not all doom and gloom....:)
- Thread starter OntarioVanMan
- Start date
Well, the good news is that after the 2 days you wouldn't need the full 34, just one more day off and get 14 back in the recap. Yeah... I know... But, at least it's something.
Be aware that in addition to the DOT, we also have the spelling police. Your misspelling of the word "theory" has triggered an audit of all your posts and punitive action may be taken.
Oh boy...He is going DOWN for that one. You just wait and see!
EasyDoesIt
Active Expediter
I am confused here. Is it required to take a 34 hour reset every week? I understand you can only take 1 reset every 168 hours but you do have a recap to work with. At least I think you do?
There is a lot of greed in the truckload world and truckers are all about miles. I used to work over 100 hours a week as a truck driver to bring home 750 dollars a a week after taxes. I would log loading and unloading as off duty or sleeper berth time. When you figure it all up it is around 60 hours of driving, 70 hours of on duty not driving, and the rest of it is driving in traffic and not logging it, and then the remainder of the time is spent on duty not driving and not logging it! That is the way it was. If you are in traffic and it takes you 3 hours to go 20 miles you log all of that as sleeper berth time! Like you pulled over and just took a nap. But you were still technically driving! Hence the work load of a driver is way over 70 hours a week in the general truckload world. Plus teams are bouncing around in the truck 23 hours a day for weeks at a time. Don't tell me that you can get a good nights sleep when you are strapped into a net on a bunk in a moving truck. lol. I've tried that before and didn't last more than a month. But alas I do agree, if you can't make a decent living in a 70 hour work week, you are working for the wrong carrier.
turritrans
Expert Expediter
I never spell check...pain in the smart phone and my thumbs seen so darn big I keep hitting the wrong key.
Ever see that thing going around "the hmaun mnid is a rbaemrlke tnihg" email? They still get the point..lol
AMonger
Veteran Expediter
Typos don't trigger the spelling police audit.
I would like to commend Rocketman on his use of the Ellipsis...
The Grammar police freaks come out at night...The grammar police freaks come out at night! How do my typing skills look now? I'm preparing for an illustrious career as an English 101 Professor! I am going to put my class to sleep with stories of being on the road, trucker bombs, all of the crazy drivers I've met over the years, and trucker poetry that I've read on the bathroom stalls.
I'm going to post a picture of OVM in his shorts in front of his sprinter and point to it and tell the class "this is where you'll end up if you fail my class!" J/K.
pearlpro
Expert Expediter
We rarely work weekends and typically I do my restarts over the weekend where ever I wind up, this last week I was in Osage Beach Lake of the Ozarks, Darn place was deserted...but we do the restarts over the weekend, its worked well for us, we do the odd weekend or Sunday Load but then restart..Im usually running M-F pretty regular.....changes always suck when its been the same for years but these DO GOODERS over in Washington where the Brain Power is non existent seem fixated on making us all sleep days, drive tired and undergo diverse testing and experimentation all while being paid less...Somethings gonna give soon...FUEL SUCKS..and now a new restart rule thats making us all a little leary....whats next, DNA CSA FMCSA DOT Scores featuring our Genetic makeup and propensity for work in trucking background check...
Yeah I hear you Pearlpro. They are over-complicating all of this. It's just going to end up forcing everyone to get paid by the hour and have relay loads from terminal to terminal. I got tired of the BS with logging and all of the rest of it. I once drove 18 hours straight in a semi and save a major account for Schneider National. I got a call from my dispatcher that morning stating he didn't want to know how I did it but thanks and then he told me to get some sleep. That is why they made the regulations in the first place. Trucking companies cannot be trusted to follow the rules. Also what one driver can drive safely isn't exactly the same as what another driver can drive safely.
I agree that some people can driver longer than others. But things are the way they are because companies and drivers cannot be left to their own devices. It's just a smame that Washington has sort of over-reacted on the regulations. As far as being healthy. The only way drivers are going to be healthy is to have a completely different structure all together. Lets say three drivers assigned to 1 truck and give each driver 1 week off a month to be normal and exercise etc. You can gear up trucking to be safer and more profitable. You just have to think outside the box. The one thing that is missing from the lifestyle of truckers is balance. 1 day off for every week out on the road is not balance and that needs to be addressed. What do you all think?
I agree that some people can driver longer than others. But things are the way they are because companies and drivers cannot be left to their own devices. It's just a smame that Washington has sort of over-reacted on the regulations. As far as being healthy. The only way drivers are going to be healthy is to have a completely different structure all together. Lets say three drivers assigned to 1 truck and give each driver 1 week off a month to be normal and exercise etc. You can gear up trucking to be safer and more profitable. You just have to think outside the box. The one thing that is missing from the lifestyle of truckers is balance. 1 day off for every week out on the road is not balance and that needs to be addressed. What do you all think?
I intend no disrespect but will say that I generally get a good night's sleep in a moving truck.
It helps to trust your co-driver totally. It helps when your truck rides quiet and smooth. It helps to have a comfortable bed. It helps when you manage your sleep well buy avoiding sleep distractors (back-lit screens before bed, stressful thoughts, drinking liquids before bed that prompt you to get up later, etc.) It helps when you have a drive/sleep routine in place. It helps when your co-driver can do fuel stops, tire and lock checks, and other such duties as well as you. It helps when you turn off your telephone. It helps when you plan ahead to minimize stops enroute. It helps when you have a co-driver who keeps the truck running smooth (no abrubt steering corrections, fast curves, harsh lane changes). It helps when you have made the adjustment to be able to sleep in a moving truck.
As often as not, I will sleep through a fuel stop that Diane does. A horn blast or severe bump might wake me up for a moment but I am quickly back asleep. So too with a traffic backup. I might wake up momentarily when the hum of the truck changes to stop-and-go, but once I figure out what's up, it's back to sleep for me.
Seriously. I sleep better in the truck than I do at home. That's because in the truck, sleep management practices are in effect. They are important. It's about safety. At home, anything goes and if I want to stay up for a couple more hours to watch a stupid movie, I will.
zorry
Veteran Expediter
Phil hit the nail on the head.
At Roadway it was hard ti sleep in their Snoozer-Cruisers.
In our new ARI sleeper it is dark, great hvac system, quiet and smooth.
We have a home quality mattress and added a high quality topper.
The I-Shift trans is possibly the smoothest on the market.
My wife wants me sleeping and drives accordingly.
When I trained in an owners truck I had trouble sleeping .
In our new truck quality sleep happens quite often.
At Roadway it was hard ti sleep in their Snoozer-Cruisers.
In our new ARI sleeper it is dark, great hvac system, quiet and smooth.
We have a home quality mattress and added a high quality topper.
The I-Shift trans is possibly the smoothest on the market.
My wife wants me sleeping and drives accordingly.
When I trained in an owners truck I had trouble sleeping .
In our new truck quality sleep happens quite often.
zorry
Veteran Expediter
Years ago,in the days of 10/8 I believe Western Gillete ran three guys in a truck. At the same time. Logging 8 hours per day,you can run 365 days a year.
If you log 8.75 hrs per day you never need a day off.
My COE was set up with an ICT behind the factory sleeper. A true two bedroom truck.
I had thought of experimenting with running with my sister and wife.
It would be great with guarded loads.
I decided that 2 women in the truck would be one too many.
If you log 8.75 hrs per day you never need a day off.
My COE was set up with an ICT behind the factory sleeper. A true two bedroom truck.
I had thought of experimenting with running with my sister and wife.
It would be great with guarded loads.
I decided that 2 women in the truck would be one too many.