How often do you actually drive 11 hours/day?

Much better roads and scenery too.

 

Fair enough. Maybe I could have sacrificed my Social Media time more and sometimes I did. Other times in certain crappy towns like the Gary, IN Petro, I'd rather stay in the truck. If I was still OTR, I would be interested in trying to hook up a Speed Bag or Strike Bag.



For what it's worth, I'm now a yard spotter walking every time I move a trailer to open or close the doors.

 

I run mostly longer trips. Frequently coast to coast. Where the current load and the preplan load allows, I will run hard as necessary to get a reset in a comfortable location (hotel with nearby dining, bars, and other means of entertainment).

This is just my preferred style of driving. I don't have any health issues and I've been doing it this way a long time. Between this week and next week, looks like I'll drive about 6,200 miles and plan on doing a restart in the middle and at the end, fresh to run back to the opposite coast in 5 days if the opportunity presents itself. I could make the appointments running on recap hours but thinking long term, having another fresh restart at the end of my next load gives me the best chance at maximizing my income and preserving my drive-style preference.

But this works for me primarily because of the long length of hauls. Regional work is a different matter that I'm glad I don't have to deal with.

 

Absolutely! When I read social media the first thing I thought was, "there's his cardio time out the window!". Yeah, Gary is a dump but when you're fit and healthy the losers certainly think twice about choosing to make you their next victim.

 

1.75 from ABQ to SantaRosa Nm, fuel, and 3.75 to lubbock tx , 30 min break, then straight back to abq. So yes, if not all 11, then almost all . Yes you will get bored, and finally burn out. This routes been around since ' 73, and most give it up around 7-8 year.

 

As a flatbed driver it's "illegal" for me to drive more than 3hrs wihtout a stop to check my load. I usually do them not just for securement safety but because the stretching and tire watering does my body good.

 

Most days I drive like 9 to 10 hours

 

Amen

 

Best to check out a member's profile before making wild assumptions.

@Ridgeline is a fleet owner.

Yes, he does ask his driver's to do their job, including checking oil level and adding oil as necessary during pretrips. GASP!!!!

A truck DRIVER should be able to DRIVE. That's pretty much in the job title and job description, don't you think?

 

Yes, it is normal to stop every 2-3 hours. It's a RARE event for me to "feel the Mojo" and drive longer than that.

Even OTR it was common for me to "run on recaps" for weeks at a time. That means I had a total of driving and on duty time averaging less than nine hours a day.

If I have nothing to do but drive, without any pick ups or deliveries, I start by driving about three hours, then take a "leg shaker" for about 10 minutes and plan where to take my 30 minute break.

I use my 30 minute break to take a nap, take a shower, or shop at Walmart. I use that first break of the day to PLAN that 30 minute break. If it's a Walmart stop I want, then I use Google Maps and Satellite View to find the best Walmart and preview how to get in and out efficiently (if I am unfamiliar with the location).

During that 30 minute break I plan for where I will take a 10. I use Trucker's Path, Google Maps and Satellite View, etc to figure that out. I have a plan and a backup plan.

Often I end my day under eight hours. That's because if I took a thirty minute break and THEN drive until I take a 10 hour break, I would be late for an appointment. In those cases I am "within striking distance" of delivery after 8 hours. It's better to do a post trip and take a 10 in order to save that 30 minutes.