Staying Alert on a Long Haul: Rest Stops, Water and Fatigue for Truck Drivers

It is 2pm on the highway, the load is strapped, the road is straight, and your eyes keep closing for a second at a time. Most drivers have been there. A long haul with a full truck is not the place to find out how tired you are, because a loaded vehicle needs more distance to stop and gives you less room for a mistake.

This is practical field advice, not medical advice. If you have a health concern, see a doctor.

Start rested, not just on time

The best fatigue plan starts the night before. Sleep properly before an intercity job, and avoid starting a long haul after a night shift or an all-night wedding. A good start at a slightly later time beats an early start on four hours of sleep.

Eat a real meal before leaving, not only a snack. Fill a bottle of water and put it where you can reach it.

Plan stops before you leave

Look at the route and decide where you will stop, with the customer, before the trip. Many drivers rest about every two hours or when they notice the first signs of tiredness. Follow what feels safe and sensible for you, and stop earlier if the road, weather or load calls for it.

Choose busy, well-lit stops where other trucks park. Avoid pulling over on a bend, a bridge or a narrow shoulder. Park with the truck straight and the load in view if you can.

Tell the customer your plan in the request. A driver who says "I will stop to rest around midday" is more reliable than one who promises to reach in a single push. If the haul is long enough to need an overnight stop, our guide to overnight stops on a long haul covers where to park and how to keep the load safe.

Signs you should stop now

Do not wait for a sleepy feeling to turn into a crisis. Pull over when you notice:

• yawning again and again
• drifting inside the lane or touching the rumble strip
• missing a turn or a junction you know well
• heavy eyes, or red eyes that you keep rubbing
• not remembering the last few kilometres
• irritation with other drivers over small things

If any of these show up, find the next safe place and stop. A short nap of 15 to 20 minutes often helps, with the doors locked and the load in sight. Do not rely on loud music or an open window to keep you going.

Water, food and what to avoid

Drink water through the day, in small amounts, so you are not caught short between towns. Heat makes the cab feel good and makes you sleepy, so keep the window slightly open and the air moving.

Eat light, regular meals. A heavy plate of pounded yam or rice at midday often brings on drowsiness an hour later. Fruit, groundnuts, boiled eggs and bread are easy to take. Avoid sweet drinks as your only fuel, because the lift tends to wear off fast.

Caffeine can help for a short time, but it is no replacement for sleep. Do not use drugs or herbal mixtures promising to keep you awake. They hide tiredness and make the crash worse.

Use the stop properly

When you stop, do more than sit. Walk around the truck, check the tyres by hand, look at the straps and the tarpaulin, and stretch your back and legs. Our driver's morning walk-round works at a rest stop too. Five minutes outside the cab does more than another bottle of drink.

Call the customer or receiver if you will be late. A short message at a stop is better than a long argument after arriving.

Keep your hours honest

Do not stack jobs so close that you drive tired just to meet the time. If you are thinking of a second job after a long haul, read stacking two jobs in one day before you accept it. Turning down a request that does not fit your rest is a sensible business decision.

Drivers who arrive alert, with a safe load and a clear record, are the ones customers send back to. That is how weekly earnings last.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere driver app, check the pickup, drop-off and distance of each job and think about the time the trip will take, including rest stops. Accept the price if it fits, or send a counter-offer that gives you room to rest. Tell the customer about your plan before you start. Not a driver yet? See drive and earn.