After the topic about tampers and non trampers, or whatever they are called, got me thinking about day and night drivers. What puzzles me, is why do night drivers get paid more than day men. Most night work is just trunking from A to B and back again. Hardly seems like hard work to me. While day work usually involves bursting your nuts on multi drop, chasing your tail and contending with nut jobs driving cars.
Before anyone says it, I’m aware that some night men probably do multi drop and some day men do trunking. But thats probably just the minority.
What makes night men so special? Why do they get paid so much for sitting on their butts and using cruise control for about 90% of their shift.
You not done nights then ? or on a regular basis ? try it out not everyones cut out for it , the fatigue can be mind blowing trying to keep awake when your body whants to sleep, plus its unsociable hours thats why nights pays more…social life down the pan .
DAF95XF:
Unsociable hours is why night men get more…
+1
its a bloody hard job on nights. quiet roads, most places i go the night staff seem abit more layed back and friendly, and there are hardly any idiots in cars, compared to what you day lads have to put up with.
I did nights for 17yrs doing RDC deliveries loved every minute…well nearly, I also worked every weekend until a certain haulier decided to make us all redundant last year… Now I’m doing days on general just can’t get used to the traffic jams & such like.
Arfa:
I did nights for 17yrs doing RDC deliveries loved every minute…well nearly, I also worked every weekend until a certain haulier decided to make us all redundant last year… Now I’m doing days on general just can’t get used to the traffic jams & such like.
done nights now for about 6 years, both uk and europe.
think i’d really struggle to go back on days, especially in the uk.
I mean this light heartedly. I’m not knocking night men. It’s probably their choice to work nights just as it’s my choice to work days. I appreciate that night working is probably hard on the mind and body. Just as days can take it’s toll in the same ways. And we live in a society that operates and lives 24/7 these days anyway. Thats why I’ve never understood why the big difference in pay from days to nights.
I’d have happily swapped 15 years of uk night trunking with 15 years of long distance international work running mostly during the day for less money.The fact is though many of those those doing that work got paid more than I did for nights.
Back in your day most continental men done days and night at the same time. I remember leavin carrisio with my dad Saturday morning and although Motörhead sang no sleep till hamersmith for anyone driving an Irish lorry it was no sleep until holleyhead. And English firms were no different then although you may have been lucky and only had to get to London.
I’m a night driver. Start anywhere from 10pm-3am, and finish 5am-8am.
Tbh I’d want more money for doing days. For what I loose in “unsociable hours”, I gain because most of the retards are off roads so I get them nice and clear to drive. I’d hate to do my job during the day, I reckon I’d get 2 hours in and kill some muppet…
Also as said above, the H&S bullspit goes out of the window when dealing with the night security guards. It’s what makes everyones shift a bit easier, and I enjoy it for it.
kr79:
Back in your day most continental men done days and night at the same time. I remember leavin carrisio with my dad Saturday morning and although Motörhead sang no sleep till hamersmith for anyone driving an Irish lorry it was no sleep until holleyhead. And English firms were no different then although you may have been lucky and only had to get to London.
I think it’s a reasonable bet that no one,including the Irish,could get away with running through the day and through the night,on a regular basis,then or now without running off the road or into someone else sooner or later.Although having said that I’ve seen more than a few wagons managing to take up both lanes and the hard shoulder on continental motorways when I’ve been running through the night with the car,both back then and recently .As others have said the advantage ( on British roads at least ) is that the roads are ( much ) clearer at night.But trust me after a decent night’s run you know you’ve done it when you’re running into the areas in,or around,London every morning during the rush hour in traffic.Even moreso as the week goes on and especially if the traffic was bad on the outward journey.
I saw it done week in week out and I’m sure the other guys who done euro work in the 70s 80s and early 90s will confirm it.
I know what you mean about night shifts though I’ve done a few low loader moves at night and you certainly know you done it.
dew:
I’m a night driver. Start anywhere from 10pm-3am, and finish 5am-8am.
Tbh I’d want more money for doing days. For what I loose in “unsociable hours”, I gain because most of the retards are off roads so I get them nice and clear to drive. I’d hate to do my job during the day, I reckon I’d get 2 hours in and kill some muppet…
Also as said above, the H&S bullspit goes out of the window when dealing with the night security guards. It’s what makes everyones shift a bit easier, and I enjoy it for it.
That says it all for me, nothing much to add at all.
