Drive for 8, 9 or 10 hours?

I hear you and agree. No solution is perfect. It is just as a driver that 70 hour clock was a royal pain in the butt. I hated it more then the 14. I know my limits and when I am tired. I just don't need some pinhead bureaucrat deciding when. As far as being run ragged a carrier does this today if you think about it. However regretfully I am forced to admit most of today's drivers are more like mind numb automatons. So I see why the 70.

 

I agree, but think about this for a minute...

We are about the only industry that want’s work around the clock, just take a couple hour nap and go again.

Normal people work 40-45 hours per week...Truck drivers work 60+ and want more.

A normal day for a normal person is 8-9 hours. For truckers it’s 14(on elogs) 16-18(on paper).

What the hell is a matter with us?

Why do we fo this to ourselves?

As drivers we should be pushing elogs, pushing 50 hour weekly caps, & pushing higher pay (non milage related).

I don’t know, i’ve chased my tail for so long that i guess i’m over it. Life was great 21yrs old no college and making 40+ a year...The closer i get to 40 the more i wonder what’s wrong with me and our industry in general.

We put way to many hours in for the pay we receive. Just like longer trailers and higher gross weights wouldn’t raise rates, higher weekly/daily work caps wouldn’t raise pay. You would just put more hours in for a few extra peanuts.

 

Trucks are easier, but the overall driving conditions are very tough.
You can't F off when you feel like cause Obaba is watching.
There are so many WTF bad drivers now, it's not even funny. No courtesy, now instead of the occasional bad driver, it's the norm.
They are texting, talking, watching TV, stoned, lost, but all are in a huge hurry to get where they are going, even though they don't have a clue how to get there.

 

As an OTR driver with no home, I don't have a way to spend a lot of idle time and as such don't want or have any use for idle time when I'm out. When I'm out "on tour", I'm working or sleeping with an occasional night out for a few hours for a nice dinner and a few beers. If I was working regional or local or otherwise "home weekends" and had family, I'd probably have a different attitude.

I look at OTR/48 trucking not too much unlike working on offshore oil rigs.

 

Lol...

I know, right?

Usually it's get it and hit it.

There was a little leeway when I ran those beautiful, long, wide open window loads but that stuff bites you in the end.

Loafing around, slow dragging a load is not such a great thing come pay day and the miles are low.

SMH.

 

Saving them for what?

 

RELATED:

What's the longest anyone has gone without taking a 34?

I think I went 3 weeks. Sucked having to stop and wait for midnight to continue a run.

Ugh!

 

I have ran anywhere from 8.5-10.5 hours based on different factors like..
1. How far is my next pick up or delivery.
2. What time is my next pick up or delivery which in most cases I try to get within 30 minutes to 1 hour from the customer based on the parking options if I can't be there till the next day.
3. If I deliver and pick up the next load on the same day, I try to get as much highway behind as possible.
4. Sometimes I will base it on how many hours I will recap the next day.
So as far as driving 8,9, or 10 hours, is pretty much based on the above factors and I have NEVER been late for a pick up or delivery.
If there was ever a job that has irregular hours, its definitely trucking.