So, rather than repeat that thread, which Daniel has done such a good job on, I decided to continue on trucking, finding other things to write about. That in turn lead to this thread "where the rubber meets the road". Having recently crossed the 50,000 mile threshold in my truck I have come to realize a point not often discussed about.
Driving for a living didnt seem like that big a deal when I first started researching the subject. Heck, I've been driving my whole life. Whats the big deal, right?
Stiffness. Driving a car is sooo much different from driving a tractor. I am behind the wheel, driving 9 hours a day or more every day. To simulate this at home, try sitting at your computer for 9 hours straight. Give yourself a 15 minute break after 3 hours. A 30 min break after another 3 hours. Other than that, stay in your chair. Better yet, on the weekend, go sit in your car, keeping your hands on the wheel.
It wont take long before cramps start to creep in. Cramps in your butt, your thighs, in your ams, your shoulder and your neck. You wiggle and you shift trying to get comfortable.
Soon, If your like me, you will notice that you have a dominate driving arm. For me its the left, even though I am right handed. I have actually gotten to the point now where I consciously think about switching hands.
No really. If Im listening to the radio, when the song changes, i switch driving hands. Listening to a ball game, i switch when batters change. It helps break up the monotony of driving, plus it helps to keep the muscles in both arms being used something close to evenly.
The legs are a different story. My right leg, the thigh, is sore from holding down the accelerator. Sounds crazy right? You may not think about it only driving an hour or so to and from work. Or 15 mins to the store. Sit behind the wheel and drive 9 hours a day and it makes a world of difference.
Maybe you're thinking about using the cruise control. Sure, I could, but I get paid a fuel bonus depending on my MPG's, (another article coming soon), and cruise control is not helpful in maintaining a good mpg rating.
So, its just another thing to think about, living on the road, something Im figuring out as I go, and hopefully shedding a little bit of light on for other wannabe drivers.
Im not trying to scare anybody off, but rather trying to give a better understanding of just what to expect while out here on the road.
Driving this great country of ours can be quite rewarding. Just today I got the greatest laugh driving through missouri. Here I am, cruising down I-44, when I see four legs pop up in the air, shimmy back and forth, then fall back down. As it happened a second time, and I drove closer to the spectacle, I came to realize it was a bull scracthing its back on the ground.
Now, I am no stranger to farm life, and I have even seen my dog (and cat) do this very same thing numerous times, but some reason, seeing a full grown bull do this just gave me a good chuckle. You wont see that living in the city.
So, rather than repeat that thread, which Daniel has done such a good job on, I decided to continue on trucking, finding other things to write about. That in turn lead to this thread "where the rubber meets the road". Having recently crossed the 50,000 mile threshold in my truck I have come to realize a point not often discussed about.
Driving for a living didnt seem like that big a deal when I first started researching the subject. Heck, I've been driving my whole life. Whats the big deal, right?
Stiffness. Driving a car is sooo much different from driving a tractor. I am behind the wheel, driving 9 hours a day or more every day. To simulate this at home, try sitting at your computer for 9 hours straight. Give yourself a 15 minute break after 3 hours. A 30 min break after another 3 hours. Other than that, stay in your chair. Better yet, on the weekend, go sit in your car, keeping your hands on the wheel.
It wont take long before cramps start to creep in. Cramps in your butt, your thighs, in your ams, your shoulder and your neck. You wiggle and you shift trying to get comfortable.
Soon, If your like me, you will notice that you have a dominate driving arm. For me its the left, even though I am right handed. I have actually gotten to the point now where I consciously think about switching hands.
No really. If Im listening to the radio, when the song changes, i switch driving hands. Listening to a ball game, i switch when batters change. It helps break up the monotony of driving, plus it helps to keep the muscles in both arms being used something close to evenly.
The legs are a different story. My right leg, the thigh, is sore from holding down the accelerator. Sounds crazy right? You may not think about it only driving an hour or so to and from work. Or 15 mins to the store. Sit behind the wheel and drive 9 hours a day and it makes a world of difference.
Maybe you're thinking about using the cruise control. Sure, I could, but I get paid a fuel bonus depending on my MPG's, (another article coming soon), and cruise control is not helpful in maintaining a good mpg rating.
So, its just another thing to think about, living on the road, something Im figuring out as I go, and hopefully shedding a little bit of light on for other wannabe drivers.
Im not trying to scare anybody off, but rather trying to give a better understanding of just what to expect while out here on the road.
Driving this great country of ours can be quite rewarding. Just today I got the greatest laugh driving through missouri. Here I am, cruising down I-44, when I see four legs pop up in the air, shimmy back and forth, then fall back down. As it happened a second time, and I drove closer to the spectacle, I came to realize it was a bull scracthing its back on the ground.
Now, I am no stranger to farm life, and I have even seen my dog (and cat) do this very same thing numerous times, but some reason, seeing a full grown bull do this just gave me a good chuckle. You wont see that living in the city.