Working at the truck stop last night, and a driver came in, saying his trainee wanted a sandwich he just bought. I asked how it was going with training, what exactly you do, etc., and he said something that I never thought of before.

He said you have to condition yourself to driving long hours, you have to work up to being able to drive 8-10 hrs a day. You start out slow, but by the end of training, they'll be driving 75% of the time.

Can someone please help me with HOW you go about conditioning yourself to drive that long at one time? Granted i know you stop every so often to get a break (food, potty or both), but what is one thing one can do to start changing their habbits or whatever, to get themselves ready for OTR work??

Try going to sleep at different times throughout the week, i.e. wake up at your regular time then go back to sleep for 8 hours 11 hours after waking, then stay awake for 11 hours, sleep 8 and continue this for a week. oh by the way turn off the ac and heat while you are sleeping no matter what time of day or night it is and how hot or cold it is inside the sleeper. LOL

I had to condition myself to driving at night which I must say was hard at first.

I had trouble sleeping during the days and getting into this routine on a regular basis.

Sleeping in motel rooms during the day time hours was noisey and it got to the point to where I was so tired I just slept.

At home I used black curtains and dark blinds in my bedroom which worked really well.

I drove around 600 miles a night with two stops to two different terminals for unloading or loading of freight.

If not enough sleep during the day I could certainly feel it at night and would stop and take a break and get a snack and something to drink and do some walking for exercise.

Once you put your mind to what you got to get done and it becomes a routine, it's alot easier. AND remember to always take time for yourself if you need a break.

Just my thoughts on night driving...........

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Interesting question.
How soon do you have before you go OTR? What worked for me and what i would recommend is to ride a bike maybe 10 miles a day. Doesn't have to be fast, could be at a lesurily pace. Or run a mile every other day. Try to improve your times every week.

Then after you start driving, try to keep this regimine up. Of course, there isn't going to be much time to do this, but try to keep this up at least every few weeks.

But i feel it's more mental, than physical. I have always been more of a local driver than OTR. This means you might do 400 miles per week on a busy week vs. 400+ miles a day when you're OTR. At first, i could not understand how anyone could do it---400+ miles per day everyday. But you get used to it.

For me "conditioning" was just me pushing myself until I could drive longer. First day with trainer I did 200 miles. Eventually just did more and more until I could manage 11 hours which I wound up doing a few times delivering to Laredo, TX.

I liked all the answers! I was a local driver for over 9 years in the Baltimore/D.C./Va./Del./S.Pa. area, I decided to get my A license in april, It took awhile for my body to get used to driving 600 miles a day otr, instead of the usual 200-1,000 miles weekly local, I was use to working 10-16 hour days, when i started driving was no 14hour rule could work 15hours and i was driving Non-cdl trucks and worked the dock so i would work longer than the cdl licensed drivers..back when i worked for Pitt-Ohio Express for 7 years..great company! Also for the new drivers some companies are expecting trainees to drive 600 miles a day, I noticed when i got around 450 miles i wanted to stop driving. And unlike alot of my classmates i was use to driving, still takes it toll on you, and you learn how to sleep on a truck quick!

It all depends. Right now, i have just under two weeks before i head off to training. then 3 weeks of that, then orientation then OTR with a trainer. (unless i sit and sit waiting for a trainer) I should start biking into work, seeing it is only 4 miles away. would be a start. \

Also i think a good portion of it relys on your trainer. And how well they work you up from 200miles a day, to 500-600.

You're going to work for Swift, so you'll have plenty of time for sleep, waiting for a load, repair, fuel authorization, etc.

Oh sorry, that's right, Swift is perfect.

i would think you can drive at least 4 to 5 hours without a break- if you do this and take a hour nape get up and drive 5 or 6 hours and now you got your 11 hours!!

I have been working and sleeping different hours for the last 23 years in fire/ems. So for me working at odd hours, being use to sleeping in different beds and knowing when to lay down when I get a chance is the key. I think resting properly at home is important also. Great advice on the dark curtains, they also work good for me during the day.

Being alert on only 3 or 4 hours of sleep is tough on some people. I notice the younger guys are still wandering around late at night when we get toned out. But they adjust to the odd sleep patterns over time. I am looking forward to the uninterupted sleep and am use to sleeping anywhere.

It just takes time to retrain your habits and know when to rest. Not saying you would do this but in general, slugging down red bulls and mountain dew 24/7 isn't the way to go either. It might keep you awake, but not alert. Plus chemicals stay in your blood and do not permit good rest when you lay down after using them. And what Pearl-Peralta said about exercise is very important.

Mentally and Physically, You need to be on your "A" game in order to stay alert and operate safely.

I will need to condition my driving when I go otr because I have never driven for 600 miles a day for 2 weeks straight before. It 's going to depend on how stressed and tired I get driving each day and everybodys comfort level is different.
Just don't push yourself and know your limit.