Night Driving - 5 Things All Professional Truck Drivers Should Know About
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- Опубликовано: 28 май 2024
- Some professional truck drivers prefer night driving, rather than day time driving.
There are 5 things truckers should know (or remember!) about driving at night.
1. The human body and brain are not at peak performance at night. As humans, our inner time clock tells us we should be sleeping, not behind the wheel of a truck!
2. Visibility is reduced.
3. Can be more dangerous. Crime rate tends to be higher during the night.
4. Traffic volume is typically less, which can be a big advantage for the professional truck driver, especially in and around major cities.
5. After hours assistance from dispatch can be less than adequate, even with trucking companies that have after hours service.
Night driving can be a good option for the professional trucker, but awareness of the perks and downsides should be kept in mind.
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Main advantage, less DOT and open scales to deal with!
Run at night I say. Scales are usually closed, no roadside inspections, way less traffic. Its easy to train yourself to sleep during the day.
Another perk of driving at night:
Getting a good spot at a truck stop to take your 10 hour.
Really, the only reason. That and traffic.
I love driving at night it’s just more peaceful for me long as I get good sleep I’m good
I like driving through L.A. and Chicago early mornings. 1-3 am. Me and 100 + other truck drivers. You can make U turns in the middle of the street and no one cares. "Stay off the streets you little 4 wheelers, it's OUR time".....Thank you for all your great information and experiences.
I loved night driving. No traffic, No problems finding a parking spot in the morning since everyone else is leaving lol. I also found it easier since I'm a night person anyway. But dealing with night dispatch or no dispatch does kinda suck but also makes you feel free from the binds of the company.
Animals, I've hit so many deers at night. That's my biggest problem.
I was a LTL. Line-Haul
Driver for most of 31 yrs starting In 1980. drove at night most ALL of it.
Traffic much better at night. Eyes don't get Sun burned. But I did miss out on alot of LIFE. I literally DROVE MY LIFE AWAY...
I can't sleep during the day even if the sleeper or room is darked out and cold it doesn't matter, if I know it's daylight I can't sleep. When it gets dark early it gets better but I still struggle. I like driving between 5am until 6 or 7pm.
I loved driving at night during my career. My one and only big night time driving rule was to get off the road at sunrise and have breakfast or even a cup of coffee. Sunrise to me was the biggest danger because it tended to make me drowsy. I also knew my limitations and never drove when I shouldn’t have.
As long as I"ve had a decent nap, I can drive at anytime...
I agree with you on your 5 points , but I’ve been a night driver for years and feel like as long you know your limitations , it still works best for me. On some runs as you know there can be a deference of several hours , between stop and go in the daylight , to rolling easy under a moonlit sky . A lot of new drivers need to know these facts, so thanks for putting them out there. Take Care Driver !
When I drive at night I have all cab light off or as low as it will go. The less light inside the cab the better/further you can see
Your stories make me wish I was able to drive back in the hay days
I get more miles in at night. The on coming headlights, especially since the led lights have become popular, give me headaches sometimes. Get a headache from traffic and idiots or from headlights so pick your poison.
Agree with u....those jerks tailgating with brights on ...u know what I do: I turn all my lights off and all of a sudden I brake lightly on their face....they surely pass me quicker than enough , then I flash them my powerful OEM Highbeams so they get the message
If possible, I’d ALWAYS drive at night. Less idiots on the road, easier for me to hit my exits since I’m not fighting a wall of traffic to get over, if I need to pull over on the shoulder for an emergency it’s safer bc or less traffic and my flashers are illuminated in the darkness, and finally...when I’m ready to park I have every truckstop available to me in the morning. Rolling out tonight at 2330. ✊
My vision was always sharper @ night. Even when I started wearing glasses, needed when I became night blind. Also found out it less distracting. Couldn't eyeball things I didn't need to eyeball.
#6. Wildlife hazards increase. Can’t always see them dart out or in your area.
#7. You have a blind spot in the center of your eyes. Very important to keep your eyes and head moving. Night vision is also a factor as is headlight glare.
My bid is night driving only, so I've learned the careful use of caffeine pills. Only take them 1/2 pill at a time and take them about a half hour before you need them. I always pop one around 4 a.m. to keep me alert through the very early morning hours. It's a tiny fraction of the cost compared to coffee, no stopping to buy coffee and no chance of spilling coffee
You forgot to Mention, MORE DEER COLLISIONS AT NIGHT.
I love how you say professional, There are so many truck drivers out there but 1/4 are professional ! Ive done alot of night driving, Kinda prefer it to be honest but ofcourse givin where your going and season ill take day driving.
