I ran team with the wife for a year. When we first started it was rough getting used to it. But then a day came when I was so tired I basically passed out. From that time on I had no problem sleeping in a moving truck. The bouncing truck actually became a comfort to me and it was actually a freightshaker. I find it very soothing to be in the sleeper of a moving truck. It's like getting used to pulling a reefer and having the damn think start up every 20 mins. It's like everything else. Once you get used to it, you'll never notice it. There are a few exceptions to the team driving thing though. There are a few roads out there that will find you about 6 inches of the mattress when you wake up.
Ya Hoo!
PS Keep the harness over you. It doesn't take much of a hard break to send you to the floor. It only takes once to teach you a lesson on that one.
I ran team for 2 years, hauling produce with an O/O when I first started driving. I don't recall ever sleeping while we were moving. We used to stop about twice a week and shut the truck down so we both could get some rest.
We normally stayed out 4-8 weeks, depending on the season. When we got back to the yard, it was nothing to spend 2 full days sleeping in a motel room, and then back on the road. Boy, I sure do not miss those days, that was real truckin! But I was in my early 20's, so I took the beating pretty well. No way I could do that now a days.
And yes, the truck had 2 beds.
When I was on "dumb and dumber" trainee team at Stevens, we had one of the last KW T600's with the 60" Aerodyne modular sleeper instead of the newer Aerodyne aerocab sleepers, so it had the old fashioned "hole" between the cab and sleeper. Made it easier to make it nice and dark in the sleeper.
Try tylenol PM or melatonin pills. They are in the vitamin section. Will help you get into a deeper sleep so you dont feel the bumps as bad.
Tylenol PM (oh yeah) and the soft ear plugs, out in 20 minutes for atleast 8 hours.
I already had the ear plugs but it wasn't the noise it was the bouncing. But we stopped the other night and then last night I took a sleeping pill, and by luck they are cutting my training short so I'm done with training and after a second road test I'll be on my own. Glad for that cause they weren't paying me enough to not sleep.
Thanks for all replies.
12-06-2006 12:19 AM by
jdg
Yeah,...Dumb and Dumber is about right. When I was with Stevens, my trainee team guy not only scared the crap out of me almost every stinking time he drove. He drove way to fast around corners, and hit the rumble strip almost everytime he drove. he got the truck stuck in sand, got us lost way too many times, and drank pepto (the bottles would roll around the cab when it was my turn to drive), and he also crapped in his underwear and stored it on the top bunk. The cab smelled like a sewer,...glad its over (1999).
I will never team drive again,.......ever.
:lol: :lol: :lol: gross! :lol:
They should make trainers sign a pledge to be professional, and have some courtesy...... LOL