Question for Truckers...

Jeepers, if that really works, I am going to smear it all over my motorcycle helmet! That is when I suffer the nods the worst!

 

My wife and I have been taking this stuff called vemmapower which is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. After taking this stuff for about a week you can really feel your energy level rise to the occasion.

 

the 5 hour energy drink works great for me. the taste takes getting used to but it works great

 

The best advice is what's already been given: make sure you get enough sleep, and when you feel drowsy, pull off the road. And eating light meals, nothing makes me sleepier than a nice fatty burger. If you stop at a rest area, wash your face (like someone suggested) and maybe chase the kids around for 10 minutes or so; it will help them burn off a little energy (to help them from getting too restless) and it will help get your blood pumping.
And if you need a little pick-me-up, I like the Starbucks double shots (not the low-fat, they just don't taste that good). If I have already had one, I sometimes switch it up and have a Rockstar (get the orange can, the best flavor IMHO) or a full throttle ain't bad (red can).

 

Hey, Amy, let us know what worked for you on your next trip and how it went when you get back!

 

The only thing that overcomes fatigue is sleep.

One can be wide awake and still fatigued. Kind of like the old saying about giving a drunk coffee only makes a wide-awake drunk. Taking stuff to try and "overcome" fatigue justs makes a wide-awake fatigued driver. Perception and reaction times will still be slower.

 

Sh'es talking about a family trip. We all thought the same thing



is always best, but on a family car trip, it's a little diffrent.

 

i agree that sleep is always the best thing... except there are alot of times when you cant just go 'oh well im tired, pull over take a 2 hour nap wake up and everything is great.'

cuz then dispatch is wondering why your late for the 18th time and the customer employees went home for the night so now u gotta sit and wait until tomorrow blah blah blah.

or worse yet.. u have the time for a nap, but ur stuck on a US route where rest areas and truck stops are billions of miles apart and the shoulder of the road is about 8 inchs wide.

in the aforementioned situations i reach for the 5 hour energy drink to keep me jacked up for a few hours til i can reach the customer or the truck stop to stop for the night.

now im not sayin be a super trucker/super driver and push yourself all the time to drive tired. even i have a line i wont cross. but on some occasions im left with no other option. (note: i typicaly have enough time to deliver without pushing myself, and if i gotta push myself its of my fault not dispatch) and the 5 hour energy drink wakes me up in minutes and keeps me up for about 3 or 4 hours. im a big guy so the '5 hours of energy' burns a lil faster when its got more body mass to pump thru i need 3 tums when i got heart burn lol

anyways yeah thats what i like most. however its $3 a bottle... so nedless to say i avoid situations where i need it as often as possible cuz i cant aford to usem all the time hah.on average i use 1 a week @ best. typicaly i can get by without needing them but id rather have and not need then need and not have. so i keep 2-3 bottles in my one cargo slot