Every trucker knows that staying awake on the road means a lot to trucking. Operating a truck, drivers must be concerned with their own personal safety, and the safety of those other drivers on the road. The main concern for a truck driver is safety, and lack of sleep can break a trucker’s on-the-road adventure.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, drowsiness causes about 100,000 crashes a year. Try to keep yourself on the road in tip-top shape. With our few tips on how to stay awake while driving a truck, we will help truck drivers find out how to prevent drowsiness.
What Are The Signs of Drowsiness?
It will be easier to prevent sleepiness on the road if truck drivers know when they are sleepy. These telltale signs will help you understand your sleepy condition:
- Yawning – You might need to rest if you find yourself yawning overmuch.
- Drifting – A truck driver might start drifting outside of the lane or drifting off to sleep.
- Problems with vision – Problems with your vision will alert you to drowsiness such as blurred vision or difficulty focusing.
- Loss of Memory – When truck drivers physically push themselves to keep driving, drowsiness can cause loss of short-term memory, for example you can have trouble keeping track of the miles you’ve covered.
These signs of drowsiness can affect your alertness. If you feel tired in any way while on the road, stop driving and have a rest.
How To Stay Awake On The Road
There are some actions you can take to stay awake on the road:
- Drink coffee – Coffee will help you stay awake if you’re feeling drowsy. Caffeine gives you the energy you need but coffee should be used sparingly.
- Phone calls – Call your friends or family, if you find yourself getting drowsy on the road. They will help keep you awake and take your mind off the daunting task of driving.
- Turn up the volume – If you listen to tunes on the road, you can keep yourself awake by pumping up the volume.
- Take a break – Driving for long periods of time can cause different mental or physical problems. If you need to stop, stop. Take a break to be in the best shape to operate your truck.
How To Prevent Sleepiness
Our easy tips will help truck drivers completely avoid sleepiness. You can incorporate certain habits into your life that make traveling long distances a breeze.
- Healthy Food
Food plays a huge role in one’s ability to stay awake because we receive our energy from the products we consume. If you choose healthy food, you will get more energy. Choosing food with a lot of fat and sugars will make you sleepy after eating. So, it is important to eat healthy meals on the road to give your brain and your body the best nutrients that will help you be focused while driving a truck.
- More Exercise
If you want to stay awake on the road, you need to incorporate exercise into your trucking lifestyle. Exercise signals your brain to produce the necessary hormones to keep you awake.
- Consistent Sleeping Schedule
Body can prepare you for sleep if it knows when it will receive rest. Consistent sleeping schedule will help you stay awake when you’re supposed to be driving.
How to Stay Awake On The Road With NSTS
At New Sound Truck Driving School, our highly trained professionals will prepare you for a successful career in truck driving from offering our CDL Class A and B training to on-the-road practice. With our help, you can build connections with experienced truck drivers to get the best tips for adapting to the trucker lifestyle. You can get the most out of your career, contacting us today at 253-210-0505!