Safety 101: Staying Alert on the Road
Tips for Oil Truck Drivers
In the oil industry, we all know that one thing comes before all other considerations: safety. From working on the rig to trucking the oil from place to place, everyone knows to put safety first. Unfortunately, we’ve all seen – usually on the evening news – what happens when safety isn’t the first consideration.
At Nuliner Inc, we are dedicated to doing our part to make sure life on the oilfields and transportation of the oil is as safe as it can be. To start, we’ve compiled this list of tips and tricks to help drivers stay awake and be alert on the road. We hope it’s helpful to both drivers from our company and any other drivers who read it.
Be careful about lighting.
Switching from looking at bright lights to pitch black wears your eyes out before long, which makes you feel drowsy. Unfortunately, nighttime driving too often requires exactly this. Highways at night are often pitch black, punctuated only by the blinding lights of the dashboard and other cars’ headlights. To mitigate this, try lighting your vehicle with a soft red light. Turn down the brightness of the dashboard so that you can see the gauges, no more. And don’t look directly into the headlights of oncoming traffic, but look off to the side instead.
Take advantage of power naps.
Experts say that a quick 20-minute nap can help you stay alert and sharpen your motor skills. When you pull off to refuel your truck or use the facilities, take a 20-minute power nap. If you can manage to squeeze this power nap in between 1 PM and 3 PM, so much the better. But be careful: if you sleep too long, you’ll wake up groggy and disoriented. Set an alert on your phone so you can reap the best benefits from your power nap.
Keep your mind occupied with music or an audiobook.
After the first few miles, the entire highway starts to look the same. It’s easy to get bored, and when you get bored, your attention might flag or stray from the road. Instead of letting that happen, listen to some upbeat music or an audiobook. All that matters is that the book or music engages your mind and keep you awake.
Eat wisely.
Your truck won’t go far without fuel, and you won’t, either. Make sure you’re eating healthy meals, and snack regularly to keep your energy levels up. Avoid sugary and fat-laden foods, as these make you tired. While a sugar rush might be tempting, especially if your energy is flagging, when the rush wears off, you’ll feel that much more tired.
Get some exercise.
Moving around gets your blood flowing and makes you feel more awake. Add a quick walk to your regular pit stops. Just 15 minutes of walking around the parking lot or the grounds of the truck stop can work wonders for your energy level and your mood. Plus, if you do this twice a day, you’ll have made time for 30 minutes of exercise.
Staying alert on the road isn’t just a nice thing to do – it’s essential for doing your job well and safely. Following these tips can make the road a safer place for you and everyone else on it. Let’s all do our part to maintain road safety, and start by following these tips today.
