Semtex:
Down in the southwest it is even worse than lucy has it on teeside, £6.50 an hour doesn’t even exist to my knowledge.
Last time I earned that was about 4 years ago and that was in Hull. I don’t think I dare tell you what rate I get now.
Conor:
Semtex:
Down in the southwest it is even worse than lucy has it on teeside, £6.50 an hour doesn’t even exist to my knowledge.
Last time I earned that was about 4 years ago and that was in Hull. I don’t think I dare tell you what rate I get now.
Me neither . Even £6.50/hr would involve me having to work more than 2 or 3 days per week and that’s just not on!
Scary, isn’t it…Semtex, if it’s any consolation the South West rates have obviously risen - I used be one of the lucky ones to take home £300 for 4 nights out 5 years ago…and have driven Class 1 out of Poole for just £4.75p/h.
i have only one truck jammy , i dont break the law , why do you think everone does , is it just that you have so every body else must ■■
as for going home every night , no thanks , i have been a tramper for 20 years now so am just about getting use to it and yes i have kids , so you think i am neglecting my kids as well ■■?
WHAT A NICE PERSON YOU ARE 
i would rather do my job and be happy and well balanced and be able to treat my kids to whatever they want withoput spoiling them , such a fine line isnt it ,
yes i tried the home every night thing but it turned me into a boring miserable slob like every other uk driver ive met , and i would rather stick pins in my eyes than go back to that ,
so you keep to your boring get home at any cost day work and ill stick to my leisurely trundle to spain every week
salut
I prefer tramping, I get brain dead with repetitive work like trailer swaps in the UK. I would rather spend a week or too away from home and then get back to friends and family.
In my experience it is the big companies who are the cowboys too. They rule by fear, both to employed drivers and sub contractors.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion on a public forum, granted. But not everyone can be correct 
Here Porkifer, I take offence to that. I like to be home evey evening. I am not a slob, I am not miserable, could possibly be boring though. NAH only joking.
But why complain about Jammy and then do the same and slag me off, just cause I like, no love being at home. 
well i tramped for 7 years up until last may then i had to pack in driving altogether to look after my wife and 3 kids under 5 so i can see both sides here. i tramped at first for the extra cash it made me but after a while it was the fact i actually liked being away that i did it ,the fact i could start when i wanted within reason stop when i want and relax.but now i can also see jammys point aswell after being at home with the kids 24/7 for the last year i dont want to tramp when i have to go back to work whenever that might be ,to be honest i dont really want to drive trucks again at all but its all i know.id say give it go thats all ya can do to find out wheather its for you and your family.but one thing i will say is tramping is harder for the one left at home to look after the house and the kids than the one going away as all you have to worry about is yourself
jammymutt:
i do know a little bit about the industry and smaller hauliers having to break the law to make a living or would you say thats not true?,.
I like to think that I know a little about this industry to, and having worked for a selection of haulage firms, all except 1 being small concerns, the only one that was threatened with licence revocation by the ministry was the only large firm that i’ve worked for, you might have seen them about, Frans Maas now thats quiet a large concern.
So maybe you may have to examine your sweeping generalisations, such as,
I also find it very difficult to understand that anyone married with children going away from work all week whether its in a truck or not i just COULD not do it, I love my kids far too much to be away from them for 4/5 nights at a time,
This is the sort of attitude i dont like, why you think that i dont love my Wife and Children, as much as you do yours, just because normaly i tramp. You would i assume agree that either you or your wife are by far the best carer for your children, and this is 1 of the reasons i tramp, because it allows my Wife to be a full time mum, and not have our children palmed of to child care.
maybe one day when you breed you will understand.
I have bred, as you put it, and i understand 
how we live our lives works for us, it may not work for you, but i dont knock you for it,
Please dont knock me.
porkifer:
i have only one truck jammy , i dont break the law , why do you think everone does , is it just that you have so every body else must ■■
as for going home every night , no thanks , i have been a tramper for 20 years now so am just about getting use to it and yes i have kids , so you think i am neglecting my kids as well ■■?
