Managing sleep schedule?

This job probably isnt for you. I have never had this issue.

 

Im a responsible professional who doesnt move the truck unless it is safe to do so. Not getting enough sleep is a safety issue and if you dont have the common sense to just sleep more and the cajones to tell dispatch to shove it if they pressure you to keep it moving then you have no business on our interstates.

People who lack common sense + an 80000lb tractor trailer is a deadly combination.

 

If 10 hours is not enough sleep for you then yes, you are in the wrong profession. IMO, breaks should be no longer than 8 hours.

 

One of the keys to being a successful driver is good time management. The best way to maximize your ten hours is to take care of these eating and hygiene issues between the hours of midnight to 5 AM and then taking your break (sleeping) in the late morning. Almost never a wait for a shower at 1 AM and less traffic when driving at night. Some guys can't or won't drive at night. These are the guys that generally make little money. But it's trucking, and nothing about it is a "normal job."

 

Sometimes too much sleep can make a person feel tired, set your alarm for say 6 hours sleep.

As soon as I park I set my alarm for 10 hours later, usually takes me 2 - 3 hours to relax, wind down etc, before I lay down to sleep. By time alarm rings I have slept 6 hours.

Try that a couple days. See if it helps

 

Don't let these super trucker guys ruffle you, I get around 6-7 hours sleep sometimes I wish I could sleep more but that can have the opposite affect on me. If you are getting 8 hours sleep that should be plenty. Your body has to get use to the different times of sleeping IE days or nights and in a truck Give it some time no one comes into a job running at the top of their game.