Your Longest Shift?

[ForsytheBros.]

We just got home from a weekend project installing pipe culverts.


Crews went in at 8am on friday, went home Sat. night at 9 pm
Came back in Sun. at 10 am and came home Mon. at 6 pm.

Yeah, Yeah, I know...We're wimps-some folks would've worked the whole weekend without any sleep, right?

While i certainly don't recommend "crazy hours" for health and safety reasons, the joys of business ownership dicated it for our particular project, even with cycling shifts of guys.

That said, i'll throw it out there: What's the longest period of time you've worked w/o sleep?

 

[CascadeScaper]

I went almost 30 hours last spring. I was working on a remote site just doing some landclearing (pulling out an orchard) so I was able to work through most of the night. I started at 5 AM on a Saturday and went home at 10 AM Sunday. I went back Sunday night for another 7 or 8 hours, then drove 160 miles back to my college location for a 7:30 AM class Monday morning. :drinkup Good times.

 

[ForsytheBros.]

I went almost 30 hours last spring. I was working on a remote site just doing some landclearing (pulling out an orchard) so I was able to work through most of the night. I started at 5 AM on a Saturday and went home at 10 AM Sunday. I went back Sunday night for another 7 or 8 hours, then drove 160 miles back to my college location for a 7:30 AM class Monday morning. :drinkup Good times.

Makes you sure enjoy a mere 10 or 12 hr day afterwards!

 

[Squizzy246B]

Not operating heavy equipment but repairing a diesel; went some 70 odd hours with only 2 x 2 hour power naps changing out Napier Blowers on a Paxman 16YJCAZ (1,600 Bhp)...and all the damage the blades did when you got eaten . It was not too bad save for this was done in the middle of nowhere in Indonesia.......they were not so big on Aircon then either and 96% Humidity will make you leak a tadd!

 

[wrenchbender]

Long Shift!

Once while working a shutdown my crew and I went 54 staight hours. Now I'm sure there are folks that have went longer with out sleep but keep in mind we were cutting,welding,grinding and carrying steel. We bid the job as a 48 hour turn key deal but due to problems beyond our control we were there an extra 6 hours. And believe me when I say I'm in no hurry to ever do this again.

A trucker friend of mine told me he drove for over 70 hours only stopping to eat and use the restroom. He running a round trip and wanted to be home for Christmas.

 

[atgreene]

34 hours plowing snow, non stop.

In the firehouse, we do 24 hour shifts, it's fairly common that I work my 24 ( 8am to 8 am) with minimal or no sleep and then leave here to do 10 or so in the excavator. Really suck, though.

 

[RollOver Pete]

Back in the day, A long time friend of mine needed some time off for a family sickness.
He'd just picked up a brand new 1996 Peterbilt 379, 550 E model Cat, super 10, with a walk in.
The truck had less than 15000 miles on it and now he's handing me the keys.
I'd load Monday morning at Fresh Express in Yuma,
grab some citrus in Bakersfield then run north to Perroni Produce in Spokane by Tuesday night.
There, I'd unload, head up to Oroville and start reloading down to Portland. Thursday afternoon I'd enter California :throwup
and be back at the L.A. market by early Saturday morning.

Total hrs driving? Lots.
Total hrs in the sleeper, ..... maybe 12-15 :naughty :sleeping :sleeping

I ran 3 trips back to back for Mark who still owns the blue 96 Peterbilt.
He stopped here in Baker last week.
The truck looks better than new and has logged just over 1.5 million miles.

I'll get some pics next time he comes through town.
:cool2



Thats me below.
In 1999, I borrowed Marks truck to pick up a water tower I had just purchased from Ecco in Stockton.

Middle pic is me parked at Hood River.

Bottom pic... Unloading at PMS Produce. Down Town Los Angeles.

 

[Dozer575]

Not now, but some years back, I worked 6.5 hours in a shop 11 pm to 6 pm, then drove about 25 miles average to various jobsites and ran a D8 for 8 hours, 5 days a week for 3 years. No week end work thanks. And no life.

 

[SouthOnBeach]

eh i'm a whimp only a mere 35 hours for me. really didn't like doin it and really don't care to ever do that long again if i can avoid it.

 

[Countryboy]

Worked 56 hours in a row the week after Katrina came through. I ate out of the snack machine and slept in the truck. I took a couple 3 hour naps throughout the whole ordeal.

The "bums" on dayshift couldn't take the heat and several layed out when the huge orders came in. By the end of that shift it looked like the quarry had been robbed blind.

We received an Emergency Order from the Railroad stating that cars would be coming to the yard as fast as they could round them up. It also stated that the car was to be completely full, weight was no object.

Every machine at the quarry was dedicated to loading rail or trucks. The pit didn't even run that week because they were also utilized. The Railroad had 3 crews dedicated to our quarry that whole week.

We loaded 2 months of rail in that week.

I made good money that week. It was fast paced and challenging. It also had the benefit of helping people out that were in need. I would say, without hesitation, that I would do it again in a heartbeat. :usa

 

[digger242j]

One snowstorm, I worked 30 out of 36 hours. I thought that was pretty tough, until the one where I worked 40 hours straight.

As far as long term, back in about 85, I did a stretch where I worked 7-3:30 on one job, for a builder, then roaded the backhoe a couple of miles down through town, and worked from 4-midnight with the guys that were working for me. We had some major holes in the street, so working the evening hours was easier due to lighter traffic. I think I went three weeks without seeing my kids awake, except on Sundays...

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I just finished 46 hour with a 1 hr cat nap in the seat. Took 6 hrs to sleep and back for another 24 or so.
The joys of owning a small buisiness!!


I have gone over 3 days straight, day and night before on emergency jobs.

 

[Wulf]

Safety and Family First...

Don't think I'm preaching and I'm not saying I haven't done it myself but we should all be aware of the risks gents...

Interesting statistics comparing fatigue and alcohol:

http://www.science.org.au/nova/074/074key.htm

 

[DPete]

Yeah, you guys are working to hard ointhead DP

 

[murray83]

3 months repairing leaks in a pipeline from the oil refinery to the local power plant outside the city limits oh god how fun that was.

3 days on 12 hours off 3 months straight sitting in a 312 so far the worst I've ever been in,plowing snow I was gone maybe 15-18 hours straight.

 

[Copenhagen]

Plowed snow for 50 something hours straight. I guess I took a nap in the skid because I woke up buried bucket first in a snow pile and the engine was full throttle. :beatsme

 

[Dozerboy]

Non-stop 36hrs of pushing snow is the most I can recall.

 

[itsgottobegreen]

This year During the Ice/slush storm. I did 4 days with 4 hours of sleep. They only reason why I finally went home was. I feel asleep sitting on a pallet of ice melt holding a bag of ice melt. My guys came looking for me, after I didn't come back after an hour. I had to get my mother to come get me and drive me home. I slept for 18 hours after that. My last long haul plowing record was 32 hours with a 100-101 degree fever. I was popping dayquils like they where tic tacs.

 

[95zIV]

36 hours straight putting a derailment back together, 38 hours pushing snow, and for a while I was working 15 hour days monday to thursday, starting at 4am, a 10 to 12 hour day friday, depending on how much I had to take back to the job monday 4 to 5 hours saturday.

 

[mikef87]

I couldn't say off the top of my head, but it was defintley plowing snow. I got a job that had to be done in a 2 month time frame. The work was about 3.5-4 months worth of work. Crews were putting in for 100-120 hours of work a week. That was a tough week, we got it done. I seem to work better working 10-14 hr days than 8 it puts me to sleep.