For family guys- is night shift worth it in trucking?

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Slim51, Feb 10, 2021.

  1. Aoki Gahara

    Aoki Gahara Bobtail Member

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    I start around 1800 and it's terrible for any normality in life, weekends will be bad and Sunday won't exist. Do the timber frame shop gig and make it up some other way. You'll never get this time back.
     
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  3. lester

    lester Midwest's #1 Feed Hauler

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    Father of 4, been running nights for about 3 years. Usually leave the house between 4 and 5 pm and try to be home by 7 to help get the kids off to school. It kinda sucks... but I'm an O/O so i can start later if a school activity or something i want to attend. I pretty much just work and sleep during the week. If I put in a full Friday night I'm fried all day Saturday and usually have to wrench on the truck a little sometime during the weekend too. Wife surprisingly doesn't mind. She says its way better than when I hauled livestock and had no set schedule. She likes a routine. I run nights just to make more money...

    Everybody is different, gotta figure out what works for you. If I could have a 8 or 9 pm start time I'd be a lot happier, able to put the kids to be and what not
     
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  5. freebeertomorrow

    freebeertomorrow Heavy Load Member

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    start times will have a big effect on what you can be a part of during the week. i had a 9-10 pm dispatch. it allowed me to eat dinner with everyone and spend a little time with them. i was usually back in the morning shortly before or right when it was time to go to work/school.

    survive weekends on 3-4 hour naps. take one saturday morning and then again sunday morning. sunday was usually a bit longer as id fizzled out around 2-3 am sunday morning. i still spenrt the majority of my time off awake and around the house.

    where nightshift really gets you is when you're on vacation for a week or more. i can do a couple days on naps. by day 3-4 youre all turned around living that dayshift life on a nightshift sleep schedule.

    if you can deal with the sleep and your wife can deal with sleeping alone 4 nights a week, i say go for it. top pay linehaul will easily fall around 100k most anywhere you go. more or less depending on how much you (can) work.
     
  6. rachi

    rachi Road Train Member

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    Myself, I just can't handle overnight driving on a continuous basis. The reason? Because I can't sleep more then a couple hours during daylight. If you're the night driving type then do what you gotta do.
     
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