CR England Girl

Even truck drivers can be susceptible to the post-lunch slump that seems to hit around late afternoon – your eyes begin to feel heavy, you feel less alert, and your energy is zapped.  Sound familiar?  Here’s how to stay energized, alert, and feeling good all day long.

• Eat right!  Believe it or not, certain foods can actually make you feel more tired (similar to how eating turkey on Thanksgiving makes you want to nap afterward).  When you can, eat food that is high in protein and whole-grains to feel more alert.  Avoid foods that are high in sugar, which can make you feel extremely energized right before you crash, leaving you feeling fatigued and exhausted.
• Chew gum – did you know it can actually help you feel more alert and aware of your surroundings?
• A plain, old cup of coffee is the trucker’s standby to help keep them awake.  Coffee is full of caffeine which is classified as a stimulant since it mildly stimulates the nervous and cardiovascular systems helping you feel more awake.
• You can also drink water.  When you’re body is even slightly dehydrated (which can happen really anytime), you begin to feel tired and sleepy so be sure to drink plenty or water while on the road, even when you don’t feel thirsty.
• Try talking a walk.  Park at a truck stop or rest stop and do a few laps around the parking lot.  This will increase your blood and oxygen flow, making you instantly feel more awake.
• Try to stick to a regular sleeping schedule.  This is definitely easier said than done, especially when truckers are trying to make up for lost time or traveling at night to avoid heavy traffic.  But getting enough sleep (typically eight hours a night) will actually help you have more energy during your shifts.  Make sure to take advantage of your 10-hour breaks by sleeping!
• If you are really struggling to stay awake, pull over and rest.   It is always better to take an hour or so to rest than getting in an accident because you were falling asleep at the wheel.  Safety should always be your top priority.

Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute conducted a study to test the effect of personal technology when it comes to safety on the road.  The study was funded with $300,000 from the FMCSA,  lasted from 2004 to 2007, and involved 203 truck drivers who drove a collective 3,000 miles.   Video cameras were installed in commercial trucks that could record truck drivers just seconds before and during an accident or near miss.

The results of the study confirm what many have been saying for a long time: that texting is an extremely high-risk behavior while driving.  In fact, the study showed that texting increased a trucker’s’ probability of being in a crash or a near miss by nearly 23 times, compared to motorists who were not texting.  Researchers say texting is considered more dangerous than other activities while driving because it requires the driver to take their eyes off the road repeatedly.

Just a reminder to always make safety a top priority!

Remember the financial burden of purchasing fuel just one year ago?  We may be in the midst of economic turmoil but at least you aren’t also paying $5 for a gallon of diesel!  According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the current average price of diesel is $2.22 a gallon.  The lowest prices of fuel can be found around the Gulf Coast (approximately $2.44 a gallon) while the most expensive area to purchase fuel is in (no surprise) California, as $2.70.

Want to know who has the lowest price of fuel in your area?  Check out GasPriceWatch.com – simply enter your address or zipcode, select diesel, and it will show you the cost of a gallon of diesel at various stops wherever you are!

More than 150 different businesses, manufacturers, and organizations have formed the Alliance to Keep U.S. Jobs, a coalition formed to urge Congress and the Obama administration to resolve the continuing trade dispute between the U.S. and Mexico.  The ongoing conflict has hampered the U.S.’s ability to sell more than $2 billion worth of manufactured and agricultural products destined for south of the border.   Many of the alliance’s members are in industries that are being subjected to tariffs placed by Mexico’s Government (Mexico has said the tariffs will not be removed until the U.S. reinstates the cross-border program).

Here’s an interesting way to catch aggressive drivers: state troopers in Indiana are riding along with truck drivers in hopes of preventing accidents involving tractor-trailers and cars.  Indiana State Police report that 56% of all wrecks involving a big rig and a passenger car or truck are the fault of the driver of the car.

Most truckers argue that cars on freeways are reckless when it comes to driving around big rigs, continuously cutting them off, riding in their blind spots, and squeezing in front and behind them.  Most drivers don’t realize that it can take the entire length of a football field for a fully-loaded tractor-trailer to come to a complete spot.

So how does it work?  When the trooper in the tractor-trailer sees a driver violating the law, they will radio to another trooper up ahead who will pull over the violator.  Troopers say they will also be on the lookout for truckers driving recklessly.  Ingenious!