Is it possible for a new long haul driver to get full sleep everyday?

It depends. Most of the time I start around the eving time driving and do night runs. (Like driving empty highway) an park in the morning when driver s leave the t/s. But some time I get a short load (50-180 miles) and get told I have a load to pick up in the morning. Which sucks because I just slept. So I cant go back to sleep.

 

Getting 8 hours of rest has gotten easier as time goes on.
I can usually go to sleep on cue, if I've done any work at all that day.
Evening, afternoon or even early morning, my body has gotten use the irregular schedule.

If ya plan the trip out right you can get a full 8 hours. Sometimes you might end up with a distraction here or there ie. another driver, Xbox, TV/movies etc, but for the most part 8 hours is do able..

 

It depends. Paper or electronic.

 

I just sleep until i wake up except on load & unload days and even on those occasionally, but here's why i can do this.

1. I flatbed so my appt times are really non-existent. FCFS is the standard

2.I always park at the customer when allowed

3.We are dispatched at 500 miles a day and i typically drive 600-650 so i usually end up getting there the night before i'm due to unload and when morning rolls around i'm already at the customer and don't have to start my 14 or do anything. They knock on my door if i'm still sleeping and we get to work.

 

My schedule is fairly consistent. I start rolling at about 10am and I shut down about 11pm. So its easy to get in my sleep. When I driver for a previous company my delivery/pickup times were all over and sleep was difficult to get sometimes. But if I was too tired, the truck was stopping.

 

unless you have a hard time sleeping at different times of the day....its not so bad..i shower then go to sleep...I don't go into the trk stops other than to shower......if I have additional time, I will eat a good meal in a trk stop...

 

Getting a solid 7-9 hours sleep as a requirement for fully "recharging your batteries" is a modern myth:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16964783

Historically folks slept twice in a night, with a 1-2 hour "break" in the middle of the night. Once you realize this, then you can get over the anxiety of "Gosh! I gotta get back to sleep!" I find especially when sleeping in a moving truck I get a really good sleep and wake up about 4.5 hours later, wake up for a while, then go back to sleep for another 3-4.5 hours.

Note that I'm looking at sleep in 90 minute segments. That's because sleep comes in 90 minute cycles. If you get sleepy, then lay down and sleep right now (if you can). If you wait 20 minutes to hit the rack then you will toss and turn until that next cycle comes round. That 90 minute sleep cycle will take you through several stages of sleep, including REM (Rapid Eye Movement) associated with dreaming (which is essential for health) and a deeper dreamless sleep.

If I get refreshed by splitting my sleep, then that's fine with me. Catch Z's when you are able. Turn out all the lights, close the curtains, and let your body get heavy and pretty soon...

... you are asleep.

 

I've ran electronic logs and paper logs and I get way better sleep on Elogs. No dispatcher telling me to go here off my log or unload or load off my log. When I'm outta hours I'm done. End of story. Love my Elogs. Won't go back to paper.

 

Want to have a normal sleep schedule and do OTR, get into oversize and heavy hauls. We generally cannot move before sunrise and after sunset.