Sooo… any tips for a newbie tramper…? I know what I need, etc, just looking for handy hints on how to avoid making life difficult for myself? 
Got SNAP for parking, not that there’s much of it round these parts. Not much worth nicking anyway so will be happy enough with an MSA or lay-by with a view 
Best places for showers, etc? MRE’s any good for eating, or are they more hassle than they’re worth?
Thx for any thoughts you care to share!
Cheers,
Chris.
Depends how far you are travelling form base & which direction
First thing I’d do is find out if you can carry a gas stove. If you can then you’ll find food easy as hell. If your truck doesn’t have a fridge then invest in a 12v cool box. Depending on how long your away you can make large portions of things like chilli, bolognese, curry etc, bag it into smaller portions and have some proper grub every day. Stock up on some tinned food from the shop as well. If you’ve got a microwave fitted then happy days. If you’ve got neither then you’ll be at the mercy of food outlets and eating cold pre made stuff.
Buy either a water container (the type you can take camping that folds away) or a big 5litre bottle of water and keep it topped up. As long as you boil it you can always fill it up with the water pumps at services where the tyre air is as long as it isn’t pre mixed with screen wash!
Make sure you have a good wife/partner. Worth their weight in gold
always be prepared for a night out even if youre told it only a day run make sure you carry plenty off food as i learnt today not all truckstops are open on a sunday for food and check to see if youre company pays for parking or if it comes out youre expenses
Based in Glasgow, covering all of Scotland & N. England, not out all week, only a couple of nights away from base a week, so don’t need to survive for the whole week.
Not allowed gas, so leccy kettle is on order. Current wagon doesn’t have micro / fridge, but it’s getting replaced with one that does in a matter of months. Got a wee cooler which will do for now. Kinda why i’m thinking of just getting a selection of MREs / decent ‘just-add-boiling-water’ camping food (Go Outdoors do some good stuff I’ve used in the past, curries, hot-pot, stew, etc), in case I end up stopping somewhere with no cafe/restaurant.
Got the water container too, so fresh water shouldn’t be a problem.
Are leisure centres a good bet for grabbing a shower in the morning, or is it more realistic to have a festival wash and find an MSA for a shower later? Do all the SNAP sites have showers, or just some? Company pays for SNAP, but if use non-snap sites it does get reimbursed. Nobody else uses the truck or gets access to keys, except site security, so gear can be left in it.
Chris1207:
Sooo… any tips for a newbie tramper…?will be happy enough with an MSA or lay-by
Cheers,
Chris.
Here’s a tip for you Chris from somebody that has tramped since 1979…Don’t park in MSAs, or ■■■■ lay bys. 
MSAs are a ■■■■■■ rip off, lay bys are unsuitable in terms of facilities of which there are none.
Work out where you will roughly be, ask some of the old hands for a truck park, retail park, ind estate etc near a town with facilities, cafe, pub, takeaway etc. …It turns the job from a work and sleep type endurance test to a happier decent job.
Do not wait until 8hrs 58 to find somewhere if you have nothing specific planned, give yourself 15 to 20 mins to look, but try not to go too far off route.
If and when you do find good places, keep a note until next time.
Do not leave any mess to ■■■■ it up for the rest of us, and be selective who you tell…for the same reason.
Tramping can be an enjoyable job as well as a ball ache, so don’t listen to the day men ‘‘must get home in case I turn into a ■■■■ pumpkin’’ types,… but it is how YOU make it for yourself.
Also it does not mean you have to ‘rough it’ I shower about 4 to 5 times a week while away, you are a trampER not a tramp as a lot on here seem to think.
Good luck with it mate anyway. 
as robroy says idustrial estates are normally the best place to park i rarely use truckstops/motorway services i always try to find a decent industrial estate close to a supermarket or mcdonalds etc that way you still have use of toilets and easy access to food if you feel like something different i normally pull into motorway services most days to take a shower as they are normally free i only use laybys as a last resort or id they are a big one with a divider so youre not being rocked about all night by passing cars/trucks the earlier you park up the easier it will be to find somewhere you will find after about 6pm places to park get harder to find so allow youreself plenty of time to find a spot. tramping can be really enjoyable i personally love it and wouldnt go back to working normal shifts i love waking up to a different view everyday good luck
Chris1207:
Based in Glasgow, covering all of Scotland & N. England, not out all week, only a couple of nights away from base a week, so don’t need to survive for the whole week.Not allowed gas, so leccy kettle is on order. Current wagon doesn’t have micro / fridge, but it’s getting replaced with one that does in a matter of months. Got a wee cooler which will do for now. Kinda why i’m thinking of just getting a selection of MREs / decent ‘just-add-boiling-water’ camping food (Go Outdoors do some good stuff I’ve used in the past, curries, hot-pot, stew, etc), in case I end up stopping somewhere with no cafe/restaurant.
Got the water container too, so fresh water shouldn’t be a problem.
