The Long Haul – A Trucker`s Tales of Life on the Road

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In the USA, I’m limited to 11 hours each day. I have to take a certain number of breaks within a 14-hour working day as well. In Canada, I have a 16-hour working day and I can drive 13 hours straight, if I want. Post-trip inspection: Once parked, I'd do my post-trip inspection of the tractor and trailer to make sure the equipment was still in good shape after a day on the road.

Knowing you have somewhere you need to be while you do all this waiting can be stressful, so try your best to fill the time you have doing something positive like: Attentiveness– The road might seem predictable, but tuning out isn’t an option when safety is the number one priority. Many times, especially during winter. Everything in Canada gets icy and covered in snow so the road conditions get very dangerous. Similar things happen in the states that make driving very difficult. It’s part of the job, but I’ll never get used to it.” What do you do when conditions are bad?Try to parallel your routine as close to a ‘normal’ or your ‘home’ schedule as possible. Maintain a regular meal schedule, exercise, some leisure walking, sleep etc. whenever possible.

Mechanical Skills– When a problem occurs, very rarely does it happen near an auto shop. You need to be able to fix some things on your own. Parking: Since I usually started my days early, I’d do my best to be parked no later than 7 p.m. Some of the places I would stop included:While my days started with a similar routine, the rest of the day was as different as my dispatch dictates. Here are a couple of ways it could’ve played out: Sometime near the middle of my day, I'd take my 30-minute break. In the interest of safety, the Department of Transportation requires drivers take this half-hour break after, at most, eight hours of driving.

Well, it's been a while since I did my last post. Too much time driving and not enough free time or energy to log on. What a poor excuse! There’s so many things aprofessional drivertries to fit into his life, both personal and for business. There’sfamily time, exercise, leisure activity, and of course thelong hoursit takes to complete the job as required. Paperwork: After the inspection, I’d finish off any remaining paperwork or work-related tasks on my tablet. Do some calculations re: driving time, fuel and meal stops, sleep time and add in unexpected delays, to be sure you have sufficient time to make the delivery as expected.The USA also limits me to up to 70 hours in an 8-day period while Canada has a limit of 70 hours in a 7-day period. It’s harder to get as many miles in when I’m in the states.” How many hours do you usually drive? Healthcan suffer if diet, exercise and proper rest is ignored. Family life and relationships will deterioraterapidly, if insufficient face time is available. Even the driver’s job can be in jeopardy, if not enough attention is paid to keeping an eye on finances and budgeting. You’ll be meeting people at your stops, and during those times you might be able to strike up a non-work-related conversation with them. It's not just about driving. It's about being part of a larger community, one that's dedicated, reliable, and expert in handling complex logistics. It's about being part of a revolution in transportation, ensuring goods reach their destination seamlessly. Conclusion If utilized properly by the carrier, the driver can lead a fairly relaxed schedule on the road. An 11 hour work day is still a longer day, than most people work. Shippers and sometimes carriers will push for the 18 -20 hour day.