WHAT A NICE PERSON YOU ARE
i would rather do my job and be happy and well balanced and be able to treat my kids to whatever they want withoput spoiling them , such a fine line isnt it ,
yes i tried the home every night thing but it turned me into a boring miserable slob like every other uk driver ive met , and i would rather stick pins in my eyes than go back to that ,
so you keep to your boring get home at any cost day work and ill stick to my leisurely trundle to spain every week
salut
Got any jobs porky 
just remember to take your living expenses out of your weekly wage i.e eating out all week and a couple pf pints a week. then also add on the petrol you will be saving by a one way trip at the beginning of the week and the end of the week.
eating out all week
Unless you’re a self-caterer, of course…
jessicas dad:
just remember to take your living expenses out of your weekly wage i.e eating out all week and a couple pf pints a week. then also add on the petrol you will be saving by a one way trip at the beginning of the week and the end of the week.
Yeah good points Alex
I think also you need to be realistic about the hours you do as well
For example this week I have worked night trunk been home very day and made more money than when I worked for UPS tramping the rate is crap when you break it down.
Also think about it this way you are also a 24 hour security guard for load and vehicle.
Having said the above the type of work and the people I work for are factors that determine if Tramping is worthwile or not.
I would not tramp for UPS again but I know others who do.
I don;t like being treated like a muppet by muppets but thats just me.
I used to quite like tramping, but then i like solitude and a degree of autonomy . I’m going back a few years before I bought my own but if you can geta half decent Transport manager (yeah I know its a contradiction in terms) then life can be OK.
I always used to reckon I would have one bad day a week sometimes two, where there would be either a degree of rushing about to meet deadlines or a bad load but the rest was usually ok, a few early finishes if you couldnt get loaded.
You need to be organised though. I used to eat out once a week with a few pints and cook the rest of the week. Didnt like tv as I tended to veg out a bit but used to read shedfulls of books.
I know some trampers who take the term literally and not wash very regularly but I found that keeping clean was good and sometimes tests your inginuity
to do so but thats all part of the game such as having your own secret parkups and boozers. I Hated truckstops and would go miles to avoid them.
try it…you will either love it or hate it, theres no middle ground.
im single so doing that dont bother me, but everybody is different, and im starting for a dutch firm in holland soon and money is good too.
Lucy:
eating out all week
Unless you’re a self-caterer, of course…
i used to do a lot of self catering but you cant do it all week… i did it about 50/50.
but you cant do it all week
Why on earth not? I do. Even before I had the luxury of a fridge/freezer I used to…have done for the last five years in fact.
Lucy:
but you cant do it all week
Why on earth not? I do. Even before I had the luxury of a fridge/freezer I used to…have done for the last five years in fact.
I self cater all week normally, but sometimes cn’t be arsed so end up with a chinese, or pub grub
David5l:
[I self cater all week normally, but sometimes cn’t be arsed so end up with a chinese, or pub grub
Now that sounds familiar 
jessicas dad:
just remember to take your living expenses out of your weekly wage i.e eating out all week and a couple pf pints a week. then also add on the petrol you will be saving by a one way trip at the beginning of the week and the end of the week.
Though to be strictly accountant like about it, dont forget that whilst your eating out, your Mrs isnt shopping to provide you an evening meal every night, or making you a pack up for your break time, though obviuoly the cost is some what less than what you pay on the road. And your local wont serve free beer, so a couple of pints doesnt really come into the equation,
When all said and done, those that either enjoy or find tramping more lucrative, will allways have loads of good reasons why, and like wise those that dont want tramping will have loads of good reasons why not to, all anyone can do is ■■■■ it and see
it seems just me but i liked to get out of the cab for something to eat at least a few times a week.
and i used to meet up with my mate a couple of times a week and i would have have been a bit of a saddo to say " no thanks il just eat in the cab."