How often do you stop?

Twice over 3 hours.
WHY I stop mostly: bathroom break, check load, update or make the log book work(We all do it...), food.
Sometimes: Fuel, shower, service, truck overheated(This RARELY happens, but I've had to do it before.)

 

I usually stop every 2-3 hours to use the bathroom.
Rest area preferably but truck stop if that's coming up first.

 

Due to my hatred for instant coffee, I stop twice per 11 hour day. Once I finish my pretrip, I grab a cup of coffee if I'm at a TS, then start driving. If I;m at a rest area or something, I'll stop somewhere and grab a cup. I try not to stop for the first 4 hours after the initial cup of coffee, then between the 4th and 5th hour I stop to use the bathroom, and grab another cup of coffee.

Some days go by easier than others, so depending on the day, I may stop once more just to get the blood flowing. I rarely stop more than twice a day, and if I do, it's because of some kind of responsibility I have to handle.

 

Just a quick story about stopping: Came down with a cold or flu Jan 09--usual feeling with flu-like problems. like most of ya'll
i did "ironbutt" driving---11 hrs and done. Went to make my drop and unhook the trl from the truck to go home sick and normal home time, took 30 minutes to crank the gear down, i just could not catch my breath. Made it home and fell into bed.
Was barely able to get up to take a shower and came out, sat on the bed, told the boss " i cant breath" and passed out.
Woke up in the wambulance on my way to the ER. Passed out in the amb. again, when i came to the medic was standing over me with the defib paddles in his hand. Turns out my heart stopped for 45 seconds......sent 11 days in hospital with a DVT...
blood clot in the calf of my leg. docs showed me the cardio strip with a straight line.... all because of " ironbutt" driving.....also
told me a 35 yr old driver died the week before me for the same thing...so, no more "ironbutt" driving for me. Every couple of hours
it looks a fire drill around my truck for 10 minutes walking.....moral is " no breaks can kill you-- is it worth it ? "

 

i do not have to stop for a bathroom break.

i went to my local medical supply store, and bought a 1,000 foot roll of cathader tubing. i cut it to length, and insert it, and stick the other end out the window. as i am driving down the highways, i go and don't know it, until i see a car passing me, and his wipers are on. that's when i know i am going".

 

When you drive a truck that weighs 75,000+ lbs...you should stop every couple of hours for 15 min or so to walk around, stay alert, bio, and check your load/trailer.

There is a BIG, HUGE difference between driving a 4 wheeler an hour to Walmart once in awhile and driving a fully loaded big rig for days and weeks at a time.

I like to walk a few laps around rest stops so I don't get all big and fat and disease prone too....just saying.

 

It depends usually only once or twice a day. Sometimes not at all.

 

I have some kinda drink on my way from home to the yard. Usually a banana and a Monster/RedBull.
Get to the yard, get paper work, chase down trailer, hook up, pre-trip, paper work to hit the road - and an hour or so into the drive, I gotta urinate. Bad.

This mornin, I had a 12oz RedBull (tryin to cut back! ) and some trail mix. I got down to Bristol and hit the head in the Wa-Wa there on 13/476. Again, had to go BAD.
Now, here's the thing, when I go, it's not like a little cup full, it's A LOT. Like, it seems like what I just drank PLUS more.

So, offload the product at the customers. There about an hour and half. I feel another one coming already by the time I'm hitting 476. I think, NP, I can make it to the service plaza.

Well, I made it, but I was really uncomfortable. A Driver once told me long ago that holding it will keep you awake. THIS is true..
But, MAN, I can't think straight when my teeth are floatin! All I can think about is getting "relief" lol

So, this mornin, I guess I stopped twice in 6 hours or so?

 

This is very true.

I have found that "driving" is pretty mentally AND physically exhausting. I was rather surprised how much it effects ya.
It's hard on your body also to stay in that sitting position all that time.
That's actually one of the things I feel is a positive in hauling bulk cement; I get to get out and move around unloading product.

 

Hey Gizmo, you are going the general public a favor. Pee is just like Windex! Works great on them lovebugs!

When we hauled horses the floor of the trailer had big drains and every time I saw a car pass with their wipers on I knew one of the horses was making pee pee!