Trip Planning

Even in NE I never planned 45mph, planners might have. I always planned 55-60

 

I once had to write out the detailed steps of how to shoot a basketball free throw shot. It took FIVE pages and several hours to write out all of the small steps of the movements you need to make to do it correctly. It's one of those things that once you've done it a bunch of times it becomes second nature that you don't even think about. I'm sure this is much the same as part of becoming an experienced driver. Like after your first year of full time driving it becomes second nature.

 

Thanks for stating this plainly! I see these youtube truckers all the time claiming the following:
"Your truck is governed at 65 mph so that means you should be able to drive 650 to 700 miles in your 11 hour day!"
I'm always thinking, oh hell no! Not in the real world w/ things like traffic, exit and entrance ramps, weigh stations, stopping for required brakes and fuel, etc., etc. Especially for a rookie it seems like a reasonable target would be more like 400 - 500 miles in a day depending on the above variables. I honestly don't know what planet a lot of those youtube truckers are living?!

 

It's a trick question. Indiana is a mythical place that only exists in movies. My dispatcher almost got me with that one time. I'm no fool.

 

That's called technical writing. Our class assignment was to accurately write the steps for making a peanut butter sandwich. You could assume the presence of sliced bread and unopened store-bought PB, and common silverware was available. Good luck, you will need it.

 

Is crying and banging my head on the steering wheel an option?

All the way back to my daycab where I don't have to think about any of this lol.

 

Is it an option?
It's a way of life for some of us.

 

Yea there is no way they do that legally I would think. I head out at 4 pm so I get the 5pm rush hour a lil (I'm usually out in the middle of nowhere by then) and drive all night with no traffic in a in ungoverned truck so 80-85 mph a lot of the time and I run just under 600 on my first leg. There have been times I have had to PC to the hotel due to no hours left. I have no idea how someone could get 650-700 @65mph. I guess maybe out west where it's nothing but fence posts for miles, no turns, no other cars to slow you down, no traffic light to wait for after you stop for your 30?

 

Or they could just be lying to make themselves look glamorous on youtube for whatever reason. I'm gonna go w/ it's probably a little of both but none of it is good!

 

I can do 640-657 miles in 11 hours. I think that's my high score driving a 65 mph truck. I know I have done over 640 a few times and my 657 day was on a trip/from Washington state. I'm guessing it was while crossing South Dakota on I-90 recently. My other high mileage days were crossing Wyoming and some of one of two states on either side of it on I-80. It helps to have a cooler right beside the driver seat and ample parking out west. As long as those days are, they are only about 10% as stressful as driving in or around almost any medium to large city east if I-35, not just Atlanta. I'd rather face a week or month of daily 10:45-11:00 driving days out west than almost any5 days of 6-8 hour trips back east.