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wot i life
Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 2328
Location: At the bottom of the garden, dancing merrily with the pixies
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:38 am Post subject: |
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| in europe you may drive for 4 1/2 hours after which you must take a forty five minute break, you can alternatively take three fifteen minute breaks during your first period of driving. you can then drive another 4 1/2 hours and stop for daily rest after that. however on two days per week you can extend driving time to ten hours(2X4 1/2 + 1hr) your driving time must not exceed 56hours in one week and ninety hours in a two week period. daily rest is allowed to be cut short to nine hours on three days of the week(from 11hours) but must be compensated for,i.e paid back; within a three week period. on top of this, we have new european "working time directive" to comply with, which not only complicates matters it also sometimes contradicts standing legislation. failure to comply to any/all of these wonderfully $&!+ laws results in loss of licence, massive fines, imprisonment. wanna job over here? :lol: |
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GMAN
Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 9666
Location: Tennessee
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:17 am Post subject: |
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| Thee is nothing like feel good legislation to make us all feel safer. :roll: |
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Bush Bunny
Joined: 02 Jun 2005
Posts: 1528
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 8:31 am Post subject: |
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I drive until I want to stop, depends on weather, what I feel like, etc. If I'm hanging iron got to stop do to that, guess you could call that a break of 20 minutes. :roll:
I stop for something to drink usually about 6 hours, unless I get all my liquid at the beginning of my drive time.....then kids 11 hours straight. |
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Crackaces
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
Posts: 1343
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:28 am Post subject: |
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I think there are 4 good reasons not to drive much over 4 hours.
1. Stuff happens to the truck. Somethings if caught early do not fulminate into disasters. One thing about a truck .. lots of stuff that can be very inconvenient when broken are vulnerable The springs supporting air lines, hydraulic lines, tires, etc. Taking a couple of minutes to look might save an hour or two one day.
2. Speaking of tires -- catch a low tire and fill it -- you have averted disaster. Let the tire get hot and blow up, and all those hours running down the road will be for naught waiting for the tire man. Also when tires blow up they send parts and pieces flying that can affect the parts mentioned in bullet #1.
3. Health. Deep Vein Thrombosis and "Irregularity". It was first thought the DVT was a problem in older people then a 26 year old Australian died while sitting in coach for 23 hours. Threw a clot. Your veins unlike your arteries, which have the pressure from your heart to move blood, veins depend on your moving around to move blood. When you do not move your blood clots. This is very bad. Also your intestines have muscles and move stuff through a process called peristalsis. But being regular depends on moving around.
4. Fatigue. The drone of mile after mile is mentally fatiguing. Also, holding your body in the same position all the time is physically fatiguing. Eventually, it catches up.
So taking a break, checking out the truck, moving your legs and body solves lots of problems at very little expense. |
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OverTheRoad
Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 1148
Location: Northern Arizona- above the heat!
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:01 am Post subject: |
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| I used to roll for about 4 hours and then stop for an hour. Eat and then grab the MT Bike and pedal away. I would try and stop for food near a cool place to ride. |
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Super 8
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 125
Location: Rockford, Ill
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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This is GREAT advice! Thank you! This is the kind of info I'm looking for.
Crackaces wrote: I think there are 4 good reasons not to drive much over 4 hours.
1. Stuff happens to the truck. Somethings if caught early do not fulminate into disasters. One thing about a truck .. lots of stuff that can be very inconvenient when broken are vulnerable The springs supporting air lines, hydraulic lines, tires, etc. Taking a couple of minutes to look might save an hour or two one day.
2. Speaking of tires -- catch a low tire and fill it -- you have averted disaster. Let the tire get hot and blow up, and all those hours running down the road will be for naught waiting for the tire man. Also when tires blow up they send parts and pieces flying that can affect the parts mentioned in bullet #1.
3. Health. Deep Vein Thrombosis and "Irregularity". It was first thought the DVT was a problem in older people then a 26 year old Australian died while sitting in coach for 23 hours. Threw a clot. Your veins unlike your arteries, which have the pressure from your heart to move blood, veins depend on your moving around to move blood. When you do not move your blood clots. This is very bad. Also your intestines have muscles and move stuff through a process called peristalsis. But being regular depends on moving around.
