Down time? ???

a hotel room to get away from a box on a frame is also a good idea for 34 hour resets, go find some place close to a mall, and a bar and don't think about driving or your job for the weekend.

 

then you need to think a wee bit MORE responsible....what are you 14, 16, 18...???

when YOU GROW UP and accept some responsibility for yourself rather than hide behind mama's back for protection, let us know what the life and RESPONSIBILITIES are of a truck driver...let us in on it....we want to know, since you seem to think you know what you are talking about.....

 

I take offence to that! Even though I don't drive yet, I would image going to see a movie or go to a mall would be better then spending an extended amount of time in the truck not doing anything, if your on a 34 hour period you could probably go to a nice restaurant and eat some real food thats not cooked in a grease trap. But you could always sleep, I have heard that that helps.

 

Down time doesn't come around often...well not for me anyway. I run 3000-4300miles a week so I don't do a whole lot of sitting. But when I do I watch movies, catch up on here, I watch allot of YouTube videos as well as Film/Edit/Upload my YouTube videos. I clean my truck, it's amazing how fast the inside of a truck can get dirty.

34 Hour resets arn't nearly as long as they sound. If you think about it when you start it you've been running all day, so your about ready to sleep anyway and then before you end your 34 you need to sleep again so thats at least 16 hours of your 34 right there, plus your going to take at least 1 shower plus going in and out to go to the bathroom and get food/drinks. Then theres always laundry that needs to be done...

I thought I was going to go crazy out here without TV. I've been out here 4 months without a TV and since I rarely sit for more then a few hours it hasn't really bothered me.



10 Hour breaks are the same way, lets say you roll into the TS at 12:00 by the time you back in, finish your log book for the day and get the next days log page setup. Then do your pretrip its easily going to be 12:30-12:45 then you need to eat and shower then you only have 8 hours if your lucky left...Then if your like me you want to be up/dressed and ready to rock 'n roll the secound your 10 is over so if you get up an hour early you only have 7 hours to sleep...so not much time to do anything.




American Trucker

 

Remember, "Down-time" is very different from "Home-Time" - Down time means you are still on the companies' dime, sort of - and responsible for equipment and such.

You need to be sober, rested, alert and ready to roll when that Qcomm beeps. This means you are either in or near the truck, not halfway across town at a T*tty-Bar. But this doesn't mean you can't do laundry, watch a movie, hang out in the TS for awhile, or with prior arrangement with your DM, getting a room and crashing out for the duration of your break....

Getting the above-mentioned terms mixed up one too many times will probably get you fast-tracked back to the terminal, a five-minute unload with security looking over your shoulder, and finally on the skids, looking for a new job.....

 

I was thinking sarcastic... I could be wrong, but I think not.

 

So far all I have had time for is posting here, talking to my wife, laundry, shower and sleep. Good think I can do three of those at the same time; though, the TS doesn't like me bathing in a washing machine..

 

Do me a favor, if you are parked on the road because everyone else is after a bad snowstorm don't go for a walk when things start clearing up. Your FM doesn't really like it when the NV state police call telling you to get the truck moved ar else they're going to tow it. Maybe leave your cell on if you ever get in that situation. I'm just sayin

 

well given they charge what $10 for a shower and what $4 for the washing machines, they're losing money on that deal...

 

This what i did, first i make sure all my paperwork was in oder for the day and tommorrow, then clean the truck inside and out and if empty sweep the trl too of dungage, after that was all was done i break out the kp kit and fix me a nice homestyle supper, this was my fri night treat after eating sandwichs all week, and if the load wouldnt be ready for awhile, i'd call distpacth up and tell em im getting a motel room for the night, away from the bars and clubs , somewere outa town or very close,were its nice and quite , i knew the truck be okay cause it be inside the a locked fence a guard shack, most times i deliverd too same place and so when they knew when load was gonna be ready or close they call up my motel,this motel came outa my own pocket, which i dindt mind ,cause it gaves me air cond and a very nice bed too sleep on, and feeling fully rested and ready too go,i of course wrote it off at end of year, now i belive that little green book says your on duty from the time you put the key in the door till your dm discharge you too go home, but lots times if im at the yard , i take downtime there, i take my notes and go too shop and hand them my notes as too whats wroung with my truck and gave too shop formen, and they would service it, sorta like cacthing problems before hand , and if i had a load that wasnt due for a day or too, i service the trl too, then go grab a motel for the night and wacth some movies, i too never had any tv or any other 12 volt junk,not even a cb, oops yes i did a handheld, i just had it for the dock work, if you buy all that crap in truck stops you go broke in a hurry, you dont need that crap, buy a good inveter 1500 off net at about 100 bucks cheaper than ta, go too wallworld or thrift stores for a slow cooker, hit the grocery store for roast beef and volia a dinner for 4 nights at about 15 bucks for 4 nights ya i did alot crazy things on the truck, like buying a clothline and old blanket , i threw the blanket over rear of tractor tye off the roop too trl and tye off too tractor and pull ahead and hang clothes , hey those 25 cents add up , i save over 1300 a year being frugal this way,hopes this helps Everett.