Help With Current Jim Palmer Drivers

So this "keep the left door closed and keep rolling stuff" yeah that's bad advice

Well for one, I don't think that advice necessarily means never stop no matter what. It means don't waste crazy amounts of time watching John Wayne movies at truck stops.

But I think more importantly you need to spend some time exercising. I made my living driving 3,000+ miles a week for 15 years. Now for the past 10 I've made my living sitting at a computer. But when I wasn't driving or I'm not at the computer I get a lot of exercise. When I was on the road I had some weights with me and I used to go jogging all the time. Now I hike and climb mountains and I belong to a gym where I lift weights and spend 45 minutes at a time on a stair stepper several days a week.

I don't think your problem was simply sitting too much. No one sits more than I do while they're working. Your problem is that you weren't getting any exercise when you didn't have to be sitting. Yes, getting up and walking around every 2 or 3 hours is a great idea. I always did that myself. But that isn't going to help your health much. You need real exercise.

I would go 250-300 miles before stopping and then that would be my 30 which I usually didn't even get out of truck for, then I do another 250-300 to complete my day.

Sitting in the truck during the 30 only exacerbates the issue. Using the 30 minute break as a period for walking, 20 minutes at a brisk pace and then again when you shut down is likely to improve your condition. Lowering the seat might also help improve circulation.

Brett's advice to exercise is also something I'd expect to hear from any physician treating something like this. Regular exercise is essential with any job requiring hours of sitting.

I agree with you both on getting exercise... but you have to view that keep the door closed phrase from the outside view... it really does sound like your saying to just drive as much as possible and only stop if you have to.... this is the internet... what you mean to say and convey may appear much different to someone else reading it. you might mean it as dont slack off, treat this job as such, but someone else, especially new drivers may read it as only stop and get out for fuel & food / 10 hour break aka stuff they have no choice on.

the point i'm trying to make is that the "keep the doors closed" phrase is really bad to use with new drivers. They dont know the industry well enough yet to understand it properly.

Phox wrote:

...the point i'm trying to make is that the "keep the doors closed" phrase is really bad to use with new drivers. They don't know the industry well enough yet to understand it properly.

Brett's response to the above point:

Well for one, I don't think that advice necessarily means never stop no matter what. It means don't waste crazy amounts of time watching John Wayne movies at truck stops.

Phox I understand what you are saying. However I think Brett covered the objection effectively. My reply was specifically directed as a response to your situation, not the "keep the doors closed" comment. I agree with Brett's assessment,...common sense, don't waste time, etc. Taken at 100% face value, the statement is not recommended and honestly I doubt OtrEscapeArtist intended it as a blanket statement.

Hi it good that you want to get the miles / km. But look arfter your body to .. there no re runs in life

Keeping the wheels turing and the doors closed leads to more miles.

It also leads to various health issues... I for one am getting tired of reading that line. I am the type who prefers to stop as little as possible so i can either maximize my miles or get shut down early enough to get more sleep and have a better parking spot. That caused me to develope adema in my feet (swelling due to retaining fluid) because I was not stopping and taking enough breaks. I would go 250-300 miles before stopping and then that would be my 30 which I usually didn't even get out of truck for, then I do another 250-300 to complete my day. When my feet got so big they looked like water baloons I went to doc... they were afraid I was having a blood clot or something else more serious and sent me to er. I ended up having to take 9 days medical leave because of it. I still have the problem but not as bad and I can manage it, but I also have to stop about every 2 hours and walk around.

So this "keep the left door closed and keep rolling stuff" yeah that's bad advice. I stop for about 15 min every 2 hours or so (obviously limited by truck stop or rest area availability), 3-4 times a day is not going to kill your miles.