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Managing sleep schedule?

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by cwr327, Feb 24, 2015.

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  1. Feb 24, 2015 #11
    driverdriver

    driverdriver Road Train Member

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    I've been taking 12hr or longer 99% my entire career. I've always made sure I get my sleep whether I need 8,9 or 10
    So don't sweat it
     
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    #11
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  3. Feb 24, 2015 #12
    driverdriver

    driverdriver Road Train Member

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    If breaks where no longer than 8hrs it would be nothing but mayhem on the highways
     
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    #12
  4. Feb 24, 2015 #13
    cwr327

    cwr327 Light Load Member

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    8 hours is plenty for me, I'm just not getting that much sleep. It could just be because I'm new and everything takes me a little longer to do than experienced truckers. I've also had a pretty lousy past few weeks. My third week on the job it seemed like everything that could go wrong DID go wrong. The DEF pump went out on my truck, I got stuck in a ditch and had to get towed (qualcomm led me down the wrong road), a customer had a power outage and made me wait a whole day, one of the tires on my trailer nearly caught fire and I had to have the entire brake chamber replaced on the side of the freeway. I am also a hygenic person, I know there are truckers out there that don't shower or brush their teeth or anything like that, whatever, that's not me though, and these things take time.

    I think it's rude to think someone isn't fit for this job based on nothing but a few sentences. This is a difficult job, I've learned that much in these past few weeks, but it's not rocket science. I hate this attitude some drivers have about trucking, like they think they're special because they can drive a truck. You're not special and, although it's a respectable job, I can assure you nobody looks up to you for doing it.
     
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    #13
    stabob Thanks this.
  5. Feb 24, 2015 #14
    driverdriver

    driverdriver Road Train Member

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    Don't pay these rude mothertruckers any attention it will take sometime to get used to it .
     
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    #14
    texasbbqbest and cwr327 Thank this.
  7. Feb 24, 2015 #15
    cwr327

    cwr327 Light Load Member

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    Thank you driverdriver. I won't pay them any mind. I just felt like I needed to get that off my chest.
     
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    #15
  8. Feb 24, 2015 #16
    driverdriver

    driverdriver Road Train Member

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    My 30 is up need to roll
     
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    driverdriver, Feb 24, 2015
    #16
  9. Feb 24, 2015 #17
    unloader

    unloader Road Train Member

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    When I was OTR I would generally take between a 10.5 to 12 hour break each night. A ten hour can become tiresome when you do that seven days a week, but sometimes that is what your load calls for. For me though I found about 11 hours to be my sweet spot, 12 if I was being lazy, 14 if I stopped giving a #### about my productivity.

    That said to shower, eat and get eight hours of rest you a ten hour break is enough. Now if you want to surf the net, or watch your favorite TV show after showering... then you'll probably want to give yourself an additional hour.

    Remember, the time in your sleeper is yours. It doesn't matter what anyone else does. You have to find what works for you. If it takes you 90 minutes to wind down, so be it. If it takes you five minutes to fall asleep after a hot shower (like me) so be it.

    Dispatchers love the guys who can go 11/10 every day like clockwork, but they also like the consistency of the guys running 10 hours a day and start at 4-5am the same time each day. As long as your load gets delivered on time and safely nobody really cares how long of a break you take.

    unloader
     
    unloader, Feb 24, 2015
    unloader, Feb 24, 2015
    #17
    cwr327 Thanks this.
  10. Feb 24, 2015 #18
    Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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    If you're a new driver, it takes a while. Reefer drivers have it the worst. I did that most of my career and always dealing with the most horrible receiving hours. I was fortunate in that I've never needed more than 5 or 6 hours sleep a day,so reefers wasn't so bad for me. Not saying 5 or 6 hours sleep a day is a good thing, but that's just the way my body scheduled itself.
     
    Chinatown, Feb 24, 2015
    Chinatown, Feb 24, 2015
    #18
    texasbbqbest Thanks this.
  11. Feb 24, 2015 #19
    cwr327

    cwr327 Light Load Member

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    I know this is kind of off topic but It's been a tough few weeks for me, and I'd like to say that the best part about this job so far for me has been other drivers. I've put up with crap from customers, 4-wheelers, dispatchers, but if I'm having trouble I can just casually ask any driver for assistance and they are more than willing to give me some help. I can even just tell a group of drivers that I'm new and they #### near trip over themselves trying to give me tips on how to be a better trucker. It's pretty cool.
     
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    cwr327, Feb 24, 2015
    #19
    Lepton1, TruckerGonnaBe, unloader and 2 others Thank this.
  12. Feb 24, 2015 #20
    OldHasBeen

    OldHasBeen Road Train Member

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    I'm going to try and give you a kind polite answer.

    Driving jobs is not for everyone. Some people when they're driving, especially at night time it makes them sleepy and such a person should never have a job driving. Driving is just not for them that have this problem.

    As for me during my driving days of yesterday I never had a sleepy problem.
     
    OldHasBeen, Feb 24, 2015
    OldHasBeen, Feb 24, 2015
    #20
    GenericUserName Thanks this.
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