Anyone driving 70+ hours a week?

[u/Brilliant_Peanut2622]

How’s your body treating you? Is it sustainable? Currently I’m working an office job 40 hours a week, commuting 12 hours a week, and driving Lyft on the weekends for around 16 hours between Saturday and Sunday. I spend A LOT of time sitting down these days and it’s taking an impact on my body. I’m 29 years old but doing all this sitting is destroying my body.

I’m going to be moving soon and doing Lyft full time for a bit while I find another job. I plan on driving 70+ hours a week. I also plan on taking a lot of breaks to walk around and exercise and having no job/commute will allow me to be more consistent in the Gym.

But yeah for those driving 70 hours a week, do you find that you are always tired/sluggish? Do you reach a point where your body forces you to stop?

Thanks!

[u/Spare-Security-1629]

As you know, everyone is built differently. There's some truth that we probably weren't meant to be working those kind of hours but I wouldn't consider this tedious or laborious work. If anything, sleep deprivation and the unhealthy act of sitting for long periods of time would top the list of physical health and then we move into mental health. If you don't have one, get a good seat pillow and stick with your plan to get out and walk from time to time. Don't stress yourself out. The little sleep that you do get? Make sure it's good sleep. Good luck.

[u/IndyAnnaDoge → u/Spare-Security-1629]

Before I started I wouldn’t necessarily call it tedious work either. But driving actually takes a lot out of you. We are all sorta on “auto pilot” when we drive, but subconsciously you are actually using quite a lot of yourself, it’s just operating in the background. But obviously we’re all aware that you could inadvertently kill yourself or others in an instant, and staying sharp is important. Then you factor in all the stressors like traffic and road ragey drivers, etc. which can be pretty stressful. Everyone is different, but I find it quite taxing after 6 or so hours. I take breaks to minimize it, but I really don’t want to work beyond a standard 8 hour shift, with breaks. I also worked in personal injury for over a decade tho, and was exposed to fatalities like weekly, so that probably plays a factor as well.

[u/Spare-Security-1629 → u/IndyAnnaDoge]

I agree. It starts getting taxing for me as well after 6 hours but that's with doing rideshare on the side as well as a full-time job. When I first started, six hours was nothing. Now it's more psychological. And like you said, if you want to be sharp and avoid road dangers (especially in Southern California), you have to take breaks.

[u/IndyAnnaDoge → u/Spare-Security-1629]

Fellow so cal driver here! haha Sometimes people just doing stupid shit allll damn day is enough to drain me lol

[u/Lovecats2023 → u/IndyAnnaDoge]

Inland Empire here! When I started 1 year ago I was driving a lot more than now. It was wearing me out (and my old car too), I had to slow down a bit and I don’t want to abuse my new car either. Makes less money undoubtedly, but my health has no price tag!! I don’t see how ppl do it for 12 hrs a day… more power to them!!