What does running hard mean to you?

glad to see they keep you busy!

 

I get the most miles in my situation by rolling my hours. So unless I have to I don't drive much more than 8 to 9 hrs a day. Beyond that and I'm looking at having to do a restart. So that leaves more than a 10 hour break for me. Depending on pickk up and delivery can change that. I'm otr and not concerned about getting days off unless its my home time. So roling my hours works best for me. So in my opinion its about consistency and being on time in my circumstance. I'm usualy almost out of hours but have hours coming back for the next days drive.

 

Not murdering your neighbor is the status quo too. What in the hell is the point of risking your life and everybody else's on the road just so you can make a few extra dollars? At a certain point, driving tired is no different than driving drunk. And unless you're on some kind of drug, you're probably going to get that tired after 11 or 12 hours of driving. Not too mention all the other hours you were doing stuff before you even started driving.

 

Running hard to me usually involves being chased by some woman's husband.

 

Running hard.

If you were a fighter, in the gym every day, training, sparring, working the bags, reflexes...etc, eventually, the training becomes second nature to you. If you get into a fight with the average Joe, you will cut him up like meatloaf. Truckin is the same way. You get into a rhythm where you start truckin, not driving...there is a difference. Anyone driver can put in a straight 11 hours. The difference between a truck driver and a trucker is a truck driver can run hard, a trucker cant. Why not? Because a trucker only has 2 modes: STOP and GO. Either full stop or full go.

Someone posted on this thread about hammering out 660 miles a day. Every day? Thats a trucker. Is that running hard? No, he does it every single day...its like breathing and taking a piss. If you have a hard time breathing, somethings wrong with your lungs. If you have a hard time pissing, then somethings wrong with your plumbing. If you are running hard, somethings wrong with your work ethics.

Years ago, during the 14/10 days, we'd run 5000 miles a week and home every weekend. Illegal? No. Every trucker can run 900-1000 miles in 14 hours in a 65-70 mph truck with spring ride and armstrong steering. Not just one day, EVERY DAY! This 11 hour crap? Please. They do that so that all the people who cant truck 14 straight can have a job driving a truck and think they are competitive (and keep the rates lower).

"Yeah, that may have been the way things were, Six...but nowadays, there's elogs. Cant put those numbers down anymore. You are obsolete."

So, I went to elogs to see if I could still run with an electronic cattle prod in my truck. Pulled an oversized load from Nevada to Iowa across 80. Some safetyman called me "concerned" when I legally logged 800 miles in 11 hours. They dont like for us to run over 850 hours in a 24 hour time period. I ran 800+in 11, took 10 off and started driving again. Safetyman calls me wanting me to pull over and take another 10 off so as not to go over 850. "Sorry, friend...my elogs tells me that I can drive. I'm going driving." He then went on this spill about whats possible and whats not. I told him that if it was not possible, the elogs would show a violation. I am perfectly legal.

 

Unfortunately some drivers think "Running Hard" means not finding time all week to bathe or change their nasty clothes.

 

Nevada-75mph
Utah-75-80mph
Wyoming-75mph
Nebraska-75mph
Iowa-70mph

Just asking a question here. You were able to drive at the speed limit(without speeding even a little bit) the whole way through each state while logging the appropriate time for any stops? Does that include driving through any metropolitan areas where, in my experience, the speed limit is usually lower?

800 miles in 11 hours is, btw, an average speed of 72mph. Excuse me,"800+" And you drive the same speed with an oversize as with a regular trailer?

 

If I could only drive one mile a day and make the same amount of money I would do it. It looks like to me the more miles drivers average the lower the rates will get. Its just simple supply and demand. So in my opinion its not only safer to drive legaly but were also not setting ourselves up to be paid less for the work done later. 70 hours in an eight day period is not exactly lazy. Especialy considering an average work week is 40. I use to work like a mad man doing a business I had. Now I enjoy moderation. That's just my thougbts. But you know, working like mad can be fun. And the money is great. just not my bag anymore.

 

I've been following this thread for a while now, and this is my first post. I'm considering a career change into driving. One of my reservations about it is that I don't want to be tired ALL the time - I did enough of that when I was in the Navy. When I drove from CT to OR recently for a cross country move, I stopped at truck stops to refuel my Penske rental. I always saw 12 kinds of coffee, energy drinks on ice, caffeine pills at the checkout counter, etc. From this thread it sounds like, if you run legally, you can actually get "enough" sleep? Am I reading this right? Are all the energy drinks for O/O's with paper logs?

 

Running hard to me is... From the moment I leave the house till the moment I get back.

Doesn't matter the miles to me.

I LOVE driving a truck, but leaving home has always been the hardest thing I do.