Drowsy Driving, Zero Options

The only issue with canned rest is that when your scheduled sleep time does come, you lay there exhausted but cant sleep, which wrecks your next shift. I used to consume whatever it took to power thru. it just makes you ill after a while.

If i am dispatching myself and staying out until whenever.. I only book one load at a time. When i go to bed i set no alarms. Whenever my batteries are recharged i will open my eyes, piss, and find the next load with plenty of energy to run it.

Seat of the pants self dispatch has given me the best miles, money and sleep i have ever had in a truck. Been the only times ive enjoyed it.

 

did my posting offend you.??

are you a :"make a spot" driver?

if so, my comment does apply to you and all others that make a spot and cause problems at truck stops..

i'll just bet dollars to donuts, that YOU TOO complain about "make a spot" drivers when you try to maneuver thru a truck stop parking lot.

 

And they sure got some good stuff in that stupid hospital. I came out of surgery cranky. Here and they emptied a needle into the IV that was the end of that. Plus the erasing of that day. (Versed, takes memory away.) If you really got combative they get out the Halidol. That medicine is said to steal your soul for some.

 

No, im a normal human that makes mistakes and has weaknesses, who tries to help others when theyre down instead of kick them in the teeth with my CB rambo perfection. I get buried in by make a spotters all the time without getting angry about it, theyre humans who need to park too. One pissed on my bosses tire at pilot on 77 tuesday, pfft.. I dont care. Im not paid enough to be in a rush or a fight. I pee on those tires too.

Actually I take lots of my pee breaks on the shoulder. Often in front of whatever tractor i see with a hood up, so i can see if they need a hand. Is that wrong too?

Youre criticizing a sleepy driver for getting off the road. I will bet a donut for every dollar of yours that if hed drifted off the shoulder and rolled it, youd be the one saying he shoulda pulled off. No matter what hes wrong and youre right.


To the OP. You did the right thing. Its the world around you thats screwed up.

Its every drivers RESPONSIBILITY to keep their vehicle between the mustard and the mayo. But the insurance companies, courts and lawyers arent talking responsibility, theyre talking liability. Liability rhymes with damages rhymes with payday. The world is wrong.

If Toyota Ted takes a nap on the shoulder and gets rearended by tanya texter then she is at fault because texting and driving is a social no no. And his insurance is good for 100k or so. But if she rearends peterbilt pete taking a nap in the same spot.. Well now tanya is a victim, because trucks have a million dollar policy to go after, and assets beyond that when the limit is exhausted.

Youre a truck, you symbolize wealth, so youre automatically at fault. Victims handbook 101.

 

I solved the whole parking and getting tired deal by driving at night time only. I'm more interested in keeping my self enjoying and able to sustain a long term career in driving, so I just make sure I schedule my self to where I can run nights. Quality of life improved greatly once I did that no more fighting for parking .

 

Troopers have been known to call companies to verify the breakdown.

 

Quite the education... this post.

I'm just this new guy who knows nothing and I clearly see that if you WANT to do this job, you have to do your homework.

It seems to me that if you have a dedicated run, you'd know every inch of that run. Because if SHTF, you'd want an out. A place where you could go to replace, regenerate, some place safe.

I'm wondering if too many look at this like its just a job.... I don't need to do anything to do this job, because its just a job.... not a profession, or a livelihood. Because from my seat, either of those (Profession/livelihood) would entail you put more time in to figure all of the in's and out's. If it were a livelihood, I would think any sane person would be doing extra credit to aid in planning for police, naps, food, scales, truckstops, and every other thing that is placed in the way of the trucker, because livelihood includes providing for a family. I don't know about you, but if my family is counting on me, I'll get my nose in the BS to educate myself to get home safe and earn a living.

I'm just thinking aloud, but I don't hear much of that in these posts.... Dedicated run? How dedicated? if you're in trouble on a dedicated run.... there wasn't much dedication now was there?

 

Its not just a job, too many show up in orientation to where half the class cannot pool a 20 dollar meal. And take wages that are just too obsolete. Because they don't KNOW.

I worry a little bit maybe we lose too many old ones and in a generation USA would suffer from trucking that is not done the way it should be to get the blessed freight through.

Part of trucking is a form of joy. To do it right pleases God and posts pone the trip you take up the golden staircase as they say. If its not done well, you get to go upstairs to the dispatcher.

 

there was a very valid reason why the cop came over, and ordered people out...go ahead, and argue/debate him...not me....i always planned my stops when i ran the road. there simply is no excuse to make a spot.

i am glad you all got tossed out. making a spot only creates more to do the same and jam up a place.

you can debate this with me all you want, you will not win..the truck stop called the police for illegal parking.

you lost this debate, before it even started, and yet, i'll just bet you might very well be one of them drivers that complains about others making a spot, when you are dog tired and cannot find a parking place.

this time, you got tossed out.

you lost. this debate on making a spot.

 

I don't care what it is... if in your chosen endeavor you always strive to do well, you will always meet success. Even when your treated like a POS, like a number. Even when your person is treated with total disregard.... and you still approach with professionalism and manner, you'll always be the winner.

Maybe that's what the "old guard" brought to the table....A pride? I don't know. What I do know is that when I do what needs doing... without complaint. When I put the leg work in, and go the extra mile... I always come out better off.

Of course, I made mistakes in my younger days...paid the price countless times. Visited the poor house on more than one occasion. Its what makes you, right?

Maybe that's missing today? I don't know...that in itself is way above my head.