4. Fatigue. The drone of mile after mile is mentally fatiguing. Also, holding your body in the same position all the time is physically fatiguing. Eventually, it catches up.
So taking a break, checking out the truck, moving your legs and body solves lots of problems at very little expense.
I'm not driving yet, but I'm getting ready to start school soon. The two things that concern me most about trucking is diet and exercise.
I used to work for the Illinois Tollway, and I saw a lot of truck drivers. Truck drivers are some of the most unhealthy people. You can't live your life like that and expect it's not going to affect your health. I've got two little kids, and I plan on being around for them as long as I possibly can.
What kind of stuff are you checking on your truck?
How long are the breaks? |
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Super 8
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 125
Location: Rockford, Ill
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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OverTheRoad wrote: I used to roll for about 4 hours and then stop for an hour. Eat and then grab the MT Bike and pedal away. I would try and stop for food near a cool place to ride.
That sounds like a great way to get some exercise, and check out some places you've never been before. How long do you ride for?
I like to walk for exercise, and I'm hoping to find lots of cool places to walk during my travels. |
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meanbone79
Joined: 14 Dec 2005
Posts: 393
Location: 400 miles west of Bermuda Island
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I usually drive from Wilmington NC to Talledega Al nonstop. |
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fierce750
Joined: 03 Aug 2005
Posts: 297
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Bush Bunny wrote: .....then kids 11 hours straight.
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Martin.Lindquist
Joined: 19 Feb 2006
Posts: 190
Location: The Great Northwest!
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Drive till I'm tired then rest...drive till I'm tired , then rest...seems like it goes on forever! The longest??? Can't say legally....Seems like a long time! Creative paperwork ya know! |
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serbyy
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
Posts: 115
Location: here an there
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| Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree with gman. Everyone is different. You find you can drive your full 11 a day. Other times you'll find it hard to cover 100 miles without needing to stop at least twice. You'll find your tolerance. Don't push your self. You feel even just a little fatigue, pull over, get out walk around. Your eating habits can and will play huge in your ability to drive for longer distances. Stay away from junk food as much as possible. Hard to do when most truck stops or stores carry nothing but soda and chips :roll: . Good Luck |
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Mad Dog
Joined: 10 Aug 2005
Posts: 843
Location: guess, I'll be there
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:33 am Post subject: |
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fierce750 wrote: Bush Bunny wrote: .....then kids 11 hours straight.
What's wrong can't drive 11 hours straight yourself? :roll: |
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OverTheRoad
Joined: 14 May 2004
Posts: 1148
Location: Northern Arizona- above the heat!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:39 am Post subject: |
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Super 8 wrote: OverTheRoad wrote: I used to roll for about 4 hours and then stop for an hour. Eat and then grab the MT Bike and pedal away. I would try and stop for food near a cool place to ride.
That sounds like a great way to get some exercise, and check out some places you've never been before. How long do you ride for?
I like to walk for exercise, and I'm hoping to find lots of cool places to walk during my travels.
You should be able to find places to walk. Anywhere I rode my bike I could walk. I got into a few places that I needed to get out of asap. If I would have been on foot it would have been a fast jog, maybe even a sprint. :):)
Usually only 30 minutes, then I load the bike up and hit the road. Once I shut down for the day I might get out and ride again. I have ridden for hours before. (I got lost)
The longest I have ever driven was 755 miles in one day. In total with lunch and fuel it took me about 13.5 hours. I think I averaged about 57 mph. That was a few months ago when I bought my truck. |
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BanditsCousin
Joined: 05 Jun 2004
Posts: 3294
Location: Chicago, IL
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 10:20 am Post subject: |
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I try to stop every few hours. Yes, I am the guy that passes you, leaves your sight, then passes you again later 8)
Getting out of the truck is good for the back every few hours, I try to designate 10 minutes (not logged) then go back to hammering down. |
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fierce750
Joined: 03 Aug 2005
Posts: 297
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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Mad Dog wrote: fierce750 wrote: Bush Bunny wrote: .....then kids 11 hours straight.
What's wrong can't drive 11 hours straight yourself? :roll:
No I can't, I am a kid. |
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