We talked in a recent article about driver fatigue and its many dangers. In short, we learned that driving while sleep deprived is equivalent in some cases to drunk driving. In that article, we discussed several ways to prevent drowsy driving. In this article, let’s discuss one specific idea: the midday nap. Truckers work very long shifts and must concentrate very hard on driving the entire time. It’s not like an office job where you can step away from your computer for a few minutes every hour. So it makes sense that we should consider a midday nap. Let’s discuss the benefits.
The Benefits of a Midday Nap
We can break down the benefits into a few quick bullets. A midday nap can:
- Restore alertness
- Reduce mistakes
- Enhance driving performance
- Prevent accidents
If you read the previous article on combating driver fatigue, it’s easy to see why a nap can be beneficial. Tiredness affects how your brain works, particularly reaction times and decision-making. Those are essential factors in your driving ability; you need them at top performance to stay safe on the road.
A two-hour nap is not necessary to bring about these benefits: a 20-30 minute nap will often do the trick. If you’re familiar with power napping, you already understand the idea.
When is it Time for a Midday Nap?
Of course, fleets should work midday naps into the schedule, but drivers should also know the signs of fatigue to look out for. If a driver senses these warning signs, they can pull over for a quick nap. Drivers should look for signals like:
- Difficulty making decisions
- Slowness at completing tasks
- Drowsiness or heavy eyelids
- Forgetfulness
- Inability to control emotions
Tools like Azuga’s AI SafetyCam can also help you look out for these signs. Our artificial intelligence can see heavy eyelids or signs of falling asleep and alert the driver immediately that they may need to pull over and rest.
Improve Driver Schedules with Azuga
Azuga’s fleet management software helps you optimize your drivers’ schedules to ensure they have plenty of breaks and time to rest. Azuga Routes finds the fastest route to your destination with all the stops you need along the way. Meanwhile, our ELD solution helps you time your drivers’ breaks as regulated by the FMCSA. If you’re concerned about working breaks into your drivers’ schedules, schedule a demo today to discuss your options with one of our experts.
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