What's a trcukers best defense against going deaf or ringing of the ear / tinnitus?

The little foam disposable ones are pretty good for filtering the damaging hi decibel sounds while still allowing for the hearing of normal voice levels in close proximity...or there is the rubber/latex ones too.

 

Most of the modern rigs are pretty quiet inside...

I can use my cell phone and talk in a normal tone.

I hear the Cascadias are super quite inside...they made them that way

to reduce noise fatigue.

 

trucks are quieter as of late.

The first rig I drove carhauling was a 97 Freightliner Cabover, it was awful, I used to wear earplugs, and my ears would still ring at night.


K

 

When I first started out I would come home and my ears/head would roar for several days.

I have had a high pitched whistle in my ears ever since that time. In absloute quite the noise keeps getting louder and louder. I have to sleep with a radio or tv on to supress the whistling.

Funny thing is, I only have some very slight hearing loss in the upper mid range according to two hearing lab studies.

Thank goodness for newer, quieter trucks. Anyone that has ever driven and old NH cummins or 318 Detroit with gutted mufflers knows what kind of noise I am talking about.

 

I have tinitus from being too close to too many explosions (thank you Army!) and I find that the more dehydrated I am the worse the ringing is. Stay hydrated! I can still pass any hearing exam, no loss of actual hearing as far as anyone can tell but the ringing makes it hard to understand people who talk really fast or mumble.

 

Monotone people who have a mid-range voice are really hard to understand. I need a bright crisp voice to understand clearly.

 

You have tinnitus! Based on this and your earlier post. Pretty much the same thing I have.

 

Reminds me of the late 70s/early 80s Army Hearing Conservation Program. Lot's of money spent affixing Hearing Protection Required stickers on equipment and lining folks up for annual hearing tests. But the propensity of soldiers to enjoy their loud music off duty helped bring that program to an end - and closed the loophole of getting disability payments for hearing loss.