I’ve said this before, but when it comes to tramping, it’s vital you do it for a decent firm. Tramping for a crap employer will grind you down and make you miserable. I’ve done it myself. Literally dreading Monday morning every week.
Problem is that most decent firms aren’t recruiting, as they have an abundance of experienced drivers to choose from. So you’re left with the dregs of companies with “Logistics”, “Solutions” or “Group” in their name whose coke-fuelled weekend pointy shoed teenage planners will treat you like an extension of their steering wheels.
So my advice is not to touch tramping until you’re with a firm you trust, or with one which is highly recommended by someone you just. Otherwise it will be a miserable existence.
I find that tramping crosses the line from a “job” to a “life”. Granted, you get the extra £100 per week in night out money, and maybe a few hours extra pay for working longer days, but it’s at the sacrifice of your home life. Personally, I found some aspects to be quite nice. The long runs were nice, and and it was fairly exciting to not know where you’ll be every night. Tucked up in the cab with a decent film while the wind and rain was hitting you was also a very nice feeling.
Sadly, the feeling independence and being on your own is becoming smaller and smaller, with the growth of trackers, telematics, and cameras. There is also a shortage of places to park at night.
I found finding somewhere to park to be the most stressful thing about tramping. The truck stops and services start filling up from 7pm, so it’s genuinely hard work finding somewhere to park, especially when you’re new and don’t know any decent spots.
Also, there’s the lack of access to showers and toilets. You’ll have to get used to peeing in a bottle and washing yourself with a wet wipe, when all of the truck stops are full of foreigners by 7pm, and you’re resigned to a lay-by on the A1. And then the same the night after. And the night after that. It stops being funny after a while.