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What is the most exciting aspect of driving an 18-wheeler truck across America (or any other country)?

Last Updated: 30.06.2025 06:46

What is the most exciting aspect of driving an 18-wheeler truck across America (or any other country)?

And personally, I love to see the changing landscape, both day to day and as the seasons change.

When driving more than 100km from your base, we have a maximum of 12 hours loading/driving per 24 hours with strict rest times during that 12 hour working day, so it takes 14 hours to work/drive those 12 hours.

With a Fatogue Management Certificate, that 12 hour work day can extend to 14, but with very strict rest break requirements.

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Our trucks have big horsepower (kilowatts), and big fuel tanks to cope with the long distance.

We use both Cabover and long bonnet trucks. I drive a nice Scania Cabover with 560hp and a 12 speed auto-changing gearbox. Comfortable and easy to drive after years of old Western Stars, Kenworth and Ford L9000s with 13 and 18 speed manual gearboxes.

Towns are few and far between so there are roadhouses in some remote areas to fill in the gaps.

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We MUST have a seven hour sleep break in every 24 hours. And a normal work week is a maximum of 72 hours, followed by 24 hours not driving (working six days in seven).

It's a good life if you like your own company and have an understanding wife.

And we have up to three trailer road trains (53.5 metres long) on some more remote roads. I have that licence, though I am usually towing Bdoubles or two trailer road trains.

Which Shakespeare words have completely changed meaning in modern English?

We have unfenced roads in many locations so have to watch out for roaming kangaroos, emus, sheep, and camels.

All heavy vehicles (over 12,000 kg max weight) are limited to 100kmh (62 mph), even where the speed limit is higher.

We have to have enough technical knowledge to make some repairs on the road.

Why doesn't speeding significantly decrease one’s commute time? I've done a lot of road trips and driving and have experimented by increasing speed by 10–20%, but somehow this never equates to arriving 20% sooner, even on clear roads.

We allow higher weights than US trucks - 42,500 kg (93500lb) versus 80,000 lb for a single trailer semi.

it takes around three days to drive Adelaide-Darwin, or around four days to drive Sydney-Perth.

In Australia we have 22 wheel trucks as standard - three axle trailers.

Wow! The changeover from President Biden to VP Kamala Harris as candidate could not have been more successful in just 2 days! It was as if they had been planning it. Could they have planned it? Are you excited by the positive Democratic response?