how can you keep your biological clock?

Tankers are like that also. Love the p/u's and del's during first shift (7a-3p).

 

I have been a complete night owl since I was born, so trucking didn't present that big a problem for me, compared to when I was waking up at 5 AM while I was working construction, that was rough.

 

Safe and legal are not the same thing!

One can be completely legal to drive and be absolutely unsafe to do so! And You can be perfectly safe to drive yet completely illegal too!

The biggest problem I see is this misguided notion of the "14 hour " rule. I used to take a mid afternoon nap around 2-4 pm to combat fatigue. I can't do that now and it makes me a little less safe, IMHO.

 

Where I come from there are laws but no requirement for logs and no enforcement regarding this. .Guess what ? Drivers often drive till they drop.When I was a driver I would push up till I started hallucinating. I used to joke that I got at least 15min if I added up all the times I nod-ed off.Not really funny or clever at all.All the drivers under my control now know that they do not drive if tired.I have fired drivers for not resting.I don't have a problem explaining why a shipment is a few hours late in the interest of safety.Beats telling someone their husband or father is dead.I have had to do this twice after accidents.In one of these I suspect fatigue played a role. Pace yourself and try to get at least 5 hours sleep in every 24. On this side they say you get driving fit.Work your way in to it and you will get fitter.You will however have limits and if you stick to them you will be OK.

 

Drivers may not be aware of microsleep, but I suppose it happens to all of us. The only solution is quality sleep, not a series of naps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsleep

 

When I was young and extremely stupid, I pushed myself to the max once while on leave in the military. Every hour spent travelling was an hour lost of "true" vacation, I figured.

I drove 1550 miles in 37 hours in an FJ-40 (short wheelbase) Landcruiser, without stopping except for fuel. No P/S, AC, cruise control, or etc., and a top speed in the 50's.

I ended up stopping for several hours only about 30 miles short of my destination, though. Why? Because I found myself in a dust cloud in the median of an Interstate, brakes locked and sideways, after dodging the tail of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that had walked across the highway in front of me.

True story. It was a miracle I didn't kill myself or someone else, of course, but that sort of dangerous Tough Guy Wannabe stuff is what Marines (the young ones, anyway) are made of. And too many young truckers who want to prove themselves. Don't go there, newbies. It is Russian Roulette, nothing more.

 

awww cmon 1550 miles in 37hrs---thats just a good run

 

And an easy one as well.

Did not have to try and log it.

 

In a Jeep, through the mountains, on (mostly) state highways. After starting out at the end of a full day's work. Heh. "just a good run" says the man.

 

no more trips like that tho--its not worth it to me--maybe to the company---its pretty easy in canada to log that--scales are few and far beteween---and it was a regular run--so would have a good idea of what might be open-------plus can drive 13 hrs legally---logs just showed that i left about 20 hrs earlier