Question About Sleep

There are no reputable companies that force that type of running on a driver. 99.99% of drivers out here get a mandatory 10 hour break every 24 hours. They can do in that 10 hours whatever they need or want to do. Where that 10 hours fits in is often up to the how the loads fall and their requirements and/or driver preference for when he wants to drive/sleep if the load's appointments will allow.

 

While STex is right, it is quite possible that your friend was NOT working for a "reputable" company. There have always been outfits that would run a driver for as long as he would tolerate it. There are a whole lot of "bad companies" out here.

What you have to know, is that YOU are the one who is going to be responsible, legally, for operating legally. It is your CDL and your livelihood that will be at risk if you choose to run illegal. Sure, you may get away with it for a while. Some guys have gotten away with it for years.

But if the unthinkable happens, you are involved in a crash with serious injuries/death, even if the accident itself is not your fault, if you are running illegal, it could well be the end not only of your driving career, but of any type of financial gain you have, have ever had, or even HOPE to ever have.

In other words, it isn't worth it. It isn't at all unusual to have to stand up for yourself, against your company. You can let them know, in a positive, respectful way, that you will not be forced to run illegal, at least on a regular basis. If that means you have to go work somewhere else, so be it.

 

Anyone that's been driving a while remembers not sleeping much or going 2-3 days with zero sleep.
Plenty of sleep time in this new age trucking. Lots of owner operators still do plenty of cheating but its not as common as it once was.

 

only time i had hard time sleeping was during training. had a hard time adjusting to the movement of the truck. glad i went solo. lol

 

I'm not saying it never happens. I'm saying that if you work for an outfit where it is happening a LOT, then it is time to look for a new job. And I really don't care how many drivers with 135 years experience, never got more than 15 minutes sleep at one time, in all their years of driving.

I'm talking about the reality of what the legal system, both criminal and civil are going to do with you when you do have that wreck.

To encourage new drivers to be irresponsible in their work, just is not right.

 

And just HOW did you manage your own life without the government telling you when to sleep, eat, poop, use the phone....incredible!

 

When he went to truck driving school, I guess he slept through the lesson on saying 'NO", if they had one.

Some companies will use you up, and throw you away when you are worn out (or caught). That is slowly ending, but some of the sleazy operators can still get away with it for a while, and even 'reputable' companies will have no real communication between the safety department, and the dispatch or operations department. So, dispatch pressures you to do whatever they see is important, then later, safety chews you out (or worse) for doing it.

You can't let them play you. You'll end up unemployable, or worse.

If a company is pressuring to you run illegally, you need to look elsewhere.
Unless they are changing your logs when you send them in......the ultimate person responsible for the fraud, and the person who is most likely to get screwed...is the driver.