I was a tramper in the early 2000s. First couple of firms I worked for were R Scania 124s without the high roof and basic spec, no air con, no fridge. Second gig was an ancient Scania 113 on containers. Let alone no fridge you couldn’t even stand up in it unless you stuck your head through the sunroof. I loved it though.
I preferred the variety of general haulage but went on containers as gave me loads of time to study books for a course I was doing. I had a single camping gaz stove, too small really. I used to cook in the cab, windows down. I had two huge plastic bottles of water I carried in the pax footwell. Filled them up every week and at tips asked to use their taps. Water in a big bottle is your friend - for brushing teeth by the footwell at 4am in the Scottish highlands or impromptu rough wash in the summer in the middle of no where and of course cooking! I loved tramping - I did it when I was young and single. Not sure it would be for me now living in the box. I pretty much did max hours unless parked up waiting for somewhere to open so not much time at all but at least no commute into work. Especially on general haulage I would find myself in some fantastic places like the countryside of cornwall or up in the Highlands. I’d try and find a local pub to have a pint in if I had a decent wait for a tip to open in the morning. I remember staying in Ottery St Mary and finding a decent pub and chat to people other than drivers or warehouse staff to make the week interesting.
You got to know folk on the road and would share a beer if overnighting down on the grain having picked up a box. If parking up in laybys occasionally the guy in front would ask you to park close to the trailers doors if he was loaded. Also if curtain sides and empty also used to leave a door open. I had a curtain slashed when starting out through people checking what was inside.
Re hours worked; I usually (both on general haulage and containers) on a Monday started anywhere from 2am to 5.30am to make a drop at opening time, occasionally a birthday start of 9am if a local drop. Compared to day work, the likes of Salvesen, I was never told the time to start by tramping companies, that was up to you to plan. You just worked it out with a map. You got to know quite well, how long it took to travel up various motorway sections to the next junction. I would then be back on Friday eve, maybe run in Sat midday. I had to keep an eye out on weekly rest for any reductions below 45 hours that I had to make up for. When pointing this out to transport managers this was often taken as if you were speaking Swahili, I must have been the only one doing it. That was a while ago though, I think it’s all more transparent now. As mentioned I would do close, not right up to 2, 13 hour days and use my 15s (or correctly speaking 11 hours rest in 24 and 9 hours rest in 24)
Oh, and if any “night fighters” knock on your door and ask if you want some company, always be very courteous in your response. A bloke on the boxes woke up to some flat tyres on the skele 
There was a guy on containers (the infamous M Graves Transport I think) who used to had a bicyle bungeed to the fairing frames behind the cab of his FH. I was quite envious, great idea if you put a lock on it and it was an old rag you didn’t mind losing. I meant to ask the ministry about it (not much different from on a car surely if secured) when on a weighbridge but I forgot, then left haulage so the idea fell by the wayside.
I’d recommend checking out Switch Logic’s youtube cooking vids, I made the cab curry at home for myself and the misses it was bl(£&y lovely! I used to have a bee in my young bonnet about the food available to drivers and if I had stayed in driving I may well have done something similar.
nowt wrong with that mate 
you’re a driver! 
nothing more! 
