It's a Team's Life
Trust; life or death
The hardest thing I had to learn about Expediting has been the ability to sleep while the truck goes down the road. There have been many steps taken to assure that we get good nights sleep. The one though that means the most is trust…
Without trust getting a good rest is impossible as every time the brakes are touched, the truck turns, or the truck slows down you will wake up and wonder what is going on. Summer time is especially hard on a person to sleep due to road construction and having to run on the shoulder of the road. Being woken to the sound of rumble strips can be disconcerting if there is no trust in the driver.
Trust is earned not given and it takes time to be gained. When we first started any bump in the road was cause to be concerned. Not only did we need to gain trust in each other we had to learn how the truck handled the road. We had to learn the noises of the road, and one noise that was difficult for me was the noise of a truck and trailer passing our truck one a couple feet from my head at a high rate of speed.
We also had to replace the factory mattress in our truck. The factory mattress was made to sleep on while the truck was sitting still not going 58 mph down a rough road. We found that a mattress with built in memory foam worked best for us, as it will not allow us to bounce up into the air while the truck is moving. We found it very difficult to sleep while being bounced into the air over and over again.
I also learned to sleep with earplugs in my ears until the noise of the road no longer bothered me. We also use the covers for our windows in the sleeper as well as shut the curtains to the front of the truck. We get the sleeper as dark as possible and as cool as possible. I like to use lavender sheet spray to help relax me and I will mist the sheets before going to bed.
Getting good nights sleep was not a quick process to learn and learn to relax and let the other person drive. Trust in the driver and the truck took time and once that was accomplished I find sleeping while going down the road a much easier process.
Bob & Linda Caffee
Leased to: FedEx Custom Critical 

TeamCaffee

Saint Louis MO
Expediters 6 years been out here on the road 11 years
Expediting isn't just trucking, it's a lifestyle; 

Expediting isn't just a lifestyle, it's an adventure;

Expediting isn't just an adventure, it's a job;

Expediting isn't just a job, it's a business.