Hi guys will next week I’ll be starting my class 1 career on nights. Never done nights before so should be interesting. Any advice to give me on night work
Yes,don’t do it.
Was waiting for that Chris lol
Stay up late (early I should say about 5am) the day before and sleep during day you start work.
Takes a while to adjust. I did warehouse but just couldn’t get to sleep during the day. I’m sure it would have got better if I preserved but didn’t like the job anyway so I quit. Only agency.
Maybe try week before get into habit. That way you’ll find out if you are going to like it.
Keeping your windows and mirrors (and lights) spotlessly clean inside and out is even more important than day time, not just the safety aspect but it makes the job far more pleasant instead of trying to peer through gunge, worse still when outside lights create a glare across a whole window where if it clean that doesn’t happen.
Make sure the window washers work well and full of anti frozen water, plenty of oil in the sump, and the fog lights work, cos when a headlamp bulb goes they make the world of difference.
If you don’t know how get someone to show you how to change headlight bulbs too, and carry some basic tools which these days will probably include a set of torx screwdrivers…i carry a leatherman multi tool, torx and normal screwdrivers pliers and couple of adjustables large enough to change an air line.
Carry a rubber squeegee to clear the windows mirrors of rain and muck, if they are filthy when you get there you won’t be able to reverse safely, going into winter salt water doesn’t wipe off with a rag it smears so a simple squeezy bottle of water and squeegee make life much easier for you, again much better if you have a regular lorry but if not keep a small bucket or box with such things in a locker at work or in the boot of your car and shove it in the passenger footwell.
In that bucket/box keep a squirty bottle of something like kitchen cleaner, when the screen gets really bad with grease and the wipers are only smearing it a couple of blasts of that will shift it all for you in a couple of sweeps.
I cannot stress the difference clean windows make enough.
Quality sleep is desperately important, presumably you’ll be sleeping at home, i struggled in the half light of curtains which don’t block daylight fully, you can buy standard sized blackout curtains (Dunelm i think but don’t shoot me if i’m wrong) and these really are blackout.
Hope you don’t have young kids, those and night work are not the best combination…T shirt obtained.
Good torch and spare batteries vital, when you’ve finished a delivery go round your lorry twice checking you’ve done everything up and haven’t left anything open or necessary tools lying or hooked on things or the seal lying unsealed, trust me the job is completely different at night whatever you do.
Good coat, warm boots socks etc, take drink and food in winter especially, if you have regular lorry it wouldn’t hurt to keep a rolled up sleeping bag tucked in one of the cubbies or in your bag…i spent about 6 hours in the day cab of an old ERF in freezing fog one night when it broke down on the side of the M1 before recovery got to me, days before night heaters, no warm kit with me, its no exaggeration that i’d slowed right down and the early stages of hypothermia had started and that includes your mental faculties shutting down, took me several days to fully recover from that, if i’d been my current age it might have been far worse, though arguably i’d have had more sense and not stupidly stayed with the lorry out of sense of duty to protect the load 
There are motorway patrols these days and mobile phones but when the snow and bitter cold comes you never know and you might be well off the beaten track when it all goes pear shaped, make sure you have some bare necessities.
The job can be enjoyable at night, some it suits and some it doesn’t, best of luck.
Brilliant advice! That’s really what this forum should be like. 
Thanks… 
One thing i forget, waterproofing.
Get yourselves a decent extra large brolly, the sort they use at events and car showrooms, you can find these at charity shops regularly for a quid, those big ones can stand some serious winds so long as can keep hold of it.
Folded it’ll poke somewhere in the cab if you have a regular motor, or lie in the cradle of the carrying handle of your kit bag.
You’ll only use it once in a blue moon but when its needed its worth its weight in gold, dry you can stand the cold, soaking wet at night especially with a wind chill factor of minus Christ knows what is a miserable experience.
And/or a fishermans or riding style or even an Aussie if you must wide brimmed waterproof hat, and a pair of waterproof overtrousers which will roll up not much bigger than a mars bar when not in use, again in driving rain water cascading from your coat and soaking you legs from the thigh down will drag you down.
Yes you might look a bugger and i’ve been told by fashionista drivers that i look a berk, when we’ve been out in the elements for an hour and i’m bone dry and toasty warm and they’re a frozen drowned rat the clever remarks tend to dry up, no pun intended.
This job isn’t a fashion show, at night in winter you do not know what might happen, be prepared, dib dib dib.
Quality posts Juddian! 
I look a bellend without my wide brimmed hat, and nothing gets better when i put it on! 
Remove the battery from the house door bell so you do not get disturbed.
Pull out the cable on the land line phone.
Foam ear plugs for sleeping in the day.
On nights there are some nice smells, the aroma of the land and when the sun comes up is pleasant.
Drivers and staff at depots are friendlier at night.