I like night driving myself. Did it for years. Never had too much of a problem. I always found when it was raining really hard was my biggest problem. Visibility is at its worst. But because of the light traffic flow I over-exaggerated turns therefore I don't worry too much about corners or hitting things. I always worry about crime. I grew up in a city of high crime. As a little kid I used to get mugged all the time for my mother's cigarette money when I went out after dark. So I'm well aware of the violence. I still like night driving would take it over City Driving during the day any day. Great video by the way fantastic chips to tell any young driver. Thanks for posting
Could you imagine running team in one of those old girls. Just wow. Didn't know teams existed back then
I drive at night in the Northeast all the time. Start at midnight and stop by afternoon. I always find parking, less traffic, inspection stations are closed. Bad things: evening sunlight overheats the cab so I have to keep the truck running, a lot of trucks driving with high beams glaring everybody, road construction and drunk 4wheelers. Great video as always
I run nights up in the north east. NY and west CT. It's way better up here to run nights, traffic is not as bad and I dont have to set an alarm. I always had problems getting my butt out of bed in the morning
Absolutely right about 3am driving, it is the hardest thing to do to stay awake and alert when you were normally asleep. Another thing about night driving is that deer are more active after dark.
I’m a night time driver and have been for quite some time. You are correct on all five facts. Watching for deer is a major concern. You don’t see them until it’s too late. Light traffic is definitely a plus. I’ll pull over and take a catnap for an hour or so on my route. I’m dedicated so I have it down to a science. It did take a while to get used to it but it’s the nature of the beast running air freight.
Spent most of my career driving at night, no traffic or DOT (usually).You could make up a lot of time back in the log book days.
I've been out of the seat for a number of years. Recently I helped a friend move from Denver to Phoenix so I volunteered to drive the UHaul. Well my not so bright self decided to drive all night, I quickly realized I'm not the driver I was. Took me 3 days to recover from that stunt.
Your so right I'm a night driver and you have to be more careful. And yes city are bad at night but your right I ran into some drunk drivers in Chicago not good this guy almost went into my truck it was God watching over me and I agree with you there's good and bad driving at night I just prefer to drive at night no traffic. Thank you for your info I love this channel. 🌼🌻🌼
I always enjoy hearing your stories. They are always funny. I look forward to hearing them.
I like running at night and have for years pros are less 4 wheelers easier to maintain a quick steady pace and lay down some miles. Cons a little more dangerous with lack of vision, Ice on passes, Large animals crossings. Another great benefit is you can always get a good spot at the truck stop. Great channel without all the drama TKS.
I hauled groceries at night in Los Angeles for 7 and a half years, I preferred night shift because of the traffic.
I started hauling fuel in 1995 but I found out that most fuel haulers are paid by the mile with a set amount for loading and unloading...You must work nights in LA or you don't make any money. Then I went to work for BENETO TANK LINES in November 1997 and I transferred to Reno immediately after a 2 week brush-up training session and I had to work night shift for a while and I preferred nights over days again even though I could work days and not lose any money but I LOVED the independence and NO WAITING IN LINE at the loading racks... I also loved the loads out to Tonopah, Nevada or Elko, Nevada with a 3rd tank , but I switched to day shift for my wife and kids...☺️
I can understand the switch to days, way easier on family life! You're right though, night work can have its plus side!
As someone who frequently picks up loads in Lachine, I'd rather go in and out of there at 2AM than 2PM.
I wouldnt want to be broke down in Chicago at 1 in the am
7710 power I’m a Chicago based trucker and honestly it all depends on where you break down. Most highways and interstates here aren’t bad at all. Just stay away from I-294/290. Lol
I an new driver only 3 months now and i only like night driving especially Chicago at 2 am is great
I always prefer driving during the day.
I am driving at night for the past 8 months Calgary - Vancouver-Edmonton-Calgary and my blood pressure went down , my stress level went down , I see now trucking much easier job to do, if you are a good SELF-MANAGED person. It's true , I have to be very precise on what I am doing, no wondering around, almost no dispatch and nobody at the destination 99.9% of the time because is pick&drop job with precise instructions on running orders. At this moment, I have only 4 years driving experience. Before I was on Calgary-L.A.-Dallas-Miami-Toronto-Calgary , it was beautiful scenery meeting all kinda people but very stressful especially L.A./San Diego or all South Florida. Only Texas is a very friendly trucker state.
I night drive or at the very least plan my routes through places like Los Angeles at night. I average 700 miles thanks to night driving
Night driving is the best!
My whole career so far has been nights, I love it, can't find nothing during the day! Well, the sun is coming up, time to get back in my coffin😎 good story, keep shiny side up.
