Why is tramping now the way to go

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

It’s not that many years ago I remember 100,s of trampers being finished , I remember being told the only way to make money out the job was to run the trucks 24/7 , now according to my mates who will not , refuse to go tramping , there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
What has changed the bosses view on it :question:

2

From an operators point of view a truck earns when it is working - therefore running it 24/7 makes it more likely to be profitable. Nobody makes profit paying to park it and having a driver sleeping in it.

Actually achieving this can be difficult due to the ‘logistics’ of getting a truck back to change the drivers over. As the country gets more crowded and congestion gets worse it gets harder - therefore ‘tramping’ becomes a need rather than the best option.

I always argued with my boss over this as he liked to give the trampers the best and newest trucks leaving the older trucks to do days and nights. Didn’t make sense to me to have the oldest and probably least reliable vehicle covering galactic miles and the newest most reliable truck spending half its life as a bedroom.

3

well if you were spending most of the week in the tin box to make a little extra money you would probably want the newer truck .and if the truck on tramping or running 24/7 is not making money it shouldnt be on the road any driver should not suffer because of poor managment.

4

dozy:
It’s not that many years ago I remember 100,s of trampers being finished , I remember being told the only way to make money out the job was to run the trucks 24/7 , now according to my mates who will not , refuse to go tramping , there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
What has changed the bosses view on it :question:

Tramping isn’t the way to go but thick [zb] like you do it because you think it’s the only way to earn £500 per week.

5

Shep532 ! You can sleep in a tumble down shack every night but I prefer a nice warm house if you get my drift

6

Anyone got any input as to weather this situation may become a more common option for the likes of rigid drivers?

As someone who will at some point be looking for opportunities, and being a noob I quite like the idea of tramping as hopefully I’d be able to just get on and learn rather than have to play hop scotch with agency nonsense, plus financially travelling to an from a job weekly would be a touch more of a benefit if something reasonably local came up…

I be back too the noob section shortly so apologies for flashing me beak :blush: :sunglasses:

7

shep532:
I always argued with my boss over this as he liked to give the trampers the best and newest trucks leaving the older trucks to do days and nights. Didn’t make sense to me to have the oldest and probably least reliable vehicle covering galactic miles and the newest most reliable truck spending half its life as a bedroom.

That sort of thinking would be more down to the newer trucks being more reliable and more than likely depending on age being covered for breakdowns by the manufacturer, where as a 10 year old broken down truck stuck 300 miles away would probably need to be recovered back to the yard for an economical repair.

8

Carl Usher:

dozy:
It’s not that many years ago I remember 100,s of trampers being finished , I remember being told the only way to make money out the job was to run the trucks 24/7 , now according to my mates who will not , refuse to go tramping , there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
What has changed the bosses view on it :question:

Tramping isn’t the way to go but thick [zb] like you do it because you think it’s the only way to earn £500 per week.

I went on it as I couldn’t keep going on 3/4 hrs sleep a night on days , at the time I was also using my own car doing 1/2 hrs commutes to other depots ( 18 hr days ) , putting stupid mileage on new car , left home one morning 8 ish if I remember right and comming back through door at 1/2 on the morning , this was meantt to be for a month ( yes I fell for it ) but after nigh on 3 months I took the chance to get back to my depot even though it meant tramping ( I thought give it a while I’ll get off it , not a chance.
As for money , pay date 6/3/2015
Desc. U/t. Rte. cash
D/s/r. 5. 6. 30
M/a. 6. 15. 90
M- fri. 30. 7.95. 238.52
M- fri. 17.75. 8.90. 157.98
Sat. 5. 10.20. 51
Sat. 7.5. 11.75. 88.13
Sun. 9. 11.25. 101.25
Goss 756 .88
Net. 574.64
This was before the pay rise , days , now I do tues - sat , max hrs , 4 nights out for £560 take home , no I didn’t do it for the money , I could earn the same on days and not have to spend a fifth night out , then have to run in for 2 hrs and £20 :smiling_imp: :smiling_imp: , I need a cider :wink:

9

There will always be a need for day and night utilisation of vehicles and there will always be a need for so called trampers to be at various points of the country that doesn’t fit in with day/night trunking or normal RDC work.

In most places there’s enough work to satisfy most driver types, so everyone’s happy.

See your excellent wind up routine has gone whooshing straight over Carl Usher’s head without even slowing up, and he calls you thick… :unamused:

10

Carl Usher…thick…never.

Whatever gave you that impression? :laughing:

11

remove limiters and tachos :grimacing: :grimacing: replace with a log book and everyone gets home :laughing: :laughing:

12

Benjie83:
Anyone got any input as to weather this situation may become a more common option for the likes of rigid drivers?

As someone who will at some point be looking for opportunities, and being a noob I quite like the idea of tramping as hopefully I’d be able to just get on and learn rather than have to play hop scotch with agency nonsense, plus financially travelling to an from a job weekly would be a touch more of a benefit if something reasonably local came up…

I be back too the noob section shortly so apologies for flashing me beak :blush: :sunglasses:

Hi Benjie, there are a few rigid trampers but I’m not sure if it’s growing as due to bulk, load capacity, container shipments articulated vehicles are a more viable option, but not always.

If the call of the open road is there for you I would look at getting your class 1 and maybe try ruffing it with Wincanton, Maritime or the other container hauliers to give it a try.

Tramping can be long hours for lowish pay approx £500 (take home) for 60 hours depending on the company.

But you only ever going to be a proper driver if you’ve slept in the truck all week and not earnt much. :wink:

The world’s your lobster really but if you do give it a try tramping can be a very relaxed way of life, but it is a lifestyle choice.

