Question for Truckers...

I get much sleepier and uncomfortable driving my car vs. my truck. Have a very safe trip and everyones given great advice.

Thanks Etosha, I'm going to get some E. oil. I believe in natural products more than prescription ones these days!!

 

I would love to take the credit for this, but it is Gearjammin' Penguin that needs to get it!

 

One thing that works for me when I am driving my car .... had to do it last week .... in a car I will push it more than I will a truck .... crazy I know

I have found that for me that energy drink "Rockstar" is probably one of the better ones out there .... I dont get the crash with it as I have the others .... and some of the other ones out there dont give umph to it either

 

Try pulling over and closing your eyes, 15 to 30 minutes can be refreshing, without sleeping. It will work a time or two, then you will need a real break. My place to Boston, 'bout 18hours, round trip. drive55cat

 

I havent heard anyone suggest books on tape. This is a great way to stay awake and alert on long trips without having to pop pills or chug "energy drinks." You can rent books on tape at any truck stop or go to your public library and get them for free. A good story and the ride will be over before you know it!

 

I have found over the years that your choice of music can have an effect on how tired you feel. I used to be stationed on the West Coast in the military, and would make banzai runs from there to Michigan for vacation. Really hard rock takes a toll on you, and at night playing too soft of a music can lull you to sleep. I usually tried to find a middle ground that worked well for me. Both Vocal and Instrumental surf music had the right beat and was easy to him along with, but not so hard based that it burned me out. I can't swear that this works for everyone, but I always found that tailoring the music to the trip helped me quite a bit.

I always have been prone to getting my tiredest just as the sun is beginning to break at dawn, so even now, I will often pullover and flop out in the seat for a half an hour or so. I know I am prone to tiredness then, so why fight it.

You also need to learn your bodies signals when you are getting tired. When I start getting tired, the first thing I start doing is running my fingers through my (rapidly thinning!!) hair about every five minutes or so. Then I will find my eyes start tearing up, and I feel a need to rub them some. Third stage I find myself focusing on the driving ahead of me, and not moving my head around to check my mirrors. When I realize i am doing that, I jerk my head around to look. There may be a fourth stage, but I'm not sure what it is. Could be waking up in the ditch, but any time I catch myself into the third stage, the truck gets pulled over as soon as possible and I get some sleep. My customers would much rather have the load a little bit late than have to pick it oup alongside the road.

 

#### Burky, you're my older brother-from-another-mother. Your ENTIRE post could have been written by me! Especially the sleepiest right-at-dawn; I would be right around waterville,OH (when doing my nightly Indy-Det runs for Central) and would typically pull into the Mickey D's right near 475 and catch a 30 min nap (or, wash my face and keep on truckin'!).
I find that techno/electric dance music (ala your standard rave fare) keeps me going the best, and when I get tired of it, just switch to a different sirius station (usu Rock) and keep going.

I had to chuckle about your last point; the idea of a customer trying to re-use flour that was scattered on a roadway, flashed me back to the Simpsons! The episode where Homer finds the wrecked T/T full of granulated sugar, and re-bags and sells it, with the busted glass and metal still in it!

 

Even better than music, turn on some annoying talk radio show that you disagree with. Argue back with the guy and you will stay alert.