Can Guard Have My Codriver Wake Me In Order To Sign Some Sign-in Sheet While I Need To Be In Sleeper?

I hear ya. Not much you can do. If you ever feel you need more sleep, just log On Duty for a few minutes at that customer. It will force you to restart your reset so you can make sure you get enough rest before driving. Not typically a good idea, but just a tip if you ever need it.

I just don't get this whole thing about this interfering with your sleep. All that jostling around while going down the road, hitting pot holes, stopping, starting, getting fuel, etc, etc. None of that robs you of your sleep? But having to sign in at a secure location where the guard needs to keep track of who, and how many persons come and go through the gate is a big issue? This is part of team driving. It's a part of the job you chose. Embrace it - you're a Team Driver.

I have a feeling this is a rare occurrence, but you're making a big deal of it. One of the secrets of success at this career is to not stress over the incidentals, or the small things. If it only happens rarely, I would "let it go." Making mountains over mole hills is far more stressful than just laying your head down and going back to sleep. You are a truck driver. One of the things that will help you is to learn to sleep like one.

All that jostling around while going down the road, hitting pot holes, stopping, starting, getting fuel, etc, etc. None of that robs you of your sleep?

Nope. I sleep through it all.

But having to sign in at a secure location where the guard needs to keep track of who, and how many persons come and go through the gate is a big issue?

The big issue here is SLEEP, not anything else.

This is part of team driving. It's a part of the job you chose. Embrace it - you're a Team Driver.

Of course I'm a team driver. I never said otherwise. What I gather from everything you're saying is to just "deal with it." Perhaps that's what YOU would do but I am first going to look at my options to see if there is anything that can be done in case this becomes something persistent. Maybe getting proper sleep is not a big deal to you but it is definitely important to me, so calling it "incidental" or a "small thing" is relative.

I am first going to look at my options to see if there is anything that can be done in case this becomes something persistent.

Hey Anttjuan, I didn't mean to sound snarky. I apologize if it came across that way.

Have you considered being a solo driver? That would solve this issue.

One of the biggest things we see that causes new drivers problems is their unrealistic expectations. I think it's just as unrealistic for a team driver to expect uninterrupted sleep as it is for them to expect to make the big dollars just because they're teaming.

One thing I would caution you about... Please don't try to play the "safety card" with the security guard or your company with this issue. This is the kind of stuff teams have to deal with. Solo drivers don't have these issues often at all, but you will sometimes need to sleep while waiting on a door. When they knock on your door you're expected to get into action mode and "git er done."

Wait till you get a receiver that requires everyone in the truck to vacate it for unloading. Of course you can nap in the break room.

Luckily that is pretty rare. Your situation happens a little more, but not too much. Entering places that require TWIC seem to be the most common for this (docks, plants). Military bases make you wait in a room while they background check both of you and search your truck, sometimes takes awhile too.

Shippers and receivers can set whatever rules they want pretty much. It's your choice to be hard-headed and go "on duty" and possibly jeopardize the availability on the truck, but the team's running 6k+ miles a week will take the other choice and roll with it.

These types of situations come up for solo drivers too. You've been in sleeper berth getting unloaded for six hours, then they wake you up because you are done. Top earners are not going to go on duty if they can help it, they are going to finish their 10 hour break and keep on rolling.

@Old School Hey thanks for the advice. But perhaps I should've given more context to my question. I've been a truck driver for over 3 years now. Is that still considered new? The majority of those years have been OTR but now I've been on the same exact dedicated lane for a little over a year and am very content with it. I don't think I'm out of tune with my expectations. I came here for input on my situation, which you and many others have given and which I am also very thankful for. I'm sure many years down the line, I will continue coming back and asking questions that may seem very basic to others. But I am not of the mind-set that companies or corporations can just use us however they want without regard to our reasonable well being. They may try, but we too should be heard. Anyway, not trying to make this long but my point is that I am simply exploring what my options are in this particular situation. If something like this can be avoided, then why not? That is what I am in the process of finding out. Just sitting here and staying quiet will get me nowhere. If in the end nothing at all can be done at about it, then I at least learned something new.

@Matt M.

Top earners are not going to go on duty if they can help it, they are going to finish their 10 hour break and keep on rolling.

Yeah I realize that's where me and a lot of drivers that I've met in person differ. Some want to be out on the road for many months at a time and are willing to deprive themselves of sleep, food, showers all for the sake of making as much money as they can. Not saying that's wrong, it's all just personal preference. I prefer to be a little more balanced even at the cost of big paychecks.

How often do you go to this shipper?

If you go here once or twice a week, I think the issue might just go away by itself. You and your codriver might get to know that particular guard a little better and he'll just let your codriver sign for you in the future. I used to hostle trailers and drive locally out of a Target DC and you'd be surprised how relaxed the guards got once they got to know us. They'd let stuff slide all the time because they knew who we were and that we were honest people just there to do our job. Most of the time these security guards don't care about the rules anymore than you do--they just don't want to get in trouble either. Once they get to know you a little bit, they'll be more willing to be flexible for you.

I honestly think that's the best you can do in this situation. You can log On Duty for 5 minutes to sign in, and there's nothing anyone at your company can do about it because it's 100% legal and the proper course of action. But it just seems totally unnecessary for a measly 2 minutes, you know? You could do it just to make a point, but I would be very surprised if you made any headway with that approach. You'd be hurting yourself, your company, and most importantly your codriver.

@Matt M.

Top earners are not going to go on duty if they can help it, they are going to finish their 10 hour break and keep on rolling.

Yeah I realize that's where me and a lot of drivers that I've met in person differ. Some want to be out on the road for many months at a time and are willing to deprive themselves of sleep, food, showers all for the sake of making as much money as they can. Not saying that's wrong, it's all just personal preference. I prefer to be a little more balanced even at the cost of big paychecks.

I have always taken max home time, but if I'm on the road then I'm out here to make as much as I can. I enjoy my downtime, but I always do my best to make myself as available as possible.

I've asked my dispatcher before to set my availability back an hour to get a shower in, even asked for the rest of the day off after making delivery to sort out my sleep schedule a couple of times. He has always granted those requests, because he knows how I run.

I get what you are saying though. We jumped on a dedicated load that pays a little less than how we were running, but we are home every week. I think that's one thing that's great about the industry, lots of different opportunities to suit different drivers.

@ Errol V. Wow that is interesting. I certainly did not know that. So hypothetically speaking, on my log I can be on-duty for 20 plus hours straight without any violation as long as I'm not driving? That's definitely new to me but thanks for the citation because I see it now.

And @Pianoman I guess you were correct after all. But yeah I did sign it while on sleeper and will continue doing it that way if I have to but it's just the hassle of having to wake up just to sign it and then try and sleep again that bugs me. We'll see what happens but if it comes down to it, I may consider buying a stamp where I can put signature on it and I'll just authorize my codriver to go ahead and stamp my signature every time he arrives. I know I'm going to lengths here but I cherish my sleep! lol

Wait till you get older and have to wake up to use the bathroom every 3 or 4 hours

JD