13

ha ye si thats allright 4 u owner operators still on log books over here but most companies abuse the system and the usa d.o.t. pretty smart theese days but know what you mean :smiley:

14

Carl Usher:

dozy:
It’s not that many years ago I remember 100,s of trampers being finished , I remember being told the only way to make money out the job was to run the trucks 24/7 , now according to my mates who will not , refuse to go tramping , there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
What has changed the bosses view on it :question:

Tramping isn’t the way to go but thick [zb] like you do it because you think it’s the only way to earn £500 per week.

So I’m a thick whatever for spending over 30 years tramping?? During those 30 years, 25 of them were spent on the continent. I’ve been to every country in Europe … for free while really smart guys like you pay to go to them. I’ve spent weekends on the beach in Spain and Greece and getting paid for it. I’ve driven to that holiday hot spot Turkey … you pay to go there.
I am now medically retired and you know what? I wouldn’t swap a single day of my working life for your cosseted life. You keep on trucking within that 100 mile radius of your depot. In a straight choice between spending a week doing supermarket deliveries within 100 miles of the depot and being home every night or a run down to Athens, I’d take Athens every time.
It has nothing to do with money … it is to do with job satisfaction

15

‘‘The world’s your lobster really’’

Grossly overrated and expensive sea food (large prawns), I prefer Rock oysters :slight_smile:
Tramping was for me the only way to go especially over the water, doing the same boring RDC run day after day means you can leave your brain at home if you had one, bit like tractor driving and ploughing a field all day !

16

All this depends on the sector of transport your operating in. My main customer has mostly all trucks away most of the week as furniture shops usually close at 5 so tramping is part of the job here. And none of our trucks are new. I could earn the same day rate home every night but work wouldn’t be as easy to find.

There is always a case for both as for newer vehicles haha newest we have is 61 plate. its easy to say I wouldn’t do tramping but on this job its the better end of the wedge. Once down the road 15-18 hrs a day off. On general haulage as said edc delays and reloads don’t always match up to one drivers shift so its easier and more cost effective to have the driver night out

17

TheBear:

Carl Usher:

dozy:
It’s not that many years ago I remember 100,s of trampers being finished , I remember being told the only way to make money out the job was to run the trucks 24/7 , now according to my mates who will not , refuse to go tramping , there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
What has changed the bosses view on it :question:

Tramping isn’t the way to go but thick [zb] like you do it because you think it’s the only way to earn £500 per week.

So I’m a thick whatever for spending over 30 years tramping?? During those 30 years, 25 of them were spent on the continent. I’ve been to every country in Europe … for free while really smart guys like you pay to go to them. I’ve spent weekends on the beach in Spain and Greece and getting paid for it. I’ve driven to that holiday hot spot Turkey … you pay to go there.
I am now medically retired and you know what? I wouldn’t swap a single day of my working life for your cosseted life. You keep on trucking within that 100 mile radius of your depot. In a straight choice between spending a week doing supermarket deliveries within 100 miles of the depot and being home every night or a run down to Athens, I’d take Athens every time.
It has nothing to do with money … it is to do with job satisfaction

I must admit I hated any nights out in the UK but running over the water was a whole enjoyable and different ball game.

and harrys truck stop in Athens was great!

18

Dipper_Dave:

Benjie83:
Anyone got any input as to weather this situation may become a more common option for the likes of rigid drivers?

As someone who will at some point be looking for opportunities, and being a noob I quite like the idea of tramping as hopefully I’d be able to just get on and learn rather than have to play hop scotch with agency nonsense, plus financially travelling to an from a job weekly would be a touch more of a benefit if something reasonably local came up…

I be back too the noob section shortly so apologies for flashing me beak :blush: :sunglasses:

Hi Benjie, there are a few rigid trampers but I’m not sure if it’s growing as due to bulk, load capacity, container shipments articulated vehicles are a more viable option, but not always.

If the call of the open road is there for you I would look at getting your class 1 and maybe try ruffing it with Wincanton, Maritime or the other container hauliers to give it a try.

Tramping can be long hours for lowish pay approx £500 (take home) for 60 hours depending on the company.

But you only ever going to be a proper driver if you’ve slept in the truck all week and not earnt much. :wink:

The world’s your lobster really but if you do give it a try tramping can be a very relaxed way of life, but it is a lifestyle choice.

Careful Benjie, Dipper starts off all nice, friendly and helpful, and before you know it he’s slipped you the Rohypnol and you’re upside down, chained to the ceiling wearing a rubber gimp suit! Apparently… :blush:

19

Benjie83:
Anyone got any input as to weather this situation may become a more common option for the likes of rigid drivers?

As someone who will at some point be looking for opportunities, and being a noob I quite like the idea of tramping as hopefully I’d be able to just get on and learn rather than have to play hop scotch with agency nonsense, plus financially travelling to an from a job weekly would be a touch more of a benefit if something reasonably local came up…

I be back too the noob section shortly so apologies for flashing me beak :blush: :sunglasses:

I drive a 18T and ave 2 nights out a week but one week was 4 nights but that was Southampton to Rotherham with 2 drops in between then to Litchfield back to Southampton to carlise to broxburne to west brum to Salisbury then back to depot

20

All depends on how the gaffer runs the firm…
All our trucks are parked up on a night either in the yard or on the occasional night out.
Was at a place the other day and a driver was refusing to do a local drop because he was a “tramper” they said do this drop and then we will run you off down the road for tomorrow but he wouldn’t do it as he was a “tramper” :open_mouth: idiot.