Personal point of view here but just sharing my experience, I came into truck driving late in life after being a desk jockey for many years and the last 5 years of my working life was spent tramping in an 18 tonner, and I loved it!
My base was actually Paddock Wood but most of my work was out of Tilbury, I would start out on Monday morning loading from Tilbury (Or if I was loaded Friday afternoon I could be up the road on Sunday afternoon) After that I could be anywhere for the rest of the week, sometimes up to Scotland (Which was a bonus) or down the West country or Wales. Waking up one morning parked next to Lake Windermere convinced me that this was the best job in the world!
Some weeks I might get a night home during the week if I had a load that took me to East Sussex (I had a good planner that would try and fix that for me if I asked)
I am retired now and have let my licence lapse, but I would go back right now if I had the chance!!
ajt:
There is no ideal shift in trucking.Tramping: best work but no home life.
Dayshift: home every night but doing the dregs of the industry work.
Night shift: home every day but zombified
International trunking.Day work often with UK night type traffic conditions.A few nights out then home on a rota and silly high pay rates.IE the TNT/IPEC etc demount drawbar type job of the 1980’s. 
The only downside is those type jobs are/were dead mans shoes probably now mostly/all taken by ze Germans. 
As for up to 15 hour multi drop day shifts + commuting I’d still take the 10-12 hour night trunk any time.
But tell us, what is the ideal drawbar configuration for weight and axle limits?
Please show all your work and calculations as well.
The-Snowman:
But tell us, what is the ideal drawbar configuration for weight and axle limits?
Please show all your work and calculations as well.
3+2 in the day.Or possibly 3+3 now As if you needed to ask. 
the maoster:
In an ideal world 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.
If planning wasn’t done by monkeys this problem wouldn’t exist[emoji16]
Pimpdaddy:
the maoster:
In an ideal world 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.If planning wasn’t done by monkeys this problem wouldn’t exist[emoji16]
Because planners can forsee everything that could possibly happen on the road network…
Radar19:
Because planners can forsee everything that could possibly happen on the road network…
Hence the job title, PLAN…! Or take on board what the driver is telling you
The trouble with tramping is that many drivers insist on having 5/6 nights out a week , when in fact they engineer nights out when they could very easily return home , the reasons are many , perhaps a pre- arranged meeting with a fellow driver , etc etc . The real key to problem is that if customers pay the proper rate for the job and any load they book motors for and fail to produce should be charged for , the chances of that happening are very slim indeed so the industry will just have to live with both situations , but tramping is a very but very expensive method of moving good around the country .
Seriously some bolloxs spouted on here.
If you want to be home everyday crack on
Tramping is not a job it’s a lifestyle get it right it can be a good crack and you get more sleep.
Each to there own
I did post a reply ( well I think I did , but hasn’t appeared ) so we will try again
I didn’t do mon- mon, it’s tues - sun, it’s how they put it on the pay slip, tues - fri work is put down as x amount of hours at mon- fri , day / night shift rate
I.e
Tues 10 hrs
We’d 10 hrs
Thurs 10 hrs
Fri. 10 hrs
Would be on pay slip as mon- fri 40 hrs at day/ night rate dependant on when you shift started / finished
Tramping is for boring smelly blokes who only want to talk about their lorry.
- The reason I have assumed Dozy has worked 7 days, is because he has been paid 47.75 hours during the week (Mon-Fri), considering that Stobart’s take 45 mins off you each day, that works out at 3.75 hours on top (51.5 hours total).
I doubt that has been done over 4 days.
Truckbling:
Tramping is for boring smelly blokes who only want to talk about their lorry.
Good generalisation there… Shame it’s bollox.
Truckbling:
Tramping is for boring smelly blokes who only want to talk about their lorry.
True that. Loads where I do most of my work and they just want to talk wagons all the time because they’ve nothing else to talk about as they spend their entire life in the damned thing. The other topic when not trying to bore you about wagons is how they’ve only had x number of nights out that week. Zzzzzz
ajt:
There is no ideal shift in trucking.Tramping: best work but no home life.
Dayshift: home every night but doing the dregs of the industry work.
Night shift: home every day but zombified
Of the 3 mentioned reckon i would do night shift given the chance
Pimpdaddy:
the maoster:
Why?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.
It doesn’t create less vehicles on the road, it just means less vehicles have to be owned/brought/registered to do more work. Like wise it doesn’t create more jobs opportunities, it just means that more drivers share vehicles, which agreed on paper is more efficient, sweat the asset etc
But its horses for coarses, and I for one will always tramp, otherwise I’ll have to drag my family out of Norfolk, so I can look at my pay packet each week without thinking Victoria is back on throne
Carl Usher:
Truckbling:
Tramping is for boring smelly blokes who only want to talk about their lorry.The other topic when not trying to bore you about wagons is how they’ve only had x number of nights out that week. Zzzzzz
Unlike Day Drivers, who whinge about every run they get offered, because they have to pick the kids up 
, Man up, that’s what Women are for
PS I like being smelly, it keeps Day Drivers away from Me
I think tramping sorts out the men from the boys.
If you just go to work to earn a crust and driving is a means to an end then home every night is fine.
But if driving is more of a passion if your the type of driver who sees a 6 hour drive as something to look forward to and sleeping in the truck is an added bonus then tramping or at least a job where your not afraid of the odd night out is the way forward.
Different times and circumstances of life can make tramping look more attractive but if you do this job just for the money then not only are you in the wrong job but you’ve dropped a serious bollock somewhere.
Horses for courses and each to their own etc. But for me tramping has not only put a spark back in my love life with her indoors it’s also made me more grateful for the quality time I spend in her (the wife not the truck).
Is tramping not for Rail-Freight?
I have a Home 
Immigrant:
Is tramping not for Rail-Freight?
I have a Home
Your mum’'s.
Thank you please.