Contemplating 160 mile daily commute - crazy? Advice needed.
Discussion
Hi All.
I have just been offered a new job that would be a 160 mile daily commute from/to my home. The route would be primarily motorway (M40), travelling north in the morning. I will have a choice of diesel company cars and would only have to pay for fuel (no chance of getting it expensed). I currently do a daily 80 mile commute. Moving house to be closer to the new job is not an option for the next 18 months due to the OH.
Is a 160 mile daily round trip too much do you think? Does anyone have any experience of this length of daily commute they are willing to share?
This role is pretty much a dream job for me and thus I need a bit of perspective from you guys as, right now, I am thinking that 160 miles won't be too bad in a comfy car.... :-)
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
I have just been offered a new job that would be a 160 mile daily commute from/to my home. The route would be primarily motorway (M40), travelling north in the morning. I will have a choice of diesel company cars and would only have to pay for fuel (no chance of getting it expensed). I currently do a daily 80 mile commute. Moving house to be closer to the new job is not an option for the next 18 months due to the OH.
Is a 160 mile daily round trip too much do you think? Does anyone have any experience of this length of daily commute they are willing to share?
This role is pretty much a dream job for me and thus I need a bit of perspective from you guys as, right now, I am thinking that 160 miles won't be too bad in a comfy car.... :-)
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.
Have you any kids etc? Would it ruin your life if you were to spend at least 90 minutes in the car every side of being at work?
What I'd do is test it out - take a day off work, get up and do your potential new morning commute and see how it feels. Repeat at tea time.
Personally I commute for 50 minutes/35 miles and it's right on the edge of tolerable, and that's because there's some fantastic roads to work.
What I'd do is test it out - take a day off work, get up and do your potential new morning commute and see how it feels. Repeat at tea time.
Personally I commute for 50 minutes/35 miles and it's right on the edge of tolerable, and that's because there's some fantastic roads to work.
It's not so bad if it's mostly motorway, and arguably you'd be using one of the better ones in England for traffic density and average speeds. At least you can pass the time listening to R4, which I always find helps makes journeys go quicker.
I wouldn't want to do it on what you'd call 'interesting' roads as inevitably you end up with people going slower than you want to and causing you stress.
I'm not sure I would want it, but that's a personal thing from having done too much travelling in my time.
However, if it's a dream job, my suggestion would be to go for it, you can always give it up if it gets to be too much.
I wouldn't want to do it on what you'd call 'interesting' roads as inevitably you end up with people going slower than you want to and causing you stress.
I'm not sure I would want it, but that's a personal thing from having done too much travelling in my time.
However, if it's a dream job, my suggestion would be to go for it, you can always give it up if it gets to be too much.
ColonelKurtz said:
I am thinking that 160 miles won't be too bad in a comfy car.... :-)
It doesn't matter how comfy your car is, when you're sat stationary on the M40 for the 3rd time that week, missing that meeting, or your food is going cold on the table at home.I couldn't do it myself, it's too much time taken out of my personal life. No job is worth that for me.
If it's just for the next 18 months until you can move, I'm sure you could survive; if it's permanent however..... 
80 miles using a major motorway in rush-hour traffic is, in reality, likely to take you an absolute minimum of 90 mins, never mind factoring in the odd hold-up here and there because some numpty can't drive and has managed to crash on a perfectly straight road.
Only you know how long a commute you're prepared to put up with but personally anything more than an hour each way would drive me mad.
3hrs a day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks x 15 months (I've given you 3 months off!) = 900 hours. NINE HUNDRED HOURS just travelling to and from work.
80 miles using a major motorway in rush-hour traffic is, in reality, likely to take you an absolute minimum of 90 mins, never mind factoring in the odd hold-up here and there because some numpty can't drive and has managed to crash on a perfectly straight road.
Only you know how long a commute you're prepared to put up with but personally anything more than an hour each way would drive me mad.
3hrs a day x 5 days a week x 4 weeks x 15 months (I've given you 3 months off!) = 900 hours. NINE HUNDRED HOURS just travelling to and from work.
I took a job with my current employer back in 2004 which involved a similar commute. When I negotiated the contract, my employer wanted me to be in the office every day. I initially declined this and we ended up agreeing on three office days a week.
I live near Chester and my office is in Birmingham, so 82 miles each way, so c30k a year just to work and back. I didn't have access to a company car, so funded the fuel and travelling out of an enhanced salary package.
