healthy from m&s s ) ,I’ll be on the scales when I get back sat .
Asked if I wanted o/t ,said no I want my home .
I think the laybys are generally used by newbies as that’s what I did, and then just sit on your phone all night. It was the ‘old boys’ I have worked with over the years that changed that mentality.
It does mean I spend more time flashing lorries on the motorway as I have been in the pub with guys from other outfits doing the same work enough times.
As for parking in Cardiff, we have a depot there so park outside that and then wonder off to the Toby, Hungry Horse and Tesco near by. Just so happens Celsa was the delivery I did yesterday before my mission to Glastonbury to collect another load for…Celsa so I will be watching a film later in that place.
Luckily a seriously experienced guy at our place has taken me under his wing. If he doesn’t know somewhere to park near a drop or collection, it’s only because there isn’t anywhere!
He’s led me to some awesome places. I’m sure he knows every Werherspoons, mcds and kebab house in the land. Proper smashing fella. Must admit I’d be lost without him.
On the subject of pubs. At Exeter tnite found a pub that done a mixed grill and a pint for 9.50. I thought I’ll have some of that, the mixed grill was spot on but the pint… was ■■■■ shocking, Breakspears they called it, I thought it was just a dodgy one, so I took it back and got a replacement from a different pump, …No…just the same ■■■■■■ horrible. Anybody else had it?
Just hope I aint got the Eartha Kitts in the morning, 4 drops and a collection to do, and not many bogs in rural Cornwall
It’s not really a surprise that agency drivers leave trucks in a state, you only have to look at them in their Reebok classics and 3/4 length shorts. If it wasn’t for agency drivers and Poles sports direct would have gone bust years ago.
Ended up at 58 hrs ,plenty of sleep ,and a jet washing down from the Mrs before she’d let me in the house when I got back
Think this holiday cover is ok for me ,all the old reasons I packed it in previously reared there head ,even though we’ve been at loggerheads of late ,txt from girl saying when are youback dad ,had me wanting to be home there and then .
Miss my girl to much ,oh and the Mrs ,odd week here and there but not full time
dozy:
I think there’s been some story telling going on ,my mate told me he’s £200 p.w better off tramping than days ,maximum hours .
First day while he’s off ,12 hrs and now parked up for 13 hrs ,I do as many hours on days
So I recon your about £90 n/o money better off ,and you end up parked at a dump with no showers eating multi grain breakfast bars and ■■■■■■■ in a bottle in the middle of the night .
Yep possibly some exageration but like me you should find its swings and roundabouts, some days max hours some days less. Try and move away from the cereal bars maybe invest in a cooker for a decent evening meal. It is what you make it really, try parking up in truckstops if your company pay the parking dont worry if they are a little off route, not hours though.
Sometimes a little chat here and there with a fellow tramper can be interesting or incrdibly boring, pot luck really. As far as ■■■■■■■ in bottles I try and avoid this, much better to have a widdle up the wheel instead. In fact most nights at some point im outside me truck in just me flipflops and undercrackers holding me todger. To be fair this is more a hobby.
Zb the £90 ,I’d rather gammon ,new tates ,veg ( she rang me on purpose ) a shower and a toilet
9 days to go so still time to change my mind ,but it’s not looking good
WTF, oh I see home comforts, yes they will be missed but afterwhile you will look forward to those special moments the weekend and they will be more special. But tramping aint for everybody and may be better ar certain times of life than others. Give it a chance though mate and you maybe surprised.
parked up last week in a lay by got out to strech me legs and there was a driver in flip flops hold is todger meowin at me ffs
ffs.
I get a shower every day either after my shift or in the morning ( usually the best time as the showers have been cleaned) I eat well (Cook my own snap like chicken and pasta, curries, chilli con carne etc) and eat ■■■■ like KFC, Burger King, kebabs etc when I want.
( I normally just get cup of tea and have my satsumas,Apple ,pear with it ,or something healthy from m&s s ) ,I’ll be on the scales when I get back sat 