Night driving issues, sleepiness

And that is the real point.
Choose a shift and keep it.

If you like days, run days. If nights, more power to you.
But we can not safely switch between the two at command or on a whim.
That just leads to accidents where people get killed.

I never accept loads that will take me too far out of my comfort zone.
It has works for over nine years out here, and I see no reason to change how I run my loads.

 

I prefer a good nap.

I once pulled into the Junitia Overlook on US 322 prior to US 15 with a 9 AM Jersey run since approximately Wisconsion straight through including deadhead to St Paul and double back loaded. That was a long day and a long night.

Had trouble downgrade on Seven Mountains so I decided that was enough for that. Sleep time. Had a hour a ten minutes to spare. Dispatchers were biting on my qualcomm too. Blew that up proper to use a smart phone term.

As far as naps go being off line for 50 minutes exactly then laps around and aound in that sunrise was really something else.

Truck was arrived at customer in Jersey 5 before 9.

It was not much of a nap. But when you have degraded to the point that you cannot keep her between the lines, get a nap. I told them thats the end of those Anderson Window loads in St Paul. Not with that schedule. Just not worth it.

Even the stupid day was not over yet. I was in Kenly NC later that night. That was about a 15 hour rest time.

 

Don't skimp on sleep. Don't eat heavy meals with lots of sugars. Get checked out for diabetes and/or sleep apnea.

If you can drive without feeling tired in the day but not at night, then don't drive at night unless you absolutely must.

 

The best part of night driving: pulling into a truck stop at 0700 right when someone is pulling out of the front row.

 

Some tips on how to remain alert while driving:

• Get enough sleep.
• Do most of your driving when you feel the best, which may be at the start of your day or during daylight.
• Divide your driving into manageable portions. For example, 5.5 hrs, 3.5 hrs, and 1.75 hrs.
• Work fast throughout the day, so you won’t be driving too late at night or at the end of your 14-hr clock. You can drive all your 11 within 12 hrs.
• Drink coffee (or energy drinks) on the portion of driving that you will be feeling tired. Don’t exceed 400 mg of caffeine in a day, especially at the end of your driving as caffeine can affect your sleep quality.
• Chewing gum, jolly ranchers, and sunflower seeds can help you stay awake, but ONLY use them when necessary. They lose their effectiveness if you overuse them. The same goes for coffee.
• Keep your sleeper berth as dark as possible to increase your sleep quality. If sleeping during the day, wear a sleeping mask.
• Stay away from heavy meals as they can cause you to feel tired and sleepy.

 

And park in places away from people.

0 dark early... BAM BAM BAM NEED A LUMPER!?

 

No... Prefer night driving.Truck stops have ample parking during the day.Im like a vampire..glimpse of the sun..im done.

 

Stop drinking caffeine
keep a bang in the fridge if you really need it chug that thing you're good for a few hours.

 

Learned that with time . Dispatchers want you rolling as soon as that 10 is up but you can't maintain a healthy life out on the road while having a rolling sleep schedule.

 

You mean a Bang energy drink? I see they started selling a non-caffeine energy drink in 2017 and are using beta-alanine as an enhancer. Caffeine is not bad for you as long as you consume it in moderation, generally no more than 400 mg per day, which can translate to 4 or 5 cups (8 oz) of coffee. Also, caffeine has been very well researched and humans have been using it for a long time.

Bang (beverage) - Wikipedia

β-Alanine - Wikipedia

Caffeine - Wikipedia

Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?