What Causes Truck Driver Fatigue?

When sharing the road with big rigs, there is an inherent risk to smaller vehicles. If the trucker happens to be drowsy, it heavily increases the risk.

According to the National Law Review, truck drivers and employers should take more steps to prevent fatigued driving.

Truckers Sometimes Work Unusual Hours

Truckers do not have typical schedules. They drive, regardless of the hour, to make deliveries on time. In a lot of cases, drivers will have to work outside of the times they naturally want to be awake or asleep. Some people cannot fully adjust to changing schedules. A driver may always be tired when driving at night, regardless of how much practice or experience they have. In addition to adjusting to a sleep schedule outside of a driver’s normal schedule, some drivers have to change their schedule suddenly. One week, they may drive predominately at night and the next, predominately during the day.

Illnesses Become Common Amongst Truckers

Truckers drive all over the country and come into contact with many different people. If a trucker becomes ill, he or she may crave sleep. After all, the body needs to rest after suffering from any illness. If the schedule does not allow the individual to rest from sickness, he or she may drive while exhausted.

To treat illness, many truckers have to use medication. Unfortunately, some medications cause fatigue and a driver may increase the risk of an accident to feel better.

In most cases, drivers receive pay based on the miles they drive, rather than the hours. This can cause them to drive past their threshold.