Longest sensible road commute
Discussion
Travel costs apart, what's the greatest mileage or time you can spend going to work and back 5 days a week without going mad?
I've done 150 miles/4 hours a day for 18 months but that when I was a lot younger, now some potential contracts are coming up 100 or 150 miles from home and I'm wondering if commuting could be feasible.
I've done 150 miles/4 hours a day for 18 months but that when I was a lot younger, now some potential contracts are coming up 100 or 150 miles from home and I'm wondering if commuting could be feasible.
Pints said:
I wouldn't really want to spend much more than an hour commuting each way.
That.If you are 100-150 miles distant, that's in the region of 2-3 hours each way at least, which will become very tedious, very quickly. For those distances I'd be looking at staying locally Tue-Thu night.
shtu said:
That.
If you are 100-150 miles distant, that's in the region of 2-3 hours each way at least, which will become very tedious, very quickly. For those distances I'd be looking at staying locally Tue-Thu night.
Yes. That's Devon-London! Not something I'd do every day. As you say, you need to stay in a hotel/flatshare for the weekdays OR move closer to the job!If you are 100-150 miles distant, that's in the region of 2-3 hours each way at least, which will become very tedious, very quickly. For those distances I'd be looking at staying locally Tue-Thu night.
The most I'd consider is 1 hour. 1 hour 30 minutes at a push, if it was a fantastic job and if I could work from home 1-2 days a week.
I was doing 120/150 mile round trips fairly often a few years ago, Leamington to Mansfield and Shefield to Newark, it took about an hour and a half each way.
I drove like an arse, throwing it up the inside of people at roundabouts to nip past them and avoid the queues, on the A roads, anyone who's 15 mph under the speed limit needs to be overtaken if you're going to stay on track to get home/get to work at a sensible time.
On the A1/M1 I'd hit the outside lane and stay there if I could, usually I'd aim for about 85'ish as a reasonable pace to set.
The problem isnt just the commute though, it's angry driving that you've got to cool down from at each end, it's the getting up early, coming home late and trying to get a days work done. There's also the bit that yo're not connected to anyone in the office, they go out for drinks afterwards and they're local, you've got a 90 minute helldrive ahead of you, so there's less temptation to stick around after hours, because you just want to get home, have some tea, go to bed and do it again the next day.
I drove like an arse, throwing it up the inside of people at roundabouts to nip past them and avoid the queues, on the A roads, anyone who's 15 mph under the speed limit needs to be overtaken if you're going to stay on track to get home/get to work at a sensible time.
On the A1/M1 I'd hit the outside lane and stay there if I could, usually I'd aim for about 85'ish as a reasonable pace to set.
The problem isnt just the commute though, it's angry driving that you've got to cool down from at each end, it's the getting up early, coming home late and trying to get a days work done. There's also the bit that yo're not connected to anyone in the office, they go out for drinks afterwards and they're local, you've got a 90 minute helldrive ahead of you, so there's less temptation to stick around after hours, because you just want to get home, have some tea, go to bed and do it again the next day.
andy-xr said:
I was doing 120/150 mile round trips fairly often a few years ago, Leamington to Mansfield and Shefield to Newark, it took about an hour and a half each way.
I drove like an arse, throwing it up the inside of people at roundabouts to nip past them and avoid the queues, on the A roads, anyone who's 15 mph under the speed limit needs to be overtaken if you're going to stay on track to get home/get to work at a sensible time.
On the A1/M1 I'd hit the outside lane and stay there if I could, usually I'd aim for about 85'ish as a reasonable pace to set.
The problem isnt just the commute though, it's angry driving that you've got to cool down from at each end, it's the getting up early, coming home late and trying to get a days work done. There's also the bit that yo're not connected to anyone in the office, they go out for drinks afterwards and they're local, you've got a 90 minute helldrive ahead of you, so there's less temptation to stick around after hours, because you just want to get home, have some tea, go to bed and do it again the next day.
Good post and sums it up well, I think.I drove like an arse, throwing it up the inside of people at roundabouts to nip past them and avoid the queues, on the A roads, anyone who's 15 mph under the speed limit needs to be overtaken if you're going to stay on track to get home/get to work at a sensible time.
On the A1/M1 I'd hit the outside lane and stay there if I could, usually I'd aim for about 85'ish as a reasonable pace to set.
The problem isnt just the commute though, it's angry driving that you've got to cool down from at each end, it's the getting up early, coming home late and trying to get a days work done. There's also the bit that yo're not connected to anyone in the office, they go out for drinks afterwards and they're local, you've got a 90 minute helldrive ahead of you, so there's less temptation to stick around after hours, because you just want to get home, have some tea, go to bed and do it again the next day.
Personally I do Rochdale <-> Leeds daily; 70 miles a day and it's usually 45 minutes to an hour. If there's a mega-smash/closed M62 (increasingly frequent) I have to take a very odd route home that avoids roads parallel to the M62 and that's about 90 minutes.
I wouldn't want to spend more than an hour each way for exactly the reasons Andy mentions above. He's right about after work drinks too - I'm not doing that tonight either.
Due to the yearly increase in traffic I reckon 3-5 years and that will be it for commuting over the M62; the traffic volumes are getting insane and I don't think it'll be viable unless you're leaving at 5am. Not practical, so it'll be staying in a B&B during the week, or widespread adoption of WFH.
