On My Own & Driving Solo

Really the only thing that matters is the load you are currently on gets there safely and on time. If you will not have the time on the next load then they can always transfer it to another driver or you could pick up the load and take it part way to the destination and another driver finish the trip.

Splitting your breaks let's you use 100% of your drive time.

For example if you have 4 days to do 2200 miles and each day you drive 9 of your 11 hours and shut down with 2 hours left on your clock. Those 2 hours disappear when your clock resets and you essentially lose those hours. Over 4 days you'll lose 8 hours of drive time!

When you split your breaks (in this case probably 3 or 4 times taking 8/2, 8/2, 8/2 instead of 10,10,10) you'll get those 8 hours to drive because when you split your breaks you calculate the balance of what you've driven against the total time you can drive. Hours don't disappear.

You need to do split breaks. And if you can't do it with split breaks than it can't be done.

Ok I was thinking about this.. I see what you're saying and I've done it myself. If you do 8/2 splits you can take avoid taking an additional 30 minute break each day by timing your breaks right. So technically, you can get there faster.

I just don't think it would do any good here since, if I'm understanding her situation right, she is running low on her 70.

For example if you have 4 days to do 2200 miles and each day you drive 9 of your 11 hours and shut down with 2 hours left on your clock. Those 2 hours disappear when your clock resets and you essentially lose those hours. Over 4 days you'll lose 8 hours of drive time!

So, don't shut down with two hours left on your clock. Problem solved. I can do that without using the split. I don't understand what you're saying here..

The only time you can save by using sleeper splits is cutting out the extra 30 minute break. You can't drive more than 8 hours straight without a 30 minute break, so if you want to drive 11 hours a day (without using a sleeper split) you must take that 30 minute break at some point and still shut down for 10 hours when you're done. If you want to use a sleeper split, when it's time to take a 30 minute break you can take 2 hours off instead of 30 minutes, then shut down with 8 hrs in the sleeper later. The 2 hour break satisfies the 30 minute break requirement (8 hr rule) but also counts as part of your 10 hr break since you're using the 8/2 split, so you end up taking less time off overall. But, either way, you can still drive 11 hours a day.

If you want to drive with the clock at 5 minutes beeping at you awhile pulling into a packed truck stop at midnight hoping and praying there's a spot, be my guest.

I wrote up a tread on split breaks of you would like to read it it's here.

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-16294/Page-1/into-and-split-breaking-intro

For example if you have 4 days to do 2200 miles and each day you drive 9 of your 11 hours and shut down with 2 hours left on your clock. Those 2 hours disappear when your clock resets and you essentially lose those hours. Over 4 days you'll lose 8 hours of drive time!

So, don't shut down with two hours left on your clock. Problem solved. I can do that without using the split. I don't understand what you're saying here..

The only time you can save by using sleeper splits is cutting out the extra 30 minute break. You can't drive more than 8 hours straight without a 30 minute break, so if you want to drive 11 hours a day (without using a sleeper split) you must take that 30 minute break at some point and still shut down for 10 hours when you're done. If you want to use a sleeper split, when it's time to take a 30 minute break you can take 2 hours off instead of 30 minutes, then shut down with 8 hrs in the sleeper later. The 2 hour break satisfies the 30 minute break requirement (8 hr rule) but also counts as part of your 10 hr break since you're using the 8/2 split, so you end up taking less time off overall. But, either way, you can still drive 11 hours a day.

If you want to drive with the clock at 5 minutes beeping at you awhile pulling into a packed truck stop at midnight hoping and praying there's a spot, be my guest.

I wrote up a tread on split breaks of you would like to read it it's here.

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-16294/Page-1/into-and-split-breaking-intro

Even if you do sleeper splits, if you want to run your 11 down to nothing, for one of your two breaks (8 or 2, take your pick) you are still going to be pulling into a truck stop with 5 minutes left on your clock. No way around that if you want to drive a full 11 hours a day. And if you're pulling into a truckstop at midnight with 5 minutes left on your clock, that's your fault for not starting your day earlier.

I remember that thread. I purposely didn't comment on it because Rainy did such a good job of explaining things.

But seriously, none of this really helps Phoenix because her issue is that she's low on her 70.

