We all know that being a truck driver comes with long hours on the road, a lot of which are through the night. Since most loads are paid by the mile or by the hour, there can be a lot of pressure to complete a job as quickly as you can while pushing your body to the limit. Here are some tips to stay awake and alert to keep doing your job safely:
- Avoid high contrast lights
The contrast between the night and bright lights will strain and tire your eyes quickly. Sitting in a dark cab with bright gauges and headlights shining back at you will wear you out quickly. If your interior is too bright, turn off any unnecessary lights, and turn down your dash lights to reduce eye strain. Avoid looking directly into oncoming headlights and look off to the side instead.
- Don’t get too tired
Safety is always paramount. It isn’t worth it to fall asleep when you are driving. If you feel like you need a break or need to call it a night, look for your closest rest area or truck stop. You will also be more well rested if you take naps or sleep before you become overly exhausted.
- Blast the AC
If you are warm and comfortable you are more apt to fall asleep or drift off. Crank up your air conditioning to provide a bit of a shock to your system.
- Use your radio
If you have been listening to the same thing for hours on end on your radio, switch it off. Even if you don’t notice it after a while your brain is still processing what it hears, so listening to music or talk radio is taxing on your brain. After a while the hum of your engine may cause you to dose off, time to turn that radio back on! By alternating you don’t allow your brain to fall into a rhythm and go into auto pilot.
- Coffee
This is an easy one, but be careful not to overdo it! Ingesting large amounts of caffeine or sugar all at once may give you a short term energy boost but will cause you to crash after a bit.
- Take a quick walk
Sometimes all you need to do is get some blood flowing to your legs. Stopping for a few minutes can make a huge difference when you are on a long run.
If all else fails, just pull over and take a quick nap. Our driver’s safety and the public’s safety are our number one priority.