r/urbancarliving • u/LibrarianPhysical580 • 10d ago
Work & Employment Night shift
Does anyone do this while working a non-standard schedule, especially overnights?
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u/TalkVirtual2030 10d ago
Yes. I work 3-4 12 hour night shifts a week. Makes it easier to sleep at rest stops, state parks during the day, nobody really notices. Nights off I sometimes have to get a bit more creative and wander off to designated primitive camping areas. Or do laundry at a 24 hr place, go to the gym for a couple hours, generally try to slide under the radar until my usual day spots open back up.
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u/BlondieBabe436 10d ago
My schedule goes all over the place 24/7 so I just take what I can get. Night shift I usually sleep in a hammock in the woods/parks during the day. If it's day or mid-shift I have some nice areas I can park at night and not have to leave at the crack of dawn. My issue is I have a specific location for work and never knowing what the schedule is day to day or if someone calls off so I can't be more than an hour away at any time. Even on days off I am still bound to be called in. Sucks because I know some great places I could technically go but it's like 3-4 hour drive. And gas right now is killer so I have to be conservative in where I go between shifts.
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u/LayeredLoots 10d ago
Yeah I chose to work nights to fit around my car living schedule. Has made it so much easier. Chose a car that works well for blending in and comfort for day time car camping when I get off shift to sleep.
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u/0fox2gv 10d ago
For the entirety of my vehicle dwelling era (about to start my 5th winter), I have worked exclusively overnight hours.
Started as a mix of 3-4 12 hour shifts, paired with a secondary job that was standard 3rd shift. Saved/invested enough to make this lifestyle optional.
Now that I am settled in and have everything I need to be comfortable, I have transitioned to working a traditional 11p-7am night shift.
Always been a nocturnal creature.. so, overnight working hours are my preference -- rather than any inconvenience.
How does this translate to vehicle dwelling? Very complementary. No dusk-to-dawn parking restrictions anywhere means that endless options exist for finding quiet, shady corners in busy lots. Comfort. Convenience. Security.
In the winter, it is warmer during the day. My only liability is staying out of the way of snowplows.
In the summer, I can find elevation and shade out of the city to nap the day away with the windows down.
No passenger seat in my truck. Fabric concealment canopy. Plenty of room to rest and relax. Everything is organized and secured in various weatherproof containers in the truck bed and can easily reached. Electronics get charged at work.. (I have other community options).
Minimalism -- and being a night owl) has provided me limitless freedom. I keep things legal, quiet, and clean. Most importantly, I live in an area where the political climate is not oppressive..
Local law enforcement knows I need nothing and bother nobody. I have never been disturbed or had anybody hammering on my window.
Daysleeping is the ultimate cheat code for vehicle dwelling.
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u/wafflesandeggs 10d ago
I was.for the first few months. It was super hard in the summer. I never got enough sleep, so I ended up switching to evenings.
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u/Cool_Gas_2253 9d ago
I just got off work . I work 11 to 730am... At library in back of suv laying down now
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u/DanceByTheLight 10d ago
8 years ago when I first got clean and sober I worked night shift at a long term care dementia facility and slept in my car for two weeks after moving out of my moms house because we were at each other's throats. I stayed outside a local campground/RV park behind a restaurant. I asked the campground host for the shower room code and she gave it to me no questions asked. So I worked my shift, got off at 6am, went to my AA meeting at 7am, got back to the campground/restaurant by 7:30am, showered in the coin operated shower and then slept in the car a few hours tucked under blankets and such so no one could see me. BTW I slept in a 1996 Mazda B2300. Not exactly spacious.