Driving at night wasn’t really my favorite time to drive but I loved going through Atlanta at night it was well worth it.i drove for prime so my truck was governed at 62 mph and I covered a lot more miles at night then during the day also by the time your done you head to the truck stop and there is so much parking available because most of the truckers are gone
I’m good up to 3:30-4 AM after that I’m done
I've done a lot of night shifts and that is a fairly standard time for the ones who can do nights at all. 3-4 AM is usually the tipping point for everyone; after that, it gets a little bit better but it's still zombie time. There's no tricking the circadian rhythm, and it's scary how it's the same for everyone everywhere.
24 years and every nite is the same,just bout twilite hours I struggle
Rookie
@@pauliewalnuts7088 Have you seen the black dog yet ? I have and it's just like they say it runs right at you and jumps though the windshield and hits you in the face .
Thank you... I always learn great knowledge from your channel especially for new driver like me.
I mean your channel is so helpful to me...
I'm learning so much from you I'm trying to arm myself with as much knowledge as I can. My endeavor starts in another month and a half. Thank You.
I come for the great trucking info but I stay for the stories. Good one Dave😊
This video is great. Thanks Dave. Always have the facts. Love to watch.
Thanks for another great video! Always informative and entertaining!
Another Perk-----Going thru Big Cities at nite--------breeze right thru --AND Summertime----Cooler at nite
Great points, Thank you for that!
For me personally, my energy is higher during the early morning hours. I'm usually in the gym between 12-3am. I'm at my lowest between 6-10am. Its not normal for most people
Love your channel dude! You guys do solid work! Thanks (to all on your crew!!)
Good advice
Thanks for the positive message. Good story too. Have driven since 91 and a lot has changed, seems like its every man for themselves. Are you old enough to remember Western Freight out Ontario. My grandfather worked there 40 years. It took 2 days to get from Windsor to Toronto, no ac,air ride,no radio. He hung it up in the mid 60s, man I miss his stories.
I love your videos and they're always so informative you have a lot of wisdom when it comes to this craft. I've been driving for just a little over a year now so I still consider myself a rookie. But it doesn't hurt and videos like this to include some statistical facts I always drive at night for reasons such as this
65% of truck accident related fatalities occurred between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the highest percentage of deaths during this time occurring noon to 3 p.m.
Nearly 18 percent (681 people) involved in truck accidents during this short, three-hour window lost their lives; nearly 22 percent were injured. Only 13 percent of crashes involving other vehicles other than trucks happened during this time.
The least amount of truck accident fatalities (305 deaths or 8 percent) occurred from midnight to 3 a.m.
I don't disagree that there are definitely some cons to both I just think that the cons of driving during the day at way the cons of driving during the night. Of course I've also program my body to stay up at night from doing it for so long so I really don't run into a problem with getting tired I've been doing it for a year now! Good luck out there driver stay safe and keep the rubber side down
Way to go pops....my appreciations !!!
We struggle with this as team drivers, my boyfriend does night shift, I'm 15 yrs older than him, so seeing at night driving is harder for me. Great video and we appreciate you!
I don’t understand how THE man who has the ultimate trucking advice, and is the GO TO individual with all things trucking has less than 100k subs?! Like and sub for goodness sakes...he knows what he is talking about!
That’s the truth. I notice the older I get. Thanks for sharing.
😆the story oh wait your sleeping????yeah let me sing you the song of my ppl. Refer engine starts and Rev's
Good Information
Nice video... thanks
Thank you!
Two years fresh running night Linehaul ltl. Love your videos
Keep the stories coming 😂👍
I agree my husband drives at night. He has for years now. I drive during the day because I can't stay up all night, and the crime. Team driving we go all the time.
HAAAAAAA!!! Very true!!! East coast I prefer night running! Midwest to West coast I luv the scenery and day driving!!!
I like your vlogs man. And that you are Canadian is the cherry on the cake. In my mind you are the smartest trucker on u tube. And that lady on your channel, if she's your wife or girlfriend you are a lucky guy because she is some fine!
Thank you so much
6. If you're gonna run at night, mount a cattle catcher
True dat . I seen where a semi truck ground a cow into the asphalt . There was a bloody 100 foot stretch mark stain in the road and the transmission was knocked out of the truck and had cow blood all over it .
The pros outweigh the cons of night driving for me. My least favorite thing was reduced visibility. Not being able to see the hill crest on unfamiliar 2 lane roads made overtaking too dangerous.
And nowadays so many people have those high powered LED headlights. The law revolves around watts and not lumens. LED gets a lot brighter per watt. They need to revise that law in my opinion.
