It's a Team's Life
Expedite Team Sleep Schedule
Often an expedite team does not drive a lot of miles in a year which equates to sitting. When sitting often one partner is asleep and the other is sitting in the cab of the truck a few feet away.
Learning to sleep through noise and movement and learning how to stay awake and not bother the sleeping person is a herculean feat. The schedule of a team while not set in stone needs to be adhered to as much as possible so when the long load happens both partners are rested and ready to drive.
In the summer sitting in the cab of the truck is often hot when the sleeper curtains are closed. A fan helps that is set on the threshold of sleeper that can pull the cool air in the cab. Using windshield curtains also helps to block out the sun. In the winter a small heater will help to keep the cab warm when the curtains are closed.
What to do when sitting for what could be hours in the cab of the truck? Get a hobby that is quiet, I like to cross-stitch and use a headlamp when it is still dark out. Bob likes to watch movies on his Ipad or work puzzles online. The less movement of getting in and out of the truck lets the person sleeping rest.
Our schedule is basically three in the morning till three in the afternoon. When I get up I make my coffee, grab my computer, and my sewing, and go to the cab with the sleeper curtain closed. In the evening the sleeper curtain is closed and Bob gets his water and Ipad and goes to the front of the truck till he is ready for bed.
Sitting as an expediter is something we do often and yet like a 911 operator we must be able to move at a moment’s notice and drive across the country. Being a successful team expediter is an art.
Bob & Linda Caffee
TeamCaffee
Saint Louis MO
Expediters since January 2005
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle;
Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;
Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;
Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.