Saaamon:
skids:
Our start times are anywhere between 2200 and 0300 generally. I always try to get the 3 reductions out of the way as early as possible in the week so I don’t end up working a 15 for my last shift, we are paid day rate not hourly.Do you not try and keep one so you have more time to get back on a friday or so you can start earlier on a saturday to run in?
+1
Simon:
I do shorthaul Euro tramping.
This week was fairly typical, it went :-
Sun - 0730 start, down to the ferry port, 1600 finish, 6.00 hrs driving
Mon - 0700 start, a drop near Saarbrucken, a drop near Mulhouse, parked up on the Swiss border 2100 finish, 10.00 hrs drive.
Tues - 0600 start, 2 drops near Zurich, 1 drop Bern, 1 drop Geneve, 2 collections Basel, parked up in Germany 5 mins from my last collection, 2000 finish, 8.30 drive.
Wed - 0600 start (0700 local) 1 collection in the middle of nowhere between Strassburg and Karlsruhe, up to Rotterdam for the ferry. 1800 finish, 8.30 drive.
Thur - 0745 start, an hour to get out of the ferry port, a drop near Doncaster, a drop near Durham, a drop in Glasgow, back to the yard. 1830 finish, 8.30 drive.
Weekend off consisting of Fri and Sat, start again Sunday morning.
Sounds ideal that, any jobs going there ? haha
Kerbdog:
Simon:
I do shorthaul Euro tramping.
This week was fairly typical, it went :-
Sun - 0730 start, down to the ferry port, 1600 finish, 6.00 hrs driving
Mon - 0700 start, a drop near Saarbrucken, a drop near Mulhouse, parked up on the Swiss border 2100 finish, 10.00 hrs drive.
Tues - 0600 start, 2 drops near Zurich, 1 drop Bern, 1 drop Geneve, 2 collections Basel, parked up in Germany 5 mins from my last collection, 2000 finish, 8.30 drive.
Wed - 0600 start (0700 local) 1 collection in the middle of nowhere between Strassburg and Karlsruhe, up to Rotterdam for the ferry. 1800 finish, 8.30 drive.
Thur - 0745 start, an hour to get out of the ferry port, a drop near Doncaster, a drop near Durham, a drop in Glasgow, back to the yard. 1830 finish, 8.30 drive.
Weekend off consisting of Fri and Sat, start again Sunday morning.Sounds ideal that, any jobs going there ? haha
Nope, sorry, no jobs as far as I know.
Sometimes the job doesn’t go as well as that week did, although most do.
A few weeks ago I had one of those weeks.
I didn’t make it to the border on Monday, so lost quite a bit of time in the queue to get into Switzerland on Tuesday morning.
Due to the delay, I couldn’t get my last delivery off in Switzerland on Tuesday.
As I still had a delivery and reload to do Wed morning, I couldn’t make the ferry Wed night.
So I took it fairly easy on Wed and Thursday and got the Thursday night ferry.
I had a delivery and reload near the M62 and just got back to the yard with 5 minutes of 10 hrs driving left and not much of a 15hr spreadover left either. I think I got into the house at about 10.30 on Friday night.
Weekend off consisted of Saturday, start again Sunday morning at about 10.30, away for the ferry to Rotterdam.
Simon:
Kerbdog:
Simon:
I do shorthaul Euro tramping.
This week was fairly typical, it went :-
Sun - 0730 start, down to the ferry port, 1600 finish, 6.00 hrs driving
Mon - 0700 start, a drop near Saarbrucken, a drop near Mulhouse, parked up on the Swiss border 2100 finish, 10.00 hrs drive.
Tues - 0600 start, 2 drops near Zurich, 1 drop Bern, 1 drop Geneve, 2 collections Basel, parked up in Germany 5 mins from my last collection, 2000 finish, 8.30 drive.
Wed - 0600 start (0700 local) 1 collection in the middle of nowhere between Strassburg and Karlsruhe, up to Rotterdam for the ferry. 1800 finish, 8.30 drive.
