What Do You Eat And Drink All Day/Night To Keep Your Energy Up Feeder Drivers?
A
anonymous6
Guest
that's true for me too. 2100 or later is the best i can do. mon, tues are the worse. rest oif week it gets easier then the weekend screws you up. when i get real exhausted i call in sick and they give me a hard time. all i do is sleep on a sick day but they don't believe me. i only do it about once every other month.
brett636
Well-Known Member
deucebig86
Member
i cant agree more with the first posting about staying up right until that 8 hour mark and waking up and going straight to work. i am seasonal so just a cover driver for several centers so my schedule varies bigtime. sometimes i work from a center thats 1.5 hours away so an hour and a half to work, 12 hour run, then hour and a half back home... that makes for one longggg week!!! but i eat a normal meal before work, usually carry a sandwich and a bag of chips for work and drink diet drinks. i also sleep during the layover time (if the run has it) if not ill take a nap depending on how much time i have. 15 mins of shuteye does wonders esp when the sun is just coming up... thats the hardest for me anyways!
104Feeder
Phoenix Feeder
Try taking only a 45 minute nap. That's what the FAA recommends for pilots, and from my personal experience it seems to be the perfect amount of time to give you that boost yet not have you groggy.
B complex vitamins seem to work wonders too.
The cover board in Feeders can be brutal for the first few years, bouncing around from nights to days. Every location has their own convoluted way of doing things so learn it forwards & backwards so you can make the schedule work for you. Perhaps bid on that crappy run that just goes back and forth to the rail if it gets you a set schedule and a routine. I thrived on the cover board and have only come off it when a run that appeals to me is available. It's a different lifestyle that's for sure.
As far as eating/ drinking I like unsweetened ice tea and the occasional energy drink if I'm dragging. Fruit, veggies, and too often it's chips but I have a salt craving. I like a hot meal so I bring something substantial like a burrito or a tupperware of chicken & rice etc that I can nuke and eat rather quickly.
B complex vitamins seem to work wonders too.
The cover board in Feeders can be brutal for the first few years, bouncing around from nights to days. Every location has their own convoluted way of doing things so learn it forwards & backwards so you can make the schedule work for you. Perhaps bid on that crappy run that just goes back and forth to the rail if it gets you a set schedule and a routine. I thrived on the cover board and have only come off it when a run that appeals to me is available. It's a different lifestyle that's for sure.
As far as eating/ drinking I like unsweetened ice tea and the occasional energy drink if I'm dragging. Fruit, veggies, and too often it's chips but I have a salt craving. I like a hot meal so I bring something substantial like a burrito or a tupperware of chicken & rice etc that I can nuke and eat rather quickly.
barnyard
KTM rider
Good quality day sleep is what works for me. I have blackout curtains in my bedroom to keep it dark and added a curtain to the end of our hall, so if I have to get up to hit the can, it is relatively dark in the hallway. I have a small fan running for the noise. With it on, I have slept through tornado warnings. With it off, I sometimes hear the dogs walking around. I get up, eat supper with the fam, have a sandwich at meal and some cereal right before bed.
I works for me, but I only cover vacations.
I works for me, but I only cover vacations.
teamsterdan
Well-Known Member
been using this stuff pretty much since i found it a few yrs ago...............wish they had it when I served (88-92) back then we resorted to no doze.....mtn dew..................not a coffee guy, tried it don't like it...........i have been on the pre-load going on 20 yrs.......(friend/t 22.3 combo,since 99) does not taste the best but it works.................
Stay Alert Gum | Stay Alert Caffeine Chewing Gum | Energy Gum
Stay Alert Gum | Stay Alert Caffeine Chewing Gum | Energy Gum
Dracula
Package Car is cake compared to this...
I've been in feeders for a year and a half now. Lucky for me, I came back here with over 21 years of driving seniority under my belt, so I got decent road jobs. Both of the jobs I've chosen are Sun-Thur jobs. My first job started at 11PM and the one I've got now starts at 10PM.
I've struggled at times. My first year, I drove 3 hours to and back by myself. The problem wasn't the drive up. It was the return trip. Coming back, I struggled badly. Caffeine didn't work for me. It gave me a pop for a half and hour, but I crashed badly after the caffeine wore off. It was all I could do to stay awake. I tried primal screaming. I tried opening the windows in sub-zero degree temperatures. I tried cranking my stereo way up. But not much worked.
The problem started when management tried to make me take my meal during my turn-around, but my loads were always ready, there was no wait time, so I took my meal at the end of my day, if I could stay awake. After a while, I couldn't, so I pulled over when I got tired on my return trip and napped for 35 minutes. It worked wonders.
But, UPS being UPS, they tried forcing me to take my meal during my turn-around. I filed a grievance, and eventually won, which brought on a whole different set of pressures. But that is for another post. I went back to taking my return naps. I survived.
The run I have now, it's a similar story, except it's 4 hours to and from. The difference now, is that I return with anywhere from 2 to 4 other drivers, because we all normally wait on the sort we come from. And we all have CB radios, which makes a HUGE difference in keeping alert. These guys NEVER shut up. It keeps you alert. It's kind of like what the other guys here say about phone calls. Talking with others makes a big difference. If we get tired, we pull over and sleep from 20 to 35 minutes. Again, it does the trick.
I get off between 9 and 10 in the AM, and get to sleep around 12 to 1PM. I do the black-out curtains, earplugs and a sleep mask to block out all light, hence, the Dracula handle. I also take COSTCO OTC sleeping pills, which keeps me asleep until I have to wake up at 8PM.
Now, the full day's sleep, in my experience, only helps on the drive up.
