Well I’m getting feed up of the Monday to Friday 5 day tramping drudgery , and carp that goes with it , also I’m finding general harder and harder to do in winter
I’ve seen a 4 on 4 off day or night trailer swapping at RDC job with DD’s
So what’s the pros and cons of 4on 4 off day/night work ?
The only con is less money and obviously less weekends off. You are only working 3.5 days a week.
Pro is weekend work is extremely easy. On a Sunday I can actually go over the QE2 bridge at 50mph which is just never going to happen on a week day. That 3:30+ hour drive to south east London becomes two hours forty five.
I work a variation of 4 on 4 off. (3’s and 2’s) Same days worked a year but more flexibility with holiday taken. I only need to use 2 days to get an entire week off.
4 on 4 off. 4 days nets you 12 off.
I would love to do Monday to Thursday personally but cannot at the moment due to kids. Think that would bring the perfect balance to income plus time off.
AdamST205:
The only con is less money and obviously less weekends off. You are only working 3.5 days a week.Pro is weekend work is extremely easy. On a Sunday I can actually go over the QE2 bridge at 50mph which is just never going to happen on a week day. That 3:30+ hour drive to south east London becomes two hours forty five.
I work a variation of 4 on 4 off. (3’s and 2’s) Same days worked a year but more flexibility with holiday taken. I only need to use 2 days to get an entire week off.
4 on 4 off. 4 days nets you 12 off.
I realise about the money , but it’s the more time at home that’s got me and it’s only 6 mile from my house ,any other jobs like that down my way are to far way to be worth it
blue estate:
AdamST205:
The only con is less money and obviously less weekends off. You are only working 3.5 days a week.Pro is weekend work is extremely easy. On a Sunday I can actually go over the QE2 bridge at 50mph which is just never going to happen on a week day. That 3:30+ hour drive to south east London becomes two hours forty five.
I work a variation of 4 on 4 off. (3’s and 2’s) Same days worked a year but more flexibility with holiday taken. I only need to use 2 days to get an entire week off.
4 on 4 off. 4 days nets you 12 off.
I realise about the money , but it’s the more time at home that’s got me and it’s only 6 mile from my house ,any other jobs like that down my way are to far way to be worth it
I can agree with that. I used to commute 30 miles for a previous job or around 40 minutes on a good day. I got paid more for the hours I was there but the 14 hour days got a bit tiresome. I earn less per hour now but 6 miles from depot (10 minutes in the morning) so my time away from home to job actually puts me in a better position as my net take home is better as I am not throwing it on fuel.
Not always less money, should be on a par with 5 day normal week.
There are no downsides unless your significant other works normal hours, but you’ll already have discussed whether the pattern works for you.
Juddian:
Not always less money, should be on a par with 5 day normal week.There are no downsides unless your significant other works normal hours, but you’ll already have discussed whether the pattern works for you.
Agree. I’m on the same money as the Monday to Friday lads. 4 on 4 off nights, no cons for me 
Give it a go.
I’m on 5 on 3 off so not quite the same as 4 on 4 off.
Lot better than Mon to Fri I used to do
Extra day off for starters.
I Always seem be at home more.
Long as don’t mind working weekends go for it.
If your the type that likes go for a drink weekends go watch the football etc then no point.
But go for it you won’t regret it. Esp in the summer when you’ve got 4 days off you can go away for a few days away make the most of the summer Instead of just having weekend off sitting in traffic going for days out in the summer.
There’s the obvious that 4 on 4 off rolls over constantly.
Week 1 Monday to Thursday.
Week 2 Tuesday to Friday.
Week 3 Wed’ to Sat’.
Week 4 Thurs’ to Sunday.
Week 5 Friday to Monday.
Week 6 Sat’ to Tuesday.
Week 7 Sunday to Wed’.
Back to week 1. So you work weekends for 5 weeks out of 7.
No weekend suppliment, no Bank Holiday suppliment.
If that system is also lower paid than 5 days out of 7, I’d rather be tramping tbh.
I’ve been doing 4on 4off nights for 8 years. These are the pros and cons I’ve found. It’s an excellent shift pattern for people who deem time more precious than money.
Pros:
4 days off in a row
You work an average of 3.5 shifts every 7 day week, which is about a 40ish hour week.
The money is about the same as mon-fri (in my experience, my 4 on 4 off jobs have been better paid than my mon-fri jobs).
When you book 4 shifts off, you’re actually off for 12 days.
You will work average 162.5 days in a calendar year, so 202.5 days off. (182.5 rota’d off + 20 days holiday). So brilliant work/life balance.
If you like overtime, you can bung in a shift or two per week and still get 2 or 3 days off.
If you’re strategic about using holiday, you can minimise weekend working through the year considerably.
Cons:
4 days on! (I see working for a living as a huge con in this short life).
Your rota will have you working exactly half of the Saturdays and Sundays in a calendar year.
No double time for bank holidays etc.
