Riding With A Sleepy Driver

[CottageFarm]

Been in both seats. Scared myself pretty bad driving back from Minnesota a few years back. Don't try driving more than 8-9 hours anymore, less if I haven't had enough sleep. I'll make my husband stop if I think he's too tired now, too. Neither one of us can do 12-14 hour drives anymore.

 

[Chuckie]

Jogeephus, since he reads this forum often, I would love to tell it like it is. But let me say this, I always try to find a way something will work, and he always tries to find a way that it won't. He knows exactly what I am talking about! :nod:

 

[Dave]

Back when I was chasing after those rodeos I (we) did lots of late night or all night drives. We never crashed but I have woke up a number of times pulled over on the side of the road with everyone in the rig asleep. When the last guy couldn't take it anymore he would just pull over and sleep sitting behind the wheel. I have done a few trips where I must have been on auto pilot where I remember leaving some place and the next thing I know I am at a place 200 miles down the road with a mountain pass or two between point A and B.
About 4 years ago I pulled an all night trip back from Montana with the daughter. Not nearly as easy as it use to be.

 

[Chuckie]

I drove 400 miles a night for a living, and when I would get sleepy, I would make the air seat rock back and forth and place my legs in a way that it would make charlie horses in my thighs. At the same time I would pull really hard on the steering wheel too. It was a pretty good work out, and it would wake me up. Or I would get out of the truck for a couple of minutes on the side of the road and run in place until I had my blood pumping a bit faster than sitting still. I had a timed load, and I had a very short window to get it back to the center. This mostly happened when I first started the runs. Then I started listening to XM radio to the stations that read books. I wanted to listen each night what would happen in the next sequel , so I didn't get sleepy. They read a lot of Louis L'Amour books and detective stories. I had a couple of drops, and I hated to get out of the truck to miss any part of the stories they were reading.

 

[Judge Sharpe]

I cured myself by waking up running down the median at 70 miles per hour one morning. I have found myself dozing off and waking up as the wheel ran off the road, but this was the first time I left the road completely. Fortunately the medial was wide and it was early enough that the traffic was light. All I can figure is that the God Lord was not ready to take me that day.

 

[Chuckie]

The "ruffles have ridges" on the shoulder of the road don't seem to be helping out that much in Tennessee. They need to make them deeper and wider.

 

[highgrit]

Drove many a mile to dang tired and trying to keep my eyes open. A Snickers bar and a Mountain Dew will give you a boost of energy.

 

[pdfangus]

Drove many a mile to dang tired and trying to keep my eyes open. A Snickers bar and a Mountain Dew will give you a boost of energy.

yeah during my last stint as a commercial driver I self medicated with M&Ms, Pepsi and Marlboro light 100's...

only gained about 15 lbs....
:cowboy: