Working under the Stars

Covered a vacation this week, all five nights the same run and same start time, it was awesome and I got a real appreciation for it as a systems driver, it definitely would make weekend planning and adjusting alot easier, hopefully one of these days I will eventually be able to bid a run.

 

It don't get any better than that. I've been doing 450 mile run lately. It's pretty good run but I hope to get more seniority in and get something longer.

 

I currently work nights, starting around 1500 and finishing around 0300-0500. There’s pluses to it like lighter traffic and what not. However, I’ve been working graveyards for the past 15 years, mostly in my previous career as a Sleep Lab Tech, and am really looking forward to getting a dayshift position. Having said that, the Manta Sleep Mask and cold A/C have been my best friends as far as daytime sleeping. Melatonin and generic Benadryl can help too. Benadryl has diphenhydramine (Tylenol PM) in it, and you can buy the generic for next to nothing. Don’t use it long-term though.

 

Oh man, I forgot about that thread idea! I wasn't very active on here for a while and am crazy busy these days, but I can sum up the things that have helped me the most...




... sometime after my nap!

Seriously though, I'll get back to you on that this weekend when I get a moment.

 

@authentic251 - okay, I lied. I realize I'm already late on my assignment. I'll get to it, probably in chunks so I make sure it actually happens. Just curious, do you have something lined up? Tons of LTL companies are hiring right now, just wondering if you were trying to get a linehaul gig.

 

When I moved from city to linehaul, I got everyone's number (smallish barn, only about 10 road guys at the time) and gave each one of them a call. It was partly to introduce myself and BS a little bit and partly to ask for their suggestions on how to be successful at working that schedule and the job itself.

Obviously, the main suggestions were about being disciplined with your sleep schedule, however it ends up working best for you. Also, ways to make your bedroom hospitable to daytime sleeping. That aspect has proven to be crucial for me. I think it's the most important thing to make sure you tackle immediately. A good sleep space can be the difference between feeling like a human and being a total zombie. I stress it with new guys because neglecting this detail can be really dangerous. It truly is a life and death matter.

A couple of guys also mentioned exercise so that the sedentary aspects of the job don't screw you up too much, and one of the most senior guys really emphasized having a decent diet, as well. The longer I've done the job, the more I've taken that to heart. I think we need to be more proactive about our health than most other people because we have two things going against us: night shift work, and lack of physical activity for long periods of time.

I'll elaborate on all of these as I get time and also to avoid making one massive post that takes forever to write and is too long to read. I will probably cover the sleeping environment stuff first and eventually I'll get around to various techniques for maintaining consciousness haha. See ya on the flip-flop!

 

Definitely a must.