NEWBIES......Driving Fatigued!!!!

I feel ya Deepstroke, I get that many a night. Takes a while to realize when your done. How about the times you try to find a parking space, not there. The act of downshifts and then upshifting- now you feel good enough to pass that perfect spot- 5 miles from that spot you realize "oh boy should have taken that spot".

 

Trucker wanna-be, here.
How free is a trucker to take naps when needed? I am sure that a trucker with his own rig and no boss can do what ever he wants, but when driving for a company how much authority do you have over the situation? Does it very from company to company? Is it completely up to you as long as you don't mind not getting paid while you sleep? Is being on a tight, no rest schedule or not something you can choose or request?

 

I can tell you this sofasurfer, if you feel tired pull over and communicate with your dispatcher that you're tired. IF THAT DOESN'T WORK talk to safety and if no help from them look for employment elsewhere. N o load is worth your life or anyone else's. Good luck and be safe.

 

It is up to the driver. You are your boss out there. Yes you probably have a dispatcher who thinks they are the boss but ultimately it is on you to get pickups and deliveries on time and whatever you do in between rest solely on your shoulders. Communication is a big thing for keeping a good relationship between you and dispatch but will also keep you in control.

 

(adding to bigcountry's commentary)

I run as hard as I possibly can. I dont do late. However, I sleep when I am tired and I drive when I am awake. If I am under load, I do not
1. watch TV
2. trash around truckstops
3. play video games
4. surf the internet.
I dont like a really big sleeper and dont need a really big sleeper on a rig because the only thing I do in a sleeper is SLEEP! Drivers fall asleep at the wheel because they dont get enough sleep. Sleep deficits can build up and one day you crash 2 hours after you just started driving.

You cannot be your best, be healthy, grow, learn, recover from illness...etc...effectively without sleep. Drive hard/sleep hard. Screw the dispatchers.

 

Most companies have a "captain of the ship" policies. You control what happens to your truck.
If the company does not have this dont work there- most do. Saftey is number one priority these days.

 

This is probably the number one problem with driving, because you think your fine. You also seem to loose your judgement ability with the fatigue. All of us have to fight this, and make every effort to get it parked even for a hour nap

 

I so hope you were joking; but since I notice a lot of 4-wheelers drifting while texting I have no doubt some truckers do it too. Please STOP this! It's very dangerous, especially since your instinct is to yank the wheel back into the correct lane which in some cases can cause you to jacknife.

 

I'm just curious how legal that driver's logs were .