Being a safe truck driver is more than just using turn signals and maintaining a safe speed; it is also about being awake and alert when you’re behind the wheel. Fatigue happens to the best of us, but it is important to know ways to curb and prevent that feeling in order to maintain the ultimate goal of truck driver safety. The beautiful countryside of Virginia is hilly and can be treacherous for truck drivers who are not one hundred percent awake and alert throughout the day. So how can Virginia truck drivers and truck drivers throughout the country prevent the familiar feeling of fatigue?
Take care of yourself
Fatigue starts with how we take care of ourselves from nutrition to exercise to the obvious one – sleep. Eating three well-balanced meals a day can help prevent fatigue. A well balanced consists of proteins, produce, and dairy while at the same time making sure to not over-eat. Over-eating can cause you to only get more tired. Exercise goes hand and hand with proper nutrition. Being unhealthy in general can lower your stamina, which makes it difficult to sit behind a wheel focused for such an extended period of time day in and day out.
Adjust how you sleep
Sleep is probably the most important aspect of preventing fatigue. Not getting enough sleep can be caused by a multitude of reasons. For one, you could be not setting enough time to sleep or maybe spending too much time watching television or on the phone instead of getting seven or eight hours of sleep. In addition to giving yourself more time to sleep, make sure your sleeping quarters are comfortable and make sure there are no outstanding sleep disorders like sleep apnea.
Be conscious of how much caffeine you consume
Everyone knows that cup of coffee here and there can drastically reduce fatigue and feeling tired, but too much of a good thing can often equate to a negative outcome. Consuming too much caffeine throughout the day could interfere with the amount and quality of sleep you’re getting. It can also over-stimulate your brain making your body eventually more exhausted.
Cut out smoking and drinking
Smoking cigarettes may help you feel alert temporarily, but in the long run it creates a more lasting depressant effect which may make you feel more fatigued than you were to begin with. This creates a dependency and will, over time, hinder your health. Drinking alcohol when off-duty can mess with your sleep cycle because although it may make you tired it could disturb sleep more than you may realize. Long-term and excessive usage deteriorates health and can make you feel more fatigued even after what seemed like a deep sleep.
The best way to prevent fatigue is to live a healthy lifestyle, keeping in mind nutrition and exercise while reducing caffeine, cigarettes, and alcohol intake.
Evan Transportation
Evan Transportation was founded in 1992 by Jerry Wolfarth, who at the time had over 25 years of experience in the trucking and transportation industry. The initial operation consisted of a few trucks and drivers who were dedicated and professional. The goal of the company was, and remains, to provide excellent, dependable service.
Contact us today for all of your freight shipment needs or call us at 443-673-3365. We will discuss your tractor trailer options for the freight you wish to ship.
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