Also, I was at a smaller outfit that didn't have a dedicated night dispatcher. I was reluctant to call my boss at 0300 when I knew he was in bed and I needed something.
night driving take a toll on your life great video
I've been in bumper to bumper traffic in Chicago at 01:00 while driving all night. Normally I like starting my day between 2-3am. Easier to find parking at the end of my shift.
Always "smart" information for drivers.
Good video
Thank you!
i truck nights only (UPS freight) and you are right on the points, if i am in a good streak i have no trouble keepning up all night, but the last month of winter where i see no daylight for months my body keeps craving light and thats where it gets tough for me.
Love it
I love night driving but don’t forget the weather can also make it unbearable to drive.
YUP!
I ran reefer Philadelphia to Florida in the 70s. Pour a cup a coffee down the front o you. Hammers down . Thankyou . great videos. Once you got through those 4 toll booths in Richmond southbond .it was game on.
Your a real gem Dave. Good night time advice. I haven't heard a Reimer story for a long time. Hilarious. I think Reimer was copying the JB Hunt trucking model of governed trucks and uniforms for the drivers. Yup the fun was already slipping away back in the 70's
Night driving is conditional based on the driver, region or account you’re running. Day or night driving, proper sleep is the answer.
I like traveling at 4AM every body still sleeping get out of city by 1 or 2 afternoon shut down get a spot at truck stop and do it all over again. Nice video stay safe,safe travels
Those are the #1 facts at driving at night. Make sure you are wide awake. It's a perfect world driving at night. So much time is saved along with wear and tear and fuel. I always drive at night throughout the northeast along with most of I81, all of I85, Pennsylvania, Texas and alot of the southern states. It's a complete dread for me to put up with the amount of traffic Stop and go and slam on the brakes. It wears me out in the daytime. All the bad drivers start coming out around 5AM to cause backups in those areas. It's so much enjoyable driving through the night. The western states are alright for daytime driving because it's less populated.
Damn these new welding flair headlights!
Since I moved to flatbed I don't do a lot of night driving. I did learn from your channel not to flash the brights to signal other drivers. It didn't bother me so I didn't think about it blinding other drivers. I wasn't trying to be inconsiderate I was just new. Great advice. Love the story's, keep up the great content.
I love telling the stories too!! LOL
For some reason I can drive all day into the late of night and have no problems. It's when I start late in the day and drive all night is where I'm having trouble. I have sleep apnea and that cpap is a blessing. When my sleep patterns get interrupted I'm a mess. Lately I been working some crazy shifts. I keep telling my dispatchers I'm falling asleep on the road. I just stop, I tell them I stop and shut the phone off. Sucks getting older I'm 45 and I cant run those long hours on 3 hours sleep anymore. Thanks for another great video sir!
I had little signs that told me I was becoming sleepy before I started nodding off. Another important thing - know yourself.
You should do a video on manual vs automatic transmissions in trucks pros and cons etc... Would be cool to hear your thoughts on this
40 years later Monfort still gets a shout out!
In the winter you also have black ice or solid ice sheets in some areas. And animals active at night.
This is nuts that this shows up on my recommended today. I left Texarkana Texas at 11pm on Sunday and got here in Laredo, tx at 10am, got unloaded, went and picked up. Just now getting onto my 10hr break at like 4pm. Had to take a nap at about 3am. Looks like that's how the rest of my week is gonna be. Fml
I love driving at night, it was alot less stressful...
You might be less alert but there's way less traffic, and in certain parts of the country there's little-to-no traffic in the middle of the night . So that makes me more relaxed.
I used to run Vero Beach to tampa Fl. across rt.60 when it was 2 lane,and the Publick's Market trucks were governed at 55 if you managed to get around one 2 miles down the road you would run up on another,our trucks were governed at 62 and it took forever to get around them.they were paid by the hour,us by the load.
Be aware that truck shops suck and can't handle being open at night. Except for TA. God I love TA.
I worked for a medical reprocessing company for a few years, not as a truck driver, but I found that working my hospital beats at night was so much easier, empty roads, amazing parking, and even less foot traffic in the hospitals too. Now that I’m going into truck driving, I think I’m going to adopt my old nightly rhythm again. Running into a big bad storm at night kind of scares me though.
I don't like all night driving I can go late or wake up early that's it
Agreed my body clock just won't let me do it.
Weigh stations are usually closed around Nebraska, I love that
Thanx. I work. From 4pm to 4am
Between 4 and 5 in the morning is when I stop to nap for an 1 and a half hours. I am ready to go after that nap to finish the run.
I like starting my day at night because when the sun rises you tend to get a burst of energy for last leg of your trip. And also there are lots of parks if you shut down around noon ;)
Thank you sir for you time and info for a new trucker like me looking know what I need to know for otr lord know the unknown scares me