Is it normal for trampers to work max hours with min breaks? Getting a bit fed up with doing fifteen hour days and only having nine off. Thinking about going back on days but like it other than that.
I’m afraid that would be the general way of things but interspersed with the odd park up just after midday until mid morning the next day thrown in and park up friday teatime albeit somewhere decent, until monday morning too and then next weekend park up saturday aftwrnoon for a bare 24 then off again. Maybe even get home on the third weekend but then if you’re a tramper don’t bank on it as weekends away are part of the job.
Some companies when working days max out your 15 and then you spend some of your 9 driving to and from home so I don’t see how it helps.
Yeah I don’t mind being out for a couple of weeks but 9hrs off a day is not really enough for me, 11hrs is fine because it gives you time to get showered, have dinner and get a decent sleep.
mrginge:
Some companies when working days max out your 15 and then you spend some of your 9 driving to and from home so I don’t see how it helps.
I wouldn’t do any more than 12 on 12 off if on days. Wouldn’t matter how good the money was.
No its not normal in any way shape or form but its become all too common, with poor pay schemes worked out to co-erce the worker into maximising hours to make a weeks pay up for two weeks work.
Some companies like to keep drivers out, rather than get them home because, in their blinkered vision, they think the bloke out working will work harder still…the opposite works for me, give me a carrot to get me home and i’ll shift heaven and earth to do exactly that, when i know i’m going to be out i couldn’t give a toss what happens as i’m thinking about parking, dinner, pint, bed, so soon as somewhere decent presents itself i’m parked.
I’d have to be really desperate to go back to nights out, no update that, i’m not going back to nights out, end of, and yes 12 hours is plenty with an absolute minimum of 11 off.
Agree with you 100% juddian, The pay seems good at the end of the week but when you consider the amount of time and sacrifice devoted it’s very poor.
I wouldn’t have a pint when parked up (I like having a few at the weekend if I’m home) but I like to get to a services for the showers, toilets etc, but it doesn’t always happen with as god knows where i will be when the hours run out and the best i can hope for is a quiet ind est or if not a layby.
As as local bus driver doing 5x10 hour days you could earn £550 at £11 an hour (thats before tax) likely 5 over 7 but rota’splus local enhancements.
Work a day every other weekend, sleep in your own bed or if your single get a date on board 
Why did I leave buses…I hated passengers, got married again and need my own space a night or two
Seriously though my view is tramping is a life/job style not a family mans/persons ideal situation, if tramping didnt max you out so much I figure more would be interested in taking that life style on, but the £ is when the wagon is moving and thats the rock drivers have to force out from the hard place
Im all for pulling together and putting hours in when needed but Tramping seems to stretch good will a tad?
Yeah, it’s called how transport works in the real world.
Some drivers like to finish early and park up. I’m paid by the hour, so I’ll keep going.
Silver_Surfer:
Yeah, it’s called how transport works in the real world.
Ya wha?
I think tramping is a dying trade anyways. All the big firms run their wagons day and night therefore doubling profit per waggon and not sitting in a services or lay-by for 11 hours in 24, risking getting fuel nicked or curtains slashed. Long distance jobs are already shunted between regional depots. I think over the next ten years you will see trains carrying a lot more to reginal areas and then day and night drivers doing the last couple of hundred miles. Just like the industry has just about swallowed up all the owner drivers they are coming for the small time family run firms next as they struggle to keep up with the big boys who can run at a much lower rate and still give the directors a flash house and a Bentley.
I disagree.
I think there will always be a need for the flexibility and the ability to just load and go.
Your right in that the requirement for a dedicated start to finish shipment on one truck is less but I don’t think it will ever completely die off.
Can only speak for myself but most of our work is for smaller customers who basically want the stuff direct from their place to the destination with no faffing and quite often specify that we can’t put it through the pallet networks.
How much is average for a night out? Unless im getting paid by the hour all night im not looking to live in the truck ?
3stepsaheaduk:
How much is average for a night out? Unless im getting paid by the hour all night im not looking to live in the truck ?
Usually around 20 or 30 quid. You can’t expect any company to pay by the hour while you are parked up for the night.
kjw21:
I disagree.I think there will always be a need for the flexibility and the ability to just load and go.
Your right in that the requirement for a dedicated start to finish shipment on one truck is less but I don’t think it will ever completely die off.
Can only speak for myself but most of our work is for smaller customers who basically want the stuff direct from their place to the destination with no faffing and quite often specify that we can’t put it through the pallet networks.
After seeing the way things work in a Pallex place, I can see why.
When I was tramping I once worked out what my gross wage worked out at an hour if I divided it up from starting work on Monday to finishing Friday including rest,it worked out at £5,39 an hour.
I know firms can’t pay you for rest time but when tramping you never seem to have work out of your mind,even weekends your washing your kit etc.
I only do occasional nights out now and quite enjoy the very few I do but I would never go back tramping now.
its that same old thing with tramping monkey’s working for peanut’s, !oh no! its transport in general how forgetfull of me 
Tramping is a way of life if you ask me, you can’t really view it as a job or you’d go mental as you’re at work pretty much all the time. I appreciate it’s not for everyone & I hated it when I first started as the moment I got to work before in my 8-4, I was waiting to go home.
I have the wagon set up as I want it, no missus & no kids, I’m nearly 40, not much of a raver anymore so ain’t that arsed about going out on the lash. I’m happy enough at the mo though.
There will always be a need for trampers as the smaller firms can’t afford to pay DHL or Eddie to trunk their kit. That or they prefer a more personal touch.
I now find myself moseying back to base at the w/e & enjoying the driving rather than chasing my arse to get back on a fri night.
I think family is the main bar against tramping but if you need the money…
If I was in that boat though, I’d search high & low & then down below for competition money on days, nights, 40 hours & I’d find it too.
Don’t forget a 15 is à 9