Thur - 0745 start, an hour to get out of the ferry port, a drop near Doncaster, a drop near Durham, a drop in Glasgow, back to the yard. 1830 finish, 8.30 drive.
Weekend off consisting of Fri and Sat, start again Sunday morning.Sounds ideal that, any jobs going there ? haha
Nope, sorry, no jobs as far as I know.
Sometimes the job doesn’t go as well as that week did, although most do.
A few weeks ago I had one of those weeks.
I didn’t make it to the border on Monday, so lost quite a bit of time in the queue to get into Switzerland on Tuesday morning.
Due to the delay, I couldn’t get my last delivery off in Switzerland on Tuesday.
As I still had a delivery and reload to do Wed morning, I couldn’t make the ferry Wed night.
So I took it fairly easy on Wed and Thursday and got the Thursday night ferry.
I had a delivery and reload near the M62 and just got back to the yard with 5 minutes of 10 hrs driving left and not much of a 15hr spreadover left either. I think I got into the house at about 10.30 on Friday night.
Weekend off consisted of Saturday, start again Sunday morning at about 10.30, away for the ferry to Rotterdam.
Sounds like you enjoy it. I think when the ‘job’ takes over your life to that extent you are no longer doing it for the money…not sure why you are but at least it’s more interesting than the RDC stuff I tend to do!
So trampers, what is it that appeals, living in a box all week?
Truckulent:
So trampers, what is it that appeals, living in a box all week?
Everyone lives in boxes, just some of you wake up to the same boring view everyday.
switchlogic:
Truckulent:
So trampers, what is it that appeals, living in a box all week?Everyone lives in boxes, just some of you wake up to the same boring view everyday.
Technically this is correct but most of us don’t pee in bottles or outside and live in a box no bigger than your average bathroom…and the view of a motorway service area or a layby or industrial estate lacks appeal for most, surely? 
Any other reasons?
Truckulent:
switchlogic:
Truckulent:
So trampers, what is it that appeals, living in a box all week?Everyone lives in boxes, just some of you wake up to the same boring view everyday.
Technically this is correct but most of us don’t pee in bottles or outside and live in a box no bigger than your average bathroom…and the view of a motorway service area or a layby or industrial estate lacks appeal for most, surely?
Any other reasons?
Obvious answer is to maximise earning potential, giving more spending money for time off.
Then there’s the fact that if you’re home everynight, you’re stuck to a limited radius from your base. I’ve come off tramping at the moment, and I’m sick of the same places all the time.
Then there’s the fuel saving, and it takes the ‘rush’ from getting back to the yard - well, except for Friday night - because you’re earning maximum hours and then parking up rather than thinkin’ if don’t get back to depot in the next hour, I’m only going to have 10hrs at home…
Honestly, I felt less tired, more relaxed, saw more places and earned more money.
BUT, each to their own
i do nights out “as and when needed” and it suits me perfectly.if ive spent a couple of nights in the truck...then ill be looking forward to getting home.
if i have been at home for a few days,i start getting an urge to disappear for a few days…cant explain it,its just the way i am.
some blokes have a potting shed…i have a scania 
Truckulent:
< snipped >…and the view of a motorway service area or a layby or industrial estate lacks appeal for most, surely?Any other reasons?
Motorway services, industrial estates and laybys,
Truckstop bars, all the bloody same as well,
and the ■■■■ stinking laybys
Nah, there’s nothing for you here Truckulent, you stick to what you know mate.
Truckulent:
switchlogic:
Truckulent:
So trampers, what is it that appeals, living in a box all week?Everyone lives in boxes, just some of you wake up to the same boring view everyday.
Technically this is correct but most of us don’t pee in bottles or outside and live in a box no bigger than your average bathroom…and the view of a motorway service area or a layby or industrial estate lacks appeal for most, surely?
Any other reasons?
Lacks appeal for you certainly. I’ve woken up to the Alps, The Adriatic, The Mediterranean, Norwegian fjords etc etc. makes up for the odd industrial estate view and certainly beats living in a brick box for years on end and having the pleasure of paying through the nose for it. Each to their own. I may live in a smaller space than most but my world is much bigger.