I used to leave home at 0515 and would normally be sat at my desk for 0700. In the afternoons I would leave at 1600 and most days be home for 1800.
After three years, I negotiated a day less in the office in lieu of a pay increase. My quality of life improved considerably dropping to two days.
In 2010 I moved into a Tech Sales role, that came with a car and also fully expensed private fuel. I now do a similar annual mileage, and I'm usually out three days a week.
Personally having done a similar commute, I would be looking to negotiate working from home a minimum of two days a week, with the option of an extra day after a period of time, but obviously this depends on the role offered and whether there is a business need for u to be in the office every day?
Is staying over an option occasionally, as this too would improve your lifestyle?
Robert
I live near Chester and my office is in Birmingham, so 82 miles each way, so c30k a year just to work and back. I didn't have access to a company car, so funded the fuel and travelling out of an enhanced salary package.
I used to leave home at 0515 and would normally be sat at my desk for 0700. In the afternoons I would leave at 1600 and most days be home for 1800.
After three years, I negotiated a day less in the office in lieu of a pay increase. My quality of life improved considerably dropping to two days.
In 2010 I moved into a Tech Sales role, that came with a car and also fully expensed private fuel. I now do a similar annual mileage, and I'm usually out three days a week.
Personally having done a similar commute, I would be looking to negotiate working from home a minimum of two days a week, with the option of an extra day after a period of time, but obviously this depends on the role offered and whether there is a business need for u to be in the office every day?
Is staying over an option occasionally, as this too would improve your lifestyle?
Robert
Edited by wobert on Friday 28th August 10:10
OP, I have done the same in the past and it's very tiring, particularly when there's a road accident/slow heavy traffic/road works et al . After some weeks I decided to stay away overnight Mon, Tues and Thurs coming back home every Weds evening; I found this much more manageable. Major points to consider, 1. do you have children, if so you will miss them, 2. will your other half be comfortable with this? 3. does the salary offered compensate for, not only, your time but also the life disruption?
There are many folk who simply accept long distance/time commutes, but they do have a real impact on home life and the irreplaceable quality of life that is very important.
There are many folk who simply accept long distance/time commutes, but they do have a real impact on home life and the irreplaceable quality of life that is very important.
An hour is my absolute max now for a daily driving commute as you can guarantee that Monday morning and Friday are going to take longer than that and there is going to be at least one other trip where there will be a breakdown/ accident/ bad traffic which will significantly increase the journey length.
I asked the very same question 2 years ago.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I took the job and have been doing the commute for what will be two years in November. (m1, a42, m42 or sometimes m1, a38)
I don't mind it at all.
Leave home at 6am, in the office for 7:15, leave the office at 4:30 - home for just after 6.
Yes I sometimes have bad days when the motorway is jammed, latest i've ever got home was about 19:45
Fuel costs - about £80 a week - I average 57mpg in a Saab 93 tdi - heated leather, very comfortable decent sound.
You will be tired by the time Friday comes around - i'm usually in bed for 22:30 and up again at 05:30
What hours will you have to work? I'm lucky in that I can start a little early and finish early - trying to do the same commute at rush hour times is a nightmare.
Bought the car on 78k in September 13, Its now got 168k on it.
As an aside - the number of people who live within a 25 mile radius of the office and it takes them as long or longer than me to get in or out is rather surprising! Motorway commutes are generally not that bad at all.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
I took the job and have been doing the commute for what will be two years in November. (m1, a42, m42 or sometimes m1, a38)
I don't mind it at all.
Leave home at 6am, in the office for 7:15, leave the office at 4:30 - home for just after 6.
Yes I sometimes have bad days when the motorway is jammed, latest i've ever got home was about 19:45
Fuel costs - about £80 a week - I average 57mpg in a Saab 93 tdi - heated leather, very comfortable decent sound.
You will be tired by the time Friday comes around - i'm usually in bed for 22:30 and up again at 05:30
What hours will you have to work? I'm lucky in that I can start a little early and finish early - trying to do the same commute at rush hour times is a nightmare.
Bought the car on 78k in September 13, Its now got 168k on it.
As an aside - the number of people who live within a 25 mile radius of the office and it takes them as long or longer than me to get in or out is rather surprising! Motorway commutes are generally not that bad at all.
Consider the hours used commuting... if you're happy with that, and your other half is as well - dream job, do it.
