Driver Seats Comfort

I am about to start CDL school. I have done a lot of research and I am looking forward to my new career. The one area of concern is the comfort of the driver seat. I have some back issues and long rides tend to be a bit painful in a bad seat. I can get out and stretch and relieve the issues. I have not seen any thing of seat comfort in my research. I used to fly aircraft in the military and typically the aircraft had good seats. I assumed that an industry that requires drivers to spend many hours daily to be seated would have superior seats. Is that true? Are the seats comfortable? Any other with "bad backs" out there that may want to comment??? Thank you !

The seats have gotten alot better....if the company has trucks with good seats. Having been a O/O, we made sure our seats were updated, if they were crappy cheap ones...Our truck rolled 18-20 hrs a day with someones bum in that seat. And since my back has been trashed from to many years getting on to many horses, I can't do cheap seats. The air ride seats are a miracle compared to the old Z spring seats...dang it hurt when you bottomed out in those.....

Well I dont have back problems but sitting for a long time in a truck makes my butt hurt. The air ride cushioning the bounces seems to keep my back from hurting though so that should make you feel a bit better.

I've never had back problems but the seats and generally good. Oddly enough I used to love those beads you can sit on. It looks like it would be the most uncomfortable thing in the world but they're awesome. Not only do they allow air to circulate between you and the seat a little bit but they allow you to slide around a bit when going over bumps instead of your jeans gripping the seat which makes the ride a lot more comfortable.

I was also really big on a great lumbar support. The seats I had earlier in my career didn't have good lumbar support so I would buy a foam one to put behind me. But later on the seats starting coming with really good adjustable lumbar supports and they did a great job. Having good posture while sitting all those hours makes a huge difference and the lumbar support goes a long way toward that.

I know the Volvo 670's have 10 different seat adjustments. 3 alone for the lumbar. (Upper, Mid, Lower) The Lumbar support is a Godsend in my humble opinion.

I would recommend letting the seat "rock" back and forth instead of locking it into place. This seems to take a lot of the shock off your back going over bumps and stuff. I have had neck and back problems most of my life due to the fact I wanted to be a stuntman when I was younger.

The seats have gotten better over the years. Brett hit the mark on the lumbar. Driving for long periods of time can be very stressful on your back. Having that seat in the right position is critical. Keeping in straight is the best bet. Having that 90 degree angle is a life saver.

Whit a school it all depends on their equipment. You may want to invest in your own personal support. Airhawk makes a great cushion. Basically like what Brett was talking about. It is a expensive, but worth it and can be taken off on taxes. They are around $150.00 to $200.00. But well worth the cost. Here is a link for them. Shop around though for the best price.

http://www.travelseatcushion.com/Truck-Seat-Cushion-s/27.htm

Bottom Up is right too. Keep that seat locked. That lack of motion will help you out too. And I know this sounds crazy but check in to a subscription of Yoga Journal. Learning different postures with Yoga is very helpful.

Good Luck and let us know how school goes.

Has anyone went this route before? Or heard of anyone getting one of these?

Custom Driver's Seats for Big Rigs

I imagine there are other places that offer these seats as well. This was just the first one I found.