Conditioning for the new driver...

Never drink while driving...never eat while driving. Nor do you do any of those things...24 hours before driving.

That's how you drive 11 hours at a time without stopping. Not !

If someone tells you they do. They either have no kidneys/bladder. Or they have a catheter inserted, with a HUGE holding bag.

Some people adjust quickly to driving extended periods. Others take time to adjust. It's all on you actually. Yes, your trainer will insist you cowboy up and drive long and hard. But, it doesn't happen in real life. At least not as frequent as it used to.

I don't stop for meals in a typical day. I do grab coffee and a light snack while fueling though. I even make special stops for more coffee...intake and release.

So I'm usually done in a 12 hour window, with 11 hours driving shown for the day, unless it's a multi stop. Then it varies from 8 hours, to the full 14.

 

Alright, i am going to nip this in the bud before it even gets started. Stay on topic. Want to bash, go to the 'bad company' board, and vent there. Don't have information directly relating to my question, I will be sure it gets removed.

not going to play games with others anymore. don't have anything helpful or constructive to say, then just zip it.

 

I believe it is more mental stamina than physical. As long as you have the ability to dis-associate yourself from your body on these long drives you will find that you are capable of extraordinary things. This is how the veterans of old got things done.

It comes down to keeping your "mind" active. Wether this is accomplished through listening to audio books, talking on the cb, listening to talk radio programs, or being introspective about the meaning of llife. It all comes down to the same thing; stimulation for the mind. The body will do what it is told to do by the mind.

Believe it or not we still have some old road dogs burning up the highways and turning a thousand miles per day as a solo (not legally mind you). These fellas are usually found in the owner op and lease op areas though. Less scrutiny from safety personnel as compared to their company driver counter parts.

Yes, I will confess, in the past (as a lease op under the old hos rules) I would routinely drive a thousand miles a day. The most I ever turned in a 24 hour period as a solo was a little over 1150 miles. I never used any kind of road dope either. No coffee or pills of any kind. Soda pop would provide some caffeine but otherwise it was mental exercises that kept me awake and alert. Books on tape and even the cb will help keep you "up."

 

Good info. I always wondered just how well those 'books on tape' really work. I've seen webcams on the internet where the driver has the cam set up to view the road. Also some are set up so they can read the screen, then talk to keep them 'aware'.

 

I agree and appreciate everyones replies. There is so much more to doing the job than just driving. This is a good thread you started.

 

Thank you very much. I think i mentioned this before, but working at the truck stop, this trainer stopped in for fuel and snacks, and he said something about how he had a new trainer in the truck, and she was going pretty good. Said something about 'conditioning', and got me to thinking about just what how one would go about doing that. Seeing how, hopefully, ill be needing to know exactly how to keep 'aware'.

Another thing I thought about doing, was during my down time, getting one of that Nintendo DS video game systems with that brain game to 'excersise' your mind.

 

it does depend on you.

Me, I love to drive. When visiting my folks or my in-laws, I'd drive non-stop. (that is, stops for fuel, food, and comfort, but no stop would be longer than 15 minutes.) My folks are 15 hours away (about 950 miles) by car. My in-laws are 20 hours away. My family used to live 23 hours away, and I'd drive THAT non-stop (see above caveat). I paid one of the ferry workers to wake me up in time to load - then I'd sleep more crossing Puget Sound. Home was 5 minutes from the ferry dock..

Now, in the truck, I actually tend to drive 9 or 10 hours a day.

Then there are days like Wednesday. Not only did I manage 637 miles, I did it in 11 hours. Well, 11 hours and 6 minutes, technically. Not bad for a truck governed at 60MPH.

REALLY not bad when I didn't dare pass up any form of convenience stop - rest area, truck stop, restaurant.. while wondering why my imodium wasn't working worth a sh.... sh.. shoot. Still, I made it safely. Good thing, too. I was not in a position where I could change to clean clothes. No clean clothes left to change into.

I don't do caffeine these days, either. I gave it up some time ago, but I've found it really helpful when driving. Or, rather, helpful when NOT driving. It's a lot easier to sleep, now.

