I have done nights on a couple of occasions as relief purely because guys went on holiday etc, and I tell you what, the fatigue was unbelievable and that’s purely because I’m a day driver, but I guess if I did it regularly, than I would get used to it.
Yes the roads are quieter, but I felt it led to boredom, and it became dangerous for me personally, so as far as I’m concerned, they deserve the bit extra in the pay packet, but remember that not all night jobs are trunking now that we live in this 24 hour lifestyle.
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.
Same here, although if it’s proper physical work at night, not just trunking style work, I found I was more tired than when on days.
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’d love to get back on the dark side again. After about 8month I’m finding it really hard to do days also the change of working week. I did Thursday night till Tuesday dinner BUT doing 5 DAYS of traffic hell not good.
Nights will destroy your life if you’re not careful.
The Legion of the Damnned I call it.
The upside, like the man said, there’s no management or H&S pettiness and the roads are usually free of morons.
Try driving up the M40 at 3 am in thick fog, it’s like driving in milk, scary stuff dude!
Night drivers don’t get paid enough IMO. I did nights in Engineering for the majority of my working life and the standard was Time + 1/3. Last job I had before starting driving was Time + 1/2. I got Time plus 20% for doing 6-2 and 2-10 FFS.
Drivers seem to get an extra quid or so. Should be no lower than Time +1/4 IMHO. Nights messes you up both socially and physically. Did with me anyway, especially changing back from nights to days. Always woke up same time every morning to go to the toilet as well and if there was any noise at that time falling back asleep was impossible. I more or less refuse nights now. Done a few recently but only on agency as one offs. Wouldn’t go back doing permanent nights again unless really desperate.
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.
Same here, although if it’s proper physical work at night, not just trunking style work, I found I was more tired than when on days.
Mines multi-drop and mostly handball so is a bit more physical than trunking, don’t mind it though and find I sleep a lot easier now then I did working days (I was never a fantastic sleeper at the best of times!)
Out of twenty three years I’ve done twenty years on nights so easy uk and Europe! Can’t SEE what all the fuss is about! and if it’s scary stuff coming up the m40 at 3am in fog, well you should be tucked up in bed till it gets light! FFS
Fatboy slimslow:
Out of twenty three years I’ve done twenty years on nights so easy uk and Europe! Can’t SEE what all the fuss is about! and if it’s scary stuff coming up the m40 at 3am in fog, well you should be tucked up in bed till it gets light! FFS
You equipped with fog radar then big nuts?
By the time you’ve seen that broken down truck in front of you at 56 mph it’s too late to prevent piling into the back of it with dreadful consequences.
Fatboy slimslow:
Out of twenty three years I’ve done twenty years on nights so easy uk and Europe! Can’t SEE what all the fuss is about! and if it’s scary stuff coming up the m40 at 3am in fog, well you should be tucked up in bed till it gets light! FFS
You equipped with fog radar then big nuts?
By the time you’ve seen that broken down truck in front of you at 56 mph it’s too late to prevent piling into the back of it with dreadful consequences.
Reducing the speed to around 30 mph or less helps in that case and would make the results a lot less severe if you didn’t see it in time. Although those types of speeds make it a long night especially when the slow running means getting into the London traffic heading southbound at around 7 am.
bigdave789:
You equipped with fog radar then big nuts?
By the time you’ve seen that broken down truck in front of you at 56 mph it’s too late to prevent piling into the back of it with dreadful consequences.
Most companies would pay 20% extra per shift when I worked there, Swifts and Transfleet did, when I went to Fed Ex I got 100 quid extra a week and that was 1998/99, then I transfered to days on the Matchbox contract.
I work day and night on this job now for no extra
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…
KR is correct CF. Been there done that got the T-shirt
I do nights.for me getting used to it was very hard ie when to eat and whens best to go to sleep after work.when i finish my body clock is sometimes really bad,unable to sleep and unable to get up in the mornings but its a choice i made so i deal with 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…
KR is correct CF. Been there done that got the T-shirt
So have a few others too but without the happy ending.Which is why every one under euro laws is now lumbered with worrying about going a few minutes over their hours on a digi tacho instead of being able to ‘adjust’ a log book to get home or to where they are going.
As for me I’ll be doing the usual 24 hour run down to the Geneva motor show and back,leaving home at around midnight and getting home around the same time,next month with the car.So no tachos to worry about for me .But I wouldn’t want to try doing that on a regular basis through the week even with a car let alone a truck.
In my opinion most guys on night’s only do it for the money, nights really mess your life up I’m lucky and don’t work weekends but first day off finish then bed its hard to get up after a couple of hours but if you dont you stay up all night then lie late again, first shift back you need to lie late or end up with the dangerous “noddy dog” Syndrome in the early hours. So its not just weekdays that you suffer. We should get paid on our days off also.(tin hat fastened)
gggary:
In my opinion most guys on night’s only do it for the money, nights really mess your life up I’m lucky and don’t work weekends but first day off finish then bed its hard to get up after a couple of hours but if you dont you stay up all night then lie late again, first shift back you need to lie late or end up with the dangerous “noddy dog” Syndrome in the early hours. So its not just weekdays that you suffer. We should get paid on our days off also.(tin hat fastened)
The issue of weekends is always a problem for anyone on permanent nights.It’s not worth bothering to try to alter sleep patterns for that short length of time off and as you say it can be dangerous if anyone tries to do that when they return to work on Monday night.So the extra money does need to reflect that.
I work nights and am out all week. I find working at night a lot easier and less stressful and after a couple of years at it full time my body clock is tuned into it.
The problem is adjusting back to days with the family that’s the killer. Only getting a couple of days at home means a short kip when I get home at the end of the week and being up most of the day before my first shift back at work. I’m kind of used to it now but I find it’s only when having weeks off that I actually get myself back on days.
This is why I’m writing this at 0120 even though it’s one of my days off.
Try it an you will know why.
Following this way of thinking I would ask why drivers with auto boxes get same money than those with manual
I think night drivers are underpaid for the sacrifice they make. Traffic is less but it depends on start/finish time.
I start when traffic is still on about and often finish after morning rush hours.
I’ve done twenty years on nights 
so easy 
uk and Europe! Can’t SEE what all the fuss is about! 
Although those types of speeds make it a long night especially when the slow running means getting into the London traffic heading southbound at around 7 am.
