Best hours to drive/rest?

I'm not much of a drinker but I need a people atmosphere sometimes. Too much work stresses me out. So Hooters & wings it is.

 

I like to start out about midnight to 2AM or so. Break off a couple hundred miles and get breakfast/shower or even a nap. Puts me in the truckstops around 1400-1600 before they fill up with all the solar charged drivers.

 

34 hour reset is not mandatory. It is voluntary . Your company may not want you to just shut down where you please. We ran on recap prior to the 34 hour.

 

11 hour drive. Cannot, however, drive after the 14th hour.

 

I suggested Tilted Kilt

 

It's always good to end your day before dark to reduce parking availability issues. However, in the summer when it's hot, it sucks to be in a convection oven in late afternoons trying to stay comfortable and rest. The truck AC works great while driving down the road so drive during the hottest times of day in the summer is my two cents.

As the seasons change this will also change my driving schedule on cross-country trips.

If you can idle to your hearts content, the I like a 05:00 to 17:00 schedule. Good parking availability, always showers available at 04:30. Beat traffic out of nearby cities, gives snow plows time to work, works pretty good year round, Hower in winter I prefer to wait until hour or two after sunrise (for the plows to work) if possible

 

Yeah, the season and weather can really affect your choice of start time. Nothing like being way off the interstate in two lane heaven, getting that wee hour start when it starts to snow with no shoulder or parking spot for the next hundred miles, and you pass a sign that says, "Snowplows From 7:00 am to 5:00 pm".

Doh!

 

My load starts at about 2200 and I'm done by 0630 or so. I have the roads, for all intents and purposes, to myself. One night last winter, we got snowed out due to an overnight storm. I had to do my run starting at about 1000 the next morning. I could not believe the amount of daytime traffic compared to my usual overnight runs. It took me almost 2 hours longer than usual. If I have my preference, overnight is always the best.

 

I hate driving during/after snow storms in the dark and will avoid if at all possible except perhaps a few hours in the evening to get past a summit or reach a good stopping point.