Her and i both understand how split breaking works so we were squabbling about the same thing from two different angles.

One of the great things about split breaking is you don't have to run down your time to 0 because on the other side of the split you get whatever time you didn't drive.

It's really hard to explain split trip because it's different the first time you split your break like if you did a 10, 8/2 than if you did a 8/2, 8/2.

The info is all there. If you have any specific questions i can try to answer them.

If you want to drive with the clock at 5 minutes beeping at you awhile pulling into a packed truck stop at midnight hoping and praying there's a spot, be my guest.

I wrote up a tread on split breaks of you would like to read it it's here.

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-16294/Page-1/into-and-split-breaking-intro

Even if you do sleeper splits, if you want to run your 11 down to nothing, for one of your two breaks (8 or 2, take your pick) you are still going to be pulling into a truck stop with 5 minutes left on your clock. No way around that if you want to drive a full 11 hours a day. And if you're pulling into a truckstop at midnight with 5 minutes left on your clock, that's your fault for not starting your day earlier.

I remember that thread. I purposely didn't comment on it because Rainy did such a good job of explaining things.

If you want to drive with the clock at 5 minutes beeping at you awhile pulling into a packed truck stop at midnight hoping and praying there's a spot, be my guest.

I wrote up a tread on split breaks of you would like to read it it's here.

https://www.truckingtruth.com/truckers-forum/Topic-16294/Page-1/into-and-split-breaking-intro

For example if you have 4 days to do 2200 miles and each day you drive 9 of your 11 hours and shut down with 2 hours left on your clock. Those 2 hours disappear when your clock resets and you essentially lose those hours. Over 4 days you'll lose 8 hours of drive time!

So, don't shut down with two hours left on your clock. Problem solved. I can do that without using the split. I don't understand what you're saying here..

The only time you can save by using sleeper splits is cutting out the extra 30 minute break. You can't drive more than 8 hours straight without a 30 minute break, so if you want to drive 11 hours a day (without using a sleeper split) you must take that 30 minute break at some point and still shut down for 10 hours when you're done. If you want to use a sleeper split, when it's time to take a 30 minute break you can take 2 hours off instead of 30 minutes, then shut down with 8 hrs in the sleeper later. The 2 hour break satisfies the 30 minute break requirement (8 hr rule) but also counts as part of your 10 hr break since you're using the 8/2 split, so you end up taking less time off overall. But, either way, you can still drive 11 hours a day.

That is what trip planning is all about. I know exactly how far I can get and where I can stop along the way. Yep I drove 632 miles on Friday with :08 left on my clock. Called the flying j and reserved a spot ahead of time.

I advocate 8/2 splits but regardless of how you use them, you are still only driving 70 hrs a week. No matter you are still fighting your 14 & 70. And if I shut down after 6 hours on day one, I'm going on break earlier which gives me my new clock earlier. So my hours aren't disappearing they are being redistributed.

We all drive differently and run our trucks differently. One of the disadvantages of teaming is lack of trip olanning...someone usually has hours.

As far as laundry. I usually tell my FM to give me extra time between loads, or do it on a drawn out load. Showers I have done during my 30 min breaks during hot loads. Even at night. If you ask the flying j manager if you can park in the last fuel pump and shower they usually let you if its a big place with lots of pumps. Not too much traffic at the pumps at 0200.

Rainy says:

And if I shut down after 6 hours on day one, I'm going on break earlier which gives me my new clock earlier.

Thanks Rainy. This is exactly what I'm talking about.

Well, if your plan for taking long loads is to do itusing 10 hour breaks that's up to you.

I'm just saying there's an alternative. But if you don't want to learn it or don't care than that's what you have to work with.

I just pulled a 2600 mile load Virginia to las Vegas solo. 4 days. Split breaks. 2 tire blowouts and still made it with 4 hours extra.

When they have those long loads they're not going to give it to someone that can't get it there because they ran out of hours. And i have a hard time believing a dispatch would give you a load without the 70 hour clock to do out in. But i guess it could happen.

Rainy says:

And if I shut down after 6 hours on day one, I'm going on break earlier which gives me my new clock earlier.

Thanks Rainy. This is exactly what I'm talking about.