If you’ve ever been in a crowded truck stop while on a road trip, you’ve probably wondered about the sleep patterns of truckers.
Specifically, you might have asked, do truckers sleep with their trucks on? The answer is yes, though this depends on whether the truck has an auxiliary power unit, or APU. Most trucks do not have APUs, and will require the engine to be on to keep the cab cool while sleeping.
Why Do Truckers Sleep with Their Trucks On?
Most long-haul truck drivers will sleep in the cab of their truck, and thus will need to be able to run various devices, like lighting, radio, fans, etc. Additionally, truck cabs can get hot quick, especially in the summer months. Air conditioning is a must in these situations.
This is where the source of power comes in. For most truckers who aren’t lucky enough to have an APU on their truck, the truck must remain in idle to provide electricity to the cab.
The main need for this is the truck cab’s air conditioning system. Being such a small and compact space, the cab of a truck can heat up quick and doesn’t lend itself well to open windows and ventilation.
In order to find comfort while sleeping, and preventing the cab from heating up to dangerous levels, the air conditioning for the cab will essentially need to run nonstop.
For a lucky minority of truck drivers, their trucks are equipped with an APU. An APU works similarly to how a generator would work. The idea behind an APU is to provide electricity for any operations that need it when the truck is not moving.
Is There a Benefit to Having an APU?
There are two main benefits to having an APU on your truck; noise level and fuel consumption.
The main benefit of having an APU is the noise level. APU’s are far quieter when running than a truck engine is when idling. For truck drivers trying to sleep, the less noise the better.
Additionally, using an APU will allow truckers to burn less full, as an APU is fitted more to the energy demands of a truck’s cab. Using less fuel is always ideal, as it cuts down on costs and reduces pollution into the environment.
Unfortunately, most trucks do not have APUs fitted to their cabs, as many trucking companies prefer to avoid the cost of purchasing and installing them.
Where Do Truckers Sleep?
You may have noticed that this article has specifically focused on truckers that sleep in their trucks. This isn’t the case for all drivers, though. Many drivers stay local and return home each night to sleep in their own bed.
Long-haul truck drivers will often sleep in the cab of their truck. The cab is the extended space behind the driver and passenger seats, that will often include a mattress, some storage for clothes and personal items, and potentially some kitchen items like a microwave, minifridge, or coffee maker.
For those who sleep in the cabs of their truck however, there are a few options for where to sleep. These options include truck stops, highway rest areas, and even company lots of the clients they’re delivering for.
For most truck drivers considering where to stop and sleep for the night, their decision will come down to what combination of amenities a given location offers. These include:
- food options
- convenience stores
- showers
- refueling
Additionally, truckers will look for places that offer peace and quiet and a better chance of getting a full night’s sleep.
What Does a Trucker’s Schedule Look Like?
Due to the nature of the job, truckers aren’t always able to keep the most consistent schedules, and their pickup and drop-off times can vary over the course of a week.
Part of the reason for this is the Federal Motor Carrier’s Safety Association’s(FMCSA) rules around how long drivers can be on the road before stopping to rest. According to the FMCSA’s Hours of Service rules, drivers can drive a maximum of 11 consecutive hours after having 10 consecutive hours of rest.
The number of hours can extend to 14 hours, but no further. The FMCSA also requires that drivers go no more than 8 hours without at least a 30 minute break.
That said, truckers are beholden to the demands of their clients. Unlike a 9-5 office job, truckers aren’t always able to work at the same time of day consistently, and have to tailor their schedules to when pickups and drop-offs are needed.
With that, truckers often struggle to form some semblance of a regular sleep schedule. While the FMCSA requires the allotted time for sleep, it doesn’t always mean truckers will be able to sleep restfully during that time period.
Consider a trucker that has been working early morning drop-offs for a few consecutive days, but then needs to shift to early evening pickups due to the availability of work. Moving from sleeping overnight to then sleeping during the day, and then potentially switching back, can throw off your body’s natural rhythms.
A trucker’s eating habits can also be thrown off by this inconsistency, as the time of day at which you have your meals can be constantly changing.
Do Truckers Ever Sleep in Hotels?
For the most part, truckers will try to avoid sleeping in hotels and rarely do it. There are a few reasons for this.
The main reason for this is that hotels cost money. You have to remember that truckers are trying to make money while driving, and spending money on a night in a hotel cuts into how much money a trucker takes home at the end of the day.
Additionally, hotels do not always offer a place for trucker to park their rig. Without a place to park a truck and its trailer, a hotel isn’t an option for a trucker.
That said, there are some situations that will cause a driver to spend a night in a hotel. One reason could be that the truck is being serviced, and is not available to be slept in while being worked on.
Another reason for this could simply be the stress of a long stretch of a chaotic schedule. Sometimes truckers might find the condition of living out of their truck for an extended period of time to be grating. In these situations, the comfort of a hotel bed might be worth the price.
What are Some Tricks for Sleeping Better in Your Truck?
Because the schedule is so erratic, truckers will want to make their sleep as restful as possible when they get the chance to do it. Here are a few tricks to do that.
- Make the bed in your cab as comfortable as possible. This is the easiest trick, as its completely in your control. Get sheets for the bed, instead of a sleeping bag, and consider a mattress pad to add more cushion.
- Reduce noise as much as possible. This one is slightly less in your control, as you have no say in what goes on outside of your truck. You can however, make efforts to reduce the noise level coming in by closing your windows and sleeping with foam earplugs in.
- Create a schedule as much as possible. This can be limited by the demands of the job, but doing things as simple as always eating at the same time prior to sleeping or always taking a shower before sleeping can help signal to your body that it’s time to sleep.