Christmas and new year rota is always a bit haphazard, and you’ll be expected to save holiday to cover it, which may be quite a few days.
Your time off will sort of clash with the conventional work patterns of those in your social circle (though my social life hasn’t really suffered).
Only 20 days holiday per year (although that’s 20 x 12 hours, which works out the same as 30 x 8 hours - so pro rata you kinda get 30 days).
Biggest advantage is more time to arrange make appointments etc.
Such as making a doctor’s appointment.
Arranging trades men to come service your boiiler etc.
Taking your car for an mot
On Mon to Saturday means trying get it all arranged on Saturdays or taking a days leave in the week to get to said appointment.
edd1974:
Biggest advantage is more time to arrange make appointments etc.
Such as making a doctor’s appointment.
Arranging trades men to come service your boiiler etc.
Taking your car for an mot
On Mon to Saturday means trying get it all arranged on Saturdays or taking a days leave in the week to get to said appointment.
I’ve got some health issues that I need 2 days off together if I have a camera down throat as I have sedation
Also my mum is 76 next year and will need a hip op some when
Apart from the 4 on 4 off,.what about adapting from day tramping to night
trunking…chalk and cheese.
I tried it on agency between jobs a few years ago.
Seriously could not hack it,… played holy ■■■■ with my body clock.
That and the fact I no longer have a lot of interest in the job, so I get bored easily,.wasn’t a good recipe while doing the same mind numbingly boring run…and through the night not feeling my best.
That is why I stick to tramping a bit of a variety and I more or less please myself what time I start,.as I also hate stupid o clock starts.
You won’t know to you try it mate, it may suit you, everyone is different.
robroy:
Apart from the 4 on 4 off,.what about adapting from day tramping to night
trunking…chalk and cheese.I tried it on agency between jobs a few years ago.
Seriously could not hack it,… played holy [zb] with my body clock.
That and the fact I no longer have a lot of interest in the job, so I get bored easily,.wasn’t a good recipe while doing the same mind numbingly boring run…and through the night not feeling my best.
That is why I stick to tramping a bit of a variety and I more or less please myself what time I start,.as I also hate stupid o clock starts.
You won’t know to you try it mate, it may suit you, everyone is different.
If I won enough money to pay the house off and my Car , I would go trolley collecting at Tescos
blue estate:
robroy:
Apart from the 4 on 4 off,.what about adapting from day tramping to night
trunking…chalk and cheese.I tried it on agency between jobs a few years ago.
Seriously could not hack it,… played holy [zb] with my body clock.
That and the fact I no longer have a lot of interest in the job, so I get bored easily,.wasn’t a good recipe while doing the same mind numbingly boring run…and through the night not feeling my best.
That is why I stick to tramping a bit of a variety and I more or less please myself what time I start,.as I also hate stupid o clock starts.
You won’t know to you try it mate, it may suit you, everyone is different.If I won enough money to pay the house off and my Car , I would go trolley collecting at Tescos
Yeh me too, but my point was …will you be able to adapt to the vastly different conditions in the job.
Collecting trolleys at Tesco ain’t going to make you bored and tired and possiblly ending up in a potential heap.
Pro- best shift pattern ever invented
Cons- none for me personally but does usually mean a drop in pay. The way I look at it is I simply max out my hours as much as I can when working and in my eyes 4 long days on followed by 4 days off is vastly preferable to 5 or 6 shorter days followed by 1 or 2 off. Do this and earnings arent all that different
4 on 4 off was the original continental shift pattern, everywhere i’ve worked that had that shift was better paid basic and overall than the 5 day week shifts (all union agreements 
) , all overtime at proper accumulated rates too none of this same rate or time and 1/8th or whatever crap they dreamed up.
AdamST205:
The only con is less money
You shouldn’t be on less money because the hourly rate is increased to compensate for Saturday and Sunday working.
In my first 4on 4off job, the mon-fri drivers were earning 15% less (on basic wage).
I resisted it for years, worried about weekend working. But honestly, 4/4 is the dogs ■■■■■■■■. Would never go back to a 5 day working week in this game if I can help it. As a day driver I’m far less stressed, enjoy the job more, my attitude is that the office can mess me about as much as they like for the days i’m in, so long as I don’t hear off them for the ■■■■■■■■■■ 6 months off the year i’m off. Plenty of free time to do all the things I want to in life, you can do stuff when the masses are out of the way at work, no worrying about getting to appointments or being in for parcels/tradesmen etc. Never have to use holidays for any of that sort of stuff, use them for weekends on the odd occasion something crops up, book 8 days holiday and you can go away for a fortnight and still have 6 days left on your return.
PROS you only need wash 4 days work clothes ,if you are young and saving you could get a fiddle job cash in hand,4 days travel that saves a fortune in fuel when you run a merc ,you only face your moaning work mates 4 days ,only 4 days chance of getting a speeding ticket or one of the many other tickets on offer .CONS err none