I like it when the agency offer me trunk jobs because they’re usually relatively easy compared to most other class 2 work, so 99% of the time I take them. What I don’t like though is the M6 at night simply for its unrelenting monotony when you’re on your own.
2 nights ago driving back up from Manchester I was on the verge of falling asleep which worried me a lot so I decided to stop at Golden Fleece for 15mins to buy some energy drink and something to eat on the move simply to give me something to DO with my hands! Ended up having to stop for another 30 min break cos i didn’t make it back to depot inside 4.5hrs, but I think I did the right thing (although the boss didn’t seem to agree)
I tried everything I could… turning up Ian Collins on the radio (which normally keeps me awake in the house ironically enough), when that started to fail… playing my CD really loud, opening the windows so that the wind was hitting me square in the face… it only barely worked
Just wondering if any of you guys experience this as well and know any other (better!) ways to make the boredom go away.
Well done on recognizing you were too tired to carry on and taking a break. Let the boss moan, I am sure he would be more upset if you wrecked the motor or killed someone…
As for tips, well firstly if your run is achievable in 4 1/2 hours then you don’t HAVE to do it in one hit. Break it up into 2 or 3 smaller lumps and take af few small breaks (even 5 mins a go). When you take those small breaks get out of the cab and stretch and walk around a lttle.
Secondly try substituting music for say comedy as a good laugh is refreshing. Perhaps even a book on tape/CD as it will require more focus than music thumping away. If you have music change to something “headbobbing” you can sing along with.
Always keep the window or sunroof open a crack even when cold or raining to keep a constant supply of fresh air
Try chewing gum or sweets instead of eating food as the digestive process will make you more tired initially
If all this fails then what I do is pullover drink a really strong coffee or energy drink and immediatley close my eyes for a bit. I usually will wake up feeling much better about 20 minutes later…
As I said though you were entirely correct to pull over. Perhaps a lot of “experienced” drivers need to try this once in a while instead of trying to be heros about it…
No, there’s no possibility for you to be tired as you hadn’t yet done 4.5 hours drive but if driving time goes even a one minute over it there will be hefty fine as you’ll then be a real danger for others road users because you’re so tired…
montana man:
If all this fails then what I do is pullover drink a really strong coffee or energy drink and immediatley close my eyes for a bit. I usually will wake up feeling much better about 20 minutes later…
That closing eyes part is best thing to do when tired, no matter how much you’ve got driving time left. It’s much more refreshing to have 20 min nap than have a coffee break of similar length. Once tired enough it doesn’t matter if it’s day or night, curtains or not, sleep will come.
Only one thing to do when you feel like that - STOP - and [zb] to what anyone says.
The best way to cure this, and the one recommended by most sleep experts is to stop, drink a caffeine drink then take a short nap of no more than 20 minutes. The 20 minute thing is very important for two reasons. 1. It takes 20 minutes for the caffeine to get into your system so you wake at just the time it should be kicking in. 2. 20 minutes isn’t enough time to get into a deep sleep - REM sleep - so you actually wake up feeling better than if you had taken say an 45 minutes or an hour. If you do take 45 minutes you will have entered REM sleep and when you wake up you will feel much worse as your system has gone into a far deeper sleep and is reluctant to wake. You need to take just 20 minutes or whatever your normal sleep is, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 hours, anything in between those times will make you feel worse and you will need to stop again. The power nap isn’t a myth, it is well proven to work.
Yeah got to agree,the best thing is a strong coffee or red bull type drink,a new one ive tried thats really good its called relentless,gives you more than bloody wings also the power nap is a must,the only thing wrong with my power naps is that most the time they are so bloody powerfull they turn into 3 hour deep sleeps and a bollocking off the boss
I think you did the right thing if you are too tired then you really need to take a short break. Things I have found to keep going is either Red Bull - which I try and avoid as much as possible OR (strangely) chewing gum !?! … … … … (probably fear of choking before I crash if I fell asleep ■■)
The only thing to do is to pull over, Red Bull (which I avoid, don’t think it does you much good) and coffee etc will give you a bit of a kick, but not for long. Best used to get you to somewhere safe to park. then get a few minutes of shut eye. Not to long though as your body starts to go into to deep a sleep. This will keep you going a bit further, but you might have to do several stops before you get home.
