It’s perfectly okay for trucking professionals to take naps during their travels while parked in a safe area.
Sometimes, staring at a particularly monotonous road for long hours while trucking, especially at night, can be very tiring. Many trucking professionals have fallen victim to dozing off while on the road. This can lead to severe automotive accidents that can result in the death of the trucker or affected car drivers. Therefore it is vital that truckers take great precautions to remain well-rested and ready for the road at all times for everyone’s safety. Here are a few reminders to improve your personal energy during long hours of trucking on dull roads.
Try a Power Nap and Walk Combo
Before starting your workday, especially if starting at an odd hour, take a 20-minute nap. A short rest is plenty of time to allow your body to recover some lost sleep, but the short time span helps in waking up feeling energized and refreshed. After the nap is completed, make sure to take a ten-minute walk around outside to get the blood flowing and muscles adjusted. It’s also OK to pull over to a safe place, park, and take a few short naps during your travels.
Choose Healthy Food Options
Even though long drives are when we most want “road trip food,” or candies, coffee, and savory snacks, it is really best to choose healthy foods instead. Foods that are good for your body often contain essential vitamins and minerals like Vitamin B12 or magnesium that keep us energized and awake. Sugary foods and caffeine may make a trucker feel awake for a while, but there is always that inevitable and miserable crash after a while. Instead of grabbing that bag of corn chips or a chocolate bar, try a fresh fruit cup or a light yogurt instead.
Turn on the Talkies
As tempting as it might seem, listening to music on the radio can actually cause a trucker to zone out, which can lead to tiredness. Instead, try listening to a public radio talk show or audiobook instead. Sometimes, a trucker may feel a little isolated from current events due to their job keeping them away from home. A news or debate radio station is a perfect option not only to keep you informed but also awake. If politics isn’t for you, try listening to an audio version of that one book series you’ve always wanted to give a try.
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Tags: sleep, trucking, trucking safety