How often do you truck drivers stop for breaks, leg stretching, etc?

Whenever I want or need one.

 

I hardly ever stop. In a car you feel like you have to stretch because you are riding your ### on the ground in a tiny area where you cannot really stretch. In a truck it feels like you are sitting on a living room sofa. I haven't driven 11 hours in my car since I have been trucking, and wonder if I could drive 11 hours straight in my car easily now. There are times when I get a ton of loads that require me to leave right away, so I will have to take an 8 hour break just to make it and if I did not sleep well during that 8 hours I may have to take a 15 minute break, but that doesn't happen often.

 

I stop every 3 hours or so just for a walk around and to stretch my legs and such. I pull heavy so I keep a closer eye on tires than someone who pulls light needs to. I always mark it in my logbook although I've been told you don't absolutely need to.

 

In a full 600 mile day I plan for 2 short (5-15 minutes) and a long one for a meal (20-40 minutes)

 

company wanted a tire check on the log every 4hrs and was told that the longer you hold it, the worse it is for your bladder etc when youre older, so every 4hrs it was

 

You need to take a break as needed. It isn't good to hold your bladder for extended periods of time. There is a danger in this business of blood clots in the legs. It is better for your health if you stop every 2 hours to stretch your legs and move around. I prefer to set my cruise and move my legs around to keep the circulation moving. There are some health issues that drivers are more prone, such as blood clots in the legs. Another is back problems. With the poor diet many drivers have, high blood pressure and diabetes are problems that are prevalent in this industry. You have got to take care of yourself.

 

Only stop for fuel and to swap trailers or get loaded. Even when I was OTR. All the truck stops sell the same worthless crap.