Any night drivers here? Not local, but OTR....

Mike

Well-Known Member
I ask because I often notice trucks taking off late in the evening, sometime late at night. Actually just happened, the truck driver beside me just appeared to start his day.

I did this alot quite a few years ago running produce, not so much because I started my day at night, but because I was tied up loading at multiple produce docks throughout the day, and fixed my log book so I could run that night.

I know, at any given time, trucks are all over the interstate at night. Just curious if there are any OTR drivers here that primarily drive overnight...

When I did it, I enjoyed it, but only because of the CB and running with other folks all night. Not like that these days.
 
I ask because I often notice trucks taking off late in the evening, sometime late at night. Actually just happened, the truck driver beside me just appeared to start his day.

I did this alot quite a few years ago running produce, not so much because I started my day at night, but because I was tied up loading at multiple produce docks throughout the day, and fixed my log book so I could run that night.

I know, at any given time, trucks are all over the interstate at night. Just curious if there are any OTR drivers here that primarily drive overnight...

When I did it, I enjoyed it, but only because of the CB and running with other folks all night. Not like that these days.
Frequently I'll run late, or depart very early. Less traffic, the coops are mostly closed. It's mostly schedule driven for me.
 
I ask because I often notice trucks taking off late in the evening, sometime late at night. Actually just happened, the truck driver beside me just appeared to start his day.

I did this alot quite a few years ago running produce, not so much because I started my day at night, but because I was tied up loading at multiple produce docks throughout the day, and fixed my log book so I could run that night.

I know, at any given time, trucks are all over the interstate at night. Just curious if there are any OTR drivers here that primarily drive overnight...

When I did it, I enjoyed it, but only because of the CB and running with other folks all night. Not like that these days.
when i had the run from MA to Richmond, VA, that was done early evening, till just around sunrise.

all my dedicated runs were at night, including the one i am on now.

but when i did do long haul back in the days, of course, it was when ever my 8 hours was up, and i'd say about a good mix of times.
 
Part of the art of driving to Walmart (for me anyway) is to back up your start to as early as possible. Usually this involves shorting yourself a fair amount of time at least one day in your 5-6 days working. This, if you live far away from your DC is also how you get yourself out of the gate and home at a decent time on your last day.

For example, I have a 9am start time on my first day. Usually by my 5th day, I'm able to start at about 330am.

Not that I always do, mind you because sometimes I toss and turn too much and decide I"m sleeping a decent amount anyway.

The best I've ever done was to back myself up to about 1am. I had close to 500 miles on by lunchtime, and made it home well before supper with a 2 hour commute.

But I felt like I'd just done a thousand mile overnighter back from the east coast like I did when I was a kid, so I don't go that nuts anymore.

Plenty of guys back themselves up to a midnight start time though. For several reasons. They mainly avoid backhauls, and they like driving at those times, and like I said so they get home earlier.
 
When I pulled the reefer karma it was common for me to drive nights because of stupidity schedules grocery warehouse.



Since I went to open deck I'm back to being solar-charged. One of the differences between the two trailers.
 
Part of the art of driving to Walmart (for me anyway) is to back up your start to as early as possible. Usually this involves shorting yourself a fair amount of time at least one day in your 5-6 days working. This, if you live far away from your DC is also how you get yourself out of the gate and home at a decent time on your last day.

For example, I have a 9am start time on my first day. Usually by my 5th day, I'm able to start at about 330am.

Not that I always do, mind you because sometimes I toss and turn too much and decide I"m sleeping a decent amount anyway.

The best I've ever done was to back myself up to about 1am. I had close to 500 miles on by lunchtime, and made it home well before supper with a 2 hour commute.

But I felt like I'd just done a thousand mile overnighter back from the east coast like I did when I was a kid, so I don't go that nuts anymore.

Plenty of guys back themselves up to a midnight start time though. For several reasons. They mainly avoid backhauls, and they like driving at those times, and like I said so they get home earlier.
I start at 400 and usually able to back it up to100 by the end of the week.Always did like to get going between 100 and 400.
 
So far it seems like nobody chooses to run the overnights.
When I did it, it was mainly because I started my week late in the evening. Which evening depending on whether I was running to southern Cali or the Bay Area, both would be Monday morning deliveries.

Once unloaded in Cali, it was a day, sometimes two, of produce pickups, and typically running through the night until the beginning of daylight told me to stop.

I hear some drivers still say that they do all their running at night. I do see loads where this would be a possibility, but I just couldn’t imagine dealing with the night crews at warehouses on a regular basis, and most of the shippers/receivers I try to deal with are smaller 7-5 type places.
 
So far it seems like nobody chooses to run the overnights.
When I did it, it was mainly because I started my week late in the evening. Which evening depending on whether I was running to southern Cali or the Bay Area, both would be Monday morning deliveries.

Once unloaded in Cali, it was a day, sometimes two, of produce pickups, and typically running through the night until the beginning of daylight told me to stop.

I hear some drivers still say that they do all their running at night. I do see loads where this would be a possibility, but I just couldn’t imagine dealing with the night crews at warehouses on a regular basis, and most of the shippers/receivers I try to deal with are smaller 7-5 type places.
If I could choose, it would be a night schedule - and I do get overnight runs. This is a 500 to 700 mile lane, and I'm really getting just what's available- not what I'd prefer.
 
I hear some drivers still say that they do all their running at night. I do see loads where this would be a possibility, but I just couldn’t imagine dealing with the night crews at warehouses on a regular basis, and most of the shippers/receivers I try to deal with are smaller 7-5 type places.

all my deliveries/pickups are done at warehouses that are void of humans. we have the keys and alarm codes to get in, drop off, and pick up returning freight.

i had found in the past, that dealing with the night crews to be more laid back at the very few places i did have to deal with in my earlier years. i found this to be true at the cigarette factory warehouses in particular down south, and Pass & Seymour that moved to NC from LINY, that i had made pick ups at.

 
I used to run airfreight, Toronto to Chicago - Chicago to Toronto on the overnight shift. Traffic was great, stopping for coffee was easy. The road clearing of snow left something to be desired but, I was pretty much the only one around.
Day sleeping sucks! Sure you can kind of get used to it but the circadian rhythm will always want you to sleep at night.
 

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