Do Sleepers Have Microwave Ovens In Them?

Todd...scratching my head again. How much personal time do you think you are going to have?

Somewhere during the 10 hour break you need to sleep. Rest is perhaps the most important aspect of safe operation. So given the other elements during that period, for arguments sake you require about 7 hours of sleep. That leaves 3 hours for eating, exercise, showering, etc.

I can only speak for myself but I do my exercising during the 30 minute break, comprising only of a 20-25 minute “brisk” walk. For me that’s plenty of time to stay fit out here.

Beyond that? The 10 hour break goes very quick. My day is different than many on here; but there are similarities in that our time revolves around moving the freight. Everything else becomes secondary, requiring frequent adjustments and compromise.

My plan is to cook on home time. I started a while back, and when I cook, I make way more than my wife and I can eat and freeze it in vacuum sealer bags. I’ll take those in a cooler or fridge and microwave them for good healthy home cooked meals once a day.

Also I will have a crock pot to cook soup, chili, and other meals on the truck while I drive.

Sandwiches, fruit and veggies will make up the rest of my meals.

Todd...scratching my head again. How much personal time do you think you are going to have?

Somewhere during the 10 hour break you need to sleep. Rest is perhaps the most important aspect of safe operation. So given the other elements during that period, for arguments sake you require about 7 hours of sleep. That leaves 3 hours for eating, exercise, showering, etc.

I can only speak for myself but I do my exercising during the 30 minute break, comprising only of a 20-25 minute “brisk” walk. For me that’s plenty of time to stay fit out here.

Beyond that? The 10 hour break goes very quick. My day is different than many on here; but there are similarities in that our time revolves around moving the freight. Everything else becomes secondary, requiring frequent adjustments and compromise.

10 hour break? You mean drivers have to WORK 14 hours a day?

I thought by federal law they could only drive 70 hours in one work week max?

GTown, Todd Holmes is never going to understand any advice, comment or suggestion handed to him. He has more problems than anyone here on TT and doesn't seem like he wants any advice just wants to ask questions for the sake of seeing his name on the Forum. Just look at how many questions he has going at any one time.

10 hour break? You mean drivers have to WORK 14 hours a day?

I thought by federal law they could only drive 70 hours in one work week max?

I do not mean to come off as rude, but anyone who is even remotely interested in trucking should know this as it is very basic.

And no you can not drive for 70 hours, you can only be on duty for 70 hours a week.

I suggest you look over some more trucking basics before worrying about changing the industry.

Learn The Logbook Rules (HOS)

Todd...scratching my head again. How much personal time do you think you are going to have?

Somewhere during the 10 hour break you need to sleep. Rest is perhaps the most important aspect of safe operation. So given the other elements during that period, for arguments sake you require about 7 hours of sleep. That leaves 3 hours for eating, exercise, showering, etc.

I can only speak for myself but I do my exercising during the 30 minute break, comprising only of a 20-25 minute “brisk” walk. For me that’s plenty of time to stay fit out here.

Beyond that? The 10 hour break goes very quick. My day is different than many on here; but there are similarities in that our time revolves around moving the freight. Everything else becomes secondary, requiring frequent adjustments and compromise.

Todd, one more question: what could drivers actually be doing while NOT driving but WHILE still on duty to stay physically fit? Is there something a driver can be doing to remain physically active while waiting to loaded and unloaded? I think I would want to help with the loading/unloading process as much as I could sto stay busy.

I read, sure, they can do the job with 14-hour work days, but once the 70 hours is limited out (maybe after only five days of the week) for the week they are required to be completely off duty with no work of any kind for a couple days. Personally, I would like to keep my work spread out evenly over the entire seven days. That averages out to ten hours a day on duty times 7 days per week. Of course, I would spend a lot of time in the gym working out on those days that I were actually off.

I know thus far it's the 70-work-hour-per-week conspiracy. I think drivers are not allowed to drive more than 11 hours over any 24-hour period.

10 hour break? You mean drivers have to WORK 14 hours a day?

I thought by federal law they could only drive 70 hours in one work week max?

I do not mean to come off as rude, but anyone who is even remotely interested in trucking should know this as it is very basic.

And no you can not drive for 70 hours, you can only be on duty for 70 hours a week.

I suggest you look over some more trucking basics before worrying about changing the industry.

Bobcat Bob, I'm now beginning to understand that trucking is a serious time management issue. More than I had ever realized before. Most of my lifetime employment has been the typical 8-hour-a-day/5-day-a week thing. In the army even, during peacetime, it's that way most of the year but tough, long sleepless hours during field maneuvers and occasional charge-of-quarters/battalion-runner duty.

The whole time management issue is probably the number one deal-breaker for most perspective truck driver recruits. How do drivers even "find time" (or MAKE time) to use the lavatory or brush their teeth? I myself have to "find time" to shave every day since I hate beards. I like to keep my hair very short, buzz cuts routinely, so there has to be time to see a barber once in a while. Should drivers facing long, hard hours even keep a "Portable Loo" bucket on board for emergency "nature calls" on the highway?

I'm still reading Brett's Raw Truth book. I think he may have a chapter on Time Management later on. It seems as truckers have to be clever enough to "find time" for all the basic everyday HUMAN living functions somehow, perhaps by waving a magic wand. Drivers are still HUMAN after all, are they not?

What I really want to do now is study the typical work month of an American OTR driver, week by week, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

What time did you eat breakfast on Monday?

How many hours did you sleep on Tuesday?

What time did you take a shower on Wednesday?

How long did you work out in the truck stop gym on Thursday?

How long did you have to eat your lunch on Friday?

How many hours did you drive on Saturday?

How long did you have to wait at the shipper's or receiver's dock on Sunday?

How many home days did you have last November?

I'm sure many drivers even keep a personal diary.

I'm now understanding that for those days that the driver's personal time is limited, maybe those nasty 14-hours-on-duty days, he may indeed may have to make the most of what the TS restaurant has to offer on its menus or what his cab cooler has on board for sandwiches.

And the only way I can help "change the industry" is by joining a trade union, voting on elections and/or sending messages to my elected officials in Washington, DC. I can post here what "I don't like" but that is just blowing off steam, that's all.

Brett said early in Raw Truth that companies need ME much more than I NEED them. How badly does your company NEED you?

Brett said early in Raw Truth that companies need ME much more than I NEED them. How badly does your company NEED you?

To be clear, companies need experienced, hard working, efficient, productive, safe, reliable drivers. There is no shortage of people on the street who are hoping to get their CDL and get started in trucking. There are tons of those. It's just that very few of them ever go on to be top tier drivers.

Todd, not every day will be 14 hours. The load you're on will dictate the kind of schedule you'll need to run. Most drivers are on the road to make money so they'll push their HOS to the limit and then take a 34 hour reset to relax and maybe be a tourist in the area they're stopped at. If you're concerned about needing to shave and shower daily trip plan and do that during your 30 minute break. When you're getting loaded/unloaded every company has a policy that states the time they want you to log (usually no more than 15 minutes) the rest is logged off duty to maximize earning potential. There will be days it's mainly driving, other times you may sit in a dock for 8 hours. You can do your exercising in that time frame as well. Not sure why I wasted my time finding this thread because you won't read it anyways but read This thread I believe this is what you were looking for, a day in the life of a driver. Old school also has done a couple diaries to talk about taking his daughter On the road with him