Commercial truck drivers provide valuable services by transporting heavy loads across Oregon and throughout the rest of the United States. However, driving a commercial truck can entail long hours and multiple shifts. Some truckers may become burned out, which could be a problem for other drivers.
You might recognize signs of a burned-out truck driver if you know what to look for. Trucker Tools explains what it means to be a burned-out trucker.
Feeling fatigued
Truckers may spend a lot of time on the road and away from home. A lack of human interaction and exercise may cause truck drivers to experience exhaustion after a while. A fatigued trucker may feel so tired that he or she operates in a mental fog. Even drinking a caffeinated drink like coffee might not offer a lot of energy since it may result in a sugar crash later on.
Experiencing negative emotions
Burned-out truckers may feel negative about their situation, about their driving and the people they work for. This can bleed over into negative thoughts about everything in life. These thoughts may lead to inefficacy, where truckers start to feel that nothing matters, that no one cares about them and there is no point to anything.
Take care to avoid a burned-out trucker
The mental health of a truck driver is important. Fatigued truckers generally have reduced attention spans and reaction time. Angry, cynical or apathetic truck drivers may not care about taking the right steps to be safe on the road. While commercial trucks have auto-correction systems and warning systems to alert a trucker to unsafe driving, these measures do not substitute for a mentally healthy driver.
If you notice a truck is drifting out of a lane or has made an obvious driving mistake, it could be a sign of a burned-out trucker. Hopefully, a trucker operating under exhaustion or apathy will recognize these signs of burnout and seek help before causing someone serious pain and injury due to unsafe behavior.