Do you ever experience burn out?

Sadly in this business, it's eat, sleep and drive. Even on a 34 I feel like a zombie sometimes. I am numb. The days just run together. I believe it's the intensity of what we do. You can't relax for a second behind the wheel. Can't be good for the mind. Some people really believe in meditation. Maybe try it.

 

I experience burnout every once in a while. When I've been out here too long, I don't feel as motivated. That's sign to go home, or if I can't make it home, find somewhere fun to take a 34. I prefer the spots with the casinos. Exercise helps. Sleep helps. Beer also helps.

 

Also on a 34, get out of the truck. Rent a motel room

 

Yes.

Take 7 days away from the humanity. Leave your phone, computer, everything and go somewhere like here

Stay there until the voices go away

 

i n my earlier years, yes. but once i started doing dedicated work, no. i get home and get decent rest/sleep, and meals.

 

After 23 years of pulling a van and/or reefer, I got burned out on the same crap...grocery warehouses, paper mills, beer brewerys, lying lazy lumpers...I had enough and started pulling glass for a company that only pulls glass to glazing companies that turn the big pieces we haul into windows for the public. It turned my whole attitude around and trucking became fun again.

 

First sign I am getting to the dark side is growing road rage. When I start cursing and spitting at random folks I know it's time to shut down for a bit. And since I'm a chick, crying will be a red flag as well... If going home isn't an option, binging on some silliness on tv works as therapy for me.

 

Hell yes.

The first thing that happens is I'll get mean. As in really mean mean. Dangerous mean. Then on top of that because of the progression in the systematic collapse of the body, mind and chemistry etc along with the mental health creaking under the weight of the overwork, I get pretty much become a #######. Everyone hates me. Really fast.

One day I pulled into a McDonalds in the Reading area (I'll have to relocate it on google earth and post it) and it's a big big beautiful store with like 60 spaces on each side and a blessed 30 spaces under three shade oak trees in the back end by the dumpster and drive through. 0630 I pull in and take 20 of those spots I just finished doing a epic battle flatbed local with shingles and was NOT in a good mood now that I have to take her across reading in the face of gridlock rush through the core and get a load of brick. If you know anything about brick it's 10,000 little ######## wanting to hop off that deck anyway it can to smash peoples wonderful cars on our bad roads. (An example of a fuel that adds to my current stressor and so on, it's a little time to build up give or take maybe 4 days)

Nice quiet Mcdonalds. Blessed be the Lord Almighty I get to have a meal here cooked proper in it's full of time on that stove and no rush anywhere. First pot brewing and all of that. (At this point Im working really hard on morale for the battle to come later that day)

My table had the rising sun blocked by a very large lady standing over me. THAT your filthy truck mister? You are in my spot.

I managed to shake in my seat while containing my explosive temper but it took a moment to think fast but my temper was bleeding through too much. Might as well be a finger in a leaky dam.

I took the keys slammed them on the table and said you want that spot YOU move it in my classic Baltimore Booming dock/sea voice. I guarantee you everyone hear that a mile. She paled, backed up and then turned to talk to manager Manager was able to soothe her feathers. That property where the eating place was asbolutely empty except for one truck two cars. And room for what 120 more? (And half in the shade for a while as the sun rose on one side under a Hollow?)

Burn out? Certainly.

What I do is I get to the company yard. Park it and go speak with the Vice President or President (Owner) alone in his or her office for a few minutes. All I have to do is hover over the doorway until his poobah highness thinks to grant a permission to enter the gates to his Kingdom for the audience with the king. (Sarcasm...)

I sit. Place the pile of work that has been done and yet to do (Paperwork) and say to him If it pleases you, I am going home for 10 days. If I do not do this now, you will find not to your direct liability that there will be accidents, problems and unnecessary complications that will ultimately threaten our relationship as employer-employee down the road if I do not take 10 days to rest a minute. Trucking never stops. But Im fixing to if I don't make a little me time right here and now.

Then I answer whatever questions he has usually related to having done a good job or not, checking on my miles etc. Once he understands I made him a mountain of revenue with that tired semi needing work in the shop anyway I'll get my 10 days off. With one particular set of notes under my computer file. "No calls, no letters, no visits no nothing related to trucking." in return I promise to be back on the property ready to take my nicely fixed truck and trailer and head out a while at a pretty particular date and time.

Out of that ten, I need two to become human in my deep underground cave, best undisturbed by anyone, even the spouse. I have actually growled at her during times like this. (And how, I would repay her at my expense later sometimes it is expensive in some way to make this growl go away from her memory) Then it takes 4 total to get the back sorted. Once that's done I have 4 to take off and just be me.

The last two belongs to the spouse. Even though I am home every night etc. The last time I took time off like that was near Baltimore. And I spent some of that time wrestling with the little Rental boat that is like 15 foot maybe or a little longer with a set of sails. Some of that time Im a student with a instructor teaching me over and over with my money going into his pocket the finer points of sailing. Even though he has taught me before. It has nothing to do with trucking. Absolutely nothing. So the activity absorbs my attention and I forget everything about trucking. At that point there is no more burn out.

Around the 9th day or so I find myself actually wanting to hit the road and the packing has already actually begun on the 7th or 8th day. But that depends on if I got the motivation to get going which I usually do. Once I get it back Im good for several months or more. This is not bragging, it's simply a assessment of what's possible when you have enough time on the road to understand your own stamina.

However.

There are bosses who don't give a #### if they run you under the parking lot. Those are the bad ones. Something bad will happen as before in my life with these idiots and sometimes I will pay for that explosion in front of the meathead with a period of time being unhireable in OTR or worse. The main thing is this. I give them what I can give them in terms of running and work and so on. But when things break inside of me that extra pallet onto my back is too much. You take the whole rig and stick it up well... give it to another driver. ANY number of those 21 year olds in your orientation trailer over yonder being motivated into a lather over the royal road to riches beyond compare in their minds.

Ive said enough. Burn out if you can see it coming needs to be fixed. And if you are a "Be nice" and 'Orderly" about it talking to the correct people before it really comes a problem for everyone you will go a long way to making that burn out problem go away. Before you yourself is disposed of and replaced with a fresh trucker within the company that holds no value in your burned out shell.

 

With a bit of PTSD on the side. Staring at a clock all day is ridiculous.