Wonderful! I'm going back to graveyard shift

[bull]

Jeez, you'd think after five years of working the floor as a journeyman mechanic I'd be able to hold a day shift job but after nearly a year and a half of hanging on by my fingertips and working a normal (almost) shift I found out I have to go back to graveyard. The company hired two guys to run graveyard shifts at two different garages and of course these fine gentlemen managed to piss off all the higher seniority guys who in turn decided to bail and let us underlings finish breaking them in.

So come Sept. 9 it's back to the brake bay working 10:30 pm to 6:30 am. There is a silver lining to this supercell though; I'll have Friday and Saturday night off and don't have to return to work until Sunday night. I've been with the company since 2000 and this is the first time I've ever gotten a weekend off. I've always either had Mon-Tues, Tues-Wed or Wed-Thurs off, never a Fri, Sat or Sun until now. Oh well, it's another six months until the next signup so maybe something will break loose. It's got to get better soon though because the company finally decided that maintenance is short-handed so they'll be putting apprentice mechanics through the diesel program 12 at a time (rather than three or four) and shorten the stint by six months so by this time in 2009 I should have about 50 people below me in seniority instead of 20.

Sorry for the rant. I'm a bit miffed but things will get better someday. It's very frustrating in the meantime though.

Here's my happy thread from 2006 if you'd like some perspective: http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,10817.0.html

[70charger_boy]

What's wrong with the night shift.  I did it for a few years and it was great!!!  I got out at 630 am woke up around 1 in the afternoon and rode my motorcycle all day.  No traffic, you can run alot of errands.  It was great. 

[bull]

Well, it won't kill me but I've had enough of it. Of the seven years I've been there I've spent 5 1/2 of it in the dark.

[Forza]

I don't mind the night shift, I volunteered for it. The 1 thing I hate about the night shift is trying to get a full 8 hour sleep in. Always have the jackasses in tuners with loud stereos and crappy exhaust driving past my place.

[last426]

Shifting is part of the reasons I changed careers.  Swing is great, grave is horrible, day is just okay.  I am such a lazy wimp now, flex time (start any time between 7 and 9:30), teleworking (up to 3 days a week), and still people complain.  Not me, by a long shot it's the easiest job I have ever had. But I did have to work about 9 months shifting shifts each week, a week of days, then swings, then graves, making electricity.  I still haven't gotten over that.

So, I feel your pain and hope that it lasts but a short time. It sounds like you job is secure and they rely on you -- that is a great thing nowadays. Kim 

[Charger_Fan]

It sounds like you job is secure and they rely on you -- that is a great thing nowadays.

That helps with peace of mind.
I've never had a graveyard job, so I can only imagine what sort of sleeping adjustments a guy would have to make...especially with kids in the house. I had a 2nd job for a while, where I'd go straight from job #1 to job #2 & work until midnight. Those were some loooong days, I'll tell ya.

[bull]

Fortunately the kids will be back in school a few days before I have to switch. I actually do ok on graveyard once I'm used to it but it's the switching back and forth that messes me up and I'm fortunate to have had day shift for the past year and a half and haven't had to do that until now. Day shift will come around again when (if) these new supervisors calm down and more people come in below me.

[charger490]

i worked the night shift for 43 years .after i retired it took me 3 years to get back to normal and i would go back to sleep for a couple of hours every day in the afternoon.

[PocketThunder]

i worked the night shift for 43 years .after i retired it took me 3 years to get back to normal and i would go back to sleep for a couple of hours every day in the afternoon.

ya i bet after 43 years your body would be reprogrammed..

[69Charger_440]

Count your blessings.  I go from day shift (8a-4p), to swings (4p-12a), and then to mids (12a-8a) every four weeks  !  Been doing that for the last eight years.

[bull]

Count your blessings.  I go from day shift (8a-4p), to swings (4p-12a), and then to mids (12a-8a) every four weeks  !  Been doing that for the last eight years.

That sounds fun. Are you a cop by any chance?

[BB1]

Try the railroad on call 24/7 365 days, you wus. 

[rare69]

the paper mill i work at has rotating shifts, one week days, one week swing, then one week graveyard. you never really get used to it.

[69Charger_440]

Count your blessings.  I go from day shift (8a-4p), to swings (4p-12a), and then to mids (12a-8a) every four weeks  !  Been doing that for the last eight years.

That sounds fun. Are you a cop by any chance?

Not a cop, but after reading what Rare69 wrote I think I better count my blessings.  That is brutal.

[MichaelRW]

Long ago I worked from 9pm to 6am in a computer center. Did that for 3 years. The weirdest part about working those hours was to go to the bar with a few co-workers after work and it felt normal.

[dkn1997]

a buddy of mine who is a cop loves the night shift.  he's done it for a long time and wouldn't have it any other way.

[70charger_boy]

a buddy of mine who is a cop loves the night shift.  he's done it for a long time and wouldn't have it any other way.

That's because all the drunk girls get out of the nightclubs at 2am and go coocoo for cops in uniforms.  I know the deal

[89MOPAR]

  It could be worse - try midnight till noon ,  2 days on , 2 days off, 3 days on ,, 3days off, etc .

   The bad part is sleeping at night on your days off, actually thats the good part, cause who wants to stay up all night by yourself  when everyone else is sleeping...
     But it's the switching back and forth every few days that kills .   Oh, woe is me.....

Nice you'll be getting true weekends off !
I suppose I do get a 3 day weekend off every other one. That is nice 

[Silver R/T]

Ive worked swing shift so I feel ya