Drowsy Driving, Zero Options

Getting old seeing so many trucks on the side of the road only to put the left blinker on and re-enter. If I see a man in distress with his hood up and triangles out I'm getting over. The rest of you better fold your mirrors in.

 

You know dude, hos was setup and still is there to protect the driver. It takes one more tool from the owner/carrier/employer to abuse the driver.

Many of those who want to see it gone are clueless to what it would do to the industry.

It gets tiring hearing about hos is so bad that drivers can't drive how they like.

The hos is screwed up, it has been since 2003 and not many of you are willing to fight for changes back to a system that allowed flexibility but still did the job.

 

I was remembering a difficult day in Illinois and managed to get loaded and out of a shipper. It was a short next day run due next morning. Oh central Missouri or some such from a southern illinois town.

Due to the long day I needed to set her down in a protected area on the side west St Louis I knew of several other spots in that area but that takes time. I regained consiousness next morning having seen a state highways truck also sleeping with protecting lights on for me. As soon I get that truck active and get moving he ran off.

Load was late And logbook talk didnt matter, shipper time lost didnt matter and anything the second day back didnt matter. What mattered and only mattered was that this load was late this morning. And getting later.

When a shipper and reciever operate on two different speeds and the reciever is part of the family of your company you have to be on time. Weather meant nothing all the regulations were no good. Smoke on the wind in front of the owner who has fired you for it.

What I did do was turn in logs full of the actual time lines as it happened going back 4 days showing approximately 64 hours burnt both onduty and driving for a total of about 500 miles worth of production on two loads.

Or put another way 170.00 or so gross, 35% lost to taxes and additional deductions.

It would not be the first time or last time I would soldier on through a mess like that but I left them a 4 days worth of violations in a logbook turned in out of spite. They called me at home saying fix this.

Fix it? Nope, Im not a employee anymore that log goes into my folder under the company firing it tells the story in stone signed by me to the company that wont listen. Maybe they will listen to uncle sam. Who knows. that did not go over well.

This is just one story of many. A part of my life was a workaround on paper the HOS system and later a much more legal professional strictly sticking to HOS even if they fired me. The STate unemployment has been more than happy to have evidence of being fired for being legal on my daily hours. And so it goes.

Today's trucks are VERY comfortable. Big clouds of sky air under your overfed bum. IF you cannot enjoy the luxury and soak in the wonders God has made for our wonderful Nation in all it's beauty as you go to and from your journeys and get a nap or sleep properly once in a while when needed. NOT when it interferes with going home or something that most people do understand from living life.

I usually sleep a while on certain ramps. and lonely ones at that. But sometimes the boss man misses me regardless of the notification that I am resting for safety (Or lose the whole truck, kill a family or whatever. Do he or she not care? No not when there are thousands of dollars to be lost on being late) ship another driver to find me and knock on my door to get me moving. Or take the trailer. It was common back then.

I actually don't mind letting another take the load as long I get his or hers as well. Ive talked enough. There are piles of stories about no sleep as it is. And stories they are, rather than complaints against a industry wide ham fisted mishandling of rules since 2003.

 

Taking a nap on the shoulder is just nuts. Drink 5 red bulls, but make it to the next ramp at least

 

Sour candy!

 

you are NEVER forced to do anything......and see an answer below the next quoting

there you go, you said you get drowsy around 1:00 AM..

since this is somewhat "pre-planned into your brain", STOP before that 1:00 AM time and take a nap of about 20 minutes, and be on your way..you most likely pass by a rest area or on ramp that you could have pulled over to, but decided to trudge on....your fault.

and it IS your fault, that this happens, you are thinking about that family to feed but not yourself, first and foremost. fall asleep behind the wheel, crash, burn and die, your family will lose much more than just you.

it is NOT how ridiculous trucking is in America, it is however ridiculous to blame an industry for your short-sided planning, and driving while tired.

i too worked nights, for many decades, i was NEVER forced to get to where i had to go..if i felt tired or drowsy, i pulled over and took a quick nap......

you have no real excuses after being on the road for 8 years...

try 48 years like me.......you should have had a handle on taking care of yourself, long, long ago.

 

The solution is actually quite simple. Find another industry or find another company. Every job has their cross to bare. Cops can get murdered for simply writing a traffic ticket. Teachers are expected teach kids who don’t want to be taught.
If trucking was easy everyone would do it...oh, wait...

 

Yep, I use lemon drops. Another thing that works very well: Altoids.

 

Bumper height and camber angle. Even after I aired it up