why do I see so many day cab guys sleeping in rest stops?

I can't sleep in motels either. You have to keep one eye open or she will steal you wallet.

 

When I ran a daycab, and living about an hour away, I wound up putting a cap on the pickup and just sleepjng at the terminal. No more daycabs here...

 

I worked local for a company called Owens and Minor and I worked 8-10 hours a night, Monday through Friday night. They sell medical supplies and I delivered palatalized orders using an electric pallet jack. Most hospitals have delivery docks and for the smaller clinics we had lift gates. Brought home about $800 a week but didn't have to work very hard for that pittance.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4072184]Bingo patty, I did a LOT of so called "local" work with day cabs, and before the latest regs, it wasn't unusual to start at midnite, and wouldn't get done until 3 pm. Go home, try and sleep (dogs barking, kids screaming) and be back at midnite and do it again. Someone on another thread was considering buying a day cab, and I told them, get a small sleeper, sleeping over the wheel is the PITS!![/QUOTE]
Yes and with that arrangement, more often than not you're slip seating with somebody you really don't want to share with.,if he's late into the terminal, your day could be shot. You're late already and doesn't bode well for your day or the relationship you have with your "buddy"
Ive experienced both good and bad with that scenario.

 

The "social life" benefit is overrated too. Sure, you'll get home everyday with a daycab, but most of the time is spent commuting and doing domestic chores. None of your friends have time to hang out during the week and few have much time for friends even on the weekend. They are always working more hours or taking the kids to this, the dogs to that, or going to see the kids grandparents, or it's the "I've got the kids this weekend." It's always something. Nobody really has much of a social life anymore.

As an owner op, I can take off whenever I like for as long as I can afford; then it's back to the road when I get bored with home and want to run the roads. But, when I get home it's at least a week long, I actually have time to go do things that are fun. Not just domestic and family crap.

 

Ahhh...but if you are anti-social then it is a beautiful thing. Hang with the kids, drink beer, watch the grass grow, tinker with dumb stuff to keep her at bay...now the winter is different though.

 

this thread has taught me a lot about "quitting otr and going local" as if that is nirvana

i prefer just driving a few days and coming home a few days to this "cinderella" lifestyle of local driving

 

and on a side note

wasnt the "sleeping in a day cab" frowned upon by DOT some years ago as being insufficient for rest/sleeper?

and now the ATA has convinced DOT to accept it? good news for hotshots i guess

 

Yes it was least in maryland. dot use to harass us parked in line overnight waiting for the landfill to open they said if you have a tent with you your fine

 

If all that is hard, then maybe you should get a job in a guard shack pushing a pen and checking seals.

Well that sounds like you are in an unhappy life situation. Don't blame that on trucking.

I run intermodal in Chicago. Random start hours, 3:30 am alarm yesterday and today. Some days I don't get up til 8am. Usually it is a 10 hour day, some of those days are nonstop drop and hooks, some are three hour loads/unloads mixed in.

I am responsible for parking the truck. So my day starts half a mile from my house and my available driving hours stop with enough time for me to get back home legally.

I am paid salary any day I work. I also have a company mid roof volvo (no second bunk). I see guys with jackets or whatever propped up under them as they lay against the day cab door during those unloads/loads. I have a bunk to straighten my back when the long unload happens. Or to sleep when I am stuck out (or choose to stay out to save excess driving).

Mikeeee