Did the same miles from Eastbourne to London daily for a number of years, swapping between the train and driving depending on where I was working and where I could park. If you're only paying for the fuel then that's a definite plus, I was putting 850mi a week on various cars which basically wore out:
Volvo 850T5 estate... fun, eye wateringly expensive (25mpg)
Saab 95 2.0t estate... comfortable, still expensive (28mpg)
Laguna 1.9 DCi.... kill me now please, really (52mpg)
Avensis 1.8 GS... couldn't kill it no matter how hard I tried (34mpg)
E39 525Tds... best by far, bits fell off/broke regularly (42mpg)
GTV V6... only occasionally... fun very early but basically madness and was tricky to get into one of the car parks.
I had to negotiate south London daily, avoiding Brixton etc right into central London, Tower Bridge being the favoured crossing point as it's outside of the congestion charge. BMW (unwashed/tatty) was best for carving through south London, not even the busses would cut me up.
Following those I took the train, I hate the train and it still sucked 5hrs out of each day and was expensive.
I now commute 45min in the GTV and not to London, although probably will do again at some stage. First class or S-Class are the two options if that's the case.
TL;DR: it's bloody knackering (you and the car), seriously consider a comfortable auto, worth leaving home at daft o'clock then having a nap in the car before work (if that works for you).
Did the same miles from Eastbourne to London daily for a number of years, swapping between the train and driving depending on where I was working and where I could park. If you're only paying for the fuel then that's a definite plus, I was putting 850mi a week on various cars which basically wore out:
Volvo 850T5 estate... fun, eye wateringly expensive (25mpg)
Saab 95 2.0t estate... comfortable, still expensive (28mpg)
Laguna 1.9 DCi.... kill me now please, really (52mpg)
Avensis 1.8 GS... couldn't kill it no matter how hard I tried (34mpg)
E39 525Tds... best by far, bits fell off/broke regularly (42mpg)
GTV V6... only occasionally... fun very early but basically madness and was tricky to get into one of the car parks.
I had to negotiate south London daily, avoiding Brixton etc right into central London, Tower Bridge being the favoured crossing point as it's outside of the congestion charge. BMW (unwashed/tatty) was best for carving through south London, not even the busses would cut me up.
Following those I took the train, I hate the train and it still sucked 5hrs out of each day and was expensive.
I now commute 45min in the GTV and not to London, although probably will do again at some stage. First class or S-Class are the two options if that's the case.
TL;DR: it's bloody knackering (you and the car), seriously consider a comfortable auto, worth leaving home at daft o'clock then having a nap in the car before work (if that works for you).
I would say it comes down to the time over distance. I do 30 miles each way which is not a huge distance however it takes an hour each way due to traffic levels. An hour is my limit and personally would not want to commute longer than and hour in the car. I would be happy to travel further but within the hour time frame.
Do as suggested and have a test run.
Do as suggested and have a test run.
I did a 210 mile commute for a number of years (Northampton to Farnborough/Church Crookham) and it's surprising how quickly you get used to it. Certain times of the year were worse than others. Didn't mind it so much in the Summer, but in the Winter months, particularly Jan/Feb it really got me down at times.
The only saving grace was that I negotiated to work from home on a Friday, could leave the office at 4pm on the other days, and I would stay down there 1 night per week. So I would only have 3 commutes per week, which made it easier, as that was in the days of £1.50/litre diesel and I was getting through over £400/month on fuel just getting to work, not to mention the wear and tear on my cars.
Having said that, in a strange sense I sometimes miss it - it was a couple of hours either side of work in which I could just wind down and listen to music/radio/podcasts.
Can't say I'd relish doing it again though, now I'm down to 1.5 miles each way
Edit: This has just got me thinking, and with my current commute, it would take me 14 weeks of going to work each day, to cover the same amount of miles I did in one day of that commute.
The only saving grace was that I negotiated to work from home on a Friday, could leave the office at 4pm on the other days, and I would stay down there 1 night per week. So I would only have 3 commutes per week, which made it easier, as that was in the days of £1.50/litre diesel and I was getting through over £400/month on fuel just getting to work, not to mention the wear and tear on my cars.
Having said that, in a strange sense I sometimes miss it - it was a couple of hours either side of work in which I could just wind down and listen to music/radio/podcasts.
Can't say I'd relish doing it again though, now I'm down to 1.5 miles each way
Edit: This has just got me thinking, and with my current commute, it would take me 14 weeks of going to work each day, to cover the same amount of miles I did in one day of that commute.
Edited by JohnStitch on Friday 28th August 11:04
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