How do you OTR guys do it??

It's a commitment even though some of us still have to drive 600 miles to make 150$ not to offense lmao

 

My father called it having diesel for blood. A trucker can fall asleep most anywhere and get several hours of good REM sleep, or stay awake to haul that load 400 miles. Having diesel for blood also means you can't sleep in quiet rooms. My last year driving I used an MP3 of an idling truck at full volume on my laptop on hometime to sleep. After almost 4 years away from it I still sometimes have to use that noise to sleep. I can't tell you how many times I would awaken around 4 AM hang around a truck stop till 7 or 8 PM get loaded then drive 400 or 500 miles to make an unloading appointment. Anybody that has driven for long knows what I mean.

 

You can fight off sleep. But eventually your mind will SLEEP. with your eyes open wide. Ive been there. It's a very strange situation to be in the first time it happens to you and that is where people get killed. The second time I learned to open a bag of tricks and get out and work on the sleep problems.

I halted on my US322 mountain and took a 45 minute power nap once sleeping lightly in the nice warm bunk after a 50 hour push and have another 10 to go until Jersey, logs be ######. I reached a sleep state where each minute on the timer took an hour. It's hard to explain.

I made jersey 9 hours to the good. Sharp as a tack after that very well done nap. If anyone at all disturbed me banging on the door or whatever on that mountain river valley it would have meant that there would be no jersey delivery today.

That was one of the foundations of my trucking, learning to stay away from people and cities where possible so I can do what I have to do when necessary.

Fortunately today, you have a team mate to help you or your hours of service to tell you that 11 hours is quitting time for a good night or day sleep. You can count on it. Now that dear Uncle Sam has passed or is passing laws barring your dispatcher from firing you for being legal and late.

 

I relied on a stereo that had a large Detriot at high idle rumbling the bed with deep bass for years. I finally stopped using it. But even on insomnia times like tonight, I will listen to a you tube of a engine for a while. Poof. Sleep. It will always be in me.

 

I like doing long run East to West than driving short run. Cell phone call is my best friend at night to keep me up and yeap snacks! Everytime I feel like im getting drowsy, i get a cold water wash my face & grab lotsa snacks LOL! Thats when I drive at night. Day driving is fine..I never get drowsy.

 

Drive from 12 noon to 6am.
Sleep from 6am til noon. Repeat

 

Somebody runs paper logs.

 

Yea the good old paper logs.

I hated them. I used to run three and the biggest really outrageous issue was I was at home off for 8 days there was a 4th log in play. Ugh. Thinking back on it I hit the memphis inspecition on the last day and they allowed me to go with a minor correction to it while wondering why that whole log was pretty... whoops splashed some coffee. #### it officer so sorry about that clumsy me let me wipe that off.. GET OUT OF HERE!!! =)

Crazy. I got my 8 days off after. It took that long to straighten everything out.