How do you handle it?

Cocaine and hookers.

 

Pull a skateboard. Load during the day.

Tell dispatch not to give you stupid appointment times.

Deliver when I get there.

Seriously, every load doesn't have to be a hot load. I get that now and again stuff happens. But you gotta stand up and say that just won't work sometimes, too. Otherwise they'll keep pulling that crap.

 

After a few decades in trucking you hear it all. The world will not stop turning if that so called hot load isn't delivered on their schedule.

 

I pulled my first reefer load Frisay morning. I ran hard for my company, to deliver on time, for my company.

Never again. The BS reefer and Van guys put up with? F that. Needless to say I am not welcome back at tgat grocery store, and I'm ok with that.

 

Another technique that I've used and recently learned that it has a name. Take a caffeine nap.

It's very simple, caffeine takes 20-30 minutes to kick in. Drive until you feel the need for sleep coming on, but while still alert enough to be safe. Find a safe place to park for about a half hour. Set your alarm for 30-45 minutes, depending on how much time you have available, slam your favorite caffeine drink and get to sleep. The caffeine should be kicking in about the time the alarm sounds.

When you get up from a caffeine nap you will feel amazing!

 

Having driven refrigerated for a while, it makes tarping so much more enjoyable.

On Friday I picked up a load of lumber for a Monday delivery with weekend home time. I rolled in to the sawmill around 1300, went to the wrong location, got redirected and had to wait for another truck ahead of me to get unloaded and reloaded. Then they loaded my truck. I strapped, tarped, got my paperwork and was rolling out by 1500.

Yeah, it was hot sweaty work in the bright sun. But with a refrigerated load I would have still been waiting for a dock door after two hours.

I still had time to go 40 miles out of route to get 2 new tires on my trailer and be home by 1800.

 

That would never work for me, I feel that first sip of coffee in 2 minutes.

 

It takes me 20-30 mins just to fall asleep.