Is it possible for a new long haul driver to get full sleep everyday?

Yes,its by choice.Companies give you your 10 hr brk.How you spend that 10 hrs is the drivers business.Some park it then spend a few hrs in the truckstop or on their computer before they hit the sack.Come morning they're too tired.Sometimes its the disptchers putting stress on the drivers to drive.You're the captain of your ship,dont let your dispatcher push you.But you also need to drive your available hrs too.Dispatchers get angry when drivers only drive like 7 hrs and they still have 4 hrs on their clock.You drive as much as you can without burning yourself out.

 

It depends,

OTR can throw your sleep rhythm out of kilter pretty bad.

Since the E logs the dispatchers can't push us so much anymore , so they aren't really a factor .

It's more of an individual thing , either you can fall asleep at anytime or you can't .

 

Your sleeper time is what the load legally allows. Today it could be 8pm to 6am tomorrow it could be 1pm to 11pm, and on and on. You could get on a cycle for a couple days requiring you to sleep during the day and drive all night, and then it flips or you have to go to bed at 5pm.

 

Here is what will screw with you in OTR trucking. You spend a period of time out on the west coast running north and south, you will get used to west coast time, then you get a run going to the east coast, 6 am on the east coast is 3am on the west coast, so to make a 6am delivery, if you get up at 5 your body will think it is getting up at 2am.

That can really be hard to do.

Same goes in the oposite direction, you get used to east coast time, take a west coast run, 6pm your body is drowsy and wanting to go to bed, and you will wake up at 2am because it is your "normal" time to wake up.

The best way to combat this is to live by the clock of the timezone your logbook is in, and if you can schedule your deliveries and pickups to be during your normal hours.

 

My 2 cents: It can be anytime in a 24 hour period, which was fine by me "When i was tired i slept, when i was hungry i ate" wait- that's forest Gump. LOL kidding aside, i had the best sleep in my life in the sleeper, the engine idle would rock me to sleep and i really did sleep or nap when i got tired.
These are different times though, i dont know how the electronic logs might affect how and when you can sleep.

Others would know better.

:smt015

 

I sleep better in the truck than I do at the house! What gets me is the midnight deliveries and then a morning pickup. Schneider is really good about keeping my schedule sane. I love to wake up at 3-5am and then run my 11 and be in a T/S by 3-5pm Doesn't always happen, but I make an effort to run like that and it takes alot off stress off of my life

 

Once you and your despatcher develop a relationship so to speak,theyll try and find loads that fit your sleep pattern.I prefer days and my dispatchers most time time found loads that suited him and I.

 

If your tired enough youll sleep. Sometimes a melatonin can help if your restless and need to sleep. I never had a problem sleeping in my truck when it required it, often slept better than at home listening to the wifes snoring. An important key is to reduce as much distraction as possible like electronic devices and such. Ive been a night owl most of my life and prefer running nights as I feel I can be a lot more productive and its a bit more relaxing.