do you enjoy being away all week.whats the upside and downside apart from family life.
No!! not really!! Sometimes it’s good to be on your own! but much better to be at home with my Family!! 
I’m actually hoping to get into tramping. There’s just me & the wife now (both kids grown up), and if I’m away all week it means she only has to drop me off on Monday and pick me up Friday/Saturday - leaving her the car all week for her business 
It will get a bit lonely after the last few years of being home every night - but work isn’t meant to be TOO much fun, otherwise they wouldn’t need to pay us, would they 
I’m hoping to get into tramping. Looks like I will be doing at least a few nights away a week.
I live alone. Was wondering if you are a single tramper who nights out 4 nights a week, do you rent a flat or just get cheep accommodation at the week end?
Been thinking about it and I rekon I could save so much money in a few years.
Anyone done this? Pros, cons?
Squiddy, don’t think I could have hacked that - it IS nice to come back to your own place when you’ve had a week away. I think what you’re suggesting would mean living out of a cab all week, then out of a suitcase on the weekends - I couldn’t do that…
I go away to get away from the wife…
mb14:
I go away to get away from the wife…
SSHHHH!!! 
The 1st few days for me are ok, but then it gets a little depressing. I love being able to park in beautiful, scenic places, cooking in the back of the motor. But I love my 50" plasma tv too much.
The Missus helps out too!
Overall I love it. But a week is just enough. Most I ever did was 12 days. Too much. 
Pro’s:
-Spend the entire time alone, your own space at the end of every day that nobody can intrude into (apart from via noise, or those of a criminal bent).
-Get plenty of reading/dvd watching/computer game/■■■■■■■■■■■■ done if you have a backlog to get through. If you are motivated, you could probably get a lot done.
Con’s
-Depressing off-shift scenery (ind estate, business parks, truck stops etc) if you are sensitive to such things. Doesn’t seem to bother some.
-Availability of decent showers (Yes you can maintain adequate hygiene with a full body birdbath, but it takes quite a bit of time to do, and cold water on your balls is rarely ever acceptable).
-Lack of quiet, peaceful places to park to sleep. Some of us are more sensitive to noise.
-Expense of eating on the road if you don’t enjoy preparing your own meals or don’t invest money in a fridge.
-The feeling that truck driving is consuming your entire life, because even though you are on daily rest you are still in the ‘cab’, still ‘at work’. It’s a psychological thing. All I did at weekends, whilst away all week was sleep. So you spend all week waiting for it, and waste it when you get there. You may sleep during the week, but I never felt ‘rested’ waking up in the truck.
As for saving money on not renting a place apart from the weekends. I find its quite common to find places that will rent you a room for Mon-Fri (aimed at office workers, professionals who work away during the week), but almost impossible to find similar arrangements for the weekend.
i’m away all week. sometimes i’m away for 3 or 4 weeks. when i do get back, i’ll be home for a few days, so there’s plenty of time to catch up.
Some days its great to have some time alone but some times it gets a bit lonely but for the most i dont mind it. You will do alot of thinking and a lot will be about rubbish or at least i do. 
I go away to get away from the wife…
Come on then, I can’t be the only person wondering why you married somebody you spend the whole week trying to get away from?
Not aimed directly at you, there must be hundreds on here, because I meet them all week on the road.
I love it in the summer, park up in a different town each day, find a pub and then sit in the beer garden all evening necking pints of Bow whilst trying to get the colour of my left arm to match my right
I do it purely for financial gain, enjoying it is just a bonus. I get to see places I’ve never been to before, great during the summer when you can go sightseeing of an evening or just kick back in the sun with a few beers. Not so nice in the winter when it’s all dark and cold outside and you spend most of the time tucked away in the cab.
Unless you have a very understanding missus it will effect your love life, my ex couldn’t stand me being away all week, the weekends were special but it just wasn’t enough
Ive still got the flat that we lived in, barely go there now unless I’m home during the week. I have great friends and family who let me shack up with them at the weekends so if you had something similar you wouldn’t need to rent a place of your own.
the good stuff:
the alps, getting paid to see some of the worlds best scenary.
not so good stuff:
germany.
yeah maybe I am having fantasies of a free life on the road and living out of a suitcase at weekends, but the more I think of it, the more I realise I can’t do without my creature comforts … washing machine, shower, having more posessions than just clothes and a lap top, somewhere I can call my own at the weekends …
I used to work away from home every week in my last job (non hgv, staying in cheap hotels) and I quit it because I resented paying all that rent every month just to live in my flat two nights a week.
I’m thinking of renting a room in a shared house. Anyone got experience of this? I’m a fairly solitary chap. If you share accommodation are you expected to party on with your housemates every night or are you left to your own devices?
reason in asking this question is i might have to go back out on the road and havent done long distance for quite a time i own my own tractor and toying with trying to find some work its stood now for about 15 mths but a shame to see it sitting there every day selling it is nt an option (its not on finance) thanks for all the replys so far.cheers martyn.
I have done weeks away from home is not always nice you miss family and all other staff, some time work is just work, 2 weeks ago I went back to be away from home, I have 5 years old doughter and I miss her like crazy but you need money to live so work and family live you have to share not always the best option but it works longest your other half can understand. I did find the hard way left a job which was nights away to day job or agency it took me nearly 1 year to get anywhere now I will never look back, if you have job you can provide for family even if it means to be away. I know you have a little different situation as you own your truck ect. and maybe a bit older but is just what we do you can’t earn money sitting at home and looking at your other half
malenki22:
I have done weeks away from home is not always nice
thanks for the reply malenki22 sounds like its hard for you but as you say you have family to prvide for cheers martyn.
it is hard for me Martyn, but is just live and you always learn the hard way , but now I can’t see any better job, which ever way you go I wish you good luck and happy trucking my engilsh is not the best but I hope you understand specialy after few Bels LOL