Winseer:
The silly thing is… If one looks at a yard like ND Didcot for example - By enforcing “their” interpretation of H&S so that “drivers cannot remain in their cabs, even with red airlines off” - That can easily amount to 2-4 hours PER VISIT of “being in the cooler wasting your life” instead of living it up in the canteen/rest area or “Being allowed to stay in your cab” to eat a packed lunch, kip, or “read a newspaper” - the official definition of “dispose of your time as you see fit”. In my mind “being in the cooler” doesn’t do that, and you end up leaving the yard tired, bored, and dreadfully ■■■■■■ off. How many times do you see drivers having to “take a 45 outside the gate” because of this H&S jobsworth attitude? Now I’ve been there and done that on agency these past 4 years - I can’t say I am interested in applying for any job that involves submitting to this regime. 
Yeah that’s true about the “cooler” type waiting room. As a box jockey waiting is a great deal of My working life, and I have no problems with handing over the keys, but I do resent being kicked out of the Cab, especially if the facility is a “cooler”. I always offer to drop the trailer and park outside, but that normally goes down badly. One place I go to, they have a driver rest area which is the usual over priced vending machines hard chairs and no heating, but one night one of the receiving guys showed Me where the staff canteen was, so now, I always head there, and because I just go through the right doors no one bats an eyelid. They have a TV comfy chairs and a small kitchen, thats what I call a positive waiting area 
eddie snax:
newmercman:
I don’t give a monkey’s what they call the way they make up my wages, bonuses, night’s out, meal allowance or whatever, as long as I’m happy with the figure that goes in my bank, that’s all that matters, nobody in the pub, petrol station, supermarket or anywhere else I spend my money gives a toss whether it’s hourly pay, night out money or meal allowance, so why should I?
I had this very same argument when a couple off years ago meal allowance was introduced at our place, whether you think it right or wrong, wouldn’t you rather have money in your bank 
no brainer to me
I also think that this business of calling night subsistence, expenses is BS aswel. If you are a Tramper, then with forward planning and the right equipment, you should be able to minimise the cost of working away, to no more than if you were on shift work, therefore eating at home every night, but without the time and expense of commuting.
newmercman:
Spot on there Eddie. When I was last on away all week work in tbe UK, I was able to use subsidised canteens for the majority of the week and when I wasn’t I would get fish n chips or a curry, with a few pints in here and there, much the same as I would if I was home every night. So it didn’t cost any more than it would’ve had I been at home, like you said, I also wasn’t putting fuel in my car or wearing it put on a daily commute, so I was probably in front when you take everything into account.
Admittedly things have changed and subsidised canteens are thin on the ground now, but with bigger cabs and microwaves etc. It isn’t difficult to live out on the road and it needn’t be expensive, you could even get the wife to knock up an extra dinner every night through the week and freeze it so you can take it with you the next week and have real home cooked food out on the road.
So night out money doesn’t need to cover expenses, it’s payment to compensate you for being away from home, you don’t have to give it to Burger King or KFC.
happysack:
Hallelujah. Two people talking sense. I don’t care how my wages are made up, as long as the figure in the bank hits the mark. On a night out, it’s very rare I’ll spend anything at all. I don’t park in services and I take home cooked food. Only time I really spend anything after the initial outlay of a weeks shopping is if I have a Friday night out, because I only take 4 meals away (I do have stuff I could survive on if I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere on a Friday) or the odd cup of coffee or extra milk.
All in my usual 4 nights out costs less than one night out payment. I also get meal allowance, so 5 meal allowances and 3 night out payments are money for [zb] all for me.
We are not alone.
I too take frozen meals from home, the Wife cooks as if I’m at home, but then freezes my serving, I put them in My microwave in the truck, that’s why I’m either always parked up for tea time, or will stop regardless of where I’m meant to be to have My Tea. I tend to graze on sandwiches crisps fruit, and the odd bacon roll from a tea van during the day, but Teatime is My main meal
As said, years ago there were plenty of works canteens and transport cafes, nice and cheap and clean, but those are long gone. So its mostly Microwave or stove, though if I park with someone whom I know or should I say can tolerate for more than 10 minutes then I’m easily persuaded into a café or takeaway, or even on special occasions a pub 
in the right company its good to get away from the truck
. I get paid in mainland Europe where the allowances are tax free (as they should be!) but the threshold is really low in the UK and you end up paying tax on most of it. Can’t say I know how much as the accountant plays with the abacus on that. All I know is you need all of the allowance to live when away and commute. The tax free allowance from the UK “wouldn’t buy you a ■■■■■■■■ by the railway” in some places. Er, as the saying goes 
