I’m looking to enquire more into the gist of what happens in terms of start/finish times of tramping.
Is waking up at the crack of dawn essential for these jobs? Is working through night until crack of dawn also something that happens across the board, or is it firm dependant?
I prefer by rule starting after 7am at earliest and finishing before 3am at latest, which seems a wide enough scope. I’d rather be away in a truck for days on end than coming home for short turn-arounds.
I’m not an early man, did 3 years on the buses of earlies and it really ran me down, and gets me out the wrong side of bed, so I’m wondering if this automatically means tramping is not for me.
1 of the positives (in my opinion) when tramping is getting up for work, and already being there.
Start times will vary, for example you could get to a drop at 5pm, and they are closed so you have to wait until 8am the following morning, therefore in that instance you are finished early and have a late start the following day too. Quite easy to then get stuck in that routine for a day or two until you get back on track.
When tramping I prefer to start early and finish early, better chance to park and get some decent food earlier in the evening too.
The worst thing about a 07:00 start is you tend to see both rush hours that way.
Very rarely start before 6 am…5 at the absolute earliest, or if on a Saturday going home,sometimes earlier, depending what I have to do for myself…or what time football is on.
robroy:
Very rarely start before 6 am…5 at the absolute earliest, or if on a Saturday going home,sometimes earlier, depending what I have to do for myself…or what time football is on.
Ah right, is this generally the same across the industry from your experience? As I say, I’d love to give it a go, but I know doing constant earlies would make me want to leave before I even started.
PA22:
1 of the positives (in my opinion) when tramping is getting up for work, and already being there.
Start times will vary, for example you could get to a drop at 5pm, and they are closed so you have to wait until 8am the following morning, therefore in that instance you are finished early and have a late start the following day too. Quite easy to then get stuck in that routine for a day or two until you get back on track.
When tramping I prefer to start early and finish early, better chance to park and get some decent food earlier in the evening too.
The worst thing about a 07:00 start is you tend to see both rush hours that way.
I would like that, I don’t mind about traffic as paid the same in any case. You don’t do tramping to be in a rush anywhere, what are you gonna do anyway once you’ve finished for the day
robroy:
Very rarely start before 6 am…5 at the absolute earliest, or if on a Saturday going home,sometimes earlier, depending what I have to do for myself…or what time football is on.
Ah right, is this generally the same across the industry from your experience? As I say, I’d love to give it a go, but I know doing constant earlies would make me want to leave before I even started.
I can only speak for myself mate, some like early starts some don’t,.some have to start early for whatever reason, some don’t. …it depends what type of work you do I suppose.
We even have clowns at my place who come in the yard and sleep on a Sunday afternoon so they can leave at 5past midnight…even though they do not have to and it’s their own choice.
As I said early starts ain’t for me,… mainly because I’ve lost a lot of interest and all enthusiasm for the job tbh, but everyone’s different.
Tramping isn’t really about start times - I find its more about planning out your days and thinking ahead . In my case last week i turned up to load at 18.00 to be told the load wouldn’t be ready until 06.00 the next morning . As I know the area I asked if I could drop the trailer on a bay for them to load overnight . Yes you can . Do you want me back in 9 hours or 11 ? 11 would be better . Ok bye then . Out the gate 2 miles down the road and parked at the local pub . 18.45 I’m sitting at the bar with a lasagna and chips with a pint of Pepsi max with permission to park in the carpark from the owner . When I rolled in the next morning at 06.30 the last pallet was getting loaded .
Its more about working out what you can get done and how to fit in your 11 or at a push 9 hour breaks- if your flexible regarding start and finish times you can really make tramping work for you . Regular drops and collections can become great parking places once you get to know the staff - you may be allowed to park , drop trailers etc and they may be able to tell you about off the beaten track places for parking , places to eat etc -use your head and make it work for you - if you don’t no one else will - you’ll just be run into the ground ,parking in laybys with a pot noodle and a ginsters . its your choice .
beefy4605:
Tramping isn’t really about start times - I find its more about planning out your days and thinking ahead . In my case last week i turned up to load at 18.00 to be told the load wouldn’t be ready until 06.00 the next morning . As I know the area I asked if I could drop the trailer on a bay for them to load overnight . Yes you can . Do you want me back in 9 hours or 11 ? 11 would be better . Ok bye then . Out the gate 2 miles down the road and parked at the local pub . 18.45 I’m sitting at the bar with a lasagna and chips with a pint of Pepsi max with permission to park in the carpark from the owner . When I rolled in the next morning at 06.30 the last pallet was getting loaded .
Its more about working out what you can get done and how to fit in your 11 or at a push 9 hour breaks- if your flexible regarding start and finish times you can really make tramping work for you . Regular drops and collections can become great parking places once you get to know the staff - you may be allowed to park , drop trailers etc and they may be able to tell you about off the beaten track places for parking , places to eat etc -use your head and make it work for you - if you don’t no one else will - you’ll just be run into the ground ,parking in laybys with a pot noodle and a ginsters . its your choice .
