Need Helpful Tips On Surviving the Long Hours

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anonymous6

Guest
Fairly new here and really enjoy the discussions. My question pertains to needing tips on surviving the long hrs.

i am a feeder driver now for 15 years and am in my 50's. i work about 11-12 or more hrs a day in snow country and have an hr commute each way. For all of my career have been able to handle these hrs BUT for the last couple years it seems i am really wearing down.

i get so tired, i can't think straight and really need my vacations to recuperate, etc. management gives me a hard time if i won't volunteer for extra work. i think sometimes i am becoming unsafe.

i have even gone to the doctor and been thoroughly checked out and they found nothing wrong.

i eat right for the most part ( maybe only 10-15 lbs over what the doctor wants ) I take brisk walks on my meal or breaks.

does anyone have any tips? maybe lift weights or try some new foods? do energy drinks work?

any advice would be greatly appreciated. what works for you? I've got 10 years left and right now, the way i feel, don't think i can make it.
 
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anonymous6

Guest
When I was in the hub some feeder guys would sleep in the cab until the load was ready to be pulled.

getting enough sleep for work is my number one priority. on a snow night of 12=16 hrs plus commute , i may only get 4-5 hrs sleep and i'm not even close to 100% for that night.

i know sleep is very important. kinda looking for a total program to survive. for some reason, i'm really feeling my age or older. this is disconcerting because until i was 50 I always felt half that age.
 

DS

Fenderbender
Try breaking your lunch up into 3 -20 minute breaks and close your eyes and sleep if you can.
Take vitamins and fish oil and do your walks after work when you are relaxed.Lose 10 pounds.
 

satellitedriver

Moderator
until i was 50 I always felt half that age.
Sorry to be the one to break it to ya.
The fifties aren't nifty.
Sleep, diet and exercise help, but can not reverse the natural aging process.
I am in the same boat and I realize that much of my energy decline is mental, as well as physical.
Basically, burnout.
Even so, at 55 I can still work like the 30yr old's around me.
I just do not care as much as I use to.
 
Don`t feel bad,I`m in my forties and I have days identical to yours. I too live an hour away from the hub and some of the days can get long. I gave up eating lunch and now split my day and sleep on my lunch. Save your break and take a 10 minute power nap to "reset the switch" if you need to. I`ve never had any help from diet so I can`t give you advice there. I have one cup of coffee at startup and thats it. When it comes to sleep at home I time it so when I do lay down it`s to sleep until I get up for work. Breaking up the sleep time doesn`t work for me as neither does sleeping too early. I done feeder for 14 years now and have gotten so used to 5-6 hours a night that I can`t sleep any longer than that. The only time I sleep more is on vacation. I wish I could offer more help but what works for one might not work for another. But know that your not alone by any stretch of the imagination.
 

gded

Well-Known Member
The one hour comute each way has to be a problem, than driving 12 or more hours. It's wearing u down.See a doctor, adjust your diet, or cut a few hours off of driving. the pay might be a little less, but your life might be a little easier.
 
A

anonymous6

Guest
Sorry to be the one to break it to ya.
The fifties aren't nifty.
Sleep, diet and exercise help, but can not reverse the natural aging process.
I am in the same boat and I realize that much of my energy decline is mental, as well as physical.
Basically, burnout.
Even so, at 55 I can still work like the 30yr old's around me.
I just do not care as much as I use to.

the doctor did mention that i am letting job stress wear me down . people do say i care too much. am active on the safety commitee and our ba has asked me to be a stewart ( turned him down )cause i already have too much on plate.

so, not caring sounds like a good survival technique. now if i can deprogram myself.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A

anonymous6

Guest
The one hour comute each way has to be a problem, than driving 12 or more hours. It's wearing u down.See a doctor, adjust your diet, or cut a few hours off of driving. the pay might be a little less, but your life might be a little easier.

I wish i could cut down my hrs but in the last couple yrs almost all of our feeder runs are 10.5 or more. we only have maybe six 9 hr runs and they are taken by higher seniority drivers.

