Published by Go Big Driving School | Sheffield & Rotherham | Updated June 2026
If you have been researching Class 1 HGV driving, you will have come across the word tramping — often mentioned in the same sentence as the highest salaries in the industry. But it is rarely explained properly. What does it actually involve? What does daily life look like? And is the money worth the lifestyle?
What Is Tramping?
Tramping is a style of HGV driving where the driver stays away from home overnight — often for multiple consecutive nights — completing a series of deliveries or collections across a wide geographic area before returning.
A tramping driver typically has a dedicated cab unit that becomes their home for the duration of a run. Modern tractor units used for tramping are equipped with a sleeper cab: a bed, storage, heating and air conditioning, sometimes a refrigerator and microwave. The cab is small but self-contained.
A typical tramping week might look like this:
- Sunday evening: leave home, collect trailer from a depot
- Monday to Wednesday: work through a schedule of deliveries across the Midlands, South, or Scotland
- Thursday or Friday: final delivery, drop the trailer, drive back to the home depot
- Weekend: home
What Do Tramping Drivers Earn in South Yorkshire?
Tramping consistently produces some of the highest earnings available to HGV drivers. Current figures for tramping Class 1 drivers based in the Sheffield/Rotherham area:
| Basic hourly rate | £16.30 to £20 per hour |
| Night-out allowance | £25 to £35 per night |
| Annual earnings (including allowances) | £45,000 to £55,000 |
A driver completing three nights out per week across a 48-week year picks up roughly £3,600 to £5,000 in night-out allowances alone, on top of their hourly earnings. That combination of hours and tax-exempt allowances is where the high salary figures come from.
Why South Yorkshire Is a Good Tramping Base
South Yorkshire sits at the intersection of the M1, M18, M62, and A1(M). The iPort at Doncaster, with its Amazon fulfilment centre and multiple major logistics tenants, is one of the most active tramping departure points in the region. Its central position means drivers based here can pick up national contracts with routes reaching every corner of England without excessive dead mileage.
Is Tramping Worth It? The Honest Assessment
It suits people who:
- Live alone or have a partner comfortable with the arrangement
- Enjoy the independence of the open road and managing their own schedule
- Are motivated primarily by maximising earnings and willing to trade home time for it
- Like long-distance driving and are not looking for a 9-to-5 routine
It does not suit people who:
- Have young children they want to be present for on school nights
- Have caring responsibilities requiring them to be at home regularly
- Struggle to sleep well in unfamiliar or confined spaces
- Prefer the structure and predictability of a fixed daily route
Tramping vs Day Work: The Financial Trade-Off
| Local/day Class 1 | Tramping Class 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical annual earnings | £38,000 to £44,000 | £45,000 to £55,000 |
| Nights away per week | 0 | 2 to 4 |
| Predictability | High | Variable |
| Home time | Every evening | Weekends |
The gap is real — roughly £7,000 to £12,000 a year in many cases. Whether that premium is worth the trade-off is a personal calculation only you can make.
Ready to Start?
You need a Class 1 (Cat CE) licence to tramp. Go Big trains Class 1 drivers from across South Yorkshire at our Sheffield S9 base. Training is one-to-one, CPC Module 4 is handled on-site, and we have access to short-notice DVSA test slots.
Call Dan on 0114 357 0000 to talk through the right course for your situation.
Visit our Class 1 HGV training page, or read how much Class 1 training costs in 2026 and Class 1 driver jobs and salaries in South Yorkshire.