Sounds nice! I have next to no ties to home so would like that. I’m just not willing to be waking up silly o’clock every morning and grinding myself down when I could find some wally RDC work that keeps my mind right for sleep.
Seems like it depends on the operator whether or not I can be thrown on to a reasonable waking up time.
Jamie MP:
Seems like it depends on the operator whether or not I can be thrown on to a reasonable waking up time.
Depends on the work you do, tramping can be start/finish 24/7 in the same week I can finish at 11pm and also start at 2am within a couple of days. Can depend on ferry times for example, if its a Friday ferry and I want to get home as early as possible I will use ferry mode. E.g Get to port at 12 mid day, rest mode, drive on boat 8pm, off boat at 1:30am drive straight back to the yard by 5am and go home.
PA22:
1 of the positives (in my opinion) when tramping is getting up for work, and already being there.
Start times will vary, for example you could get to a drop at 5pm, and they are closed so you have to wait until 8am the following morning, therefore in that instance you are finished early and have a late start the following day too. Quite easy to then get stuck in that routine for a day or two until you get back on track.
When tramping I prefer to start early and finish early, better chance to park and get some decent food earlier in the evening too.
The worst thing about a 07:00 start is you tend to see both rush hours that way.
Pull fridges tramping then you can have the added excitement of shift times lucky dip! Start at 5am Monday and have start times of 9pm by midweek. Woop (tho I do prefer fridge work)
beefy4605:
Tramping isn’t really about start times - I find its more about planning out your days and thinking ahead . In my case last week i turned up to load at 18.00 to be told the load wouldn’t be ready until 06.00 the next morning . As I know the area I asked if I could drop the trailer on a bay for them to load overnight . Yes you can . Do you want me back in 9 hours or 11 ? 11 would be better . Ok bye then . Out the gate 2 miles down the road and parked at the local pub . 18.45 I’m sitting at the bar with a lasagna and chips with a pint of Pepsi max with permission to park in the carpark from the owner . When I rolled in the next morning at 06.30 the last pallet was getting loaded .
Its more about working out what you can get done and how to fit in your 11 or at a push 9 hour breaks- if your flexible regarding start and finish times you can really make tramping work for you . Regular drops and collections can become great parking places once you get to know the staff - you may be allowed to park , drop trailers etc and they may be able to tell you about off the beaten track places for parking , places to eat etc -use your head and make it work for you - if you don’t no one else will - you’ll just be run into the ground ,parking in laybys with a pot noodle and a ginsters . its your choice .
What’s this nonsense of parking in a lay by with a pot noodle or ginster pie? … plenty of drivers on here advise how they have proper food from home.
Any decent employer will have a fridge and cooking appliance in the truck… why can’t people carry milk breakfast cereal bread etc.
Jamie MP:
Ah right, is this generally the same across the industry from your experience? As I say, I’d love to give it a go, but I know doing constant earlies would make me want to leave before I even started.
As I type this my lad who is a tramper will already have been at work an hour after starting at 4am. Whether you start early or not often depends on what time your first drop is in the morning and how close you get to it the night before.
Jamie MP:
I’m not an early man, did 3 years on the buses of earlies and it really ran me down, and gets me out the wrong side of bed, so I’m wondering if this automatically means tramping is not for me.
Jamie MP:
I’m not an early man, did 3 years on the buses of earlies and it really ran me down, and gets me out the wrong side of bed, so I’m wondering if this automatically means tramping is not for me.
discoman:
What’s this nonsense of parking in a lay by with a pot noodle or ginster pie? … plenty of drivers on here advise how they have proper food from home.
Any decent employer will have a fridge and cooking appliance in the truck… why can’t people carry milk breakfast cereal bread etc.
I do carry cereal , do my own cooking , portion up food and freeze it take tins of soup etc with me but for some its pie and chips in the greasy truck stop every night or Mcd’S or KFC . Why others cant organise themselves is a question they will have to answer - I don’t really see any excuse for not having options for every meal eg breakfast I have the option of tea or coffee , toast (butter and marmalade - I have my own toaster in the truck ), porridge (3 flavours) wheatabix or shredded wheat. Always have a selection of cooked meats (chicken , ham , beef) in the fridge , fresh fruit , milk and yougourts. In the frozen side I have chickhen and chorizo bakes , steak pies ,chicken kieves and chips - all cooked at home portioned up and frozen. 10 mins in the microwave and I have a good healthy meal fresh fruit , milk,water and bread are all I really need to look for when I’m away all week .
Inverter
Microwave
Toaster
Kettle
TV
Amazon firestick -phone with unlimited internet
Makes beefy a happy camper