Are leisure centres a good bet for grabbing a shower in the morning, or is it more realistic to have a festival wash and find an MSA for a shower later? Do all the SNAP sites have showers, or just some? Company pays for SNAP, but if use non-snap sites it does get reimbursed. Nobody else uses the truck or gets access to keys, except site security, so gear can be left in it.
What are they paying you meal allowance? If it’s anything less than a tenner I’d tell them I’m having a gas stove to cook for myself seeing as though a good breakfast/ dinner then tea would cost me that possibly more. It’s alleight for them in the office to go back home to a nice warm bath, evening meal while you are out with their truck.
What happens if you are in the middle of nowhere in a lay by and you are hungry? They expect you to live off a bag of crisps or a cold sarnie?
Cheers chaps, noted
Personally I don’t lock my diesel caps. The way I look at it if they wanna nick it they’re gonna nick it so if you leave the caps unlocked they will do less damage.
Try to get into truckstops/lay-bys as early as possible before they fill up.
Try not to park up the kerb if you can. Nothing worse than trying to sleep when you keep sliding up/down the bed.
If you have to use a lay-by try and find one on a quiet road away from the road so you don’t get buffeted.
If you do farm work or to a small concern they will generally let you park up on their premises - ring ahead and ask.
i find Scotland a great place for a tramper, stunning scenery, good grub, less traffic and motorists who seem to be more “trucker friendly” than folk over the border. Watch out if you park in Aberdeen overnight as a lot of it has overnight parking bans for trucks. You get council run car parks you can park in such as Thurso and Elgin in the town centre where you can use the lesiure centre for a shower.
If you have snap parking then Xtra services are free for you. Currently at Beaconsfield but it’s rammed even on a Sunday. Just been in to see if I can get a Nandos but it’s chaos in there. I’ll be going back in later to see if it’s quietened down in there.
Radar19:
If you have snap parking then Xtra services are free for you. Currently at Beaconsfield but it’s rammed even on a Sunday. Just been in to see if I can get a Nandos but it’s chaos in there. I’ll be going back in later to see if it’s quietened down in there.
Might be able to pay with keyfuels, but no food voucher. I avoid Extra if I can for that reason. I’d rather pay on my card and claim it back somewhere else.
Don’t display a blue light when parked up at night
Tris:
Radar19:
If you have snap parking then Xtra services are free for you. Currently at Beaconsfield but it’s rammed even on a Sunday. Just been in to see if I can get a Nandos but it’s chaos in there. I’ll be going back in later to see if it’s quietened down in there.Might be able to pay with keyfuels, but no food voucher. I avoid Extra if I can for that reason. I’d rather pay on my card and claim it back somewhere else.
We don’t get any money back for food so paying for parking isn’t something I do often.
Radar19:
Tris:
Radar19:
If you have snap parking then Xtra services are free for you. Currently at Beaconsfield but it’s rammed even on a Sunday. Just been in to see if I can get a Nandos but it’s chaos in there. I’ll be going back in later to see if it’s quietened down in there.Might be able to pay with keyfuels, but no food voucher. I avoid Extra if I can for that reason. I’d rather pay on my card and claim it back somewhere else.
We don’t get any money back for food so paying for parking isn’t something I do often.
My lovely firm took my 5 quid meal voucher money off me last week from a Truckstop. 
Only parked there because I had desirable load on, I had plenty of grub in the fridge.
I intend to park next to the gype camp near it the next time I have the same stuff on. Bet they will pay me it after that the tight arsed basts. 
Welcome Break seem to have the cleanest showers for motorway services, your best bet are proper truckstops though. If you’re parked near a town/facilities have a look for leisure centres, swimming pools etc. Some will let you use their showers if you ask nice. Or don’t ask at all, easier to ask for forgiveness than permission and all that
A.
I like the style of tramping a local guy has, 4-5 nights a week his Dewsbury based flatbed rigid is parked on my street while he goes home to sleep in his own bed.
the cheeky git, I just wish he`d park it on his own street 
robroy:
Radar19:
Tris:
Radar19:
If you have snap parking then Xtra services are free for you. Currently at Beaconsfield but it’s rammed even on a Sunday. Just been in to see if I can get a Nandos but it’s chaos in there. I’ll be going back in later to see if it’s quietened down in there.Might be able to pay with keyfuels, but no food voucher. I avoid Extra if I can for that reason. I’d rather pay on my card and claim it back somewhere else.
We don’t get any money back for food so paying for parking isn’t something I do often.
My lovely firm took my 5 quid meal voucher money off me last week from a Truckstop.
Only parked there because I had desirable load on, I had plenty of grub in the fridge.
I intend to park next to the gype camp near it the next time I have the same stuff on. Bet they will pay me it after that the tight arsed basts.
Think that’s something to do with the taxman rather than just your company. Something to do with paying you tax free night out money and reimbursing your food.
So I’ve been told anyway.
A.