teams, how do you sleep while truck is moving?

MrMrsSir

Member
My wonderful hubby and I are off the road maybe for good but I hope not. The main problem my hubby had while we were out there was sleeping while the truck was rolling. Can anyone here give us ideas, clues, thoughts whatever that can help my hubby sleep. We had a spring mattress under a foam mattress hoping that would help him but it didn't make any difference. He would keep waking up every time I would have to slow the truck down, hit a crack in the road, go to fuel, everything. It didn't matter who was driving. Even when we were with our trainers he would do this, so it isn't just me and my driving. I enjoyed the experience and really hated to come off the road after being out there such a short time but we have to figure out this problem for him before we can go on.
My only problems out there was my ability to back the trailer up and I have to admit I am a chicken when it comes to thinking about icy roads and bridges this coming winter. I know with time all that would have come to me easier but...ah well, maybe I will get the chance to do it again. But, Please PleasePlease if you have any ideas on the sleep thing please share them. Thanks in advance with any suggestions.
 
My wonderful hubby and I are off the road maybe for good but I hope not. The main problem my hubby had while we were out there was sleeping while the truck was rolling. Can anyone here give us ideas, clues, thoughts whatever that can help my hubby sleep. We had a spring mattress under a foam mattress hoping that would help him but it didn't make any difference. He would keep waking up every time I would have to slow the truck down, hit a crack in the road, go to fuel, everything. It didn't matter who was driving. Even when we were with our trainers he would do this, so it isn't just me and my driving. I enjoyed the experience and really hated to come off the road after being out there such a short time but we have to figure out this problem for him before we can go on.
My only problems out there was my ability to back the trailer up and I have to admit I am a chicken when it comes to thinking about icy roads and bridges this coming winter. I know with time all that would have come to me easier but...ah well, maybe I will get the chance to do it again. But, Please PleasePlease if you have any ideas on the sleep thing please share them. Thanks in advance with any suggestions.


Right I know nothing but take it the bed is Standard cross the chassie
Now woukd it be pos to move the bunk / Bed long wasy so it runs down with the chassi ??
Just a thought
 
You run team long enough you will need someone to shake the bed when your home. Most depends on the driver he has to remember that your back there sleeping.Slow dow on curves, easy on the brakes. turn that dam CB radio down if not off.
There are some so called driver you can't sleep behind.
 
I cant, I meant really CANT sleep in a moving vehicle..
Then you should not be running team. Because that driver is depending on you.
The way we use to do it was I done all the day driving 6:am to 10 pm and she did the night driving. Then about 5:am she would park it and we would sleep to gather for an hour or two.That way it give her a chance to fall asleep. Then She was up by noon and about 2pm I would catch an hour nap. . It worked good for 30+ years. Danny
PS Every body is different tho. I'm not a day time sleeper. Besides that would let me fight traffic jams and find the shipper and receivers. Also I got to screw with most of the DOT. She likes books on tape and enjoyed listing to them also she turned the CB off.
Happy trucking Danny, Sandy
 
I can sleep in a moving truck better then my own bed...lol. When he use to pull the reffer, that never bothered be either.
Really I think alot has to do with trust.
 
I drove team with a guy who would blow the horn and cuss ppl out while I was back in the sleeper birth. That would wake me right up. I would just be asleep and darned if someone else didn't tick him off. :nono:
 
Then you should not be running team. Because that driver is depending on you.
The way we use to do it was I done all the day driving 6:am to 10 pm and she did the night driving. Then about 5:am she would park it and we would sleep to gather for an hour or two.That way it give her a chance to fall asleep. Then She was up by noon and about 2pm I would catch an hour nap. . It worked good for 30+ years. Danny
PS Every body is different tho. I'm not a day time sleeper. Besides that would let me fight traffic jams and find the shipper and receivers. Also I got to screw with most of the DOT. She likes books on tape and enjoyed listing to them also she turned the CB off.
Happy trucking Danny, Sandy


There could almost be 4 hours that the truck could sit, so you could get some sleep together. I used to listen to books on tape too. I heard alot of Clive Cussler and Tom Clancy stories. I rarely had the cb on, only if there was a backup or a detour. I also drove alot at night. I had my coffee and my m&m's, and I was good to go.
 