On the drive back, the light is coming up, and it just doesn't seem to jive with the human clock. I'm not so sure that there is much you can do about the rising sun. But the human contact is a real life-saver. That might not be an option for you, though. In that case. a quick cat nap works wonders, like others here have said.
You just wouldn't think a 20 minute nap would do much good. You would be wrong. It can be the difference between falling asleep and staying awake. And as others have also said, DO NOT risk trying to make it back to the hub if you are fighting your eyes. Even if you have hot loads. You MIGHT get a warning letter for being late. But you WILL get fired for driving off the road because you fell asleep.
At the end of the day, whether you drive a tractor or a package car, your name is on it. Safety is your responsibility, not those ****-stick managers. Understand that, and do what it takes to finish that. If that means you have to do what you have to to make it safe, DO IT. I don't say that from some pedestal; I say it from hard experience. Watch yourself, take care of yourself, and make as much money as you can in the process...
I've struggled at times. My first year, I drove 3 hours to and back by myself. The problem wasn't the drive up. It was the return trip. Coming back, I struggled badly. Caffeine didn't work for me. It gave me a pop for a half and hour, but I crashed badly after the caffeine wore off. It was all I could do to stay awake. I tried primal screaming. I tried opening the windows in sub-zero degree temperatures. I tried cranking my stereo way up. But not much worked.
The problem started when management tried to make me take my meal during my turn-around, but my loads were always ready, there was no wait time, so I took my meal at the end of my day, if I could stay awake. After a while, I couldn't, so I pulled over when I got tired on my return trip and napped for 35 minutes. It worked wonders.
But, UPS being UPS, they tried forcing me to take my meal during my turn-around. I filed a grievance, and eventually won, which brought on a whole different set of pressures. But that is for another post. I went back to taking my return naps. I survived.
The run I have now, it's a similar story, except it's 4 hours to and from. The difference now, is that I return with anywhere from 2 to 4 other drivers, because we all normally wait on the sort we come from. And we all have CB radios, which makes a HUGE difference in keeping alert. These guys NEVER shut up. It keeps you alert. It's kind of like what the other guys here say about phone calls. Talking with others makes a big difference. If we get tired, we pull over and sleep from 20 to 35 minutes. Again, it does the trick.
I get off between 9 and 10 in the AM, and get to sleep around 12 to 1PM. I do the black-out curtains, earplugs and a sleep mask to block out all light, hence, the Dracula handle. I also take COSTCO OTC sleeping pills, which keeps me asleep until I have to wake up at 8PM.
Now, the full day's sleep, in my experience, only helps on the drive up.
On the drive back, the light is coming up, and it just doesn't seem to jive with the human clock. I'm not so sure that there is much you can do about the rising sun. But the human contact is a real life-saver. That might not be an option for you, though. In that case. a quick cat nap works wonders, like others here have said.
You just wouldn't think a 20 minute nap would do much good. You would be wrong. It can be the difference between falling asleep and staying awake. And as others have also said, DO NOT risk trying to make it back to the hub if you are fighting your eyes. Even if you have hot loads. You MIGHT get a warning letter for being late. But you WILL get fired for driving off the road because you fell asleep.
At the end of the day, whether you drive a tractor or a package car, your name is on it. Safety is your responsibility, not those ****-stick managers. Understand that, and do what it takes to finish that. If that means you have to do what you have to to make it safe, DO IT. I don't say that from some pedestal; I say it from hard experience. Watch yourself, take care of yourself, and make as much money as you can in the process...
104Feeder
Phoenix Feeder
I've noticed that it's always darkest just before the sun starts to rise, so you might try timing your naps for say 4:30 if the official sunrise is say 5:30 that way you wake up with the natural light. It kind of fools your natural body clock. I would do this and usually woke up from the light instead of my alarm clock.
Dallasdoug
New Member
I am a package car driver in dallas, I don't know what the rules are with posting this, so you can email me privately if you wish, but I am also a advisor with advocare international, a nutritional company, and I carry a drink called spark, which works very well for me and other drivers. Sugar free, vitamin/mineral drink mix with no crash. Good for 5-6 hours. Drew Brees is the national spokesperson for the company.
brett636
Well-Known Member
For me the absolute worst time for fatique was right when the sun began to shine from below the horizon. I don't know why, but staying awake seemed like such a chore until that sun came all the way up and then I was fine. Perhaps it was just the realization that I should be in bed right then instead of behind the wheel of a tractor trailer.
UnconTROLLed
perfection
Here are a few tricks I have stuck with over the years, that have helped me working overnights
When I wake up, I take vitamin b12 , calcium and vitamin D supplements and multi-vitamin. I run 3-4 miles or exercise bike 10 miles, for 30 minutes.
At work, I drink one coffee, but half decaf. Not too much caffine I cannot sleep later. also, during the night, I eat plenty of fruits like bananas, apples...oj is very good, too.
Another possible consideration, and something that has helped me, is taking melatonin supplement prior to sleeping. for me, it helps fall asleep consistently and into R.E.M. more often , helping with energy and alertness the next day (along with vitamin D/ b12 supplements in the AM)
When I wake up, I take vitamin b12 , calcium and vitamin D supplements and multi-vitamin. I run 3-4 miles or exercise bike 10 miles, for 30 minutes.
At work, I drink one coffee, but half decaf. Not too much caffine I cannot sleep later. also, during the night, I eat plenty of fruits like bananas, apples...oj is very good, too.
Another possible consideration, and something that has helped me, is taking melatonin supplement prior to sleeping. for me, it helps fall asleep consistently and into R.E.M. more often , helping with energy and alertness the next day (along with vitamin D/ b12 supplements in the AM)
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