Getting your driving legs under you?
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 9
Getting your driving legs under you?
Goofy question, how long does it take to get so that you can drive your alloted hours with out getting sleepy?
#2
Board Regular
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Grand Rapids MI
Posts: 369
All depends on the person, amount of sleep prior to driving, road conditions and weather.
Some people cant pull out of their driveway without getting sleepy. I have days where i can use my full 14 hours and still feel like going another 100+ miles and then theres days where you spend a good part of it sitting at a shipper/reciever and then pull into gridlock traffic and after 100 miles you feel like your done for the day but havent worked 8 hours.
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My dispatcher wants to know why im not there yet, she says its only 2 inches away when she measured it on her map!
#4
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Kansas Flatlands
Posts: 607
Originally Posted by toolmantaylor
Ok, so is there a way to train yourself to stay awake?
just keeping pushing yourself to keep driving 1 hour longer on each run. BUT DON"T fall asleep!!!!!!!!! don't take any energy pills they will just make you "crash" harder. drving 11 hours straight will take you a couple of weeks to accomplish but is doable. also take small breaks to walk around your truck and get some light excerise, that will help keep your blood flowing through you...
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Originally Posted by God Almighty
Go drive like a Christian or a Texan!!!!
#5
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,567
Originally Posted by nickbtubas
Originally Posted by toolmantaylor
Ok, so is there a way to train yourself to stay awake?
just keeping pushing yourself to keep driving 1 hour longer on each run. BUT DON"T fall asleep!!!!!!!!! don't take any energy pills they will just make you "crash" harder. drving 11 hours straight will take you a couple of weeks to accomplish but is doable. also take small breaks to walk around your truck and get some light excerise, that will help keep your blood flowing through you...
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Terry L. Davis O/O with own authority
#7
Board Regular
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 341
Originally Posted by nickbtubas
Originally Posted by toolmantaylor
Ok, so is there a way to train yourself to stay awake?
just keeping pushing yourself to keep driving 1 hour longer on each run. BUT DON"T fall asleep!!!!!!!!! don't take any energy pills they will just make you "crash" harder. drving 11 hours straight will take you a couple of weeks to accomplish but is doable. also take small breaks to walk around your truck and get some light excerise, that will help keep your blood flowing through you... Dunno how you sit that long. I only take 5 minute breaks every few hours, but I dunno how you drive 11 straight. That is nuts. Must have a lot of extra padding :lol:
#8
Re: great advice terry
Originally Posted by syl77dar
only one thing to add avoid a hot shower before or during your drive time can make you sleepy also, when I first started out I would drive 5 hours on 5 hours off, but now they changed that rule. So do 5 hours then stop and fuel then try 3 hours, then take a two hour break and extend your 14 hour rule and do another 2 hours, it works I have done this.
Nothing wrong with the way you are "working up" to the 8 hours with only a fuel stop, but if it was me.... and I had gotten used to the 5 and 5, I'd drive 5, sleep 3, drive 5 more, with a fuel stop and break thrown in there somewhere to break up the last 5. Just a thought.
#9
Senior Board Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,882
Getting Driving Legs
Nothing wrong with getting good endurance, but don't cut off you nose to spite your face. Expect to do a fifteen minute walk-around every two hours while you're running. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can totally mess up your driving career especially as you get older. Keep the blood moving. Also reduces monkey butt if your truck seat is vinyl . BOL
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