I don't stop much for food. I hit up grocery stores for sammich makings and grapes. Grapes are the important bit. I hang a bunch on my door and eat them as the day progresses. Keeps the hunger pangs at bay, helps slake thirst, and are moderately good for you.

Biologically, we're designed for "all day eating", as opposed to "gorge yourself three times a day eating". Eat a little bit all day, and you should do well. To top it off, I've lost 25-30 pounds in the past 6 weeks, all of it non-muscle mass.

If you need to keep going, but you are tired, chew gum. I heard this idea on this forum, and gave it a try. By golly, it works! Something about the chewing activity helps keep the brain a bit more alert. I'm gonna buy stock in Wrigley's. Of course, this won't work if you are seeing double and weaving all over - it's only for those "I could use a cup of coffee" times.

I've got my laptop on board.. WILL have my tower in a trip or two. Not only is it for Driver's Daily Log, but for games, my blog, and general peace of mind. This trip, the scanner is going too - all paperwork will be scanned. Thus, I'll have 2 copies of everything.

Once I get my air card, it'll be used for annoying folks here on this board, and for playing Eve-Online in my downtime. (yes, some things are more important than sleep)

Where were we? oh.. 'conditioning'. So, yeah. It's up to you and how you deal with the hours. I recommend finding a routine that works for you and sticking with it as best you can. I stop every two hours (or as close thereafter as possible) for a little walk-around. Get out, walk around the truck a few times, stretch, hit the head, etc. When I get back behind the wheel, I'm good for another few hours.

When you get a load, call ahead. Not only ask for directions, etc, but ask if they will accept the load early. Quite a few places won't, or will have a window. This is helpful for telling you how hard you need to drive. I had a run last week where I needed to get 1100 miles in 4 days. Cranking out 5-600 miles a day would be silly. (I didn't get the word that the appointment had changed until I was about 2 hours away from delivery - I was peeved. If I'd called ahead and found out, I could have spent a couple days with my MIL)

If you can, plan your driving so you arrive at the dock near the beginning of your hours. If you have to push a bit to get to the area the night before, it will help you in the long run. (area = a stop within a 2 to 3 hour drive of the dock).

I've wandered off again...

I'd better stop before I get lost

 

oh yeah...was talking on another thread about inverters, and what to have in your truck. A nice multi-purpose scanner/copier. Someone said how they got pulled over, and asked to hand the cop their log and/or some other paperwork. I said i would NOT ever lose the chain of custody of my paperwork. I would have everything scanned/saved to my hard drive.

But you did bring up a good point. There is a computer program out there, i am sure you've seen it, maybe even use it already for your DDL. Lets you know where your 11 and 14 hour marks are at, keeps a running total on HOS and how many are left of your 70/8. I am sure having that to use will save alot of headache, not to mention a ticket or two. Would pay for itself the first time you got 'checked'.

 

Grapes are the important bit. I hang a bunch on my door and eat them as the day progresses. Keeps the hunger pangs at bay, helps slake thirst, and are moderately good for you.

***Thanks for the idea Lurch! The hubby loves grapes so I will be sure to tell him about this!


The exercise thing is probably the greatest idea for staying awake. Exercises increases endorphins (happy feeling thingy ma-dodgers), which in turn will help make your body alert. More and more doctors are leaning towards 45-60 minutes DAILY of regular exercise that "peaks" your heart rhythm. Of course, any amount of exercise that gets your heart going will trigger the release of the endorphins, giving you needed energy to continue on.
I actually know someone who keeps the little hand dumbells (the little ones that you can purchase at Wal-Mart for a couple bucks or so) in his truck and uses them to both stay in shape and awake.

Funny enough I often find that a large glass of ice water keeps me moving when I'm out of energy. An added bonus would be to hit a pot hole, right about the time you turn it up to drink it.....the added bonus would be the splash of water that um......spilled in less than desirable places!

 

You do get conditioned to driving longer, it's the level of concentration
you need that will wear you out when you start driving, after a while you get more comfortable and find you can drive longer spells , its a progression thing.