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
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.
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.
Big cheers Dave
I’ve been very lucky as my dad were an OD tramper through 80’ into early 90’s, mostly European work so as a lad we spent many a night away cross the pond and i loved it, something soothing about being hummed off to sleep by a frosty box hahaha or kipping in a cabin on some rough freighter too Ireland listening to the engines cycling away…
Fair too say its in my blood, weather i can get it and be good at it myself is the question lol…
Like I say I just asked about rigids’ just too see if the option is their as a noob, DEFINITELY want class one though and have been looking at the firms you mention but seems as if noobs will struggle to get in, although I’ve found one option with a large firm for future reference…
I think nowadays with the quality of the vehicles over say 20 yr ago id be chuffed being a tramp so for me at least its something to aim for…
Logic is if no one else wants it it could be my ticket in…
There’s a growing number of 8w tippers with sleeper cabs these days. With day drivers they have to return to base, factoring in getting tipped before the site closes or loading for the morning. The night out drivers can get the extra load tipped or loaded and make their way to the next days’ job. One customer I work for down Cirencester way tends to give me a days’ work but then I have to drive back home and then go back the next day for a couple of loads. A waste of fuel really, it would be easier with a sleeper cab but my boss hates the idea of nights out.
eagerbeaver:
Dozy…just looked at your post with your pay on it.
Have you done 7 day’s on the bounce there? Looks like it to me.
No it’s tues- sun , mon- fri is the pay rate , 30 hrs day rate, 17.75 hrs night rate , but those hrs were worked tues - fri , but I can see how you could think that way
eagerbeaver:
Dozy…just looked at your post with your pay on it.
Have you done 7 day’s on the bounce there? Looks like it to me.
Perfect legal as long as he finishes before or at the same time he started on the first day. Say he started at 4:00am on the Monday as long as he was off the tacho by 4:00am on the Sunday he has broke no laws as its any shifts in 6 consecutive 24 hour periods you can work. I.e Mon-Tues is you first 24 hour period Tues-Weds the second Weds-Thurs the third Thurs-Fri the forth Fri-Sat the fifth and Sat-Sun the sixth.
Cheers for that Steve. Must of nodded off during class!
It’s ok pal I used to always think you could only work 6 days on the bounce so if you started Monday the latest you could Finnish was by the following Saturday
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
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.
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…
If he could get me start when I’m ready, I’ll buy the drugs and the mask!!
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
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
Cheers bud glad too know it is out there, gotta hope I could find similar in East Anglia when the time come’s, although C1 ticket seems most realistic way round here…
blue estate:
Are you close to any plant wholesale nurserys etc up there as the season will be starting soon so they’ll need delivery drivers easy work
Hahahaha we have a Dutch wagon, MONSTER DAF with all the bells/whistles /custom painted unit/trailer come hammering once a week through our village.(usually a Tuesday very early hours, so just off boat I reckon)…thats a pollen puller, every time I see it I think yeah pays probs ■■■■ but GOD it look good so yeah I’d love to do flower work…bet it pays more than my current wage so Bonus imop lol.
I’m Colchester, Essex, so I’ve got all ports close to hand, and some long established firms around Suffolk and the like…
There is still alot of Haulage over here, so yeah plenty of places I will eventually be trawling, it would just be the dreaded foot in door and HOPEFULLY finding the elusive C2 tramp/trunk roles…
Alas long way to go yet, I’m just simply trying to plot a course for future ease in the hope that I can hit the ground running…
Benjie83:
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…
If he could get me start when I’m ready, I’ll buy the drugs and the mask!!
And I’ll even get me chocolate starfish waxed too
In the name…
Threads took a bit of a scary twist here
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
Some company have 0 trampers.Example Nft.Why need trampers for some company if they simply can drop and swap trailers between Depo and truck can do 300k per years.Tramping need and good but just for some companies.
dozy:
there being told tramping is the way forward., the only way forward
Being a tramper is zb, it’s the way backward not forward.
Why?
Take a look at any major route on a Monday morning or Friday night and you will see thousands of white vans full of guys on their way to or back from digs where they spend all week while working away from home. Working away isn’t peculiar to trampers, it happens in all walks of life.
I just don’t like it, the facilities are a major thing for me. Double shifting is the way forward, home every day/night, high vehicle utilisation so less vehicles on the road & it creates more job opportunities.
In an ideal world I’d agree with you that maximum utilisation is the way forward, unfortunately as you know transport doesn’t always run that way with delays, loads not being ready etc, so having guys that night out could save a Co a fortune for example in wasted fuel caused by running a guy 100 miles back empty because his reload has been delayed which would cause him to run out of hours if he waited for it. As the guy was a tramper it has cost the Co twenty odd quid instead.
