Is It Jet Lag?

Pappy · May 15, 2006

I was talking to a couple of older seasoned vetran drivers a few days ago and to my surprise, I'm not the only one who gets the "FEELING". I am gone from home 4 to 5 days a week and occasionally for longer periods of time. I'm normally behind the wheel right at the end of a 10 hour break. Most days I do between 500 to 700 miles in 11 hours or 2500 to 3500 miles a week.
When I get home, it takes me one of my weekedn days to come down off some kind of high feeling. I know I'm home, but sometimes I feel like I'm in another world. Maybe to say that I feel like I left a part of me somewhere on the road would better describe the feeling.After all my years driving and somewhere between 4 and 5 million miles, the feeling seems to intensify on a weekly basis. I just know that on Monday when its time to leave, I feel somewhat dissappointed that it took one of my days at home to rid myself of the feeling.
Anyone else out there have similar symptoms?

Pappy
35 years OTR T/T

dieselphreak2K · May 15, 2006

I try to stay out 6 weeks at a time. When I go home, I'm always chopming at the bit to get back out again. I have to remind myself to think of others, and that they deserve time with me now and then. My family loves it when i'm home, but I don't do it much. Probably because Every time i'm home, I end up running some flatbed loads for my dad 'cause he can't keep drivers.

sixwheeler · May 15, 2006

Know what you mean,sometimes when getting back to the house after being gone for a while, it feels like crossing over into some kind of a space time continuum.

TJ959 · May 15, 2006

It's not jet lag but it seems like there's something wrong with us when we feel like an outsider in our own homes for a day or so. What's the deal??

Broompilot · May 15, 2006

Dieselphreak, please for yourself and your family SLOW IT DOWN. Youve got a whole life to make $. It wont matter two years from now what you did today (work) but it will to your family! Your Dads got his own business unless you need the cash bow out gracefully.

Yes I have complained about this also, come home after a couple of weeks off and the first day is toast. I usually only try to get the truck emptied, and the lawn mowed other than that its not worth scheduling anything except a dinner out with the family. Bed time usually around 9 pm.

Before entering this business I never expierenced anything like this, I can go go and go out there on the road come home I am useless. One thing you can do on that catch up day is make a list of everything you would like to accompolish at home, I use the words LIKE TO. Do not leave and feel guilty if you do not accompolish the whole list. Rest and Enjoy Life its shorter than we all realize.

Now let me go take a dose of my own advice.

tec1959 · May 15, 2006

Well i stayed out 4-6 weeks at a time,And when i'd get home it would take me 1-2 days to settle down and come off like others say a over the road high.I find it hard to sleep in my own bed because it doesn't move and make noise's.So i feel the first couple of days or shot...

cheri1122 · May 16, 2006

TJ - it IS 'jet lag', (aka situational disorientation)! The rhythm of the road is quite different from life at home, and we need a bit of time (some more than others, cause we're all like snowflakes - the same, but different) to adjust to the differences. Jet lag is more than being in a different time zone, it's being in a different world, and we are in a whole different world when we go home. So take the first day to adjust - and EO is a pretty good transition, if nobody objects to you being on the 'puter for awhile. (When they start yelling at you, you've probably transitioned enough, lol)

highway star · May 16, 2006

I feel like the jet lag happens more when I'm on the road. We never really know what our hours are going to be from day to day. More of a twilight zone than a consistant time zone. My first day home I feel the same as Broompilot. Mail, laundry, bank, oil change, ect. A lot of b/s that quickly eats up a day.