Driver fatigue
Ape Boy
was wondering if anyone has any tips they'd like to share on how to make
driving long stints more comfortable. Those bloody Merc Sprinters have
the shortest gears I've ever had the misfortune to wear out my left leg
and shoulder on.
Today was a perfect example. (Melb. towns) Sunshine, Footscray, Preston,
Box Hill, Bayswater, Rowville, Dandenong, Seaford and back to homebase in
Moorabbin. By the end of it I feel like rat shit and notice that my
awareness levels start dropping ever so slightly.
feral
I'd rather not enter into it, you would get offended.
FFS "I'm driving too far, I feel like ratshit, I'm
losing awareness".
Take breaks and if that doesn't help, DON'T DO IT.
--
Take Care.
Feral
atec
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Ape Boy
Not offended. By the time I'm finished, I usually get a sore back and the
usual signs of old age :) Perhaps it's one of those things you eventually
get used to if you do it enough times. I'll have to learn good spots for
parking the van and going for a bit of a walk.
As for rather not going in to it.......go for it! I may have mentioned
here before, I'm really not one to be taken too seriously.
atec
you're tall like me I think , you need to learn the correct stretching
to maintain comfort , and sit ups actually help ... ( more so than
bourbon to dull the pain)
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Ape Boy
> you're tall like me I think , you need to learn the correct stretching
> to maintain comfort , and sit ups actually help ... ( more so than
> bourbon to dull the pain)
>
Well, tall enough. I'm six two. You're right about sit ups. I actually
do crunches to strengthen the mid-section and it's one of the best things
I've done recently.
Not being used to driving all day is a really weird feeling. I hardly
burn any energy (compared to what I'm used to), and at the end of it, I
feel like going straight home and sleeping! The human body is really one
big piece of crap. I can bust my nuts in the gym, but if I need to do
something out of my every day routine, I feel like shit until I get used
to it.
I now have a new found respect for the 'ergonomics team' that put in their
work when helping to design a vehicle.
dvk
"Ape Boy" <apesx...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:opseruwuy0irl1d6@trogdor1...
It is definitely just something you will get used to. You have to remember
to drink enough water, it doesnt matter how annoying it is to stop to piss
every hour!
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The Interceptor
I had the misfortune of driving 850 km in SA on a weekend in a hire car - no
CDs, and I could only get the ABC - which is normally ok, but they spent 2
hours talking about regional Aussie Rules.
Brett
Ape Boy <apesx...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
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David Z
"Ape Boy" <apesx...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:opseruwuy0irl1d6@trogdor1...
Vinnie
I am an on the road sales rep and make many long drives to country areas.
I tend to stop and petrol stations when I am tired and have a bite to eat
and a walk around followed by a cigarette.
One problem I have found when I am in the car all day is finding a place to
take a piss, so I carry around empty Milo bottles and piss in them
sometimes, The excitement of pissing in the bottle some times wakes me up.
Otherwise I pull over and close my eyes for 20 minutes. If am really tired
then I just don't drive.
good luck with your new job !
"Ape Boy" <apesx...@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:opseruwuy0irl1d6@trogdor1...
Patrick Young
> One problem I have found when I am in the car all day is finding a place to
> take a piss, so I carry around empty Milo bottles and piss in them
> sometimes, The excitement of pissing in the bottle some times wakes me up.
Same with the *really* high cranes on building sites. For obvious
reasons it is frowned upon *not* to use a bottle I'm told by a friend
who is in the industry :-)
Toby Ponsenby
> Same with the *really* high cranes on building sites. For obvious
> reasons it is frowned upon *not* to use a bottle I'm told by a friend
> who is in the industry :-)
Some dogmen used to give a whole new meaning to the term golden
shower.
Probably some of them overstepped the (skid) mark, so to speak, which
is why the mad bastards were banned out of a job.
--
Toby
quidquid latine dictum
sit, altum viditur
Dirty Sanchez
> My new job requires a fair bit of driving just about every second day
> and was wondering if anyone has any tips they'd like to share on how to
> make driving long stints more comfortable.
Drive with the window down, or the air conditioning pointing at your
face. Have a good range of music. Stop and take a coffee break every
two hours, if you don't like coffee, start drinking it anyway, it's an
acquired taste :-) If the gear shifts in your Sprinter is buggerising
your arm, try and adjust your seat somehow to make it more comfortable.
Ape Boy
> Why on earth don't they give you automatics?
>
It's the tight-arse factor. I get fairly good pay for what I do but the
boss is all about saving money, which is why we don't even get air-con in
them. I think I'll have to convince him to get Kia Pregios next time as
they come loaded at a good price.
Ape Boy
> Hi Ape,
> I am an on the road sales rep and make many long drives to country areas.
> I tend to stop and petrol stations when I am tired and have a bite to eat
> and a walk around followed by a cigarette.
>
> One problem I have found when I am in the car all day is finding a place
> to
> take a piss, so I carry around empty Milo bottles and piss in them
> sometimes, The excitement of pissing in the bottle some times wakes me
> up.
>
> Otherwise I pull over and close my eyes for 20 minutes. If am really
> tired
> then I just don't drive.
>
> good luck with your new job !
>
Thanks for the advice. Thankfully, I pass plenty of petrol stations so
Milo tins won't be necessary at this stage :) I have to learn how to take
power naps as they seem to be the best thing if you're having a long day.
Toby Ponsenby
Tins?
He said tins?
Jeesus!!
John McKenzie
>
> Why on earth don't they give you automatics?
maybe because only moron's can't drive manuals, and they aren't planning
on hiring you?