Another thing to think about is if you leave at 5 every day, starting your evening at 6 every day isn't too bad. But when it's creeping up to 6:30-7-7:30 you have no life. I don't work as late as I used to any more. Not because I begrudge doing that the company gets extra work out of me for no overtime, but because it means sacrificing an hour of my home life to do it. Different story when I was single.
I do Sleaford to Sheffield on average 4 days a week for the last 4 1/2 years which is 60 miles each way and takes me between 75-90 mins each way.
Leave by 6:15 and I can be in Sheffield by 7:30, leave at 8 and it will take 90 mins.
Its the winters that are the killer, this time of the year its fine. Gives me time to listen to the radio without interruptions.
I do get wound up at times especially with bad lane discipline on the A1 between Worksop and Newark but overall I am a lot calmer than when I started.
I'm trying to get a transfer to our Nottingham office which will mean I can train it.
It will maybe take the same door to door but far less stress.
Leave by 6:15 and I can be in Sheffield by 7:30, leave at 8 and it will take 90 mins.
Its the winters that are the killer, this time of the year its fine. Gives me time to listen to the radio without interruptions.
I do get wound up at times especially with bad lane discipline on the A1 between Worksop and Newark but overall I am a lot calmer than when I started.
I'm trying to get a transfer to our Nottingham office which will mean I can train it.
It will maybe take the same door to door but far less stress.
NeMiSiS said:
I traveled from Liverpool to Padiham/Burnley and back on a permanent 2 till 10 shift.
An hour each way on a clear run - 112ml round trip, the shift helped with the traffic and the company provided me with the car and fuel allowance.
I did this for 3 years (was supposed to be a short contract, but dragged on and on.)
I think it has literally taken 3 years off my life.
I lasted six months Leeds to Liverpool. Setting off at 7 I still found it tough to get to Work before 9.An hour each way on a clear run - 112ml round trip, the shift helped with the traffic and the company provided me with the car and fuel allowance.
I did this for 3 years (was supposed to be a short contract, but dragged on and on.)
I think it has literally taken 3 years off my life.
Would probably depend on the work in the middle of the commutes too. Is it likely that you might be staying for 10, 12, more hours per day? Stick 300 miles of driving in around that you're going to be an utter zombie.
200-300 miles of driving is probably going to cost you about the same, or more, than a local hotel stay I'd imagine. I know what I'd choose.
200-300 miles of driving is probably going to cost you about the same, or more, than a local hotel stay I'd imagine. I know what I'd choose.
This is going to be my problem soon.
Current commute is 40 mins through traffic and it does my nut in. The office is moving closer to home as the crow flies, but the commute is going to increase by 10-15 mins......then I am also coming to the end of my tenancy and was hoping to have a house, but a mortgage is proving to be more of a pain than anticipated, so I'm going to have to move to my parents which is another 40 mins away as I don't want to take on another tenancy.
However, the first 40 mins and the last 40 mins of my commute are along one road up to the border of Scotland with very little traffic and it's a good fun road. but will mean I have t leave at 7am and won't get back in the house until 7pm at least. That's a 12 hour shift and I won't be able to afford to use my Subaru so will have to commute in some little snotter, so that fun road then becomes a PITA. Really not sure what to do?
Current commute is 40 mins through traffic and it does my nut in. The office is moving closer to home as the crow flies, but the commute is going to increase by 10-15 mins......then I am also coming to the end of my tenancy and was hoping to have a house, but a mortgage is proving to be more of a pain than anticipated, so I'm going to have to move to my parents which is another 40 mins away as I don't want to take on another tenancy.
However, the first 40 mins and the last 40 mins of my commute are along one road up to the border of Scotland with very little traffic and it's a good fun road. but will mean I have t leave at 7am and won't get back in the house until 7pm at least. That's a 12 hour shift and I won't be able to afford to use my Subaru so will have to commute in some little snotter, so that fun road then becomes a PITA. Really not sure what to do?
Spent 20 years doing a 30 mile each way commute. Doesn't sound much in comparison to the ops projected plans. However my route included Forth Road Bridge at its worst times...most days between 80 to 100 minutes drive time. Any minor bump ( very regular) could easily add an extra hour . It didn't wear the car out but the driver and clutch were regularly fragged at the end of journey. Long distance ( or in my case long time ) commutes are made a LOT easier and relaxing with ....economic diesel , auto box , good audio and the all important AC....good luck a with your choice.
I did a 60 mile each way commute for 4 years. The job was field based so I was out a lot anyway.
The mileage took me through two octavia TDi's.
That was about the edge of my limits. These days I still travel just as frequently for work but when I'm not travelling I'm home based.
Much more sanity in life. Sign off at 5 often and collect my son from nursery. Sometimes get exercise in before I start around 8am, or at lunchtime.
All things I had to do outside of 7:30am-6pm in the previous place.
The mileage took me through two octavia TDi's.
That was about the edge of my limits. These days I still travel just as frequently for work but when I'm not travelling I'm home based.
Much more sanity in life. Sign off at 5 often and collect my son from nursery. Sometimes get exercise in before I start around 8am, or at lunchtime.
All things I had to do outside of 7:30am-6pm in the previous place.
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