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...