I went to a district meeting about 5 years ago and asked the western states district manager why was this so and she told me that it is "cost effective for the company to have two drivers working 60 hrs a week rather than have three working 40. "

I then asked about driver burnout, fatigue and safety factors, and she said that " those costs have been added to the equation."

so, i now call in sick when i am exhausted and of course, as a lot of you know, they give me a hard time.

thanks for the suggestions so far. power naps do work well when I can fall asleep. i am determined to lose the 15 extra lbs after the first.

as for adderall, i'll have to do some research on.
 

old brown shoe

30 year driver
I like to listen to some good music or even a good talk show on the radio. Seems to help keep you from spacing out while driving. I drink lots of coffee but then I need to pee alot. I'm a delivery driver so at least I'm in and out of the truck often. Do you where glasses? If not you may want to get your eyes checked. It can make you very tired if your eyes are out of focus. You may want to move closer to your work so you don't have to commute so far back and forth.
 
A

anonymous6

Guest
I like to listen to some good music or even a good talk show on the radio. Seems to help keep you from spacing out while driving. I drink lots of coffee but then I need to pee alot. I'm a delivery driver so at least I'm in and out of the truck often. Do you where glasses? If not you may want to get your eyes checked. It can make you very tired if your eyes are out of focus. You may want to move closer to your work so you don't have to commute so far back and forth.


as a matter of fact, i did have eyes checked and needed glasses just for reading.

sirius radio has been literally a lifesaver the last 14 months. kicking myself for not getting it sooner.

seriously thinking of getting a second or third opinion from other doctors.

one clue i didn't mention. if i get two good days rest like 7-9 hrs sleep two days or more in a row, i feel like a million bucks again and i really enjoy this job. but those days are few and far between.

i was using xanex for awhile and it was working for sleep but the mood swings and irritabilty was driving everyone crazy.

tylenol pm makes me wake up groggy and slow. i really don't want chemicals in play.
 

UPSNewbie

Well-Known Member
I like to listen to some good music or even a good talk show on the radio. Seems to help keep you from spacing out while driving. I drink lots of coffee but then I need to pee alot. I'm a delivery driver so at least I'm in and out of the truck often. Do you where glasses? If not you may want to get your eyes checked. It can make you very tired if your eyes are out of focus. You may want to move closer to your work so you don't have to commute so far back and forth.

as a matter of fact, i did have eyes checked and needed glasses just for reading.

sirius radio has been literally a lifesaver the last 14 months. kicking myself for not getting it sooner.

seriously thinking of getting a second or third opinion from other doctors.

one clue i didn't mention. if i get two good days rest like 7-9 hrs sleep two days or more in a row, i feel like a million bucks again and i really enjoy this job. but those days are few and far between.

i was using xanex for awhile and it was working for sleep but the mood swings and irritabilty was driving everyone crazy.

tylenol pm makes me wake up groggy and slow. i really don't want chemicals in play.

My glasses are "for reading purposes," but if I don't wear them at night driving, my eyes loose focus and I get tired almost in an instant.

It could be a slight problem for you, but everyone is different for sure.
 

McLeod

Well-Known Member
See if doctor could get blood test to check everything out. You may also have some type of blockage in your arteries, they could run the dye test. I know of people out here with 75% to 90% blockage and they are so tired, until they got a stint put in. Then they feel like a million bucks!!
 

rushfan

Well-Known Member
I've used Ambien before, but the stuff made me so pissed off. I found a natural pill called melatonin. It works fine, but makes you feel hung over. I make myself go straight to bed when I get home, even though the body says it's daytime and I should be out and about.

I have only one Coke when I wake up for work. Any more than that, when I try to sleep, I can't. Like many others, I used to sleep during my lunch/break period. I had to force myself from doing that. Now, I rest my eyes, but don't have a full on sleep.

I don't live an hour from my center, but I have almost fallen asleep driving home. That would be tough not to get drowsy on the commute home.
 

pretender

Well-Known Member
How much total seniority do you have? If you are at the maximum number of vacation weeks, you could take off the months of January and February. The extra hour or so of driving, combined with the added tension on snow days could be just difference between feeling OK and always tired...
 
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