Driving time tolerances?

S

SZR48207

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Aug 15, 2008
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I remember a thread here maybe a year ago where people were talking about how long you could drive in a day before you got worn out. I can't remember the thread name and searching for it wasn't very fruitful.

I think the longest I've driven for a highway trip is around 4 hours, then spent a few hours in the destination eating/shopping, and then another 4 hours back home.

Does this mean I could drive 7.5 hours in a day if I took a 1-2 hour break for lunch? (and any necessary potty stops)

I'm looking to spend a week in Des Moines visiting a friend, but would rather drive than fly. I live in Oklahoma City so it's mostly a straight shot up Interstate 35.
 
My family (wife, kids, myself) goes to Florida for vacation each year. Home to destination is about 1000 miles. We usually take a couple of days to go down (vacation before the vacation), stopping in Orlando, etc, but on the way back, we usually do it straight through. It's about 14 hours driving, so with stops for lunch, fillups, and bathroom emergencies (little kids!), it takes about 16 hours total. I do all of the driving.

Two months ago I bought a car in Daytona. I got up at 3 in the morning, flew to Daytona and drove it back home in the same day. I was in bed at 130 that night/morning. That day felt like the longest day on the road I've ever had.
 
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Kind of depends on the drive/conditions more than time/distance. I've driven from NC to NH in a day and it wasn't bad at all, but weather and traffic were good for the majority of the trip.

Worst trip ever was NC to AL, which is normally a very easy drive, but I was stuck in torrential downpours the ENTIRE way. I actually felt physically exhausted after that trip. No problems other than the weather, but a normally roughly 8 hour trip turned into over 11.
 
It depends on the drive for me; I've driven to Niagara Falls from NH once and it was like seven hours...wasn't bad, pretty straight and easy. Meanwhile I've driven 8 hours to Washington and it was pure [censored] going through New York, the George Washington bridge, New Jersey turnpike, DC...just a white knuckle ride half of the way. That's not fun, that changes things.
 
Commercial drivers are allowed to drive as much as 11 hours within a 14-hour period, then must take a 10-hour break before driving again.
But they can't do that every day. Max allowance is to drive 70 hours over an 8 day period, then they must do a 34 hour "reset". I find that if I do more than 9 hours a day, I get worn out and irritable by the end of an 8 day cycle. Professionals shouldn't drive angry. I need at least 2 complete days off after a 4000 mile week. I try to keep most of my weeks to 2500 miles. Conditions like heavy traffic and weather shorten my days. I know when my decision-making process slows down, I need to get off the road.
 
Originally Posted by Railrust
Meanwhile I've driven 8 hours to Washington and it was pure [censored] going through New York, the George Washington bridge, New Jersey turnpike, DC...just a white knuckle ride half of the way. That's not fun, that changes things.

I've always gotten stuck in BAD traffic in DC no matter the time of day, but oddly enough if it's the right time of day, the turnpike to the George Washington bridge can be smooth sailing, though with the population density there you're going to hit traffic somewhere. The Tappan Zee bridge route avoids NYC, but is longer.
 
Hayward California to Portland Ore with a set of trailers. ,drop a trailer and p/u the empty, then over the river to Vancouver Washington to drop and pick up another trailer a then return to Hayward with the set. Paper log books were great. I was invincible when I was young.
 
I do a 900 mile trip to visit my parents twice a year. Usually takes 12 hours. I stop long enough for gas, food, and restroom. Sometimes I felt like I would barely make it, others I felt like I could keep on going. One thing that helps me tremendously is moving the seat around every hour or so to change how I'm sitting, and a lumbar pillow.
 
I've had too many long driving days to count but I'm a retired truck driver. Everybody's different but I've seen many sunrises and sunsets through a windshield. I do remember several 1,500 mile stints with only fuel stops, bathroom breaks and a couple of sandwich to go stops while filling out two log books along the way.
 
Originally Posted by CT8
Hayward California to Portland Ore with a set of trailers. ,drop a trailer and p/u the empty, then over the river to Vancouver Washington to drop and pick up another trailer a then return to Hayward with the set. Paper log books were great.

That's quite the haul, considering you went over the Siskyous. I've done Tacoma to Redding in one day. That was enough.
 
My better half and I did ~18 hours straight through from Minnesota back to Atlanta after xmas. Stopped every couple hours and split the driving duties pretty equally which made in a bearable (but still long). We did start getting a lot of attention assist warnings the last hour of the drive so think that was our limit.
 
I drive to visit family 150 miles away some time it's 3 hrs and some time it's close to 5 hours. Drive there and visit as well ad eat then drive home same day. Day starts at 5 am and when I pull in driveway it is normally 10 PM. When mother in law was dying I drove this drive daily as not to miss work and wife stayed at hospital. No fun driving 300 miles a day and working 10 hrs.
 
No longer drive from NH to FL in 19 to 21 hours now we drive 400 to 500 miles per day. Also stay off 95 until VA. Wilks Barre to Blue Ridge Parkway is a little out of the way but so much better.
 
It's a lot easier to drive during daylight in good weather. Worse is nighttime driving in snow. We don't like to drive more than 3 hrs at a time without stopping for a break and switching drivers. That being said, we don't exceed 600-700 mi per day these days, but used to drive closer to 900-1000 when we were younger (and had a radar detector)
 
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Left Waco, TX with trailer - to Fort Worth (work) 1 hr 43 mins
Worked a 9 hr shift - then immediately headed to Johnson City, TN (about 17 hours) to pick up a Kubota backhoe.
Loaded the 'hoe, headed back to Texas - 19.5 hours back - just in time to clock in to work. I missed one day.

I hadn't been in bed for almost 4 days.
 
In 2014 I did 1,200 miles in 20 hours driving my 97' Camry to Montana. [censored] that was a long drive, the seats SUCK in those Camrys
crackmeup2.gif
 
Orange county California to the tip top of Idaho, 1430 miles. If timed right 20 hours not speeding in a car. In a truck, moving house hold items, can take up to 22/26 hours. Always straight thru, No wife! Lots of coffee, no stopping cept for fuel and to wee wee…

Now, after living here going back, if timed right, lead footing the Acura TL-S, or Cadillac STS, 18/19 hours.
 
Originally Posted by KneeGrinder
Orange county California to the tip top of Idaho, 1430 miles. If timed right 20 hours not speeding in a car. In a truck, moving house hold items, can take up to 22/26 hours. Always straight thru, No wife! Lots of coffee, no stopping cept for fuel and to wee wee…

Now, after living here going back, if timed right, lead footing the Acura TL-S, or Cadillac STS, 18/19 hours.

If you took the routes I'm guessing, you drove through some pretty desolate country.
 
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