My wonderful hubby and I are off the road maybe for good but I hope not. The main problem my hubby had while we were out there was sleeping while the truck was rolling. Can anyone here give us ideas, clues, thoughts whatever that can help my hubby sleep. We had a spring mattress under a foam mattress hoping that would help him but it didn't make any difference. He would keep waking up every time I would have to slow the truck down, hit a crack in the road, go to fuel, everything. It didn't matter who was driving. Even when we were with our trainers he would do this, so it isn't just me and my driving. I enjoyed the experience and really hated to come off the road after being out there such a short time but we have to figure out this problem for him before we can go on.
My only problems out there was my ability to back the trailer up and I have to admit I am a chicken when it comes to thinking about icy roads and bridges this coming winter. I know with time all that would have come to me easier but...ah well, maybe I will get the chance to do it again. But, Please PleasePlease if you have any ideas on the sleep thing please share them. Thanks in advance with any suggestions.

heres a few things that have worked for me and my wife. basically when ure going to take ure full 10 break its not a bad thing to take1 or 2 tylenol PM. it works wonders and will keep u asleep atleast 6 1/2 hrs which is all i need and im fully refreshed . also one thing we figured out was once u awake for ure full shit if u get held up at a customer or whatever else dont take any naps. stay awake ure full shift that way ure more tired when it is time to shutdown that way u actually look forward to going to sleep
 
All good advice. I have worked many a graveyard and even rotating shifts. There are things your can do such as keeping it as dark as possible. Trying to sleep at about the same times. To be sure, remember the sleeper. Ear plugs or don't eat within a few hours of sleeping. And as I told my wife once, "You must be one with the truck," and then I turned over and went right back to sleep. It pissed her off. She couldn't fall sleep with the reefer going on and off. Some people can sleep anywhere. I guess I am lucky. I have slept in the rain, on a cold night, on the cold steel of a tank. I like the movement and hum of a truck. It remindes me of sleeping on a train. To each his own. Have you tried a small ear bud in one ear when driving? That way you can hear the radio and keep an ear out for traffic noise while letting your partner sleep. But keep the ear bud on the inside of the cab. With blue tooth, you can now hear the radio and your cell phone. And, it's hands free.
 
Several years ago I remember seeing an air-ride bed advertised for truck sleepers. It had up & down, side to side, and front to back shock absorbers and was supposed to take most of the jostling out just like a good air-ride seat. I don't know if it is still being sold or not.

I just looked at the original post date. I didn't realize someone dragged this thread out of ancient history. This won't help them, but maybe it will help someone else.
 
When I have run in a team situation I haven't had any trouble sleeping. In fact after a while I get so used to sleeping with the truck running, when I get some home-20 time I gotta start up the lawnmower and park it outside the bedroom window.

When I drove with my dad when he hauled cars, we drove team and I slept like a baby in that old coffin sleeper that his International cabover rig had. When it was his turn to get some shuteye, every time I hit a bump, slowed down for traffic or construction, or whatever, he rolled out of the bunk, "What? What's the matter? What's going on?" I think he was worried that I couldn't handle it so he really wasn't sleeping.

When I travel with my partner on vacations I almost always drive and if we haven't gone as far as we want to before the day is done and I am getting tired I ask if she want's to drive, but she declines, because she has driven every mile from the passenger seat. She just can't relax when someone else is at the wheel.

As far as using over the counter pills to help you sleep, you will build a tolerance to them in short order, and Tylenol is real bad for your kidneys.

Learn to relax and meditate, clear your head, and when it is time to sleep train yourself to do so.
 
I did the team thing a few times and its not for me as to why I run solo.Too much give and take.He either have the radio too loud or constantly talkng on the cb or hit a nice bump.But guys can fall asleep alot faster then women.Wonder why that is.When it was my turn to drive he'd be out like a lite in minutes when it took me a couple hrs or longer to finally get to sleep.
 
You have to Trust the co-driver. No sub-concious worries. Me, I can sleep anywhere, ( I fell asleep one time standing on a Ladder ). But with a co-driver I have to start out in the Jump seat to watch them drive for awhile first. If I see that they drive Civilized, I know the bunk will be much more comfortable.
 
See if you can find an old CornFlake or Trans-Con driver ,, and have them set up a "swinging bunk" for you
 
team... i've ran team. leave sunday. no sleep untill wed, or thursday?... maybe then ? get a motel so we both could get a bath and some sleep.?
it totaly sucked.
runnings team is the most unsafe thing in the world.

peabody
thats just my .02 cents worth.
 

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