How do you guys stay awake?

I don’t know DOT regulations but isn’t it so many hours on the road and so many off, and not the modern trucks have computers onboard to keep everyone honest?

I am not a trucker (yet, or maybe never will be one) but I am going to follow company policy. They don’t want a trucker falling asleep on the wheel and killing people. My record on a four wheeler is 700 miles when I was 26 years old and that was too much (driving in the Texas panhandle and Oklahoma, probably the most boring stretch of land in America.

What does the DOT say, eight hours of driving? I don’t know. Eight hours on a rig computes to about 500 miles. Not knowing what I am taking about, I will mostly ride the right hand lane going 60-65, unless I am in a big expanse of nothingness like Montana with a long ribbon and then I will haul ### a bit (maybe 70-75) The load will get there. Safety first. Radio? Play tunes or Fox News. #### will get there, I promise.

 

No turkey or big heavy meals, those hit like a drug an hour later, lots of well timed water, vitamins, proper sleep, a good podcast that keeps your interest, keep the wheels Turing but on average stop every 200-240 miles, take a 15 min cat nap and walk a bit, then sip some more coffee.

if you start feeling the nod coming on? Stop at all costs and get some rest.

 

I usually sideswipe something and I'm good for another couple hundred miles.

 

Yep that works too! Lol

 

Works wonders, red lining on adrenaline. Lol

 

I've done most of my driving at night time. It's definitely not for everybody and it takes time for your body to become used to the schedule. I take naps whenever I can. If a station I'm waiting on a set is taking a long time to load trailers, I'll go into the den and sleep until they're ready to be set up. If I'm going to be at some place longer than 45mins, I'm using that time to take a nap. When I did food service, I was constantly on the go. I didn't need no stinking nap while running my routes.

 

that's pretty much what i did, took advantage of a few minutes to take naps.

got me ready for when i retired, as i was an experienced "napper"....

 

I spent almost 2 years at an LTL asylum. That sorry company didn't allow their drivers to take naps. They also wonder why their CSA standing is so poor they've become a red flag with the DOT. I'm glad I got out of there. My MVR and CSA are spotless. I felt like I was being driven crazy working for that particular company.

 

many companies don't allow thier drivers to take naps.

but all companies are "supposed" to allow for a lunch/dinner break.

that's when you take the naps.