Another (ex) third shift worker here, I used to love the ride in, little traffic to worry about and a general peace, until I got to the pubs anyway. There was also a certain satisfaction in the ride home in the morning, knowing that everyone else was going in to work.
Now I've just started college for the year again though I prefer the quiet rides still, but they vary. I either have to leave far too early to avoid the school and work traffic, and depending on what time I finish I'm either just before the school traffic, slap bang in the middle of it, just before the work traffic, or slap bang in the middle of the work traffic. So it all varies.