Every Truck driver experiences fatigue at least once in their lifetime, just like any other sitting down job. If you're sitting down for long periods, you might feel the urge to fall asleep. The scary part about experiencing fatigue when you are a truck driver is that you may also be putting yourself and others in a dangerous position if you don't find a quick way to control it.
As you may know, around 6% of accidents have been caused by drowsy driving. Now imagine if the person that got into these accidents was someone driving a big semi-truck. Not only would it involve more people, but it may also involve more deaths, so keeping your eyes open and fighting that fatigue is very important for you, especially. If you are reading this article right now, you probably experience this more frequently than you might like. A good thing for you there is a way to control that urge to close your eyes.
How to stay awake on the roads as a Truck Driver
Now, if you are like me, you'll probably skip this paragraph and go straight to the information you need to stay awake on the roads. But, it is essential that you realize some of these steps may not be for you. For example, in the paragraph below, you will see that caffeine is one step you can take to avoid fatigue. However, I DO NOT recommend caffeine to anyone who hasn't had it regularly. Caffein can do many things to your body that you may want to avoid if you've chosen to keep a healthy lifestyle. But, If you are the type of person that doesn't mind the caffeine, it may help relieve fatigue temporarily for the time being. You can pick and choose which one you prefer to use for the rest of these tips, but I will highly recommend the sleep schedule one because it will benefit you the most from all the advice I mention in this article.
Caffeine
Like I mentioned in the previous paragraph, caffeine is not for everyone. You should only be drinking coffee if you feel like it's right for you. Caffeine does a great job of waking the body up and starting you on your day. But there are also negative side effects, such as causing headaches, nausea, cavities, and so much more. So if you don't mind the symptoms, caffeine may work for you.
Drink a lot of Water
Drinking lots of water is the healthier option, in my option, and it also helps clear pores, lose weight, and maintain a healthier mind and body. It would help if you always looked at the recommended intake of water for your body type to ensure that you are drinking enough throughout the day. But for the most part, you should be drinking at least 80 ounces of water a day.
Exercise Daily
When you exercise, you care about your body and help your body access more energy and stay awake when needed. Now I know what you're thinking, you may have tried exercising before, and you still felt fatigued during the day. You have to realize that it won't benefit you as much as possible if you aren't getting enough sleep every day. It eliminates the work when you don't sleep, and you expect to get rid of your fatigue in other ways.
Get enough sleep
How much sleep is enough sleep? Talk to your doctor, and find out how many hours of sleep your body needs to stay healthy. If you don't want to talk to a doctor, you can always look it up. But it would help if you got to sleep every day. Yes, even if you are a man. Sleep is super important for the body to rejuvenate. How can you drive a car if the battery is low every day? Pretty soon, the battery will die out. Your body is like that car except that all you have to do to rejuvenate is get some sleep at night. It's best if you have a schedule, and you are sticking to that schedule daily. You'd be shocked at the difference it can make.
Listen to upbeat music
Turn up the music and get some jamming going. Make sure to always have eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. But, head nodding and singing along sure is fun if you get yourself in the right mood. Helping your body's attention focus on movement and rhythm will help you stay awake when you are on the roads. Try it out and let me know how it goes.
Drive with someone
Some trucking industries will let you drive with a friend or partner if you are trustworthy. Ask your manager if this is the case for you. When you are going with a partner, not only does it help you stay awake from talking, but it also enables you to get extra rest if your partner switches you off as a driver. To me, that is the best part when you get to lay down for a nap without worrying about what will happen if you fall asleep.
Bring some food and snacks with you.
It is best to get a healthy snack and stay away from anything that might cause a sugar rush. It may help for an hour or so, but once the rush dies down, so will your energy. Choosing healthy snacks will help you stay alert and awake while you are on the roads and might be a quick way to get out of your fatigue. Fruits are best when you want a quick snack to release your fatigue.
Don't let fatigue take over your driving.
Being on the road is hard enough as cars swerve, not watching out for possible accidents. When you bring fatigue into it, it's a whole other ball field. Once you experience fatigue, your focus is no longer on the road; it's on keeping your eyes open and trying to see the lines on the road. You've experienced it, and it sucks. No one should be on the streets if they are experiencing this in any way. Pull to the side and figure something out or take a nap before you get back on the roads. It's not worth losing someone's life over your deadline. Stay safe and get some sleep.
