They may take prescription or over-the-counter medications or have health issues that cause drowsiness or fatigue. In addition, trucking companies put pressure on their drivers and give them incentives to push their limits.
Two-thirds of truck drivers admit to driving while tired on at least half of the trips they make, and 13% admitted to falling asleep while driving. According to a Harvard study, truck drivers—many of whom drive overnight—who suffer sleep apnea and don't get proper treatment have a 400% increased risk of crashing.
If a truck driver is tired behind the wheel, a quick nap could make the difference between staying safe or getting into an accident. Other ways to stay awake include drinking something with caffeine or other natural elements to help boost energy, listening to an audiobook, or opening the window of their vehicle.
Drowsy Driving Statistics
About 64% of truck drivers experience some kind of fatigue regularly. Insomnia is found in about 27.5% of truck drivers.
This usually happens when a driver has not slept enough, but it can also happen because of untreated sleep disorders or shift work. Prescription and over-the-counter medications can also cause drowsiness, and alcohol can interact with sleepiness to increase both impairment and drowsiness.
Several factors contribute to the prevalence of fatigue among truck drivers, including long working hours, irregular schedules, and inadequate sleep. One of the primary causes of truck driver fatigue is the long hours they spend on the road.
From making sure that their vehicle is in tip-top shape, to managing their hours correctly, making deadlines, getting enough sleep, safely operating the truck, and navigating legal and regulatory hurdles, truck driving can be about as stressful a job as there is.
Anxiety: An estimated 14.5% of truckers who are diagnosed with mental health conditions are thought to suffer from this one. Emotional problem diagnoses: At least 13% of truckers diagnosed with mental health concerns are suffering from non-specific emotional problems.
Study drugs are usually prescription stimulants that are used to increase alertness and energy for a short time. They also increase heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Prescription stimulants used as study drugs include: amphetamines like Adderall, Dexedrine, or Vyvanse.
The general FMCSA hours of service (HOS) regulations say that, in most cases, truck drivers can drive a maximum of 11 hours a day. The FMCSA requires this driving to occur within a 14-hour window after a rest period of 10 or more consecutive hours. This 14-hour driving window starts when a driving shift begins.
Do truckers sleep with their trucks on? While some drivers with older trucks will leave their truck running while they're stopped (a practice known as idling), recent upgrades to semi-trucks have made this somewhat unnecessary.
Fatigue can result when you do not get enough sleep or do not get quality sleep. It can impair your driving, similar to alcohol impairment. A survey of the U.S population found that 37% of workers got less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep.
Younger drivers age 16-24 were nearly twice as likely to be involved in a drowsy driving crash as drivers age 40-59.
Most truck drivers sleep in sleeper cabs located behind the driver's seat. Early schedules and cab confines pose unique challenges for drivers trying to get optimal sleep. Sleeping in a moving truck is even harder. You may experience sleeping while the truck is in motion if you drive as a team.
Irregular Pay
Most trucking companies will pay their drivers by the mile; and with irregular routes, it can be difficult to know exactly what your take-home pay will be for each pay period. It also means that when you are stuck waiting for things like traffic or loading and unloading, you aren't getting paid.
While the lack of places for truck drivers to exercise can lead to obesity, it also keeps them from adequately moving and stretching their muscles, leading to more soreness and stiffness. Over time, muscles grow weaker without the proper exercise and face an increased risk of becoming sprained or strained.
Watching for these warning signs can help you recognize that you're fatigued: Difficulty focusing and inattentiveness. Repeated yawning, head bobbing and inability to keep eyes open. Feeling restless, irritable or impatient.
In a recent study involving 949 truck drivers, insomnia affected 27.5% of the sample.
You may be falling asleep while driving, but not feeling tired, because you're driving during a natural dip in energy as part of your circadian rhythm, you have a medical condition or side effect from medication, or because you're sleep deprived and don't feel it.
Although all drivers are subject to fatigue at the wheel, heavy vehicle drivers are especially prone to this problem, in particular due to: long work hours. irregular schedules.
What Exactly is Microsleep? You may be unfamiliar with the term, but microsleep is quite common and can be dangerous if it occurs while you are driving a vehicle. Simply put, microsleep is when you fall asleep for a period of several seconds.