I’ve had a good few nights out in the past 25yrs, luckily for me I could count the nights in a ■■■■ soaked layby on one hand.
The first few years were spent in the days of good old transport cafes, then I was over the water and making full use of the bars, restaurants, beaches etc, then I was on contract to Holsten Pils and spent my nights in the social clubs of almost every brewery in Britain, from that I had a few nights out here and there, but never in a lay by and then I went over the Atlantic and the facilities here are just as they should be everywhere, proper truck stops with parking, showers and food 24/7.
I’ve seen some spectacular scenery and visited places that people pay good money to see and I’ve been paid for the privilege.
I would like to be at home every night, but then I would be stuck in a routine and being that the routine would involve long hours as I’m a lorry driver, getting home, eating dinner and then watching ■■■■ on telly for an hour before getting off to bed so i could get up at the crack of dawn to repeat the exercise again doesn’t appeal to me, so I do what I do, earn as much as I can, as quickly as I can and then have a decent bit of time at home so I can make the most of it, not everyone’s cup of tea, but it works for me 
I’ve been on nights only for 12 months now and it’s ■■■■! 
I’ve never earned anywhere near what I was on tramping! Even though it was Stobarts it paid a lot more and was more relaxing! i.e no rushing back for the day man! 
I had my own wagon which was spotless and no ■■■■■■■■ making a mess of it! I’m gonna go back out there as it suits my financial situation better! Just got to find a decent firm!
Yes, those pics look nice but…
Realistically though the majority of drivers tramping never see anything like those views. One look at the packed laybys and service areas/industrial estates each night tells all really.
The rose tinted life of a tramper is for a small minority I reckon.
Just another run for me, boring views,smelly lay byes, grimy ind est’s. 
Actually didn’t see many of them that week, tend not to most weeks cos i choose where to park up.
Just another run for me, boring views,smelly lay byes, grimy ind est’s.
Actually didn’t see many of them that week, tend not to most weeks cos i choose where to park up.
Now let’s see the pics of the run to London, Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Southampton, Edinburgh etc.etc. (or the ones in Scotland stuck in the snow!!)
I’m not saying you don’t see nice places…just that there are plenty of ■■■■■ runs too, but those are the ones that don’t get a diary posted on here… 
Truckulent (very apt name, btw), why do you feel the overwhelming urge to prove yourself right and the rest of us wrong? You don’t want to tramp - that’s fine. Some of us do want (or need) to tramp, that’s fine too. Live and let live Bro, live and let live…
The Sarge:
Truckulent (very apt name, btw), why do you feel the overwhelming urge to prove yourself right and the rest of us wrong? You don’t want to tramp - that’s fine. Some of us do want (or need) to tramp, that’s fine too. Live and let live Bro, live and let live…
I never suggested anyone was wrong. I asked a question and commented on several answers. I still don’t understand why people tramp but as you say it’s up to them…
If we stop discussing and just accept everything it would make for a very boring forum. 
Truckulent:
I’m not saying you don’t see nice places…just that there are plenty of [zb] runs too, but those are the ones that don’t get a diary posted on here…
I think I’m not lying when I say there has ever been a run I haven’t wanted to take tramping. delivering humaniatarian aid to the most desolate and poor parts of ukraine, up in the mountains of albania looking for a mine on roads suited for a horse and a cart, waiting for a load in turkey in a very nice hotel all paid for for three days or a week in tbilisi - all the same to me. And i think when you wake up once on a beach in croatia or the southeast part of the black sea, those (actually quite rare) ■■■■-soaked laybys don’t matter that much.
the only view i`m interested in,when i park up,is the back of my eyelids 
Truckulent:
I never suggested anyone was wrong.
Yes you did.
Truckulent:
The rose tinted life of a tramper.
I asked a question and commented on several answers. I still don’t understand why people tramp but as you say it’s up to them…
If we stop discussing and just accept everything it would make for a very boring forum.
True, but there is no need for the snotty way you ask those questions.
You don’t need to understand it. We understand it isn’t for you. That’s fine.
Make comments all you like, but if you loose that snotty attitude we might be less guarded.