Sleep deprived drivers

You don't have to "sleep" between 1-5AM ... just have to be off duty. You control when you sleep and set yourself to match our schedule.

 

welcome to trucking buddy

 

I'm going to have to agree with you there op.Unless FMCSA puts a scare into the carriers they will always run drivers tired.Local driving is worse.You work your full 14 and dispatch will assign u a load right when your 10 is up meaning they want u ready and at your trk not home and ready to roll after your brk.Some companies assign u a load when you're on your way back and guessing when you
re done for the day.Example a couple days ago I was 50 miles out and heading back to the terminal.Dispatch took that 50 miles as 45 minutes and forgetting I have to unload the tank which takes a half hr and another half hr to do the paperwork post ect.I wouldn't be done till 530 but dispatch assigns me a load for 230 am.He of course cancelled it.I will not interrupt my 10 hrs for nobody.It goes too fast as it is.Theres never any days where im not tired.

 

AT, you are correct that the HOS rules are insane.

When I take home time or a 34 I sleep a lot. I take my sleep on the road seriously, using my 10 for solid sleep without wasting time watching movies, playing games, or otherwise distracting myself. I take extended 30 minute breaks for naps as needed. Learn to sleep when you can, where you can.

 

That sounds like a lot of time spent in some trashy trashy truck stop each and every day as you sweat and watch dust accumulate on your truck. You can have that. Every LESS hour I'm allowed to be in an air-conditioned truck, occupied, and making money, is that much worse all the way around.

"Sleep deprivation" only occurs with flagrant violators who do not honor the HOS rules and for a few who can't sleep days but must run nights. But I would not consider this wide-spread in the industry by any stretch.

 

The media and people were surprise when they heard that Wal-Mart driver who crash into Tracy was working almost 14 hours(or was it 11) but after they realize he was perfectly legal everybody stop giving a crap.

 

First of all, if you are tired PARK THE DERN TRUCK AND TAKE A NAP!!! It doesn't matter WHAT the HOS regs say you have available to drive, it is a violation of § 392.3 to drive a CMV while you are "ill or fatigued". If the carrier allows you to drive after you inform them that you are tired, they are in violation of that same regulation for permitting you to drive.

That little green book is your friend. Read it. Know what is in it. There are quite a few things in there that will HELP you.

 

You have to get used to it. Took me a while.

 

He was NOT "perfectly legal" as you claim. If he'd in fact been up for over 24 hours and was less than fully awake and alert, he was in violation of § 392.3.