pros/cons of overnight driving

Trucking is a service industry. The shipper and receiver determine the schedule. Drivers adjust their life style to the fact that most freight is delivered when the factory day shift begins, and most freight is shipped in the afternoon. Overnight delivery requires night driving. Neverthless, most truck stops and rest areas are jammed by midnight as drivers try to find time in their tight schedules for some prime time sleep. Lack of parking is another reason for night driving.

 

i garee with what heyns said, its very true. a lot of times i prefer to run at night for a few reasons,
far less traffic everywhere, less people to get in the way, the wait at the fuel island is very short or no wait at all, less weight stations are open( but more and more are being equiped with stadium lighting almost ) you can drive up and down city streets with out all the crappy traffic, no people walking around. when i go to park in a truckstop for a shower or my 10 hour brk during the day its 99% of the time easier to find a parking spot, and during the day the wait for a shower is typlicly low or no wait at all..
the down side is my body is wanting to sleep between the hours of 12am to 6am..
contruction is done mostly during night time hours. and if its raining at night it makes a bit harder to see ahead

but again, like heyns said, this is a service industry, adjusting your schedule is hard, but over time you adjust to the odd hours all the time.

 

I also prefer to drive at night, but I want everyone else to drive in the day time. LOL I kinda like the highway to just me! so You all need to drive during the day to avoid me. LOL

 

wait a min!!!! didnt you learn in school that " Sharing Is Caring "??

 

The best I got from my High school was my wife, and I don't share here either.

 

Pros: Less 4 wheelers, easier to find parking during day
Cons: harder to see and the supertruckers come out and you had better have the hammer down

 

There are alot of advantages, as you stated, to nightime driving but.....

To me, the biggest con is safety; Nightime is mostly when all the freaky, horrific, terrible accidents happen.

This is why my policy is not to drive late at night even if i have the hours available to do so. 11PM to 6am.

My policy in more detail:

1) If i load or unload at a customer AND it is between those late night hours i specified above AND i get permission to sleep there for 10 hours then i don't drive regardless of available hours.

a) if i can't sleep at the customer, then i drive to the nearest truckstop or rest area or safe place.

2) If i have to drive at night---due to pushy boss or customers, then i try to keep it on 4 lane highways only.

i don't feel this policy costs me any sacrifice of income.

 

Pros
Less traffic
Traffic lights flashing yellow in those small towns I go through sometimes
Most scales are closed

Cons
Moose and other wildlife can appear like magic