Truck Driving Jobs

rigidsporty · #31 08-24-2008, 05:54 PM

[quote="str.whl.hldr"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmrtt

Get on a regular sleep schedule

In trucking??? Dispatchers wont let you. The fact that your actually human and need sleep means nothing to them. Example...

You have slept all night, woke up, spent all day waiting on a load. Now its 9 pm and your ready for bed... sorry... you just got a load that has to be 500 miles away in the morning. Can you run it legally... yes... you have had at leat 10 hours off. What does dispatch say when you tell them you've been up all day? "You have had all day... you should have been resting." So you either run it tired, or you refuse it and possibly get fired.

The HOS ruled simply do not work. Unless you own your own authority, you will never have a regular sleep schedule and you WILL run tired or you wont have a job very long... and its very hard to pay bills on a "do you want fries with that?" paycheck.

MartenDrvrCA · #32 08-24-2008, 07:39 PM

[quote="rigidsporty"]

Quote:

Originally Posted by str.whl.hldr

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericmrtt

Get on a regular sleep schedule

In trucking??? Dispatchers wont let you. The fact that your actually human and need sleep means nothing to them. Example...

You have slept all night, woke up, spent all day waiting on a load. Now its 9 pm and your ready for bed... sorry... you just got a load that has to be 500 miles away in the morning. Can you run it legally... yes... you have had at leat 10 hours off. What does dispatch say when you tell them you've been up all day? "You have had all day... you should have been resting." So you either run it tired, or you refuse it and possibly get fired.

The HOS ruled simply do not work. Unless you own your own authority, you will never have a regular sleep schedule and you WILL run tired or you wont have a job very long... and its very hard to pay bills on a "do you want fries with that?" paycheck.

Well said and very true.

#33 08-24-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rigidsporty

In trucking??? Dispatchers wont let you. The fact that your actually human and need sleep means nothing to them. Example...

You have slept all night, woke up, spent all day waiting on a load. Now its 9 pm and your ready for bed... sorry... you just got a load that has to be 500 miles away in the morning. Can you run it legally... yes... you have had at leat 10 hours off. What does dispatch say when you tell them you've been up all day? "You have had all day... you should have been resting." So you either run it tired, or you refuse it and possibly get fired.

The HOS ruled simply do not work. Unless you own your own authority, you will never have a regular sleep schedule and you WILL run tired or you wont have a job very long... and its very hard to pay bills on a "do you want fries with that?" paycheck.

Great post! That kind of schedule will wear you out and make an old man out of you fast. Exactly why I got out of irregular-route OTR trucking.

This post should be a sticky!

TomB985 · #34 08-24-2008, 11:51 PM

Very good post indeed....but here's my question....what does your dispatcher say when you tell him(her?) it's unsafe?

I was asked to do just that at one time, and I explained that I could NOT do that safely, and that I could get it there the following afternoon. They didn't argue, and found me another load...

BanditsCousin · #35 08-28-2008, 01:47 AM

I have no comment on this topic....

...but ask SteveBooth. His log shows him napping 4 times a day, and even logs 15 minutes for taking his Geritol (spelled right?) :lol:

wimpy · #36 08-28-2008, 09:38 PM

You know the other week I had drove my entire 11 hour shift and then my girlfriend took over driving her shift and she wasnt very familiar with the route so I stayed awake a couple hours into her shift. So after a couple hours I finally went to sleep and fell asleep hard. Well she woke me up to use the restroom because thats what we do, everytime we pull over to fuel up or use the restroom we wake each other up to make sure we dont have to use the bathroom 20 miles down the road after her or I had already pulled over to use the restroom. Anyways after that I had a really hard time falling asleep and I just couldnt do it. Finally after laying there for who knows how long I fell asleep.........then she woke me up!!! It was my turn to drive again, she drove her entire 11 hour shift and it felt like I had just went to sleep and I literally did, I had only slept for about a half hour. So total sleep for the day was 2 1/2 hours!!!
So I began to try to psych myself out making myself believe I wasnt tired....ya right!!! I had done this before and knew I could do it. So I popped not 1 but 2 yellow hornet pills! Last time I took these I shook so bad I felt like I was having convulsions, but I knew they would keep me awake for at least 10 hours.
So I began my shift.....not 45 mins. into my shift my eyes became extremely heavy and no matter what I did I couldnt get any energy. So I remembered I had a 32oz. MONSTER energy drink stashed in my cooler so I got it out and chugged this thing! Noting, not a darn thing happened, I made it another 45 minutes and said you know what...f*%k it, if this load is late oh well, if I get fired oh well, if they get mad at me oh well!! So I jumped in bed and slept HARD for about 4 hours and then I felt just fine and continued my shift!! So like some of you have said theres absolutely NOTHING that can replace sleep!!! I know my limits and that night my limits had been reached so if it happens to you, just pull it over we're only human.

Oh and yes we made the load in time......5 whole minutes to spare!!!!!

1xtruckindj · #37 08-28-2008, 10:25 PM

It's not technically correct, but my first stint in trucking (about 8 years long), I basically worked with what was apparently no sleep.

It's because I discovered upon returning to the industry one year ago that I have severe sleep apnea, and probably hadn't slept well in over 20 years. Couldn't get through a day without a nap most of the time.

I've had my CPAP 11 months now. I have not felt the need to nap one time...no, not once....since I've had it. However, I've also not had the urge to run 4000 miles a week either. Life is too short.

Now, I usually feel so good I wish I COULD drive more than 11 in a day, but ironically, when it's time to sleep, I have no problem falling asleep. I think it's the anticipation of getting good rest, instead of the anxiety of knowing I'm going to get up five or six times a night.

Oh, BTW....yes, I heartily recommend a sleep study. Just in case anyone was wondering.

Syncrosonix · #38 08-29-2008, 01:36 AM

since i haul livestock, i'm always doped up on crystal meth. i drive nonstop to wherever i am going. sleep is something i haven't done for about a week!

i am kidding!

DD60 · #39 08-29-2008, 05:22 AM

It is funny how so many fell for this troll's bait. :lol: :lol:

ohiomohawk · #40 08-29-2008, 09:47 AM

I wonder how many millions the energy drink people make each year. The truck stops have all those overpriced energy shots almost falling off the counters.

I really dont feel that much of an effect after I drink them but I seem to always end up buying them. They are extremely overpriced.

Coffee actually has more caffeine than energy drinks!!

"A study in the September Consumer Reports shows that the amount of caffeine found in eight ounces of 12 popular energy drinks ranged from 50 to135mg, with most in the 75 to 80mg range, reports Reuters. That compares to the amount of caffeine in an eight ounce cup of coffee, which ranged from 65 to 120mg, with an average of 85mg, says the National Coffee Association."