Just got a call for a job 1:45 away from home. Could last about a month, they want two backhoes on site. How far will you guys drive every day before you get a hotel? We don’t normaly work more than an hour away from home. Work day is looking like 8hrs.
I used to run a 1.5 hour commute both ways in a 21,000 lb service truck, it wasn't bad, gave me plenty of plan/unwind time. Much more than that I would set up the camper somewhere.
I don't do that anymore . Finally figured out we had to many customers within 25 miles that needed help . Two hour drive was my limit to stay overnight close to the job site . We were working cell tower & communication jobs at the time . All depends on what the job pay's and people involved ?
With 8 hour days, 7-3:30, you could be home just after 5. Leave at 5. If you were working 12 hour days, then you just don't have enough time for almost 4 hours of driving. I couldn't head for a motel at 3:30 in the afternoon, I'd head home.
Its nice to get home every couple days but i would stay in a hotel if its one night or drive home every second or third night. If you're driving a service truck its pretty costly to road it home every day.
I'm with crane op if it was 12 hor hour days I would look at a motel until then just drive I regularly end up an 1.30 one way especially with traffic so an 1.45 not much issue
Rough number, 100 miles. I can do that in a couple of hrs, no big sweat. Any number higher than 100 miles makes a motel more practical. And just an 8 hr day at work, 100 miles or less...I'm heading to the house.
I’d break it up a little. That drive will get old fast. I’ve tried it every way possible over the years and there really isn’t a hard and fast rule for it. I’d be tempted to stay Monday night as that’s usually the hardest day of my week getting back into the swing of things. Maybe come home Tuesday and Wednesday night then stay Thursday. There are times I can plan it like that and others I’m just along for the ride
I took a job that was a 2 hr drive both ways.. I did it for about 6 months & ended up buying a mobile home & stayed during the work week & home on the weekends.. Work Hrs were 5am-4pm.. which meant I was out the door at 3am.. which meant I was UP around 1:30am showering & drinkin coffee & what-not.. It is very rural out here & the deer were insane.. it wasn't a matter of IF I was going to hit a deer at that hr of the nite/morning.. it was WHEN.. I did THAT for 3 years & decided it was time to go home.. I took a 2000.00 lose on the mh & that was fine w/ me.. I couldn't have paid rent anywhere else for 2000.00 for 3 years.. If your job is only for 1 month, TRY driving it for a week & see how it goes.. Maybe a used camper is something to think about.?? OR try a local campground.?? They will rent u a camper for a month.. & probably have room for a co-worker to split the cost.??
2 hours one way is usually my limit.
How much is it going to cost to drive you and your crew 3 HRS a day for a month? Sometimes a motel is cheaper than fuel and wear and tear on your pickups. I would put a pencil to it. Can you work 10-12 HR days?
Depends whats at home and how bad you need the work
We will be working hourly for a rail road. So they will determine how many hours are worked a day. They said they work 10 hrs days but will only be using us about 8 hrs out of the 10 hrs The job is actually for the whole summer. But as we move down the rail we will be getting closer to home. At the end of the job we will only be 30min away from home.
For 1.5 hours was cheaper to stay overnight than drive no matter the work hours. Calculate the full running cost's of your vehicle against accommodation without meals. You require tucker no matter where you are.
More than 3 hours driving a day increases liability and worker happiness..when we hotel we try to work 12-14 hours a day..and work an 8 on friday with weekend off
Depends on how long a day. In the 90s I did 16hr days and tried to get home every night to be with the girl friend. Not too much sleep. This fall I did 3 hours a day with a 10 hour work day. It was only for 2 weeks, but not much family time. Still better then being 2000 miles away for 5 weeks at a time
My thoughts are to try to be home for 12 hours every working day... Period. That is my goal now. Otherwise, hotel, motel, camper, is the way to go.
How old are you and how many ? I drove about that far for 4 years to a job i wouldnt do that agin. I dont sleep good in a strang place so i wouldnt do it.If you dont have a cheap ride you can easly pay for one on this deal.
That traveling to job sites is a young fellers gig in my opinion . Go for it when you can ! After a little age sets in priorities change . Family issues like need to take the kids to basketball practice & such . Make damn sure the job pays good while out because its time you won't get back .
Seeing that you are from Ontario, gets me thinking about my sister. She lives in Oshawa. For 6 years she worked in Mississauga, and she had to be ready for a 1hr plus drive every morning with the traffic.
An hour to an hour and a half is pretty normal in the Seattle area if you live in the burbs and commute to down town. When I started working for the dealers, labor was pretty cheap, two hours drive to a job was OK for a weeks work and you went back and forth. When the changes came, the customers wouldn't let you leave until the job was done. When I got out of the truck it was common to leave on Monday, get home on Friday night or Saturday, sleep and change laundry on Sunday and Monday start all over again. That's not something I'm ever going to do again. Knock on wood.
I wouln't take a job that far unless I could work it 10 - 12 hours a day.
One of my customers works for Cat in the big city, and he lives way out a long dirt road. Drives his car out the road, down a long country road to finally get to the main highway, from there all the way to the dealer. Maybe 1/2 hour on crooked roads plus one hour on straight roads. Funny thing is, he works in tech support. He could work from his house just as easy but they want him on site to hold that phone.
200 round trip, buying a room.
When I was a road mechanic with a company truck the normal travel time was 1.5-2 hours when using my truck 1hour max . I wouldn’t travel to where I had to get a room .already paying for one home not paying for two.