So, Just how tired are you ?

I have driven for 20 years. I think the 14 hour rule encourages drivers to push themselves to get their work done within the time frame that government thinks best. When I had the flexibility to take breaks when I felt tired and drive when I felt my best, I was a more rested , happier driver. Blindly following rules doesn't make someone a safe and rested driver. I would simply like to have some flexibility. These rigid hos rules are terrible in my opinion. I have read many articles that discuss the value of naps, but if a driver takes a nap during his work day he loses his work time. The focus should be on safety, but instead we focus on complying with rules.

 

Exactly. Safety is the focus, and a well rested driver is a safer driver. Reading rule books has never refreshed me. I always feel more alert when I'm breaking rules. But, to each his own.

 

Then note this on your profile instead of just "1 year"......

And I say again: How can you be fatigued after a 10 hr break?

 

I think that really depends on the job. When I get the chance to drive most of the 14 I find it is hard sometimes to stay focused but I don't get overly tired. Now if I work a 14 hour day and only a few of those hours count as driving and the rest is lugging hoses, throwing chains, crap like that then I can be dead tired. Do a week of those and I'm falling asleep standing up in the shower after work.

 

On another note:

You have 3 hours of leeway before the 14 hour clock starts to interfere with your 11 hour clock. That's plenty of time to squeeze a couple of 30 minute catnaps. You either have a severe problem with sleep apnea or you have a problem with authority. Maybe it's both. I'm willing to bet you're one of the supertruckers that'll blow the paint off my truck speeding in a construction zone.

 

Yes, I do have a problem with authority. I especially have a problem with self appointed authorities. That's why, unlike you, I work for myself. And once again, since reading comprehension is obviously not your bag, I'm talking about how I divide my 24 HOUR DAY, not how YOU think I should divide it. As far as your medical diagnosis, that I have severe sleep apnea, I can assure you that I sleep just fine. Now, in addition to being a lawyer and a doctor, you are claiming to be a detective as well and deducing from nonexistent clues that I must be a supertrucker. How many times do I need to repeat myself? I keep the schedule I do because A WELL RESTED DRIVER IS A SAFER DRIVER! SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE! NAP NAP NAP NAP NAP! Does this sound like a supertrucker to you?

 

Each person has a different biorhythm, from Edison (who was famous for going days without sleep and would take naps by sitting in a chair and holding a spoon until it hit the floor and woke him up) to my nephew, who seems to need a minimum of 12 hours of sleep a day.

I think the point many folks are making in this thread is well taken, that the 14 hour rule adds pressure for a trucker to try and maximize driving time within that 14 hour time frame. Unfortunately for many folks a 30 minute catnap can be more detrimental than beneficial (see my previous post in this thread noting the average of a 90 minute sleep cycle). If you sleep for 30 minutes it is rare for a person to enter REM sleep, which is required for satisfying sleep. Breaking up your day with short bouts of unsatisfying sleep can leave you more fatigued.

In an ideal world it would be good if the 14 hour rule could be extended to 16 hours to allow for longer periods of sleep, and allow truckers more leeway to pass through major metropolitan areas during non-peak traffic. Since this is not an ideal world we are therefore stuck with trying to use 3 hours throughout a 14 hour period, usually with a 15-30 minute fuel stop or two (which can easily stretch into 1-2 hours if you get behind fuel island hogs), leaving you with only 1-2 hours available for sleep. For me this means I try to break up my day with a 90-120 minute sleep break, which works best for me.

It is always best to pull over at the first sign you need sleep. Any delay will mean you might miss your biorhythm for sleep and you will end up laying there without starting to sleep. I'm sure we've all had the experience of watching TV, getting sleepy but wanting to catch the last 15 minutes of a show, then going to bed and tossing and turning for a long time before sleeping. It's because you missed the point at which you could have slept. Let's say you got sleepy at 10:45 pm, watched the show until 11:00 pm... then it's better to wait until 12:15 am to go to bed, to catch that next 90 minute sleep cycle.

On another note, try to breath fresh air when you drive. I'm amazed that my trainer is making a big deal about keeping the "recirculation" button pushed in our truck. I don't care how "leaky" the cab might be, when you have two people breathing in a fairly confined cab, keeping the air on recirculation is begging for issues with carbon dioxide levels rising inside the cab. A few nights ago I experienced a classic CD symptom of dizziness when I was driving, turned the recirculation off (my trainer was in the sleeper birth), and immediately the dizziness passed and it was like I woke up from a zombie like state.

 

Yup. You think the laws don't apply to you, so yes. You would qualify as a Supertrucker. You're not going to convince me otherwise, so stop trying. You sound more and more like a Supertrucker with every reply. You have no idea what safety is all about, when you haven't said anything yet that is safety oriented.

I'm not claiming to be a lawyer, doctor, detective, or anything else. I'm a driver. Nothing more. One of my biggest pet peeves is drivers like you who think they are above the law and think they own the highway. Sooner or later, Karma will catch up to you and when you're involved in a accident I'll be standing by with my "I told you so" line. Once lawyers find out that you fudged your logs, you're going to have the book thrown at you. All it will take is one accident, and your career will be over. You're a fool for doing the things you do, and you're a bigger fool for boasting about it on the internet, and trying to justify an illegal act.

 

Call me C R A Z Y..but why should we fuss over wanting to work harder for same amount of pay???