Don’t do lay-bys…average 65 hrs a week…generally avoid going over 13 hrs a day unless it suits me…usually between 7 to 8.5 hrs driving each day…use my 10s to suit me not the company…
Helps that our work, especially our back loads, can be quite predictable even if we don’t have the exact details…so my day is generally planned around where I might want to park up…
Tramping doesn’t have to be maxing hrs every week…unless you want it to be.
You and me sing from exactly the same hymn sheet mate.
although my present 4 and a half days tramping are fewer hours nowadays, and no more short weekends or ■■■■ weekending.
To o/p…
I’ve tramped (UK and Europe) since 1979, however I would only have lasted about a month doing it the way many on here do it …ie.
Flat out arse on fire go go go, succumbing to pressure from the phone, maxing out, treating limits as targets, driving to the last possible second while passing numerous suitable facility laden overnight parking spots in favour of some craphole of a lay by.
So getting little sleep by rocking cab, doing the whole wet wipe, Ginster pie and Mars bar supper, carrier bag ■■■■■■■■, never leaving the cab scenario …with your alarm set to 8 hour 59 mins to start the whole ■■■■ sorry arsed endurance excercise again for another 15 hours.
So… if you’re considering it, it’s your choice of tramping style mate, but either prepare for your first heart attack, or do it the way me and DonutUK do it.
I’d rather not do laybys, but if you’re on a late start week and your day looks like ending at say, 23:00, you’ve got an hour left, are you going to take the free layby space or look for a slot in a truckstop 20 mins away?
Drempels:
I’d rather not do laybys, but if you’re on a late start week and your day looks like ending at say, 23:00, you’ve got an hour left, are you going to take the free layby space or look for a slot in a truckstop 20 mins away?
Ok, fair do.s, but I think I can count on 2 hands (and have a few fingers left) how many times I’ve lay byd it mate.
Only for similar reasons you point out…or if there is a pub adjacent to it.
Drempels:
I’d rather not do laybys, but if you’re on a late start week and your day looks like ending at say, 23:00, you’ve got an hour left, are you going to take the free layby space or look for a slot in a truckstop 20 mins away?
Ok, fair do.s, but I think I can count on 2 hands (and have a few fingers left) how many times I’ve lay byd it mate.
Only for similar reasons you point out…or if there is a pub adjacent to it.
In all honesty, I’ve been in two laybys ever. Once about 15 years ago and once last week. Did an industrial estate a few weeks ago too! This is the first time I’ve ever had to tramp legal, I was always enroute to a boat or finding easy parking on the continent years ago, so it’s actually been quite an eye-opener.
Did all sorts, even on the short jobs I took full kit with me . If a job came up in the area you were dropping at off you would go . For years I only wanted casual / part time work , I still could be out for up to 10 days .
I enjoyed the variety and loved the long distance stuff especially if it was solo max driving hrs as they were shorter days . I also did plenty of drop then wait upto 5 days to reload the same stuff and return it.
I would hate RDC stuff , same old same old every day , would get boring very quickly , the same with multi drop , chasing the clock all the time .
adam277:
tramping for me would be no more then 6-7 hours a day driving.
Then it’s not for you
Depends on the kind of work. I do abnormal loads and regularly only rack up 30 hours driving in a 5 day week with the rest of the time waiting and loading.
I personally really enjoy the variety of going to different places. Doing day work would bore me. I always try and end up parked somewhere reasonable, avoiding lay-bys at all cost.
ivw tramped since i started hgv driving.everyday is dfferent some days im doing 7/8 hours driving other i may only do 3/4 depends on what work ur doing and how long it takes to get tipped at jobs.lots of ours are tipping steel in central london so that mighttake 3 to 5 hrs to tip.can even be sat there all day not get anythign off at all due to wide.spent 4days before now sat at site due to wind.still got payed as boss made sure i got payed tight if i was driving than been sat there.
adam277:
tramping for me would be no more then 6-7 hours a day driving.
Then it’s not for you
Depends on the kind of work. I do abnormal loads and regularly only rack up 30 hours driving in a 5 day week with the rest of the time waiting and loading.
I personally really enjoy the variety of going to different places. Doing day work would bore me. I always try and end up parked somewhere reasonable, avoiding lay-bys at all cost.
What’s it like finding parking with abnormal loads? Do you have to get people to move out of long load bays and things like that?
…ie.
