malenki22:
it is hard for me Martyn, but is just live and you always learn the hard way , but now I can’t see any better job, which ever way you go I wish you good luck and happy trucking my engilsh is not the best but I hope you understand specialy after few Bels LOL
english is fine mate and nothing wrong with a few bells cheers martyn.
if you can find a job with about 2/3 nights a week, parking paid, and if you want to be home with an early finish if you need it then ok its alright, but generally not really like that.
Squiddy:
I’m thinking of renting a room in a shared house. Anyone got experience of this? I’m a fairly solitary chap. If you share accommodation are you expected to party on with your housemates every night or are you left to your own devices?
I’ve had four room shares in my time. Three were fine, no probs. One was not so good, the chap I was sharing with used to nick my food 
.
Never really mixed with any of them in a social way, hello, how was your day? etc was about as far as it went. Just come and go as you please really.
I’d still prefer my own flat though, ok it’s more money than renting just a room but at least when you get back on a Friday starving hungry and needing a shower after a hard day trucking you haven’t got to wait to cook your dinner while the rest of the house uses the kitchen and someone finishes up in the shower before you can jump in it! 
One other thing, if they split the bills evenly, are you going to want to pay the same as everyone else for electric etc if your only there 2 days a week?
I used to work away all week, use bed and breakfast at weekends. Best way to save cash I think. Or live in the wagon, like some on here.
Love tramping as long as i get more than 9 hours off through the night. Dont think i need to explain why on that one.
I’ve been a tramper for almost 2 years, wouldnt do anything else.
My family actually look forward to me coming home as much as i do. For us there are no cons just pros
being away all week makes you appreciate your creature comforts
I used to love euro tramping but nowadays with JIT and lots of competition its not so enjoyable. it used to be a case of park up Friday (or Saturday lunch latest)till Monday morning but now its all systems go!
Given the choice I would be home every night after a 9-5 job but that doesn’t pay the bills.
Longest trip, 13 weeks solid living in the cab.
its good to get out of the cab at night but sometimes I’m quite happy sitting in with the tv, a bottle of vino and tinned chilli sandwiches!
Would never tramp without a fridge BTW. It can be expensive getting the kit but if your going to do it all the time then its worth it and will save you money in the long run.
I loved tramping, firstly; when my second marriage was going down the Sewanee I couldn’t wait for Sunday night/Monday morning to get up the road away from the cheating cow. Secondly; when you work for an arsewipe but are on permanent sub-contract to another mob, the only dealings you have with the arsewipe is breakdowns or him ringing you up on a Friday night asking for your expenses!
‘Crazytrucker’
I always thought the best thing was not having to get up and drive to work early in the morning, you were already there 
Only down side was, I never got home on a Friday night, and even if I did I got home at 9pm odd and had to ship out Sunday by 2pm 
Tramping is 1 of those
Take your gear, get comfy and it’s like home from home
pros and cons are obvious.
pros - get further from base, work more hours without being too tired (commuting to work etc) hence earn more money, get paid to sleep etc
cons - away from home, miss the missus, sleep in some ■■■■ holes that stink of ■■■■ and get a refer pull up next to you for his 45, no vehicle to go anywhere with, so if you’ve got 13hrs off you’re stuck there (unless you take a pushbike like I did)
think much depends on the type of work your on and the firm you work for, i’m on brick n block so 9 times out of 10 i’ll either be parked in a brick yard where you’ve got showers etc or on site, very rare i do the layby thing, odd times i’m heading north i’ll come home in the wagon but i only ever do 4 nights out, if it goes pear shaped and i’m not going to get back on a friday the firm will send someone out to drive the wagon back.
quite a few firms will consider a weeks work max driving hours so if you’ve got hours left on a friday they will expect you to have friday night out and run in sat morning which wouldn’t be for me, personally i think friday nights out cross the line between working to live or living to work.
Crazytrucker:
I loved tramping, firstly; when my second marriage was going down the Sewanee I couldn’t wait for Sunday night/Monday morning to get up the road away from the cheating cow. Secondly; when you work for an arsewipe but are on permanent sub-contract to another mob, the only dealings you have with the arsewipe is breakdowns or him ringing you up on a Friday night asking for your expenses!
‘Crazytrucker’
or another way to look at it is maybe the " cheating cow " wouldnt have been a cheating cow if you had been at home instead of down the road all week.
why not buy a camper van live in that then you can work were ever you want if i lived alone thats what i would do
jessicas dad:
Crazytrucker:
I loved tramping, firstly; when my second marriage was going down the Sewanee I couldn’t wait for Sunday night/Monday morning to get up the road away from the cheating cow. Secondly; when you work for an arsewipe but are on permanent sub-contract to another mob, the only dealings you have with the arsewipe is breakdowns or him ringing you up on a Friday night asking for your expenses!
‘Crazytrucker’or another way to look at it is maybe the " cheating cow " wouldnt have been a cheating cow if you had been at home instead of down the road all week.
Was sort of thinking that myself. It would be interesting to see a poll of the amount of hgv drivers who have been divorced and the difference between drivers who are trampers and just day drivers
The Camper van is a great idea. I did some work in Denmark the year before last. I took my Motorcross Bike and joined the local club. It was a great way to meet the locals and make new friends away from Truck Driving.
I love European work and have done months away from home in the past. The worst bit is the weekends off unless it’s somewhere nice.
Now that I’m older and have settled down I’m glad I just do Domestic work with one or two nights away a week.
Good luck with the Camper Van!
Al
I worked for a company in Gent (Belgium) a few years ago with an English driver who had his own camper van. He’d spend 3/4 weeks away in the truck & when he came back to the yard he’d stay in his camper van for the w/end. He was allowed to use the company facilities ( showers, kitchen, toilets) & even had access to a company car to get around in locally.
Goes to show how tollerent European employers can be. I worked in Gent myself in the late nineties I only had a road bike in those days though.
I think the worst hassle was dhobi (laundry). When H&S moved to Evergem the depot owners wife used to do my laundry for 100bf.
One of the lads at work had a row at home and tried ‘depot living’ UK style. He went home within the fortnight…
Al
AlexWignall:
Goes to show how tollerent European employers can be. I worked in Gent myself in the late nineties I only had a road bike in those days though.
I think the worst hassle was dhobi (laundry). When H&S moved to Evergem the depot owners wife used to do my laundry for 100bf.
One of the lads at work had a row at home and tried ‘depot living’ UK style. He went home within the fortnight…
Al
Hi Al. I lived in Evergem in the late 90’s ( Living now on the Belgian coast) & remember H&S. Weren’t they apart of the P&O Group at some point?
Hi Geoffo, Ubbo Hempenious just bought H&S back off P&O when I joined. There was an ex Army brit called Geoffery there at the time not yourself by any chance?
Happy days, perhaps we should start a thread H&S re united?
You will never know if you like tramping until you give it a try.
I did my share for around 4 years and i am glad i did. I don’t want to do it anymore. I like being home every night.