Why Are Truckers Often Fatigued?

Anytime you take to a Montana roadway, you run the risk of travelling near large commercial trucks whose drivers just may need some serious sleep. Nowadays, truckers are often overtired for numerous reasons, but when they drive fatigued, they are endangering far more than just themselves.

Per GorillaSafety.com, today’s truckers are up against a unique set of circumstances and job conditions that make driver fatigue an unfortunate, but often regular, reality. Truckers are often under immense pressure to meet tight deadlines, and they often must log long hours to meet those deadlines, particularly if conditions such as traffic or inclement weather are present. Some truckers you encounter on the roadway receive pay based on the number of miles they cover, and this, too, leads some who drive for a living to push themselves to the brink of exhaustion.

The effects of driving fatigued are not entirely different from the effects of driving under the influence of alcohol, meaning you and other motorists are at risk anytime commercial truckers take to the roads when overtired. Some truckers, too, drive fatigued because they do not always know the next day’s schedule. When a driver knows his or her schedule for the next several days or weeks, it can prove easier to schedule adequate rest periods, but, given the nature of the trucking business, pre-planning a driver’s schedule is not always possible.

While reducing fatigued truck driving is, to some degree, the responsibility of the truck driver, trucking companies, too, must share the responsibility. By encouraging drivers to take care of themselves and get adequate rest, and by encouraging them to take breaks when tired, businesses can do their part to improve public safety.

While this information about why truck drivers often drive fatigued is informative, it is not a replacement for legal advice.