Pack a good quality Thermos to save on rip off motorway price hikes.
If get the dreaded head nods, pull over and sleep, if the load is late so be it.
Hallucinations occur on night work from phantom shadows of animals running across the road, the mind plays tricks.
Obtain the breakdown phone numbers and tyre call out from your boss,
Road closures for road works, check the Highways Agent website.
If in a high trailer or double decker watch out for diversion routes that have low bridges.
Wish I could get a hat to fit
But just think it is not night shift it is your normal working day it has just changed a bit
Was talking to an old mate he was a copper so did work shift ( I normally work night as well ) he said depends what the shift was like he would often have a can or glass of wine when he got home rounds 7ish in the morning because he just though it was his normal day work
I work nights on my 1st night shift I try to grab a couple hr before I start to get me used to the night when I get home I will stay up for a while potter round then go to bed have some sleep although it can take a while to get used to the pattern once n it you should try to find your own routine for sleeping etc
In winter make sure you have some water proof clothing as has been said etc
devonlad2009:
Hi guys will next week I’ll be starting my class 1 career on nights. Never done nights before so should be interesting. Any advice to give me on night work
stay awake!
I worked shifts for over 20 years before moving to a Mon-Fri position. I found staying up a little later, the night before my first night, then staying in bed until late morning/ lunch time, worked well. I was tired by bed time at 8:30 ish the following morning. But managed the 12-13 hour shift ok.
I tried going to bed for a few hours before my shift started, but it never really worked for me. Although many of my colleagues found it worked for them.
My biggest problem was getting back into ‘normal’ mode, after my last night shift. Stay up all day, and I’d be shabby by tea time. Sleep for too long, and I couldn’t sleep that night. I found sleeping until 11 - 12 am, worked best, but I got up feeling almost hungover, and felt rather hacked off!
That said, we got much less hassle on night shift, and the shifts flew when kept occupied all night.
Evil8Beezle:
Quality posts Juddian!I look a bellend without my wide brimmed hat, and nothing gets better when i put it on!
Yep, can’t say as i’m holding me breath waiting for the phone call asking me to double for George Clooney either… 
Drinking water. I go through about two litres a night. With the windows up and heater on you’ll start to dehydrate, this can exaggerate the effects of fatigue. Stay away from energy drinks and coffee, they may offer a short term boost (enough to keep you going for an hour) but you’ll feel worse then ever once the effects wear off.
Oh, and try and keep to working hours over the weekend, it’ll make Mondays much easier!
A bloody good map, random road closures are a nightmare. You WILL take a diversion on your first week, guaranteed.
I love nights, wouldn’t touch days unless it was a wonder job.
Cavey.
animal:
Wish I could get a hat to fit
Try a tack shop either in the flesh or online (if you search for titfer sellers online, you’ll find how to measure your bonce properly), should have wide brimmed hats in ladies sizes, won’t be cheap but likely to be very well made.
More useless information that you heard here first folks 
I started nights a few weeks ago. As long as I’m not going past 6am where the commuters are starting to appear, Im happy. Took me two weeks to get into rythym to work through the night without feeling tired towards the end of my shift. Pick a routine that works for you and stick to it.
Juddian:
animal:
Wish I could get a hat to fitTry a tack shop either in the flesh or online (if you search for titfer sellers online, you’ll find how to measure your bonce properly), should have wide brimmed hats in ladies sizes, won’t be cheap but likely to be very well made.
More useless information that you heard here first folks
Know how to me sure my head my crash helmet ( motorbike ) is a size xxxxs or 44cm to you ladies are much larger than that
Having done nights for 7 years, I recommend a decent blackout blind for your bedroom, and keep an eye out for planned road closures, they seem to love digging up motorways at night, and as I discovered last night, diversions are not always suitable for an artic!
The sleep thing comes with time, and you do get used to it. I did a week of days this month for a training course, almost killed me!
It took about 2 months for my eyes to adjust to the glare. Nevertheless, You ‘must’ get a good sleep during the day especially if your covering distance, I frequently see tired drivers in transport offices / driver rooms who are simply an ‘accident waiting to happen’. If nights do suit, I very much doubt you’ll work days again.
Captain Caveman 76:
Drinking water. I go through about two litres a night. With the windows up and heater on you’ll start to dehydrate, this can exaggerate the effects of fatigue. Stay away from energy drinks and coffee, they may offer a short term boost (enough to keep you going for an hour) but you’ll feel worse then ever once the effects wear off.
Oh, and try and keep to working hours over the weekend, it’ll make Mondays much easier!
A bloody good map, random road closures are a nightmare. You WILL take a diversion on your first week, guaranteed.
I love nights, wouldn’t touch days unless it was a wonder job.
Cavey.
Blimey! I’d be back and forth to the bathroom all day, if I drank that much whilst on night shift…