Some days it seems you could drive all day without stopping, other days even a couple of hours seems like hard work.
During normal daytime i try and run 4 1/2 hrs to the dot, but at night time its different. I try to do no more than 2hr stints as after that you just get well beyond tired and get the tunnel syndrome. Thats the one where you suddenly think “where the hell am i? What junction did i just pass?” which is as much a danger as being tired.
Chewing gum is a good one as coffee and energy drinks dont work that well with me, but gum is good as you dont fall asleep while eating.
The power nap is another, te be honest ive never tried it, a 20 min nap would turn up being a nine hours off for me. If i put my head down on the bunk i would never get back up. This is because im barely away from deep sleep during the day, and walk around in constant power nap mode
The answer to your TM is call him back and tell him you fell asleep at the wheel and just lost control and hit his house killing one of his kids… …that should wake him up (after all he is probably having a kip in his office or in his car during breaks) and smell the coffee
You did of course exactly the right thing and i would go along with the comments here about a 20 power nap and a coffee or two. If you do have a nap remember to set the alarm on your mobile…
Like others here have said, let the bosses say what they want and stop when you feel tired. It’s not the end of the world if that makes you being late for rest of the day (or night). If your boss makes it to be such problem then all you can do is to ask him and yourself is it more important to be on schedule than avoid accidents. In the case your views differ then I suggest to begin looking for work on other companies.
Spacemonkeypg:
During normal daytime i try and run 4 1/2 hrs to the dot, but at night time its different. I try to do no more than 2hr stints as after that you just get well beyond tired and get the tunnel syndrome. Thats the one where you suddenly think “where the hell am i? What junction did i just pass?” which is as much a danger as being tired.
That’s quite spooky feeling when you suddenly begin to wonder where the last 100 km have just disappeared I try to do not more than couple hours drive without a break even at day as it’s not good for legs to stay in same position for long times. If there’s drop or colletion during that period it of course does same thing as you get moving which is important.
Spacemonkeypg:
The power nap is another, te be honest ive never tried it, a 20 min nap would turn up being a nine hours off for me. If i put my head down on the bunk i would never get back up.
Sleep on the seat and put the alarm on your mobile like knight said. If it’s cold enough outside you could also open ditch side window so you soon wake up as cab gets cold.
trunking will make you tired with monotony. i used to get regular trunks to carnforth or lymm from coatbridge. break it up. pull in every so often to fill your mug and grab something to eat at the wheel. M74 j13 is one of my favourites as is gretna services. when you get tired, pull in for a few minutes or stuff something in your gob. anything to make your mind work. if you smoke, better take a 20 pack
I found that chewing apples got things working & also drink plenty of water. You seem to dehydrate with modern climate control. The Power nap is a real life saver. I used to nap with the radio playing ,somehow it made waking up easier. Most of the boredom comes from powerful trucks knuckled down to 56MPH on an empty motorway. The trucks these days have had their very soul sucked out of them with green regs. They are no more than items of industrial equipment with an attendant overseeing the dials.
As you’ll have gathered by now, you did absolutely the right thing in stopping, no question. The boss “should” be pleased that you are sensible enough to make sure you are safe to drive.
I agree with the 20 minutes shut-eye, but I don’t actually sleep as I’m too worried about waking up again! But even just closing your eyes gives your senses a rest.
I take talking books with me on long journeys. Language courses are good too - keeps you thinking.
also the power nap is a must,the only thing wrong with my power naps is that most the time they are so bloody powerfull they turn into 3 hour deep sleeps and a bollocking off the boss