Getting Enough Sleep

I get that you have to be somewhat flexible about sleep times to make your deliveries on time. I've wrestled with sleep issues for much of my life, but I've learned a bunch of tricks, and I've finally gotten to a point where I sleep well most nights. I'm pretty good at getting to sleep and staying asleep if I need to. I'm also good at getting awake, with the help of caffeine. But I also know that I won't function well if I'm not asleep between roughly midnight and 3:00 a.m. In fact, on cross-country road trips (by passenger car), I tend to settle into a rhythm of driving from something like 4:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. I actually like the predawn hours of darkness, including the lack of (other) passenger cars on the road. There are usually trucks on the road at that hour, but I like driving with trucks. Truckers are generally better drivers. As long as I am asleep between midnight and 3:00, and as long as I get a few extra hours on either end of that, I'll be okay. I get that there will be exceptions where I pick up a load in the evening and the customer needs it the next morning, but I'd kind of need for that to be the exception. What do you think? Can you usually avoid driving in the middle of the night if you're exhausted, with occasional exceptions? Or is a nocturnal schedule kind of required?

I kind of need to resolve this before I shell out for CDL training. Thanks again.

Howdy, Mark!

Why would you shell out for training? Paid CDL Training Programs!

Also; check out our starter pack:

• Truck Driver's Career Guide
• Brett's Book: The Raw Truth About Trucking (free online version)
• High Road CDL Training Program
• CDL Practice Tests

You've gotten some sage advice above; hope this works out for ya!

Been working well for my dude, for 20 years; you'll adapt~!!

Best wishes;

~ Anne ~

I have trouble getting to sleep before 2am. I'm a musician, Ive struggled with waking up before 11:00 am my whole life. Just not a morning person. My DM knows that. I drive nights alot, kind of more a swing shift actually. Usually from like noon to midnight sometimes later. If I have early morning appointments, I usually try to park at the receiver the night before or drive all night so that the appointment is towards the end of my shift.

Some runs though I end up fairly conventional times so I just grin and bear it, wake up early and do my best. If I Know I'm going to be on recaps, I usually try to keep it to about 9 hours driving/on duty each day, load permitting.