--
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Graham W
> Trade it in on a quality Ford Transit VJ. I drove it to Adelaide from Melb.
> non stop, was more comfort than the Falcon...
Thre days ago you're trying to tell us that Fords are just about the
worst thing on four wheels, and that merely thinking about them made you
come out in a cold sweat, despite owning one yourself.
Now you're recommending one.
Personally I ignore your opinions, because they'll change by next friday
anyway.
David Z
should be done. Otherwise , you might as well as everyone driving a car -
'what are you moron, can't you walk?!'
"John McKenzie" <jm...@alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
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David Z
"David Z" <da...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:hlM4d.2301$5O5....@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
John McKenzie
>
> Just because someone can do something, does not necessarily mean that it
> should be done.
As in just because you can make a fool of yourself each and every time
you post????
Otherwise , you might as well as everyone driving a car -
> 'what are you moron, can't you walk?!'
Can you drive a manual out of interest? It was intended to get a laugh,
it wasn't meant to be an unprecedented insight into your lack of motor
skills (pardon the pun) but now I'm wondering.
atec
heavily calloused from playing with your "joy" stick , you really are a
wanker david.
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Ape Boy
Windows down will have to be the go. The gear shifts are more annoying
than anything. They're so short I find I can easily take off in second
even up slight hills. 40km/h and I'm already in third >:-(
Ape Boy
>
> Next few days i can report on what the Kia Pregio is like before it heads
> for its new owner
>
> CDIHL
>
Actually, I spoke to the operations manager today and told him it may be a
good idea to trade in the Vito for a Pregio. Comes loaded for under
$24,000. The Vito has been an absolute lemon. Before I started there,
Barloworld (Merc dealer) had to send the head away to replace the glow
plugs! The van's only done 70,000 and it's just 3 years old.....that's
piss poor from a diesel.
David Z
van that size should have at least 8 cylinders.
"Dirty Sanchez" <D...@nospam.com.au> wrote in message
news:41535ac4$1...@mail.netspeed.com.au...
Ape Boy
> Whoever decided to name that van the 'sprinter' should be shot. 60
> kW?! A
> van that size should have at least 8 cylinders.
>
Hey, I don't think anything will beat the Sprinter from 0 to 10km/h. It's
when you have to change to second, the rest of the traffic will leave you
for dead......unless you do take offs in second like I do :)
Ape Boy
wrote:
>
> I thought you said you were driving for a long time, thats just a few
> short trips:-)
> I was courier for 8 yrs and it can be very tiring but you do get used to
> it after a while, I averaged 350klms a day, 5 days a week.
> Driving a semi is easier in some ways than being a courier as you tend
> to get much longer breaks loading and unloading.
> Try to relax and not rush, I always find that rushing about and getting
> stressed out is very tiring, if I take my time and cruise I can drive
> all day without feeling tired.
>
>
>
> Daryl
You have a very good point with not rushing. First week in to driving, I
really wanted to make a good impression so as soon as I unloaded at one
point, I was straight off to the next. This got me tired very quick.
I'll have to learn to take an extra 5mins at each drop off point because,
like you, I get paid by the hour.
Patrick Young
> $24,000. The Vito has been an absolute lemon. Before I started there,
> Barloworld (Merc dealer) had to send the head away to replace the glow
> plugs! The van's only done 70,000 and it's just 3 years old.....that's
> piss poor from a diesel.
Hmmmm, read that with great interest. I checked google on this
model and there is a real problem with the plug ends becoming
deformed, meaning you wont get them out. Yuk!.
A couple of weeks ago I replaced all mine on the Hilux as they were
all burnt out after 190,000km +
Interestingly they would unbolt themselves easily enough, but once
you got to the end of the thread, they would sit there as if gripped
firmly by something from the other side :-) Could rotate and wiggle
them a bit - no way they would come out.
I found I needed to pull up, twist, pull some more, twist, etc. to
get them out. Here is a pick of the one(1) that came out easily and
the one that really didn't:
http://www.fce.unsw.EDU.AU/people/py_stuff/gplug.jpg
The one on the right put up a good fight. Notice the
shine from the wiggling and slight pitting on it.
I put it down to carbon build up on the plug end.
These things are a worry, I was wondering at the time -
"what if something breaks off?"
D Walford
If you always deliver/pick up from the same customers after a while you
will get to know them and you will take a few minutes to have a chat
which can be relaxing.
Once you get to know your regular customers its much less stressful
because you will know exactly where you are going, how long it will take
to get there, where to park and very importantly where you can safely
stop for a break.
I'm surprised the Sprinter hasn't got A/C, most EBA's state that work
vehicles must have A/C.
What sort of goods are you carrying?
Daryl
Ape Boy
From what I'd been told, the Merc dealer had to send the head away to have
them drilled out. Not good when the Vito cost over $30g brand new.
Ron
We had a VW Golf Diesel a few years back, the glow plugs used to deform
on that motor as well. Fortunately the thread was twice the width of the
glow bulb.
Ape Boy
wrote:
>
> If you always deliver/pick up from the same customers after a while you
> will get to know them and you will take a few minutes to have a chat
> which can be relaxing.
> Once you get to know your regular customers its much less stressful
> because you will know exactly where you are going, how long it will take
> to get there, where to park and very importantly where you can safely
> stop for a break.
> I'm surprised the Sprinter hasn't got A/C, most EBA's state that work
> vehicles must have A/C.
> What sort of goods are you carrying?
>
>
>
> Daryl
I carry heavy duty fabrics for marine, furniture and automotive
applications and others.
This is where I work ----> http://www.innovaint.com.au/
Check out the Tension Membranes pics. That illustrates how heavy duty our
stuff is.