Afraid of Falling Asleep at the Wheel. What do you guys do about this?

Most times you get tired is when you are starting out on a new routine. If you are an hour or two away from your stop and you have to be there, it is very tempting to keep on running. You have to remember they you are your own boss. Nothing anyone does can force you to drive. You can pull over and stop on the side of the road if you have to. If it is unsafe to drive, do not do so and do not let anyone make you do so. If you are on the shoulder and feel it is unsafe to move on, stop right there. Put your flashers on and put out your triangles. When and only when, you and only you, feel it is safe to do so, continue. The fact that you consider driving when you are tired shows you that your thinking has become clouded by lack of sleep.

That is the perfect world solution. In the real world we get tired and make bad choices. First thing you have to do is clear your head so you can make better choices. Any kind of chemical from coffee to pills will only mask the problem for a short time. Sleep cures and heals the body. You need to sleep.

To fight sleepiness for short periods of time. Stop and walk. You get sleepy because there is a build up of CO2 in your blood. A quick walk up and down or around a parking lot will force Oxygen into your blood and will fight off the sleep signals for a while. There is a point that you reach where this works for shorter and shorter periods. If the load is very important to you, there could be times when you have to take a break every 10 minutes or so. Get out of the truck and let the blood flow to the lower parts of your body. Hopping from one exit to the next is not a good way to make a living. But as Josie Wells said, "Dying isn't much of a way to make a living."

 

I hope this post is a joke. If you're to tired to drive get off the road.

 

35 years ago we all drove till we could drive no more
slept over the steering wheel knew we wouldnt get back up
if we hit the rack
revisionists remember it differently

 

just because it USED to be done that way, does not make it right.

If you're tired, get some sleep. How hard is that?

 

Sleeping behind the wheel is very uncomfortable. You wake up all stiff, sore, and cranky. If you're going to sleep, do it in the bunk. Much more comfortable, and you can stretch out and relax.

By the way, it's best to be parked before you head to the bunk. Other truckers get really freaked out if your truck is rolling down the highway with noone behind the wheel, doncha know.

 

What I would do if afraid of falling asleep while driving and it happens often,I would find a different profession.What's going to happen if one day you really do fall asleep at the wheel.

 

I prefer to go into the sleeper and make myself a cup of hot cocoa and some popcorn and then get back in the seat to finish driving.

I mean, that's what the cruise control is for isn't it?

 

I do the audio book thing. I find the a good story keeps my mind going. Of course if it sucks it can put u to sleep. Lol.

 

The thing that got me is the OP says it is IMPOSSIBLE to get enough sleep . That is very dangerous. Many of us get pretty fatigued at times but we know when to stop . How many drivers are actually afraid of falling asleep at the wheel ?

 

I would tend to think that all drivers have experienced this at some time as they test their own limits and build up a tolerance. The ability to stay with it for long periods is learned right along with the other aspects of driving. You only learn your limits by doing and you also learn to easily recognize when your state of concentration and consciousness is not up to the task. I always did a self check when I was running hard by asking myself, if something went wrong at this point, would I say? "Well, I was really tired". If that would be your answer then you are not up to the task of safely continuing until you are refreshed to do so. The do or die analogy won't make you a hero when you crash and burn, but the first question will be, "was the driver fatigued"? So get in the habit of asking yourself this question daily, it may save you and others from allot of heartache.